Urological Surgeries in a West African Teaching Hospital.

Introduction: Urological surgeries are a significant part of surgical services. The need for these services varies regionally and globally. Knowledge of the local need is important for prioritisation of resources. Objectives: To describe the urological procedures done in our hospital for effective utilisation of the already scarce resource in this region. Patients and Methods: This was a retrospective one-year study of the urosurgical cases done in a Nigerian Teaching Hospital. The main theatre register was used to collate data. Data collected included age, sex, operation done and anaesthesia employed. Results: One hundred and twenty-two male and three female patients were included with a male-to-female ratio of 41:1. The mean age of the patients was 56.6 ± 19.89 years. Elective cases accounted for 102 (81.6%) of surgeries. Regional anaesthesia was the most common form of anaesthesia accounting for 105 (84%) followed by local anaesthesia in 16 (12.8%). Day cases accounted for 77 (61.6%) of procedures. More than 80% of the study population was 50 years and older. Overall, the three most common performed surgeries were digital-guided prostate biopsy 47 (37.6%), suprapubic cystostomy 16 (12.8%) and open prostatectomy 9 (7.2%). In male patients, the three most common procedures were prostate biopsy 47 (38.5%), suprapubic cystostomy 16 (13.1 %), open prostatectomy 9 (7.4%) whereas nephrectomy, pyeloplasty and stent removal each accounted for 33.3% each of procedures in female patients. Endourological procedures accounted for 5 (4%) of cases. Conclusion: Open surgeries accounted for the majority of these cases done with prostate-related procedures being the most common procedures. Few endourological procedures were performed.

Ureteroscopy and Holmium:YAG Laser Lithotripsy For Upper Tract Stones in a New Urology Centre: Our Initial Experience.

Background: To demonstrate the outcome of our initial experience in the management of upper tract stones with ureteroscopy and Holmium: YAG laser lithotripsy. Methodology: The data of thirty-two patients who had ureteroscopy and laser lithotripsy for upper urinary tract stones at a private urology centre in Awka, Anambra State Nigeria from September 2020 to June 2022 (20months) were retrospectively studied. Their sociodemographic data, clinical symptoms, the location and size of the stones, preoperative and postoperative stent use, hospital stay, complications, and stone-clearance rates were analyzed. Results: A total of 32 procedures were performed on 32 patients. The mean age of the patients was 44.7 ± 12.2 years. The mean stone size was 15.4 ± 6.7mm with a range of 8.0-39mm, and Hounsfield unit ranging from 233-906. The stones were on the right tract, left tract, and bilateral in 46.9%, 43.7%, and 9.4% of the cases respectively. The patients had a mean length of hospital stay of 3.31 ± 1.45 days. The stone clearance rate was 90.3%. 53.1% of the patients had postoperative complications with 40.6% of these being post-operative fever which resolved with antibiotics. There was treatment failure in one patient due to the inability to scope the ureter on account of ureteral stricture. Conclusion: Ureteroscopy and laser lithotripsy are safe and effective options in the management of upper tract stones with the advantages of being performed via a natural orifice, being less painful, with reduced risk of severe bleeding, irreversible loss of renal parenchyma, as well as a short hospital stay.

Prostate Cancer and Challenges in Management in a Semi-urban Centre: A 10-year Experience.

Introduction: Prostate cancer (CaP) is the second most common cancer in men and the fifth most common cancer worldwide. The incidence in Nigeria is rising. Numerous challenges exist that prevent the successful management of these patients in this subregion. Aims and Objectives: This study aimed to report on the modes of presentation and difficulties encountered in managing patients with CaP in our environment with a view to finding solutions to these challenges. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective study of all CaP patients who were managed in Alex-Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Nigeria over a 10-year period from 2012 to 2021. Data were collated using a pro forma. Numerical data were summarized as means, median, and standard deviation, whereas categorical data were summarized as frequencies. Statistical significance was pegged at P < 0.05. Results: Seventy-three patients were analysed. The mean age of the patients was 71.48 ± 8.15 years. The three most common presenting complaints were lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTSs) 23 (31.5%), acute urinary retention 9 (12.3%), and LUTS with low back pain 9 (12.3%). The median duration of symptoms was 6.5 months. No difference was noted among educational level, occupation, and stage of CaP, (P=0.222 and P=0.548), respectively. The median total prostate-specific antigen was 85.0 ng/mL. Sixty-seven patients (91.8%) had an abdominopelvic ultrasound scan. Fifty patients (68.5%) had stage 4 disease. Thirty-eight (52.1%) had financial constraints. Forty-nine (67.1%) patients were lost to follow-up. Bilateral orchidectomy was offered to 28 (38.4%) patients. Conclusion: Financial constraint was a huge barrier in the management of CaP patients in this study. Late presentation was common in this study.

Assessment of Complications of Transurethral Resection of the Prostate Using Clavien-Dindo Classification in South Eastern Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: Benign prostatic hyperplasia is one of the most common diseases in aging males. For men that need surgical treatment, transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) is the gold standard. The aim of this article is to retrospectively review the complications of TURP over a 3-year period in Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital Nnewi and a Specialist Urology Center in Awka all in Anambra South-East Nigeria using Clavien-Dindo classification. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study was a retrospective review of consecutive TURPs done over a 3-year period. Patients' information and complications arising from the procedure were collected and graded using the Clavien-Dindo classification with a pro forma designed for the study and analyzed with the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software version 20.0. RESULTS: Ninety-seven patients had TURP during the period of this study. Twenty-nine complications were noted in 24 patients. The postoperative morbidity rate was 24.74%, and no mortality was recorded. Most of the complications were grade 2 (55%), followed by grade 1 and 3 (20.69%) each. Grade 4a complication accounted for only 3.45%. No grade 5 complication was recorded. CONCLUSION: TURP is safe, with minimal life-threatening morbidity even in a resource-poor economy where TURP is gradually gaining grounds.

Primary Infertility Secondary to Posterior Urethral Valve.

A 34-year-old civil servant presented to our facility, following a referral from a gynecologist who was also seeing the wife. The man presented with a history of anejaculation and the inability to impregnate his wife after 23 months of marriage. History, physical examination, and ancillary investigation led to a diagnosis of primary infertility secondary to posterior urethral valve which was subsequently ablated. Three weeks after ablation, he started ejaculating, and 2 months later, the wife became pregnant.