Sex differences in myocarditis hospitalizations: Rates, outcomes, and hospital characteristics in the National Readmission Database.

Inflammation of the myocardium, or myocarditis, presents with varied severity, from mild to life-threatening such as cardiogenic shock or ventricular tachycardia storm. Existing data on sex-related differences in its presentation and outcomes are scarce. Using the Nationwide Readmission Database (2016-2019), we identified myocarditis hospitalizations and stratified them according to sex to either males or females. Multivariable regression analyses were used to determine the association between sex and myocarditis outcomes. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality, and the secondary outcomes included sudden cardiac death (SCD), cardiogenic shock (CS), use of mechanical circulatory support (MCS), and 90-day readmissions. We found a total of 12,997 myocarditis hospitalizations, among which 4,884 (37.6 %) were females. Compared to males, females were older (51 ± 15.6 years vs. 41.9 ± 14.8 in males) and more likely to have connective tissue disease, obesity, and a history of coronary artery disease. No differences were noted between the two groups with regards to in-hospital mortality (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.20; confidence interval [CI] 0.93-1.53; P = 0.16), SCD (aOR:1.18; CI 0.84-1.64; P = 0.34), CS (aOR: 1.01; CI 0.85-1.20;P = 0.87), or use of MCS (aOR: 1.07; CI:0.86-1.34; P = 0.56). In terms of interventional procedures, females had lower rates of coronary angiography (aOR: 0.78; CI 0.70-0.88; P < 0.01), however, similar rates of right heart catheterization (aOR 0.93; CI:0.79-1.09; P = 0.36) and myocardial biopsy (aOR: 1.16; CI:0.83-1.62; P = 0.38) compared to males. Additionally, females had a higher risk of 90-day all-cause readmission (aOR: 1.25; CI: 1.16-1.56; P < 0.01) and myocarditis readmission (aOR:1.58; CI 1.02-2.44; P = 0.04). Specific predictors of readmission included essential hypertension, congestive heart failure, malignancy, and peripheral vascular disease. In conclusion, females admitted with myocarditis tend to have similar in-hospital outcomes with males; however, they are at higher risk of readmission within 90 days from hospitalization. Further studies are needed to identify those at higher risk of readmission.

Outcomes of Cardiac Arrest with Valve Surgery Among Infective Endocarditis Patients: A United States National Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVE: Cardiac arrest can complicate infective endocarditis (IE) and is associated with significant in-hospital complications and mortality rates. We report the characteristics, outcomes, and readmission rates for IE patients with cardiac arrest in the United States. METHODS: We surveyed the Nationwide Readmission Database (NRD), a database designed to support national level readmission analyses, for patients admitted with IE and who had cardiac arrest during index admission between 2016 and 2019. Baseline demographics, comorbidities, surgical procedures, and outcomes were identified using their respective International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes. RESULTS: There were 663 index admissions (mean age 55.87 ± 17.21 years;34.2 % females) for IE with cardiac arrest in the study period, with an overall mortality rate of 55.3 %. Of these, 270 (40.7 %) had surgical procedures performed during the hospitalization encounter. In patients who had a surgical procedure, 72 (26.8 %) patients had in-hospital mortality while 293 (74.9 %) patients without surgical procedures had in-hospital mortality (p < 0.001). After coarsened matching for baseline characteristics, surgical valve procedures were less likely to be associated with mortality (OR = 0.09, 95%CI 0.04-0.24; p < 0.001). Among the 295 alive discharges associated with cardiac arrest, 76 (38.57 %) were readmitted within 30-days, with a mortality rate of 22 % noted for readmissions. CONCLUSION: Among IE patients who had cardiac arrest, surgical procedures subgroup had low mortality despite having higher complication rates. However, due to chances of bias more randomized trials are needed evaluate the hypothesis.

Outcomes of Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting in Patients With Previous Mediastinal Radiation.

Studies have shown that patients with radiation therapy-associated coronary artery disease tend to have worse outcomes with percutaneous revascularization. Previous irradiation has been linked with future internal mammary artery graft disease. Studies investigating the outcomes of coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG) among patients with previous radiation are limited. The Nationwide Readmission Database for the years 2016 to 2019 was queried for hospitalizations with CABG and history of mediastinal radiation. Complex samples multivariable logistic and linear regression models were used to determine the association between the history of mediastinal radiation and in-hospital mortality, 90 days all-cause unplanned readmission rates, and acute coronary syndrome readmission rates. A total of 533,702 hospitalizations (2,070 in the irradiation history group and 531,632 in the control group) were included in this analysis. Patients with radiation therapy history were less likely to have traditional coronary artery disease risk factors and more likely to have associated valvular disease. Patients with a history of irradiation had similar in-hospital mortality and 90-day readmission risk at the expense of higher hospitalizations costs (ß coefficient: $2,764; p = 0.005). They had a higher likelihood of readmission with acute coronary syndrome within 90 days (adjusted odds ratio 1.67, p = 0.02). In a conclusion, a history of mediastinal irradiation is not associated with increased rates of short-term mortality or increased all-cause readmission risk after CABG. However, it may be associated with increased acute coronary syndrome readmission rates.

AngioVac for Vegetation Debulking in Right-sided Infective Endocarditis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

To investigate the utility of AngioVac-assisted vegetation debulking (AVD) in right sided infective endocarditis (RSIE). AngioVac is a vacuum-based device that was approved in 2014 for the percutaneous removal of undesirable materials from the intravascular system. Although there are multiple reports on the use of the AngioVac device to aspirate right-sided heart chamber thrombi, data on its use to treat RSIE is limited. We performed a comprehensive literature search for studies that evaluated the utility of AVD. The primary outcomes of our study were the procedural success, defined as the ability of AngioVac to produce residual vegetation size <50% (RVS<50%) without serious procedural complications, and the clinical success, defined as composite of RVS<50%, in-hospital survival, absence of recurrent bacteremia, and valve function not requiring further intervention. The secondary outcomes included the individual components of the primary outcomes and average length of hospital stay. The pooled means and proportions of our data were analyzed using random effects model, generic inverse variance method, and represented with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). A total of 44 studies, including 301 patients (mean age: 44.6 ± 18.2 years, 71.6% males) were included. Procedural success was achieved in 89.2% of patients (95% CI:82.3%-93.6%, I2 = 0%). Clinical success was achieved in 79.1% of patients (95% CI:67.9%-87.2%, I2 = 15%). Overall survival rate was 89.7% (95% CI:83.1%-93.9%%, I2 = 9%). Our meta-analysis demonstrates that AVD is a promising therapeutic option for RSIE offering a high success rate with an acceptable complication rate across a wide range of patients.

Coronary Artery Aneurysms in ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (From a United States Based National Cohort).

This study aimed to study group differences in patients presenting with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) based on the presence or absence of associated coronary artery aneurysms (CAA). The cause-and-effect relationship between CAAs and STEMI is largely unknown. The Nationwide Readmission database was used to identify and study group differences of patients with STEMI and with and without CAA from 2014 to 2018. The primary outcome in the 2 groups was mortality. Secondary outcomes in the 2 groups included differences in clinical outcomes, cardiovascular interventions performed, and prevalence of coronary artery dissection. The total number of patients with STEMI included was 1,038,299. In this sample, 1,543 (0.15%) had CAA. Compared with those without CAA, patients with CAAs and STEMI were younger (62.6 vs 65.4), more likely to be male (78 vs 66%), and had a higher prevalence of a history of Kawasaki disease (2.5 vs 0.01%). A difference exists in the prevalence of coronary dissection in patients with STEMI with and without CAA (73% vs 1%). Patients with CAA were more often treated with coronary artery bypass grafting (13.1 vs 5.6%), thrombectomy (16.5 vs 6%), and bare-metal stent implantation (8 vs 4.4). Patients in the CAA STEMI group had lower all-cause mortality (6.3 vs 11.7%). In conclusion, there are important differences in patients with STEMI with and without CAA, which include, but are not limited to, factors such as patient profile, the risk for coronary dissection, treatment, outcomes, and mortality.

Penile shortening complaints in males with erectile dysfunction: a narrative review on penile lengthening procedures during penile prosthesis surgery.

Patients complaining of short penile length pose a challenge in urology practice. Those men who present seeking penile lengthening surgery usually overestimate 'normal' penile length, and may in often cases relate their penile length with the degree of masculinity and self-esteem. Penile prosthetic devices are the gold standard treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED) after failure of conservative options. Penile shortening is the most prevalent long-term complaint after successful inflatable penile prosthesis (IPP) placement. This has a significant impact on patient's overall satisfaction and quality of life. Using PubMed, we performed a thorough literature review of the current procedures of preservation or enhancement of penile length as well as reported perioperative protocols in patients undergoing penile prosthesis (PP) insertion. Keywords used were "penile lengthening", "penile enhancement", "penile girth", "inflatable penile prosthesis" and "glans augmentation". Several surgical techniques can be offered in the setting of penile shortening concurrently with PP insertion, e.g., sub-coronal approach of PP placement, sliding technique, modified sliding technique (MoST), multiple-slide technique (MuST), and tunica mesh expansion procedure (TMEP). Adjuvant techniques can also improve subjective penile length include, ventral phalloplasty, suprapubic lipectomy, suspensory ligament release and use of expanding penile implants. Preoperative protocols including use of a vacuum erectile device, traction therapy also seem to improve postoperative outcomes, minimizing postoperative pain, and encouraging the early device use. Currently, there is no consensus among experts on a particular lengthening procedure or when they can be performed to optimize outcomes. Furthermore, it is imperative to set proper expectations before surgery, with extensive patient and partner counseling. When used in the properly selected patient, penile lengthening procedures show promising results with minimal complication rates.

Early Postoperative Complications and Factors Associated with Early vs Late Discharge of Patients Undergoing Colporrhaphy for Pelvic Organ Prolapse: A National Report.

INTRODUCTION: Pelvic organ prolapse is a highly prevalent condition that is commonly managed with surgical intervention. Our purpose was to determine associated factors and postoperative morbidity rates of early (≤1 day) vs late (>1 day) hospital discharge after outpatient colporrhaphy. METHODS: From the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program® database, 11,652 female patients who received colporrhaphy between 2005 and 2016 were identified; 3,728 were stratified into the early discharge group and 7,924 into the late discharge group. Patient characteristics, surgical data and 30-day postoperative complications were recorded, and variables were compared between groups. RESULTS: In comparison to the late discharge group, the early discharge group had a shorter mean operating time (p <0.001) and overall was less likely to suffer from 30-day morbidity (OR 0.67 [95% CI 0.55-0.82]), reoperation (OR 0.59 [95% CI 0.39-0.90]) or readmission (OR 0.40 [95% CI 0.26-0.90]). Factors independently associated with a lower likelihood of early discharge included age ≥55 years, higher body mass index, White race, current smoker, American Society of Anesthesiologists® classification IV/V and longer operating time. Increased likelihood of early discharge was associated with receiving colporrhaphy after 2012 and posterior colporrhaphy. CONCLUSIONS: Patients discharged from the hospital early had lower rates of postoperative morbidity than those discharged later. Early discharge was associated with procedures performed after 2012 and with isolated posterior colporrhaphy. Longer hospital stays were associated with longer operating times and older age, White race, obesity, comorbidities and history of smoking.

A comparative study of robot-assisted laparoscopic intracorporeal versus open urinary diversion.

AIMS: Robot-assisted laparoscopic intracorporeal urinary diversion (ICUD) has several potential benefits of a smaller incision and reduced pain over extracorporeal urinary diversion (ECUD). We compared the perioperative outcomes of patients who have undergone these procedures with or without cystectomy. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This study is a retrospective chart review of patients who underwent ICUD and ECUD in a single tertiary referral hospital. Patient demographics, perioperative outcomes, and the 90-day postoperative complications were collected. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: The statistical analyses were performed using the Chi-square test for categorical variables which are specified as frequency (percentage). RESULTS: Thirty-five patients who underwent urinary diversion procedure were identified for inclusion in the study. Of these patients, 14 underwent ICUD and 21 underwent ECUD. The mean operative time was longer in the ICUD group compared to that of the ECUD (457.14 ± 103.91 and 388.29 ± 110.17, respectively, P = 0.07). The median blood loss was statistically significantly lower in the ICUD group (250 ml) than in the ECUD group (450 ml, P = 0.05). The mean hospital stay was marginally longer for the ECUD group (8.1 days) as compared to the ICUD group (6.3 days, P = 0.17). There was no difference in the readmission or reoperation rates after 30 days. The 90-day complication rate was not statistically significantly different between the two groups, but a trend favoring ICUD (64%) over ECUD (71%, P = 0.656) was noted. CONCLUSIONS: Robot-assisted ICUD is associated with decreased blood loss, and there is a trend toward fewer postoperative complications and shorter hospital stays.

Treatment of urethral stricture disease in women: A multi-institutional collaborative project from the SUFU research network.

AIM: Female urethral stricture disease is rare and has several surgical approaches including endoscopic dilations (ENDO), urethroplasty with local vaginal tissue flap (ULT) or urethroplasty with free graft (UFG). This study aims to describe the contemporary management of female urethral stricture disease and to evaluate the outcomes of these three surgical approaches. METHODS: This is a multi-institutional, retrospective cohort study evaluating operative treatment for female urethral stricture. Surgeries were grouped into three categories: ENDO, ULT, and UFG. Time from surgery to stricture recurrence by surgery type was analyzed using a Kaplan-Meier time to event analysis. To adjust for confounders, a Cox proportional hazard model was fit for time to stricture recurrence. RESULTS: Two-hundred and ten patients met the inclusion criteria across 23 sites. Overall, 64% (n = 115/180) of women remained recurrence free at median follow-up of 14.6 months (IQR, 3-37). In unadjusted analysis, recurrence-free rates differed between surgery categories with 68% ENDO, 77% UFG and 83% ULT patients being recurrence free at 12 months. In the Cox model, recurrence rates also differed between surgery categories; women undergoing ULT and UFG having had 66% and 49% less risk of recurrence, respectively, compared to those undergoing ENDO. When comparing ULT to UFG directly, there was no significant difference of recurrence. CONCLUSION: This retrospective multi-institutional study of female urethral stricture demonstrates that patients undergoing endoscopic management have a higher risk of recurrence compared to those undergoing either urethroplasty with local flap or free graft.

Meta-Analysis Comparing Multiple Arterial Grafts Versus Single Arterial Graft for Coronary-Artery Bypass Grafting.

Observational studies and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have shown conflicting outcomes for multiple arterial graft (MAG) coronary artery bypass graft surgery compared with single arterial grafts (SAGs). The predominant evidence supporting the use of MAGs is observational. The aim of this meta-analysis of RCTs is to compare outcomes following MAG and SAG. We searched multiple databases for RCTs comparing MAG versus SAG. The clinical outcomes studied were all-cause mortality, cardiac mortality, myocardial infarction (MI), revascularization, stroke, sternal wound complications, and major bleeding. We used hazard ratio (HR), relative risk (RR), and corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) for measuring outcomes. Ten RCTs (6392 patients) were included. The average follow-up in the studies was 4.2 years. The average age of the patients in the studies ranged from 56.3 years to 74.6. No significant difference was seen between MAG and SAG groups for all-cause mortality (11.8% vs 12.7%, HR 0.94, 95% CI 0.81 to 1.09, p 0.36), cardiac mortality (4.1% vs 4.5%, HR 0.96 95% CI 0.74 to 1.26, p 0.77), MI (3.5% vs 5.1%, HR 0.87 95% CI 0.67 to 1.12, p 0.28), and major bleeding (3.3% vs 4.9%, RR 0.85 95% CI 0.64 to 1.13, p 0.26). Repeat revascularization in MAG showed a lower RR than SAG when one of the confounding studies was excluded (RR 0.63, 95% CI 0.4 to 0.99, p 0.04). The incidence of stroke was lower in MAG than SAG (2.9% vs 3.9%, RR 0.74 95% CI 0.56 to 0.98, p 0.03). MAG had higher incidence of sternal wound complications than SAG (2.9% vs 1.7%, RR 1.75 95% CI 1.19 to 2.55, p 0.004). In conclusion, MAG does not have a survival advantage compared with SAG but is better in revascularization and risk of stroke. This benefit may be set off by a higher incidence of sternal wound complications in MAG.

Evaluation of factors and short-term postoperative morbidity associated with early versus late discharge following urethroplasty.

PURPOSE: To determine factors associated with early (same-day) versus late (> 1 day) discharge of male patients following urethroplasty, and to compare short-term (30-day) postoperative morbidity and mortality across the two groups. METHODS: Using the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database (2005-2016), patients who underwent urethroplasty with same-day hospital discharge (early) and those who stayed > 1 day (late) were identified. Extracted data included patient characteristics, comorbidities, preoperative labs, and 30-day postoperative complications. Multivariable logistic regressions determined factors associated with early (vs. late) discharge and the likelihood of having a complication in those who were discharged early (vs. late). Adjusted odds ratios and 95% CIs were reported. RESULTS: N = 1435 male urethroplasty patients were identified, of which 396 (27.6%) were discharged early and 1039 (72.4%) were discharged late. White race (OR [95% CI]: 2.21 [1.44, 3.38]), urethroplasty performed in/after year 2011 (4.23 [2.51, 7.15]), and anterior (vs. posterior) urethroplasty without tissue transfer (1.65 [1.17, 2.34]) were significantly associated with increased likelihood of early discharge. However, every 10-min increase in operation time (0.88 [0.86, 0.90]) decreased the odds of early discharge. When short-term postoperative complications were compared between the two groups, patients discharged early had a lower likelihood of being readmitted (0.35 [0.14, 0.88]) compared to those discharged late. Rates of mortality, complications, or reoperation were similar between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: Predictors of early discharge following urethroplasty include shorter operating time, white race, and having an anterior (vs. posterior) urethroplasty without tissue transfer. Patients discharged early had a lower likelihood of being readmitted.

Survival Following Salvage Surgery after Failed Radiotherapy for Penile Cancer: A SEER-Based Study.

OBJECTIVE: Salvage surgery (SS) for penile cancer (PC) is indicated in the management of local failure following radiation therapy (RT). Reports describing survival outcome are rare. This study aims to assess survival outcome of SS following RT failure in PC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database to identify patients received SS on the penis following RT. Social, demographic and pathological criteria of the patients were gathered. The 1-, 3-, 5-, 10-year survival rates were assessed. RESULTS: Between 1976 and 2013, 17 patients received penile SS following RT. Median age was 65 years (range 47-91 years). The mean follow-up was 51 months (range 3-213 months). Sixteen (94.12%) patients received external beam radiation and 1 (5.88%) received combined external beam radiation with brachytherapy. Tumor histology was squamous cell carcinoma in 16 (94.12%) patients and mucinous adenocar-cinoma in 1 (5.88%). The 1-, 3-, 5- and 10-year overall survival rates were 68.8, 35.7, 35.7 and 10.7%, respectively. The 1-, 3-, 5- and 10-year cancer specific survival rate was 72.7, 48.4, 48.4, and 36.3% respectively. CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrate, the overall survival of PC patients underwent SS was poor with nearly one third of patients dying within the first year and only one third surviving up to 3 years from the SS.

Organ-sparing procedures in GU cancer: part 2-organ-sparing procedures in testicular and penile tumors.

PURPOSE: Organ-sparing surgery (OSS) is recommended in selected patients with testicular tumors and penile cancer (PC). The functional and psychological impacts of organ excision for these genital tumors are profound. In this review, we summarize the indications, techniques and outcomes of OSS for these two tumors. METHODS: PubMed® was searched for relevant articles up to December 2018. For Testicular sparing surgery (TSS) search, keywords used were; testicular tumors alone and in combination with "testicular sparing surgery", "partial orchiectomy" and outcomes. For penile conserving surgery (PCS), keywords used were: penile cancer alone and in combination with "penile conserving surgery", "partial penectomy" and outcomes. Because of the low quality of available evidence, a narrative rather that systematic review has been performed. RESULTS: Indications of TSS are tumors ≤ 2 cm in solitary testis or bilateral tumors and no rete testis invasion. Prerequisites include normal testosterone and luteinizing hormone levels and patient compliance with follow-up. Indications for PCS are distal penile lesions with clinical stage ≤ T1. Adequate penile stump (3 cm) is required after surgery to maintain forward urine stream. Frozen section helps to reduce the risk of recurrence. Local recurrence after PCS is not associated with reduced survival and can be managed with another PCS in selected patients. The reported oncological and functional outcomes following TSS and PCS are adequate. CONCLUSIONS: In properly selected patient OSS in testicular and penile tumors has a comparable oncological outcome to total organ excision with added advantages of preserving organ function and psychological well-being.

Regional trends in average years of potential life lost (AYPLL) secondary to prostate cancer deaths among Caucasians and African Americans treated by surgery or radiation.

PURPOSE: To study regional trends in average years of potential life lost (AYPLL) among Caucasians (CA) and African Americans (AA) with prostate cancer (Pca) who received radical prostatectomy or radiation therapy among four different regions in the US as well as across different tumor grades. Years of potential life lost is defined as the difference between a predetermined end-point age and the age at death for a death that occurred prior to that end age, hence the AYPLL is calculated by dividing the total YPLL by the total number of patients died. METHODS: The surveillance epidemiology and end results (SEER) database was used to identify Pca patients who were CA or AA and who have received radical prostatectomy or radiation therapy. Study duration was divided into four decades; 1973-1982 (D1), 1983-1992 (D2), 1993-2002 (D3), 2003-2012 (D4). Examined regions were; North East (NE), North central (NC), South and West. Tumor grade was classified into; well/moderately differentiated (WD/MD) and poorly/undifferentiated (PD/UD) groups. Differences in AYPLL among CA and AA in each of these variables were compared. RESULTS: Overall, compared to CA, AA were diagnosed and died earlier from Pca. AA had higher AYPLL to Pca than CA. In both tumor grade groups, progressive increase in AYPLL among AA compared to CA was noted over the last three decades. In the WD/MD group, except for the South region, the highest recorded difference in AYPLL between AA and CA was in D4. In the PD/UD group, a similar difference in AYPLL between AA and CA was noted in all regions. The difference in AYPLL was higher in the PD/UD group than the WD/MD group. CONCLUSIONS: Racial disparity between AA and CA existed across the examined regions. It is more pronounced in advanced tumor grades. The differences were more significant in the last decade.

Bladder Stone in Pregnancy: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

BACKGROUND Bladder stones are rare in pregnancy, and can be associated with adverse outcomes such as recurrent urinary tract infection and obstruction of labor. Management of bladder stones discovered in pregnancy has traditionally been done via open techniques such as cystolithotomy or with percutaneous removal. Our objective was to present a case of bladder stone in pregnancy and review prior reports on bladder stones and management in pregnancy. CASE REPORT A 28-year-old gravida 4 para 3 at 10 weeks gestation presented with dysuria, bladder spasm, weak urinary stream, and positional voiding. On first trimester ultrasound, a bladder stone (sized 3.7 cm) was identified and was confirmed by x-ray (KUB). Urology was consulted and removed the stone via cystolitholapaxy with holmium laser. Her symptoms subsequently resolved, and she went on to have an uncomplicated term spontaneous vaginal delivery. The removal of the stone enabled her to have a subsequent vaginal delivery without the potential for obstruction of labor. CONCLUSIONS Based on our review of the literature and this case report, laser cystolitholapaxy is a safe alternative to open surgery for the management of bladder stones in pregnancy. When discovered at the time of delivery, vaginal delivery is feasible if the stone is small or can be displaced. If encountered at time of cesarean delivery, then cystotomy with stone removal is recommended provided inflammation is not present.

Reimbursements and frequency of tests in privately insured testicular cancer patients in the United States: Implications to national guidelines.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to assess the frequency of utilization and reimbursement of the common diagnostic tests and treatment modalities used in testicular cancer care. METHODS: LifeLink™ (IMS Health, Danbury, CT, USA) Claims Database was used. We identified 877 subjects with a primary diagnosis of testicular cancer (ICD 186.9) between 2007 and 2012. Median reimbursement and frequency of the diagnostic/treatment modalities used were recorded. RESULTS: The most common claim was a vein puncture with median reimbursement of $9.11. Tumor markers, alpha-fetoprotein and beta human chorionic gonadotropin, were ranked 6th and 7th with median reimbursement of $52.13 and $48.71, respectively. Chest X-ray and computerized tomography (CT) scan of the chest were ranked 9th and 13th with median reimbursement of $68.51 and $769, respectively. A contrast CT scan of abdomen and pelvis was the 11th most frequent claim with median reimbursement of $855.89. The three invasive treatment modalities, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy were ranked 8th, 15th, and 164th with median reimbursement of $2858.38, $3988.25, and $2009.67, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Testicular cancer is not an inexpensive disease. Surgery is the less utilized than radiation and chemotherapy despite lower cost. This may have implications to national guidelines and training since these treatments often carry the same grade of recommendation.

Post-Chemotherapy Robotic Retroperitoneal Lymph Node Dissection: Institutional Experience.

PURPOSE: There is little literature on robotic retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RRPLND) in the difficult post-chemotherapy (PC) setting. We report on the outcome of RRPLND in patients with PC-residual masses. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between 2011 and 2015, we performed 12 PC-RRPLND. Mean patient age was 37.8 years. Mean body mass index was 30.78. Nine (75%) patients had nonseminomatus germ cell tumor (NSGCT) and three (25%) patients had seminoma tumors. Cancer stage was III in six (50%), II-C in three (25%), II-B in two (16.7%), and II-A in one (8.03%). International Germ Cell Cancer Collaborative Group (IGCCCG) prognostic classification in the NSGCT was good in six, intermediate in two, and poor in one, and was good in the three seminoma patients. RESULTS: The procedure was completed effectively in 11 (91.7%) patients. Mean operative time was 312 minutes. The mean estimated blood loss was 475 mL. Mean hospital stay was 3.2 days. Mean number of lymph node excised was 12. Six of the excised masses were ≥5 cm (N3), largest was 7.5 cm. Pathology showed teratoma in five (45.5%), benign/necrosis in five (45.5%), and viable germ cells in one (9%). Major complication (Clavien ≥3) occurred in one patient and minor (Clavien ≤2) in two. Antegrade ejaculation was preserved in eight patients and in one could not be assessed. At a median follow-up of 31 months, no infield or outfield relapses occurred. CONCLUSIONS: Robotic PC-retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND) is technically feasible and with acceptable morbidity. It is associated with low blood loss and short hospital stay. More research is needed to assess the long-term outcome and to compare standard open RPLND.

Partial Nephrectomy in the Overweight Patient: an Overview.

The diagnosis and treatment of kidney cancer continues to evolve with advances in imaging and surgical approaches. The use of nephron sparing surgery (NSS) has become the operation of choice for treating small renal masses. Yet, technical difficulty and a variety of approaches have left debate for best method in the overweight population. This review summarizes the current knowledge in the open, laparoscopic, and robotic approaches to identify key risk factors, general assessments, complication rates, and the influence of body habitus for each approach.

Clinical Research Office of the Endourological Society Global GreenLight Laser Study: Outcomes from a contemporary series of 713 patients.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the outcome in patients undergoing photoselective vaporization of the prostate for benign prostatic obstruction as part of the Clinical Research Office of the Endourological Society Global GreenLight Laser Study. METHODS: Data were collected on 713 patients with lower urinary tract symptoms suggestive of benign prostatic obstruction undergoing photoselective vaporization of the prostate at 25 centers worldwide, between April 2010 and April 2012. Three types of GreenLight laser powers were used: 80 W, 120 W or 180 W. Intraoperative and postoperative complications were recorded. Outcome parameters measured at baseline, 6-12 weeks, 6 months and 12 months were: uroflow measurements, International Prostate Symptom Score; prostate-specific antigen and International Index of Erectile Function. RESULTS: Operating time was shortest with the 180-W laser at 53.8 min. Intraoperatively, bleeding occurred in 3.1% of patients. Statistically significant changes were reported in maximum flow rate, postvoid residual urine, International Prostate Symptom Score, quality of life score and prostate-specific antigen (P < 0.01) at each time-point assessed for the 80- and 120-W lasers as well as for the 180-W laser, with the exception of prostate-specific antigen at 6 months and 12 months. There were 14 Clavien-Dindo grade III-A complications and two grade III-B. The incontinence rate at 12 months was 6.3%, 4.5%, and 2.6% for the 80, 120 and 180 W lasers, respectively. The overall blood transfusion rate was 0.4%. CONCLUSIONS: Objective and subjective improvement after GreenLight laser treatment worldwide was significant at 1-year follow up. Morbidity and complications were low. Although not a randomized control study, the data can provide an indication of the outcome of the different GreenLight laser powers.