Cavernoplasty with oral mucosa graft for the surgical treatment of Peyronie's disease. / Cavernoplastia con injerto de mucosa oral para el tratamiento quirúrgico de la enfermedad de La Peyronie.

BACKGROUND: Peyronie's disease is a disorder of the tunica albuginea and causes penile curvature, requiring surgical correction when the deformity impedes penetration. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Retrospective analysis of the short-term results (penile length, angle of curvature and erectile function) of treating Peyronie's disease in 10 patients through cavernoplasty with oral mucosa graft. Essentially, the treatment included the incision of the fibrotic plaque with electrical scalpel and the subsequent coating of the cavernous defect using a patch of oral mucosa. At month 6, we measured the penile length and curvature and recorded the erectile function using the International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5) questionnaire. Finally, the patients were asked "Would you undergo the same operation again?". RESULTS: The mean age was 53.4 years. The average and median follow-up was 22.7 months and 24 months, respectively. The mean preoperative curvature was 68.5° (50°-90°), the mean penile length was 11.2cm (9-15) and the mean IIEF-5 score was 16.1 (8-25). The mean postoperative penile length was 10.7cm, and the mean IIEF-5 score was 18.9. The differences between the preoperative and postoperative values were not statistically significant (P=ns). One patient developed erectile dysfunction. In all cases, the residual curvature was <20°. Nine patients (90%) stated that they would undergo the same operation. CONCLUSIONS: The short-term results suggest that cavernoplasty with oral mucosa graft can be an alternative to traditional grafts for surgically correcting Peyronie's disease.

Rotation of the corpora cavernosa for the treatment of congenital penile curvature.

INTRODUCTION: Congenital penile curvature (CPC) is caused by a disorder in the embryonic development of the urethra and corpora cavernosa. The condition causes difficulty for penetration, requiring surgical correction when it prevents intercourse. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We present the cases of 2 men in their 40s who had ventral curvature greater than 60° of 2 years of evolution, with maintained erections. The patients underwent surgery for rotation of the corpora cavernosa. After the complete denudation of the penis, athermal release of the neurovascular bundle of the penis from the ventral side to the dorsal was performed. Once the curvature was verified using artificial erection, an incision was performed in the tunica albuginea of both corpora cavernosa, continuously suturing both internal and external margins with resorbable monofilament. The rectification of the curvature was then checked, and the mucocutaneous plane was reconstructed. RESULTS: The surgical time was 120minutes and there were no intraoperative complications. Both patients were discharged 24h after the surgery. At 1 week, the patients experienced spontaneous night-time erections and were able to maintain sexual relations 1 month after the surgery. At 6 months, the residual curvature was less than 20°, the penile shortening was less than 1 centimeter and the International Index of Erectile Function-5 was 25 for both cases. CONCLUSIONS: Surgery for rotation of the corpora cavernosa helps correct CPC without significant penile shortening or erectile dysfunction. In our opinion, the procedure is an appropriate treatment for patients with CPC but requires studies with long-term follow-up in order to consider it the technique of choice.

Predicting factors for recurrence in low-grade Ta primary bladder tumours.

OBJECTIVES: Ta bladder tumors constitute 53% of primary bladder neoplasms, 70% of them being low-grade (G1). These tumors present a 15- 38% chance of recurrence during the first year. The aim of this paper is to identify the predicting factors of the first recurrence in a series of TaG1 primary bladder tumors. METHODS: We have retrospectively analyzed patients who were diagnosed with TaG1 primary bladder tumor by transurethral resection between 2004 and 2012. We established their tumor grade and pathological stage according to the WHO's classification guides for 1973 and 2004 as well as 2009's TNM. Those patients who were diagnosed before 2009 did not receive any adjuvant treatment. Those who were diagnosed later on received 40 mg of endovesical Mitomycin C during their immediate post operative period as their only treatment. We define recurrence as the presence of tumor after the first cystoscopy and relapse-free survival (RFS) as the period of time (in months) until the first recurrence appeared. Follow up constitutes the period of time (in months) until the last check-up or first recurrence. We also analyzed different variables: age, gender, smoking habits, muscular representation in the sample, size of the tumor (> or < 1 cm), multiple or single tumors and adjuvant treatment. The survival analysis was performed by the Kaplan-Meier method, using the long-rank test to evaluate the differences between groups. RESULTS: 68 patients were included in the study (73.5% men, 75% smokers). The average age was 61.9 years (the median being 58.5). Average follow up was 33.2 months (median 28.4). 35.3% of patients experienced recurrence. Average RFS was 19.2 ± 12.7 months (median 13.5). The majority of tumors were of a single nature (77.9%), with a size of less than 1 cm (55.9%) and with muscle representation (52.9%). 57.4% of patients did not receive adjuvant treatment. Only the absence of adjuvant treatment was associated with recurrence in uni and multivariate analysis (p<0,001), with a relative risk of 17,5 IC95% (7,6-30,2). CONCLUSION: The absence of adjuvant therapy with Mitomycin C is the only factor that, in a statistically significant way, increases the risk of recurrence, regardless of demographic factors and the characteristics of the tumor.

[Primary hypospadias]. / Hipospadias primario.

Hypospadias is one of the most frequent male congenital anomalies. Its surgical correction is under permanent review and it is always controversial. The best surgical technique can only be chosen intraoperatively, since it is the level of corpus spongiosum division what marks the severity of the case, although it is essential to evaluate position of the meatus, penile curvature, quality of the preputial skin and penile size. It is recommended treatment age between 6-12 months. Nowadays, The most frequently used technique for hypospadias repair is the Snodgrass tubularized incised urethral plate (TIP). Moreover, distal and medial hypospadias may be treated with urethral advance or flap techniques and proximal hypospadias with modifications of these in one-step or two-step procedures. Nevertheless, there are other controversies about hypospadias, such as to preserve or not the prepuce, the use of central or peripheral anesthesia blockade, or the use of wound dressings.

Predictors of success and hospitalization in semi-rigid ureteroscopy for lithiasis as an outpatient procedure.

OBJECTIVES: To analyze the outcomes, predictors of success and predictors of need for hospital admission in our series of patients who underwent ureteroscopy (URS) as a major outpatient surgery (MOS) procedure. METHODS: We carried out a retrospective analysis of 402 patients who had undergone semi-rigid URS for ureteral calculi as a MOS procedure in our center between 2004 and 2012. Patients with previous DJ catheter were excluded. We classified the calculi according to their location (lumbar, pelvic, iliac), size (< or> 1cm) and number (single or multiple). Follow-up was done by plain X-ray of the abdomen and ultrasound one month after surgery. The procedure was considered successful when patients were free from the treated calculi or had ureteral fragments < 3 mm one month after surgery. Univariate and multivariate analyses were carried out to identify the factors involved in success and hospitalization not being required. RESULTS: A total of 269 patients were included. The majority of the stones were single (92.2%), <1 cm in size (76.6%), pelvic (62.1%), and left-sided (57.2%). 89.6% of the procedures were performed as MOS and 82.2% were considered to be successful. In the multivariate analysis, left-sided (p<0.001) and pelvic location of the calculi (p=0,01) were found to be independent predictors for the success of the procedure In terms of hospital admission, the only independent predictor was the presence of intraoperative complications ( p=0.006). CONCLUSIONS: Left-sided and pelvic locations were the independent predictors for the success of the URS. A lack of intraoperative complications was the independent predictor for not requiring hospitalisation.

[Prognostic factors of spontaneous expulsion in ureteral lithiasis]. / Factores predictivos para la expulsión de la litiasis ureteral.

UNLABELLED: Medical treatment, extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) and ureteroscopy are therapeutic options for ureteral stones. EWSL and endoscopic treatment of ureteral stones have a high success rate. However it has surgical as well as anaesthetic risks. For many patients, a medicinal treatment without invasive procedures is an option. Watchful waiting does not always result in stone clearance and may be associated with recurrent renal colic. The study of the prognostic factors for expulsion and the medical therapy will help us to select candidates for medical expulsive treatment. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the characteristics of the stones and the medication administered (alpha blockers, NSAIDs or a combination of both) as predictors of spontaneous passage of the stone. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective observational study of 260 patients with 278 ureteral stones was conducted. Primary endpoint was stone expulsion. Univariate and multivariate analysis were conducted testing the effect of stone location, size and composition, and medication (alpha-blockers, NSAIDs, or combination) on stone clearance. RESULTS: 34,2% of the stones studied were spontaneously eliminated. Stone location (pelvic ureter, OR=1.823, p=0.013), size (>5 mm, OR=3.37, p>0.02), and medication (combination of alpha blockers and NSAIDs, OR=8.70, >0.001) were predictors of spontaneous clearance. Multivariate analysis confirmed size (p=0.006) and medication (p>0.001) as independent predictive factors.The use of the combination of NSAIDs and alpha-blockers versus observation multiplied times 8.21 (95%CI 3.37-20.01) the possibilities of spontaneous expulsion. CONCLUSIONS: Size of stone and medication were confirmed as independent factors for spontaneous expulsion of ureteral stones.

[Relational database for urinary stone ambulatory consultation. Assessment of initial outcomes]. / Una base de datos relacional para consulta de litiasis urinaria. Evaluación inicial de resultados.

OBJECTIVES: To create a relational database for monitoring lithiasic patients. We describe the architectural details and the initial results of the statistical analysis. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Microsoft Access 2002 was used as template. Four different tables were constructed to gather demographic data (table 1), clinical and laboratory findings (table 2), stone features (table 3) and therapeutic approach (table 4). For a reliability analysis of the database the number of correctly stored data was gathered. To evaluate the performance of the database, a prospective analysis was conducted, from May 2004 to August 2009, on 171 stone free patients after treatment (EWSL, surgery or medical) from a total of 511 patients stored in the database. Lithiasic status (stone free or stone relapse) was used as primary end point, while demographic factors (age, gender), lithiasic history, upper urinary tract alterations and characteristics of the stone (side, location, composition and size) were considered as predictive factors. An univariate analysis was conducted initially by chi square test and supplemented by Kaplan Meier estimates for time to stone recurrence. A multiple Cox proportional hazards regression model was generated to jointly assess the prognostic value of the demographic factors and the predictive value of stones characteristics. RESULTS: For the reliability analysis 22,084 data were available corresponding to 702 consultations on 511 patients. Analysis of data showed a recurrence rate of 85.4% (146/171, median time to recurrence 608 days, range 70-1758). In the univariate and multivariate analysis, none of the factors under consideration had a significant effect on recurrence rate (p=ns). CONCLUSIONS: The relational database is useful for monitoring patients with urolithiasis. It allows easy control and update, as well as data storage for later use. The analysis conducted for its evaluation showed no influence of demographic factors and stone features on stone recurrence.

[Verrucous carcinoma of the penis. A report of 6 new cases and a review of the diagnostic and therapeutic aspects]. / Carcinoma verrucoso de pene. Aportación de seis nuevos casos y revisión de aspectos diagnósticos y terapéuticos.

Verrucous carcinoma of the penis accounts for 5-17.8% of total carcinomas in the referred location that are diagnosed in our environment. Six cases of this rare neoplasia have been treated in our service and revised retrospectively. The epidemiological, clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of our series are analyzed and the issues around them discussed. Eventually, the benign biological behaviour of this tumour warranting conservative surgical treatment is ratified. In selected cases where the therapeutic modalities used do not yield material for histopathological analysis (laser, cryotherapy, etc.) prior obtention of a deep biopsy of the lesion to identify the likely presence of a well differentiated epidermoid carcinoma is imperative. Also, every effort should be made to monitor the cases of associated premalignant conditions.

[Neoplasm prevalence in renal transplantation]. / Prevalencia de neoplasias en el trasplante renal.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the prevalence of neoplasms in renal transplant patients and the relative risk for each tumor type according to the immunosuppression regimen. METHODS: 609 renal transplants were reviewed. The risk index was determined by the ratio of the cases observed and predicted. RESULTS: Tumor prevalence was 4.9% (30/609); 6.3% (25/393) were males and 2.3% (5/216) were females. The most common tumors were cutaneous tumors other than melanoma, accounting for 2.4% (15/609), followed by Kaposi's sarcoma, pulmonary epidermoid carcinoma and genitourinary tumors (0.5%) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (0.3%). Tumor prevalence was 6.8% for the group treated with azathioprine-prednisone and 3.9% for the cyclosporine A-prednisone-treated group. The estimated relative risk of having a neoplasm was 10-fold higher for the males and 4.2-fold higher for the females vs the general population. The mortality rate was 36.6%; specifically tumor-related in 82%. The mortality rate for those with solid tumors was 77.7%. The long-term survival rate for the group that developed a tumor was significantly lower than that of the general population, 75% vs 53%, respectively (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: In this series no significant differences were observed relative to tumor prevalence or type according to the immunosuppression regimen. A recipient of a renal graft has a higher risk of developing a tumor. Cutaneous tumors were the most frequent. The long-term survival is lower for recipients of renal grafts who develop a tumor.

[Is there a role for partial cystectomy in the treatment of infiltrating bladder cancer? (2nd part)]. / Tiene cabida la cistectomía parcial en el tratamiento del cáncer infiltrante de vejiga? (2a parte).

Experimental studies and the clinical course have shown that bladder cancer is confined to the bladder wall for some time, during which optimal treatment by complete surgical excision can be achieved. Failures are most often due to the presence of distant metastasis at the time of surgery and most patients invariably die although local and regional control of the tumor have been achieved. It is difficult to evaluate the benefits that neoadjuvant measures (radio and chemotherapy) contribute to surgery, basically due to the difficulty in classifying the tumor with precision. Preoperative chemotherapy in patients with less than a 40% likelihood of metastasis is unreasonable since 60% will not require it and will be unnecessarily exposed to the side effects of the cytostatic agents, which are not negligible. Furthermore, a considerable number of candidates to partial surgery have no metastasis at the time of diagnosis, therefore preoperative chemotherapy is not useful. It would be more reasonable to give chemotherapy postoperatively to those that are more likely to require it. Radiotherapy will not prevent tumor recurrence and is ineffective in carcinoma in situ. Furthermore, surgery is sufficiently aggressive in regard to the tumor and the possible dissemination to the lymphatics to require adjunctive measures with locoregional effects.

[Treatment of complex fistula and urinary stenosis in renal transplantation]. / Tratamiento de la fístula y la estenosis urinaria complejas en el trasplante renal.

OBJECTIVES: Urological complications in renal transplantation occasionally denote the failure of a technique intended to provide the patient on hemodialysis a significant improvement of quality of life. Our experience in the management of these complicated cases which could not be resolved by conventional measures is described. METHODS: Since the transplantation program began, our department has performed 530 renal transplants. There have been 40 fistulae (7.5%) and 23 stenoses (4.3%) of graft urinary tract. All the foregoing complications had been treated by endourological procedures (nephrostomy or ureteral stent) and/or simple ureteral reinsertion. There were 5 unresolved or recurrent fistulae (0.9%) and 2 stenoses (0.4%) that were repaired using the recipient's ipsilateral urinary tract (6 pyeloureterostomies and 1 pyelopyelostomy). RESULTS: Good results were achieved in all of the cases with adequate urinary tract function. CONCLUSIONS: Urological complications following renal transplantation can be successfully treated by surgical correction (pyeloureterostomy or pyelopyelostomy).