Prospective four years of evaluation of erectile function after low-dose-rate prostate brachytherapy using baseline IIEF-5 > 16.

PURPOSE: Prostate brachytherapy (BT) is a validated treatment for localized prostate cancer (CaP) and an attractive therapy option for patients seeking to preserve erectile function (EF). The aim of this paper is to prospectively assess EF evolution during 4 years after BT. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Between February 2007 and July 2012, 179 patients underwent an exclusive Iodine-125 BT, for low-intermediate favorable risk CaP of whom, 102 had an initial international index of erectile function 5 score (IIEF-5) > 16 and were included in the study. Of those, 12.7% received neo-adjuvant hormonotherapy (HT) to decrease the prostate volume. Post-BT intake of phosphodiesterase inhibitors (PDE5i) was not an exclusion criterion. Erectile function was prospectively assessed using a validated questionnaire IIEF-5 before treatment and annually for 4 years. RESULTS: At 1-year follow-up, 54% of patients preserved an IIEF-5 > 16 and only 8% suffered from severe ED. During the next 3 years, the results were not statistically different. The mean IIEF-5 lost 4 points during the first year, 17 vs. 21, and remained stable during the following 3 years. We did not find any significant differences in the proportion of patients treated by PDE5i (18-20%). As for patients with a normal preoperative IIEF-5 (> 21) (n = 52), 35-42% preserved a normal EF and 71-77% maintained an IIEF-5 > 16, including 13-19% of patients who needed PDE5i. Those results were stable for over 4 years. CONCLUSIONS: During the first 4 years after BT, more than half of patients maintained an IIEF-5 > 16, and EF results remained stable. Severe erectile dysfunction (ED) was very rare.

Robot-assisted AMS-800 Artificial Urinary Sphincter Bladder Neck Implantation in Female Patients with Stress Urinary Incontinence.

BACKGROUND: Widespread adoption of the AMS-800 artificial urinary sphincter (AUS) in female patients has been hampered by the surgical morbidity of its implantation through an open approach. OBJECTIVE: To describe a standardized technique of robotic bladder neck AUS implantation in female patients, and to report the perioperative and functional outcomes obtained by multiple surgeons with this technique. DESIGN, SETTINGS, AND PARTICIPANTS: We retrospectively reviewed the charts of all female patients who underwent robotic AUS implantation for urinary incontinence due to intrinsic sphincter deficiency between March 2012 and March 2017 in five institutions. Most of the 10 surgeons involved were not highly experienced in female AUS implantation and/or in robotic surgery. SURGICAL PROCEDURE: The AUS is implanted at the bladder neck through a transperitoneal robotic approach. The finger placed by the assistant surgeon in the vagina is paramount to expose the vesicovaginal space and guide the robotic surgeon throughout the bladder neck dissection. MEASUREMENTS: The primary endpoint was the incontinence categorized as complete continence(ie, no pads used), improved incontinence, or unchanged incontinence. RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS: Forty-nine female patients underwent a robotic AUS implantation. There were eight intraoperative complications (16.3%): five bladder neck injuries and three vaginal injuries. Nine patients experienced postoperative complications (18.3%), but only two were Clavien ≥3 (4.1%). After a median follow-up of 18.5 mo, one explantation (vaginal erosion, 2.1%) and three revisions (one mechanical and two nonmechanical failure, 6.1%) were needed. At last follow-up, 40 patients were fully continent (81.6%), six had improved incontinence (12.2%), and three had unchanged incontinence (6.1%). CONCLUSIONS: In this first multicenter series of robot-assisted AUS implantation, our technique appeared feasible, safe, and reproducible with perioperative and functional outcomes in the early learning curve not inferior to those reported in large series of open AUS implantation from tertiary referral centers. PATIENT SUMMARY: Robot-assisted bladder neck AMS-800 artificial urinary sphincter implantation in female patients with stress urinary incontinence resulting from intrinsic sphincter deficiency is feasible, safe, and reproducible with promising outcomes.

Evaluation of the "Quadrella" at 3 years: New index to assess functional and oncological performance specific to prostate brachytherapy.

PURPOSE: "Quadrella" index has been recently developed to assess oncological and functional outcomes after prostate brachytherapy (PB). We aimed to evaluate this index at 1, 2, and 3 years, using validated questionnaires, assessed prospectively. METHODS AND MATERIALS: From 08/2007 to 01/2013, 193 patients underwent 125Iodine PB for low-risk or favorable intermediate-risk prostate adenocarcinoma. Inclusion criteria were as follows: no incontinence (International Continence Society Index initial score = 0) and good erectile function (International Index of Erectile Function-5 items: >16). One hundred patients were included (mean age: 64 y). Postimplantation intake of phosphodiesterase inhibitors was not considered as failure. The "Quadrella" index was defined by the absence of biochemical recurrence (Phoenix criteria), significant erectile dysfunction (ED) (Index of Erectile Function-5 items: >16), urinary toxicity (UT) (International Prostate Score Symptom [IPSS] <15 or IPSS> 15 with ΔIPSS <5), and rectal toxicity (RT) (Radiation Therapy Oncology Group = 0). RESULTS: At 12 months, 90 patients were evaluable: 42/90 (46.7%) achieved Quadrella. The main criteria for failure were as follows: ED in 77.1% (37/48) of cases, RT in 20.8% (10/48) of cases, and UT in 12.5% (9/57) of cases. At 24 and 36 months, 59.3% (48/81) and 61.1% (44/72) of patients achieved Quadrella, respectively. The main cause of failure was ED in 69.7% (23/33) and 85.7% (24/28) of cases, while RT was involved in 21.2% (7/33) and in 3.6% (1/28) of cases, and UT in 9.1% (3/33) and 3.6% (1/28) of cases. Only one case of biochemical recurrence was observed (i.e., 1/28 = 3.6% at 3 y). CONCLUSIONS: The Quadrella can be used at 1, 2, and 3 years after PB. It allows to take into account the urinary and RT specific to PB. ED was the main cause of failure. This index will be useful to assess midterm and long-term results.

The combination of targeted and systematic prostate biopsies is the best protocol for the detection of clinically significant prostate cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Compared with standard systematic transrectal ultrasound (TRUS)-guided biopsies (SBx), targeted biopsies (TBx) using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)/TRUS fusion could increase the detection of clinically significant prostate cancer (PCa-s) and reduce non-significant PCa (PCa-ns). This study aimed to compare the performance of the two approaches. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective, single-center study was conducted on all consecutive patients with PCa suspicion who underwent prebiopsy multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) using the Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System (PI-RADS). All patients underwent mpMRI/TRUS fusion TBx (two to four cores/target) using UroStation™ (Koelis, Grenoble, France) and SBx (10-12 cores) during the same session. PCa-s was defined as a maximal positive core length ≥4 mm or Gleason score ≥7. RESULTS: The study included 191 patients (at least one suspicious lesion: PI-RADS ≥3). PCa was detected in 55.5% (106/191) of the cases. The overall PCa detection rate and the PCa-s detection rate were not significantly higher in TBx alone versus SBx (44.5% vs 46.1%, p = .7, and 38.2% vs 33.5%, p = .2, respectively). Combined TBx and SBx diagnosed significantly more PCa-s than SBx alone (45% vs 33.5%, p = .02). PCa-s was detected only by TBx in 12% of cases (23/191) and only by SBx in 7.3% (14/191). Gleason score was upgraded by TBx in 16.8% (32/191) and by SBx in 13.6% (26/191) of patients (p = .4). CONCLUSIONS: The combination of TBx and SBx achieved the best results for the detection and prognosis of PCa-s. The use of SBx alone would have missed the detection of PCa-s in 12% of patients.

Robotic-assisted laparoscopic implantation of artificial urinary sphincter in women with intrinsic sphincter deficiency incontinence: initial results.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the feasibility, safety, and functional results of robotic-assisted artificial urinary sphincter (R-AUS) laparoscopic implantation in women with stress urinary incontinence due to intrinsic sphincter deficiency. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Six women underwent an R-AUS implantation between 2012 and 2013. The mean age was 65 ± 9.6 years. Five patients had previous surgery for incontinence. The mean duration of follow-up was 14.3 months. A transperitoneal approach with a lateral positioning of the robotic arms was performed. The cuff implantation, positioning of the reservoir, and the pump were carried out similarly to the laparoscopic technique. Operative time, intraoperative occurrence of injuries of the bladder or vagina, postoperative complications, and continence (pad per day) were assessed. RESULTS: The R-AUS implantation was feasible in all cases without intraoperative injury and 1 grade 1 postoperative complication. Mean operative time, postoperative bladder catheterization, and hospitalization time were 210 ± 32 minutes, 7 days, and 6 days, respectively. At the end of the follow-up, 83% of cases were fully continent. CONCLUSION: R-AUS implantation in incontinent women with intrinsic sphincter deficiency was feasible and safe with good functional results. More data are needed before concluding to the superiority of this new technique compared with open or laparoscopic approaches.