Epidemiology of and Risk Factors in Postoperative Complications from Robotically Assisted Laparoscopic Radical Prostatectomy in Contemporary National Surgical Quality Improvement Program Data.

Introduction: For localized clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa), robotically assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RALP) is the gold standard surgical treatment. Despite low overall complication rate, continued quality assurance (QA) efforts to minimize complications of RALP are important, particularly given movement toward same-day discharge. In 2019, National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) began collecting RALP-specific data. In this study, we assessed pre- and perioperative factors associated with postoperative complications for RALP to further QA efforts. Materials and Methods: Surgical records of csPCa patients who underwent RALP were retrieved from the 2019 to 2021 NSQIP database, including new RALP-specific data. Multivariate logistic regression evaluated the association between risk factors and outcomes specific to RALP and pelvic lymph node dissection (PLND). Input variables included American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) class, age, operative time, and body mass index (BMI). Variables from the extended dataset with PLND information included number of nodes evaluated, perioperative antibiotics, postoperative venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis, history of prior pelvic surgery, and history of prior radiotherapy (RT). Outcomes of interest were any surgical complication, infection, pulmonary embolism, deep venous thrombosis, acute kidney injury, pneumonia, lymphocele, and urinary/anastomotic leak (UAL). Results: A total of 11,811 patients were included with 6.1% experiencing any complication. Prior RT, prior pelvic surgery, older age, higher BMI, lack of perioperative antibiotic therapy, longer operative time, PLND, and number of lymph nodes dissected were associated with higher risk of postoperative complications. Regarding procedure-specific complications, there were increased odds of UAL with prior RT, prior pelvic surgery, longer operative time, and higher BMI. Odds of developing lymphocele increased with prior pelvic surgery, performance of PLND, and increased number of nodes evaluated. Conclusion: In contemporary NSQIP data, RALP is associated with low complication rates; however, these rates have increased compared with historical studies. Attention to and counseling regarding risk factors for peri- and postoperative complications are important to set expectations and minimize risk of unplanned return to a health care setting after discharge.

Telemedicine in management of genitourinary malignancies: Patient and physician perspectives.

PURPOSE: The rapid expansion of telemedicine has presented a challenge for the care of patients with genitourinary malignancies. We sought to assess patient and physician perspectives on the use of telemedicine for genitourinary cancer care. METHODS: We conducted a prospective cross-sectional study of patients who had telemedicine visits with urology, medical oncology, or radiation oncology for management of genitourinary malignancies from July-August 2020. Patients and physicians each received a questionnaire regarding the telemedicine experience. Responses were scored on a 5-point Likert scale. The primary outcomes of the study were patient and physician satisfaction. RESULTS: Of the 115 patients who enrolled, we received 96 patient responses and 46 physician responses. Overall, 77% of patients and 70% of physicians reported being "extremely satisfied" with the telemedicine encounter. Satisfaction was high among all components of the encounter including patient-physician communication, counseling, shared decision making, time spent, timeliness and efficiency, and convenience. Additionally, 78% of patients and 85% of physicians "strongly agreed" that they were able to discuss sensitive topics about cancer care as well as they could at an in-person visit. Nine telemedicine visits (9%) encountered technological barriers. Technological barriers were associated with lower overall satisfaction scores among both patients and physicians (p ≤ 0.01). CONCLUSION: We observed high levels of patient and physician satisfaction for telemedicine visits for management of genitourinary malignancies. Technological barriers were encountered by 9% of patients and were associated with decreased satisfaction.

A population-based analysis of risk factors and outcomes of prostatic abscess.

BACKGROUND: Prostate abscess is a severe complication of acute bacterial prostatitis. To date, a population-based analysis of risk factors and outcomes of prostatic abscess has not been performed. METHODS: Using the National Inpatient Sample from 2010 to 2015, we identified rates of prostatic abscess among non-elective hospitalizations for acute prostatitis. Significant Elixhauser comorbidities and risk factors were analyzed using survey-weighted logistic regression. Additional survey-weighted regression models were constructed to analyze sepsis, in-hospital mortality, length of hospital stay (LOS), and total hospital charges. RESULTS: A weighted total of 126,103 hospitalizations for acute prostatitis was identified, with 6,775 (5.4%) hospitalizations with prostatic abscess. Numerous risk factors for prostatic abscess were identified, with a history of prostate biopsy (adjusted OR: 5.7; p < 0.001), complicated diabetes mellitus (adjusted OR: 3.23, p < 0.001), and urethral stricture (adjusted OR: 3.15; p < 0.001) having the greatest magnitude of developing abscess. Moreover, those diagnosed with prostatic abscess had increased odds of sepsis (adjusted OR: 1.71, p < 0.001), in-hospital mortality (adjusted OR: 2.73, p < 0.001), LOS (adjusted Incidence Rate Ratio: 1.86, p < 0.001), and total hospital charges (adjusted Ratio: 2.06, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Numerous risk factors were associated with the development of prostatic abscess, with those diagnosed experiencing greater odds of sepsis, in-hospital mortality, longer LOS, and greater hospital charges. Ultimately, better understanding of risk factors associated with this condition will enable clinicians to identify patients at high risk, thereby expediting and tailoring management.

Exposure to direct-to-consumer advertising is associated with overestimation of benefits regarding ultrahypofractionated radiation therapy for prostate cancer.

BACKGROUND: While direct-to-consumer (DTC) medical advertising can provide useful information, it also risks oversimplification and being misleading. For an abbreviated prostate cancer treatment regimen called "ultrahypofractionation" (UHF), advertising has been used for CyberKnife (CK), a common delivery system for stereotactic body radiation therapy. We hypothesized that those viewing an advertisement for CK versus factual information would have inaccurate impressions of effectiveness and safety. METHODS: 400 men aged 40-80 were randomly assigned to one of four arms: a de-identified CK advertisement, the same advertisement with disclaimers, scientific information obtained from review of contemporary peer-reviewed literature, and a control. Subjects answered questions regarding risks/benefits of CK and likelihood of pursuing CK versus other treatments. Regression analysis was performed to determine factors associated with CK preference. RESULTS: 400 men were included. Compared to controls, those who viewed any of the three interventions were more likely to pursue CK over other treatments (p < 0.01), with a greater increase in the advertisement groups. Respondents who viewed scientific information were less likely to agree CK is superior regarding impotence and urinary dysfunction. Disclaimers decreased positive impressions of CK's side effects, but not effectiveness. Both advertisement and advertisement with disclaimer respondents were more likely to consider CK superior. CONCLUSIONS: DTC medical advertisements can be misleading and impact laypersons' impressions. In this case, viewing an advertisement created inaccurate impressions regarding effectiveness and safety of UHF for prostate cancer.

Temporal Trends and Practice Patterns for Inpatient Management of Malignant Extrinsic Ureteral Obstruction in the United States.

Purpose: Malignant extrinsic ureteral obstruction (MEUO) is a challenging clinical problem. Many factors weigh into the decision to proceed with retrograde ureteral stent (RUS), nephrostomy tube (NT), or observation; however, there is no consensus for the optimal approach. The objective of this study was twofold. First, to determine practice patterns by correlating patient, hospital, and disease characteristics to manage MEUO; second, to describe treatment trends of MEUO over time. Materials and Methods: Using the National Inpatient Sample 2010-2015, we abstracted all adults with diagnoses of hydronephrosis and concurrent metastasis or lymphoma, excluding any record with a diagnosis of urinary tract stone. Multinomial regression assessed predictors of undergoing no decompression, stenting, or nephrostomy. Quarterly trends and annual percentage change of MEUO prevalence and percentage decompressed with stent vs nephrostomy were calculated. Results: There were an estimated 238,500 cases of MEUO from 2010 to 2015, of which 18.0% underwent decompression with RUS and 11.4% NT. On multinomial regression, prostate (odds ratio [OR] 1.5), bladder (1.6), cervical (1.6) cancer, academic hospitals (1.4), and acute kidney injury were among factors that most significantly increased odds of undergoing NT. Factors that significantly increased odds of undergoing RUS included colon (OR 1.4), rectal/anal (1.3), ovarian (1.2) cancer, Midwest (vs northeast) hospitals (1.4), and female gender (1.4), whereas decreased odds of RUS were associated with bladder cancer (0.7), nonwhite race (0.8), and weekend admission (0.8). While MEUO prevalence has been increasing on an average of 2.9%/year, decompression rates have been decreasing, driven solely by a decrease in RUS of 3.8%/year on average. Conclusions: There is substantial variation in approach for MEUO among patient, hospital, and disease types, with an overall decline in stenting compared with steady nephrostomy use. Further investigation into best approaches for certain patient characteristics and disease types is needed to standardize care and reduce disparities.

A novel ex vivo trainer for robotic vesicourethral anastomosis.

Robotic surgical skill development is central to training in urology as well as other surgical disciplines. Vesicourethral anastomosis (VUA) in robotic prostatectomy is a challenging task for novices due to delicate tissue and difficult suturing angles. Commercially available, realistic training models are limited. Here, we describe the development and validation of a 3D-printed model of the VUA for ex vivo training using the da Vinci Surgical System. Models of the bladder and urethra were created using 3D-printing technology based on estimations of average in vivo anatomy. 10 surgical residents without prior robotics training were enrolled in the study: 5 residents received structured virtual reality (VR) training on the da Vinci Skills Simulator ("trained"), while the other 5 did not ("untrained"). 4 faculty robotic surgeons trained in robotic urologic oncology ("experts") were also enrolled. Mean (range) completion percentage was 20% (10-30%), 54% (40-70%), and 96% (85-100%) by the untrained, trained, and expert groups, respectively. Anastomosis integrity was rated as excellent (as opposed to moderate or poor) in 40%, 60%, and 100% of untrained, trained, and expert groups, respectively. Face validity (realism) was rated as 8 of 10 on average by the expert surgeons, each of whom rated the model as a superior training tool to digital VR trainers. Content validity (usefulness) was rated as 10 of 10 by all participants. This is the first reported 3D-printed ex vivo trainer for VUA in robotic prostatectomy validated for use in robotic simulation. The addition of 3D-printed ex vivo training to existing digital simulation technologies may augment and improve robotic surgical education in the future.

Assessment of men's risk thresholds to proceed with prostate biopsy for the early detection of prostate cancer.

PURPOSE: To delineate the range of "risk thresholds" for prostate biopsy to determine how improved prostate cancer (CaP) risk prediction tools may impact shared decision-making (SDM). METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey study involving men 45-75 years old attending a multispecialty urology clinic. Data included demographics, personal and family prostate cancer history, and prostate biopsy history. Respondents were presented with a summary of the details, risks, and benefits of prostate biopsy, then asked to indicate the specific risk threshold (% chance) of high-grade CaP at which they would proceed with prostate biopsy. RESULTS: Of a total of 103 respondents, 18 men (17%) had a personal history of CaP, and 31 (30%) had undergone prostate biopsy. The median risk threshold to proceed with prostate biopsy was 25% (interquartile range 10-50%). Risk thresholds did not vary by race, education, or employment. Personal history of CaP or prostate biopsy was significantly associated with lower mean risk thresholds (19% vs. 32% [P = 0.02] and 23% vs. 33% [P = 0.04], respectively). In the lowest versus highest risk threshold quartiles, there were significantly higher rates of CaP (36% vs. 1%, P = 0.01) and prior prostate biopsy (46% vs. 17%, P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Men have a wide range of risk thresholds for high-grade CaP to proceed with prostate biopsy. Men with a prior history of CaP or biopsy reported lower risk thresholds, which may reflect their greater concern for this disease. The extent to which refined risk prediction tools will improve SDM warrants further study.

Impact of numeracy on understanding of prostate cancer risk reduction in PSA screening.

Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening for prostate cancer in men of average risk remains controversial. Patients' ability to incorporate risk reduction data into their decision-making may depend on their numeracy. We assessed the impact of patients' numeracy on their understanding of the risk reduction benefits of PSA screening. Men attending a general internal medicine clinic were invited to complete a survey. Four versions of the survey each included a three-item numeracy test and PSA risk reduction data, framed one of four ways: absolute (ARR) versus relative risk reduction (RRR), with or without baseline risk (BR). Respondents were asked to adjust their perceived risk of prostate-cancer mortality using the data presented. Accuracy of risk reduction was evaluated relative to how risk data were framed. Among a total of 200 respondents, a majority incorrectly answered one or more of the numeracy items. Overall accuracy of risk adjustment was only 20%. Accuracy varied with data framing: when presented with RRR, respondents were 13% accurate without BR and 31% accurate with BR; when presented with ARR, they were 0% accurate without BR and 35% accurate with BR. Including BR data significantly improved accuracy for both RRR (P = 0.03) and ARR groups (P < 0.01). Accuracy was significantly related to numeracy; numeracy scores of 0, 1, 2, and 3 were associated with accuracy rates of six, five, nine, and 36 percent, respectively (P < 0.01). Overall, numeracy was significantly associated with the accuracy of interpreting quantitative benefits of PSA screening. Alternative methods of communicating risk may facilitate shared decision-making in the use of PSA screening for early detection of prostate cancer.

Are there regional tendencies toward controversial screening practices? A study of prostate and breast cancer screening in a Medicare population.

INTRODUCTION: Prostate and breast cancer screening in older patients continue to be controversial. Balancing the desire for early detection with avoidance of over-diagnosis has led to competing and contradictory guidelines for both practices. Despite similarities, it is not known how these screening practices are related at the regional level. In this study, we examined how screening PSA and mammography are related within healthcare regions, and, to better understand what may be driving these practices, whether they are associated with local intensity of care. METHODS: We performed a retrospective cross-sectional study of fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries in 2012. For each of 306 hospital referral regions (HRRs), we calculated rates of PSA screening for men aged ≥68 years, as well as rates of screening mammography for women aged ≥75 years, adjusted for age and race. Additionally, we determined regional rates of "healthcare intensity", including spending on tests and procedures, and intensity of end-of-life care. Pearson correlations of adjusted rates were calculated within HRRs. RESULTS: The mean adjusted rate of PSA screening was 22%. The mean age of screened and unscreened patients was 75.0 and 77.4 years, respectively (p<0.0001). The mean adjusted rate of screening mammography was 23%; mean ages of screened and non-screened women were 79.95 and 83.67, respectively (p<0.0001). HRR-level PSA screening rates were independent of screening mammography rates (r=0.06, p=0.31). PSA screening rates were associated with spending on testing and procedures (r=0.42, p<0.0001) and various measures of intensity of EOL care (e.g. r=0.40, p<0.0001 for mechanical ventilator use). Screening mammography had low correlation with both health care spending and EOL care intensity measures (all r-values <0.3). CONCLUSIONS: Regional rates of PSA screening rates were independent of screening mammography, thus these practices appear to be driven by different factors. Unlike mammography, PSA screening was associated with local enthusiasm for testing and treatment. Efforts to reduce over-testing should contemplate these practices differently, and future research should examine the factors motivating these screening practices.

Secular Trends in Prostate Biopsy Criteria and Outcomes: The Dartmouth Experience.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate trends in prostate biopsy and cancer diagnosis at a center with conservative screening practices in the pre- and post-2012 era. More restrictive prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening guidelines have led to lower rates of screening, biopsy, and diagnosis of prostate cancer. It is not clear, however, how regions with low baseline screening rates (the Lebanon, New Hampshire hospital referral region centered on Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center had the lowest rate of screening among Medicare patients in 2012) have responded to these guidelines. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed patients who underwent prostate biopsy from January 2011 to March 2016. Demographic and clinical characteristics were analyzed by time. Multivariable analysis assessed for factors associated with higher grade cancer. RESULTS: There were 614 prostate biopsies were performed. PSA at biopsy increased with time (7.2 in 2011 vs 10.1 in 2015, P = .0085); age did not. There was a stable proportion of benign findings; proportions of low-grade disease decreased, whereas intermediate- and high-grade disease increased (2011 vs 2015: 21.1% vs 10.8% Gleason 3 + 3, 32.9% vs 43.3% ≥ Gleason 3 + 4, P = .0454). Factors predictive of higher grade disease included abnormal digital examination (odds ratio [OR] 2.19, P = .0076), higher PSA (OR 1.09, P = .0040), and later biopsy date (OR 1.01, P = .0469). CONCLUSION: In an environment of conservative baseline screening practices, there has been a shift in prostate biopsy criteria and outcomes, namely a rising PSA threshold for biopsy and a 50% decrease in the diagnosis of low-grade disease. Additional study is needed to ensure these trends are favorably impacting the quality of care.

Qualitative insights into how men with low-risk prostate cancer choosing active surveillance negotiate stress and uncertainty.

BACKGROUND: Active surveillance is a management strategy for men diagnosed with early-stage, low-risk prostate cancer in which their cancer is monitored and treatment is delayed. This study investigated the primary coping mechanisms for men following the active surveillance treatment plan, with a specific focus on how these men interact with their social network as they negotiate the stress and uncertainty of their diagnosis and treatment approach. METHODS: Thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews at two academic institutions located in the northeastern US. Participants include 15 men diagnosed with low-risk prostate cancer following active surveillance. RESULTS: The decision to follow active surveillance reflects the desire to avoid potentially life-altering side effects associated with active treatment options. Men on active surveillance cope with their prostate cancer diagnosis by both maintaining a sense of control over their daily lives, as well as relying on the support provided them by their social networks and the medical community. Social networks support men on active surveillance by encouraging lifestyle changes and serving as a resource to discuss and ease cancer-related stress. CONCLUSIONS: Support systems for men with low-risk prostate cancer do not always interface directly with the medical community. Spousal and social support play important roles in helping men understand and accept their prostate cancer diagnosis and chosen care plan. It may be beneficial to highlight the role of social support in interventions targeting the psychosocial health of men on active surveillance.

Comparative study of separation between ex vivo prostatic malignant and benign tissue using electrical impedance spectroscopy and electrical impedance tomography.

OBJECTIVE: Currently no efficient and reliable technique exists to routinely assess surgical margins during a radical prostatectomy. Electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) has been reported as a potential technique to provide surgeons with real-time intraoperative margin assessment. In addition to providing a quantified measure of margin status, a co-registered electrical impedance tomography (EIT) image presented on a surgeon's workstation could add value to the margin assessment process. APPROACH: To investigate this, we conducted a comparative study between EIS and EIT to evaluate the potential these technologies might have for margin assessment. EIS and EIT data was acquired from ex vivo human prostates using a multi-electrode endoscopic impedance acquisition probe. MAIN RESULTS: EIS and EIT show good predictive performance with a 0.76 and 0.80 area-under-curve (AUC), respectively, when considering discrete frequencies only. A machine learning (ML) algorithm is implemented to combine features, which improves the AUCs of EIS and EIT to 0.84 and 0.85, respectively. Single-step EIT takes significantly less time to reconstruct than multi-step EIT, yet provides similarly accurate classification results, making the single-step approach a potential candidate for real-time margin assessment. While the ML-based approach clearly exhibits benefits as compared to the single feature assessment, the decision to use EIS versus EIT is unclear since each approach performs better for different subsets of tissue classifications. SIGNIFICANCE: The results presented in this paper corroborate our previous studies and present the strongest evidence yet that an intraoperative-capable impedance probe can be used to distinguish benign from malignant prostate tissues. An in vivo study with a large cohort will be necessary to definitively determine the preferred approach and to show the clinical effectiveness of using this technology for margin assessment.

Practice Makes Perfect: Correlations Between Prior Experience in High-level Athletics and Robotic Surgical Performance Do Not Persist After Task Repetition.

OBJECTIVE: Robotic surgical skill development is central to training in urology as well as in other surgical disciplines. Here, we describe a pilot study assessing the relationships between robotic surgery simulator performance and 3 categories of activities, namely, videogames, musical instruments, and athletics. DESIGN: A questionnaire was administered to preclinical medical students for general demographic information and prior experiences in surgery, videogames, musical instruments, and athletics. For follow-up performance studies, we used the Matchboard Level 1 and 2 modules on the da Vinci Skills Simulator, and recorded overall score, time to complete, economy of motion, workspace range, instrument collisions, instruments out of view, and drops. Task 1 was run once, whereas task 2 was run 3 times. SETTING: All performance studies on the da Vinci Surgical Skills Simulator took place in the Simulation Center at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. PARTICIPANTS: All participants were medical students at the Geisel School of Medicine. After excluding students with prior hands-on experience in surgery, a total of 30 students completed the study. RESULTS: We found a significant correlation between athletic skill level and performance for both task 1 (p = 0.0002) and task 2 (p = 0.0009). No significant correlations were found for videogame or musical instrument skill level. Students with experience in certain athletics (e.g., volleyball, tennis, and baseball) tended to perform better than students with experience in other athletics (e.g., track and field). For task 2, which was run 3 times, this association did not persist after the third repetition due to significant improvements in students with low-level athletic skill (levels 0-2). CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that prior experience in high-level athletics, but not videogames or musical instruments, significantly influences surgical proficiency in robot-naive students. Furthermore, our study suggests that practice through task repetition can overcome initial differences that may be related to a background in athletics. These novel relationships may have broader implications for the future recruitment and training of robotic surgeons and may warrant further investigation.

Cognitive and Affective Representations of Active Surveillance as a Treatment Option for Low-Risk Prostate Cancer.

Benefits of early diagnosis and treatment remain debatable for men with low-risk prostate cancer. Active surveillance (AS) is an alternative to treatment. The goal of AS is to identify patients whose cancer is progressing rapidly while avoiding treatment in the majority of patients. The purpose of this study was to explore cognitive and affective representations of AS within a clinical environment that promotes AS a viable option for men with low-risk prostate cancer. Participants included patients for whom AS and active treatment were equally viable options, as well as practitioners who were involved in consultations for prostate cancer. Data were generated from semistructured interviews and audits of consultation notes and were analyzed using thematic analysis. Nineteen patients and 16 practitioners completed a semistructured interview. Patients generally viewed AS as a temporary strategy that was largely equated with inaction. There was variation in the degree to which inaction was viewed as warranted or favorable. Patient perceptions of AS were generally malleable and able to be influenced by information from trusted sources. Encouraging slow deliberation and multiple consultations may facilitate greater understanding and acceptance of AS as a viable treatment option for low-risk prostate cancer.

High tech or high risk? An analysis of media reports about robotic surgery.

Robotic surgery continues to increase in popularity and prevalence. The adoption of robotic technology has generated controversy and frequent media coverage. We evaluate recent reports of surgical robotics in the lay press to characterize its objectivity. LexisNexis and Factiva consumer news databases were queried for articles pertaining to robotic surgery published during 2010-2015 in the three highest circulation national (US) newspapers as well as New England regional newspapers. Two independent reviewers performed content analysis and assessed headline bias with strong reliability (mean κ = 0.96). 82 articles met inclusion criteria. Urological and gynecologic procedures were the most cited (54 and 57%, respectively). Commonly discussed aspects of robotic surgery included increased cost (45 articles, 55%), increased complications (38 articles, 43%), and easier recovery (32 articles, 39%). A minority of headlines (45%) had a neutral or unbiased tone. National newspapers were significantly more likely to report robotic surgery unfavorably by discussing disadvantages of the technology, only quoting surgeons with negative opinions, or citing scientific studies discrediting the robot (all p < 0.05). Of the 27 news articles that referenced published research studies, all 27 quoted studies reported the disadvantages of robotic surgery, while only 7 (26%) cited findings favoring robotic approaches. News reports about robotic surgery in the popular press contain a high proportion of negative bias. Non-neutral headlines and emphasis on research unfavorable to robotics were common. Clinicians should be aware of these reporting biases, which may affect patients' perceptions of robotic surgery.

What factors are associated with unplanned return following transurethral resection of bladder tumor? An analysis of a large single institution's experience.

OBJECTIVE: This study sought to evaluate factors associated with unplanned hospital return (UR) following transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT), the largest source of readmission among ambulatory urological procedures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective review of TURBTs at a single academic institution between April 2011 and August 2014 was performed. Demographics, comorbidities, length of stay, tumor size and multiple other factors were recorded. UR was recorded within 30 days of surgery. Bivariate and multivariable analyses were performed to determine factors associated with UR. RESULTS: Among 708 patients undergoing TURBT, 23.9% were female with a mean age of 70 years. The rate of UR was 10.9%. The most common cause of UR was gross hematuria, accounting for 70%. On bivariate analysis, Foley catheter placement in the operating room, non-aspirin anticoagulation and index length of stay longer than 24 h were associated with hematuria-related UR (p < 0.05). Preoperative antibiotics, female gender and aspirin therapy were associated with lower rates of hematuria-related UR (p < 0.05), while tumor size, distance of residence to the hospital, and Foley on hospital discharge (rather than from the operating room) had no association (p > 0.05). On multivariable analysis, only Foley placement in the operating room remained associated with higher rates of hematuria-related UR, while preoperative antibiotics, female gender and aspirin therapy remained associated with a lower likelihood of this event. CONCLUSIONS: UR following TURBT is common and typically results from gross hematuria. Patients with postoperative Foley catheterization in the operating room may require additional counseling or supervision before discharge, and should be considered for discharge with a Foley rather than having a prompt voiding trial.

Is age an independent risk factor for medical complications following minimally invasive radical prostatectomy? An evaluation of contemporary American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement (ACS-NSQIP) data.

While robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RALRP) is an effective treatment for localized prostate cancer, the risk of complications in older patients can be a deterrent to surgery. We evaluated the rate of medical complications following RALRP in a national dataset of safety events, and assessed whether age is an independent risk factor for these complications. Retrospective analysis of patients undergoing RALRP between 2009 and 2012 in the prospectively maintained American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement (ACS-NSQIP) database was performed. Demographic and comorbid data were collated, medical complications occurring during the 30-day post-operative period were identified. We identified age-related comorbidities, and complications associated with these comorbidities. A binary logistic regression model with age and age-related comorbidities as predictors and specific complication as outcome, was used to evaluate whether age is an independent risk factor for these complications. 12,123 patients underwent RALRP between 2009 and 2012, with a mean age of 62 (22-92). Post-operative medical complications included urinary tract infection (UTI) (1.77 %), deep venous thrombosis (DVT) (0.67 %), pulmonary embolism (PE) (0.45 %), pneumonia (PNA) (0.27 %), myocardial infarction (MI) (0.12 %), and cerebrovascular accident (CVA) (0.01 %). Nine comorbidities were positively correlated with age (p < 0.05). Four medical complications were associated with these age-related comorbidities: MI, CVA, PNA, and UTI. On multivariate analysis, age was an independent risk factor for post-operative PNA (p < 0.05), but not for MI (p = 0.09), UTI (p = 0.3) or CVA (p = 0.2). Patient age was independently associated with post-operative pneumonia only. These data suggest that RALRP can be considered as a treatment option in selected older patients with minimal increased risk for post-operative complications.