Salvage autologous fascial sling after failed synthetic midurethral sling: Greater than 3-year outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: To determine long-term surgical outcomes of salvage autologous fascial sling placement after a failed synthetic midurethral sling. METHODS: Women who had undergone autologous fascial sling placement without concomitant pelvic surgery for a failed synthetic midurethral sling utilizing mesh with a minimum follow up of 36 months were identified. Charts were reviewed, and patients were contacted by telephone. Success was determined by the Patient Global Impression of Improvement. Secondary measures included the Incontinence Severity Index questionnaire, patient recommendation of the autologous fascial sling and need for further incontinence surgery. RESULTS: A total of 35 patients met the criteria, and 21 were successfully contacted. Of those contacted, the median age at surgery was 67 years (range 53-81 years) and at the time of the survey was 75 years (range 63-84 years) with median follow up of 74 months (range 36-127 years). Preoperatively, 12 patients (57.1%) had urethral hypermobility and 13 patients (61.9%) had mixed urinary incontinence. Eight patients (38.1%) had concomitant sling excision with five of those combined with urethrolysis at the time of the salvage operation. Patient Global Impression of Improvement success was noted in 16 patients (76.2%). A total of 11 patients (52.4%) were dry or had slight incontinence by the Incontinence Severity Index. One patient required additional anti-incontinence surgery (4.8%). A total of 18 patients (85.7%) recommended the autologous fascial sling. No statistical impact was noted with sling excision (P = 0.62), mixed urinary incontinence (P = 0.61), age at surgery (P = 0.23), age at follow up (P = 0.15), length of follow up (P = 0.71) or first surgery type (transobturator tape vs retropubic; P = 1.00). CONCLUSIONS: Autologous fascial sling provides reasonable long-term success as a salvage operation for failed midurethral slings.

Comparison of patient-reported quality of life outcome questionnaire response rates between patients treated surgically for renal cell carcinoma and prostate carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: We sought to examine differences in response rates to quality of life (QoL) surveys in patients treated surgically for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and prostate cancer (PCa) and to analyze factors associated with non-response of the surveys. METHODS: Patients who underwent surgery for RCC or PCa between 2006 and 2012 were offered enrollment in respective prospective cancer registries that included baseline and annual QoL assessments. We identified 201 RCC patients and 616 PCa patients who completed a baseline QoL survey and were mailed annual QoL surveys [RCC: SF-36, FACT-G (73 questions), PCa: EPIC, IIEF, Max-PC (80 questions)]. We compared patient characteristics between responders and non-responders using a Wilcoxon rank-sum test for continuous variables and a Fisher's Exact test for categorical variables. RESULTS: The overall response rates for the PCa and RCC groups were 63 and 48% (p < 0.001), respectively. This difference in response rates remained when we limited analysis to only those with early stage disease (pT2 for PCa and pT1 RCC, 62% vs. 52%; p = 0.03). PCa characteristics associated with response included older age (64.1 vs 62.6 years, p = 0.032) and robotic versus open surgery (56% vs 44%; p = 0.009). There were no characteristics that were associated with response in RCC patients. CONCLUSIONS: Surgically treated PCa patients have higher QoL mail-based survey response rates compared to patients treated surgically for RCC. This difference holds true for clinically localized cancers as well.

Retroperitoneal hematoma secondary to inferior adrenal artery spontaneous hemorrhage.

Spontaneous retroperitoneal hematoma (SRH) is a rare, potentially lethal entity that can arise from a variety of etiologies. We present a case of SRH secondary to hemorrhage from the right inferior adrenal artery in a 22-year-old woman. The patient presented to the emergency room with significant right flank pain, and computed tomography (CT) demonstrated a large, right-sided retroperitoneal hematoma with no identifiable etiology. Renal angiography revealed active extravasation from the right inferior adrenal artery. The patient was definitively treated with endovascular coiling of the ruptured artery, and long term follow up demonstrated resolution of the retroperitoneal hematoma.

Adult-onset hypogonadism: evaluation and role of testosterone replacement therapy.

Testosterone deficiency (TD) has become a growing concern in the field of men's sexual health, with an increasing number of men presenting for evaluation of this condition. Given the increasing demand for testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), a panel of experts met in August of 2015 to discuss the treatment of men who present for evaluation in the setting of low or normal gonadotropin levels and the associated signs and symptoms of hypogonadism. This constellation of factors can be associated with elements of both primary and secondary hypogonadism. Because this syndrome commonly occurs in men who are middle-aged and older, it was termed adult-onset hypogonadism (AOH). AOH can be defined by the following elements: low levels of testosterone, associated signs and symptoms of hypogonadism, and low or normal gonadotropin levels. Although there are significant benefits of TRT for patients with AOH, candidates also need to understand the potential risks. Patients undergoing TRT will need to be monitored regularly because there are potential complications that can develop with long-term use. This review is aimed at providing a deeper understanding of AOH, discussing the benefits and risks of TRT, and outlining each modality of TRT in use for AOH.

Mayo Adhesive Probability Score Is Associated With Localized Renal Cell Carcinoma Progression-free Survival.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the association of the Mayo Adhesive Probability (MAP) score and progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC). The MAP score is derived from cross-sectional imaging measurements of perinephric fat thickness and stranding. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We identified 456 patients from a prospective registry who were treated surgically for localized RCC between 2002 and 2014. One reviewer calculated a preoperative MAP score (0-5) for each patient. Kaplan-Meier curves were utilized to estimate PFS. Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate the association of MAP score with risk of progression univariately and after adjusting for covariates such as age, body mass index (BMI), and size, stage, grade, necrosis scores. RESULTS: Patients with higher MAP scores (4-5) were more likely to be male, to be older, to have higher BMI, and to have larger tumors (all P <.01). Of our total cohort, 405 patients had MAP scores and follow-up data to assess PFS. Dichotomizing MAP scores into high (MAP 4-5) and low (MAP 0-3) yields a hazard ratio of 2.16 for the 4-5 group vs 0-3 (95% confidence interval: 1.15-4.06, P = .017). Adjustment for BMI did not alter the association (BMI-adjusted hazard ratio [HR] = 2.20 [1.07-4.52], P = .032). Of interest, the association with MAP and PFS remains for pT1 RCC patients (n = 287, HR = 3.46 [1.06-11.24], P = .039). CONCLUSION: High MAP scores (4-5) are associated with decreased PFS in patients surgically treated for clinically localized RCC compared with patients with lower MAP scores (0-3). RCC aggressiveness may be associated with perinephric fat thickness and stranding.

Robotic-assisted Bladder Diverticulectomy: Assessment of Outcomes and Modifications of Technique.

OBJECTIVE: To present outcomes of robotic-assisted bladder diverticulectomy (RABD) and technique modifications that may improve outcomes. METHODS: Sixteen consecutive RABDs were performed at our institution by 2 experienced robotic surgeons. Charts were reviewed for patient characteristics, perioperative data, and long-term functional outcomes. Eleven patients (69%) underwent RABD using an external dissection approach, whereas 5 patients (31%) underwent RABD using a modified internal dissection technique (immediate entry into the bladder diverticulum). RESULTS: The mean age of our cohort was 68 years (range, 59-79 years), and 15 of 16 patients (93.8%) were men. Two patients (12.5%) had known malignancy in the diverticulum. Eleven patients (69%) underwent a preoperative outlet procedure (9 transurethral resection of prostate and 2 transurethral incision of prostate) at a median time before RABD of 163.5 days (range, 26-622 days). Median operative time for external RABD was 228 minutes (range, 144-353 minutes) compared with that of 149 minutes (range, 130-189 minutes) for the internal dissection technique. No patient required blood transfusions, and there were no 30-day Clavien grade 3 or 4 complications. Median hospital stay was 2 days (range, 1-3 days). Median postvoid residual before intervention was 458 mL (range, 78-1100 mL) compared with that of 214 mL (range, 46-527 mL) after RABD. Mean American Urological Association symptom score was 18 (range, 5-29) preoperatively compared with that of 7 (range, 2-21) postoperatively. CONCLUSION: RABD is safe with a low risk of intraoperative or postoperative complications and results in both improved voiding symptoms and diminished postvoid residuals. Modifications of technique from an external dissection approach to an internal dissection approach has led to a dramatic reduction in operative time.

Prospective evaluation of the association of adherent perinephric fat with perioperative outcomes of robotic-assisted partial nephrectomy.

OBJECTIVE: To prospectively analyze the association of adherent perinephric fat (APF) with perioperative outcomes of robotic-assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN). METHODS: We analyzed 100 consecutive RAPNs performed by a single experienced surgeon and defined APF as the necessity of subcapsular renal dissection to mobilize the kidney and isolate the renal tumor for RAPN. Our primary analysis focused on comparing perioperative outcomes, including operative time, warm ischemia time, estimated blood loss, postoperative complications, length of stay, and margins, ischemia, and complications score between patients with and without APF. To control the probability of obtaining a false-positive finding at 5% after the numerous statistical comparisons that were performed, we used a Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons, after which P values of ≤.0042 were considered to be statistically significant. RESULTS: Thirty patients (30%) had APF. Presence of APF was not significantly associated with blood loss, warm ischemia time, hospital stay, postoperative complications, or margins, ischemia, and complications score. We noted some evidence of longer operative times in patients with APF compared with those without APF (median, 223 vs199 minutes; P = .026); however, this was not significant after adjustment for multiple comparisons. In multivariate analysis, we noted stronger evidence of associations with increased operative time for RENAL score (P <.001) and body mass index (P = .020) than for the presence of APF (P = .32). CONCLUSION: APF may be associated with slightly longer operative times but does not appear to affect perioperative complications or outcomes.

Mayo adhesive probability score: an accurate image-based scoring system to predict adherent perinephric fat in partial nephrectomy.

BACKGROUND: Image-based renal morphometry scoring systems are used to predict the potential difficulty of partial nephrectomy (PN), but they are centered entirely on tumor-specific factors and neglect other patient-specific factors that may complicate the technical aspects of PN. Adherent perinephric fat (APF) is one such factor known to make PN difficult. OBJECTIVE: To develop an accurate image-based nephrometry scoring system to predict the presence of APF encountered during robot-assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN). DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: We prospectively analyzed 100 consecutive RAPNs performed by one surgeon and defined APF as the need for subcapsular renal dissection to isolate the renal tumor for RAPN. OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: The scoring algorithm to predict the presence of APF was developed with a multivariable logistic regression model using a forward selection approach with a focus on improvement in the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS: Thirty patients (30%; 95% confidence interval, 21-40) had APF. Single-variable analysis noted an increased likelihood of APF in male patients (p<0.001), higher body mass index (p=0.003), greater posterior perinephric fat thickness (p<0.001), greater lateral perinephric fat thickness (p<0.001), and those with perirenal fat stranding (p<0.001). Two of these variables, posterior perinephric fat thickness and stranding, were most highly predictive of APF in multivariable analysis and were therefore used to create a risk score, termed Mayo Adhesive Probability (MAP) and ranging from 0 to 5, to predict the presence of APF. We observed APF in 6% of patients with a MAP score of 0, 16% with a score of 1, 31% with a score of 2, 73% with a score of 3-4, and 100% of patients with a score of 5. CONCLUSIONS: MAP score accurately predicts the presence of APF in patients undergoing RAPN. Prospective validation of the MAP score is required. PATIENT SUMMARY: The Mayo Adhesive Probability score that we we developed is an accurate system that predicts whether or not adherent perinephric, or "sticky," fat is present around the kidney that would make partial nephrectomy difficult.