Selective laser vaporization of polypropylene mesh used in treatment of female stress urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse: preliminary studies using a red diode laser.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The most common mesh-related complication experienced by patients undergoing transvaginal polypropylene synthetic slings for stress urinary incontinence (SUI) and transvaginal pelvic organ prolapse (POP) repair with mesh is vaginal mesh erosion. More than half of the patients who experience erosion from synthetic mesh require surgical excision which is technically challenging and risks damage to healthy adjacent tissue. This study explores selective laser vaporization of polypropylene suture/mesh materials commonly used in SUI and POP. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A compact, 7 Watt, 647-nm, red diode laser was operated with a radiant exposure of 81 J/cm(2) , pulse duration of 100 milliseconds, and 1.0-mm-diameter laser spot. The 647-nm wavelength was selected because its absorption by water, hemoglobin, and other tissue chromophores is low, while polypropylene absorption is high. Laser vaporization of ∼200-µm-diameter polypropylene suture/mesh strands, in contact with fresh urinary tissue samples was performed, ex vivo. Temperature mapping of suture/mesh samples with a thermal camera was also conducted. RESULTS: Selective vaporization of polypropylene suture and mesh using a single laser pulse was achieved with peak temperatures of 180 and 232°C, respectively, while direct laser irradiation of tissue alone resulted in only a 1°C temperature increase. CONCLUSIONS: Selective laser vaporization of polypropylene suture/mesh materials is feasible without significant thermal elevation in the adjacent tissue. This technique may be useful for treatment of eroded mesh after SUI or POP procedures that require surgical revision.

An Evaluation of the Efficacy and Safety of Vibegron in the Treatment of Overactive Bladder.

Pharmacologic treatment for overactive bladder (OAB), which is characterized by bothersome symptoms such as urgency and urge urinary incontinence (UUI), includes anticholinergics and ß3-adrenergic receptor agonists. Anticholinergics are associated with adverse effects including dry mouth, constipation, cognitive impairment, and increased risk of dementia. Therefore, the drug class of ß3-adrenergic receptor agonists may represent an effective, safe treatment option. Vibegron, a ß3-adrenergic receptor agonist, was approved for use in Japan (2018) and the United States (2020). Over the past 3 years, 2 phase 3 trials (EMPOWUR, EMPOWUR extension) have been conducted with once-daily vibegron 75 mg for the treatment of OAB, and additional secondary and subgroup analyses have detailed the efficacy and safety of vibegron. In the international phase 3 EMPOWUR trial, treatment with vibegron was associated with significant improvements compared with placebo in efficacy outcomes of micturition frequency, UUI episodes, urgency episodes, and volume voided as early as week 2 that were sustained throughout the 12-week trial. The 40-week EMPOWUR extension study, following the 12-week treatment period, demonstrated sustained efficacy in patients receiving vibegron for 52 weeks. Treatment with vibegron was also associated with improvements in patient-reported measures of quality of life. Across studies, vibegron was generally safe and well tolerated. A separate, dedicated ambulatory blood pressure monitoring study showed that treatment with vibegron was not associated with clinically meaningful effects on blood pressure or heart rate. Across all studies, vibegron was efficacious, safe, and well tolerated and thus represents a valuable treatment option for patients with OAB. Here, nearly 1 year after US approval, we review the published data on efficacy and safety of vibegron 75 mg for the treatment of OAB.

Efficacy of Vibegron and Mirabegron for Overactive Bladder: A Systematic Literature Review and Indirect Treatment Comparison.

BACKGROUND: In the absence of head-to-head trials, we performed an indirect treatment comparison of the ß3-adrenergic agonists vibegron and mirabegron in the treatment of overactive bladder (OAB). METHODS: PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library were searched for articles related to phase 3, double-blind, controlled trials of vibegron 75 mg and mirabegron 25/50 mg in patients with OAB. Efficacy outcomes included change from baseline at weeks 4, 12, and 52 in mean daily number of total urinary incontinence episodes and micturitions and mean volume voided/micturition. Effect size was computed as placebo-subtracted change from baseline (weeks 4, 12) or active control (tolterodine)-subtracted change from baseline (week 52) for each treatment group. Adverse events (AEs) are presented descriptively. RESULTS: After removal of duplicates, 49 records were identified, and after screening 9 met inclusion criteria for analysis. Vibegron showed significantly greater reduction in mean daily number of total incontinence episodes than mirabegron 25 mg at week 4, mirabegron 50 mg (weeks 4, 52), and tolterodine (weeks 4, 12) (P < 0.05, each) and significantly greater improvement in volume voided versus mirabegron 25 mg (week 12), mirabegron 50 mg (weeks 12, 52), and tolterodine (week 4) (P < 0.05, each). Confidence intervals of point estimates overlapped zero for all other comparisons of vibegron and mirabegron (25 or 50 mg) or tolterodine, indicating no significant differences between treatments for these time/endpoints. Urinary tract infection, hypertension, and dry mouth were the most commonly occurring AEs for vibegron, mirabegron, and tolterodine, respectively, in the short-term trials; hypertension was the most commonly occurring AE with all three treatments in the long-term trials. CONCLUSIONS: Vibegron was associated with significant improvement in total incontinence episodes versus mirabegron at 4 and 52 weeks and volume voided at 12 and 52 weeks. Improvement in micturitions was similar between vibegron and mirabegron or tolterodine. Incidence of AEs was generally comparable between vibegron and mirabegron.

Efficacy and safety of oxybutynin transdermal system in spinal cord injury patients with neurogenic detrusor overactivity and incontinence: an open-label, dose-titration study.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of oxybutynin transdermal system (oxybutynin-TDS) in spinal cord injury patients with neurogenic detrusor overactivity and incontinence despite use of clean intermittent catheterization (CIC). METHODS: This multicenter, open-label, dose-titration study included patients > or = 18 years old. During an 8-week dose-titration period, oxybutynin-TDS doses were adjusted every 2 weeks, depending on symptoms. The primary efficacy end point was a change in daily number of CIC periods without leakage, from baseline to 8 weeks or last observation. Outcome parameters included 3-day voiding diary, CIC volume, and urodynamic parameters. Changes from baseline were analyzed with paired t tests. RESULTS: Of 24 study participants (mean age, 41.9 years), 18 (75.0%) completed the study. Final oxybutynin-TDS doses were 7.8, 9.1, and 11.7 mg/d for 4, 9, and 11 patients, respectively. Daily number of CIC periods without leakage increased significantly (mean change, 1.5 + or - 2.2; P = .0036) from baseline (2.4 + or - 1.8) to 8 weeks (3.9 + or - 1.9). CIC volume (P = .0029), reflex volume (P = .0466), maximal cystometric bladder capacity (P = .0009), and residual urine volume (P = .0023) all increased significantly, whereas detrusor pressure at maximal bladder capacity decreased significantly (P = .0457). The most common adverse events were application site reaction (12.5% of patients), dry mouth (8.3%), and abnormal vision (8.3%). No patient discontinued treatment because of an adverse event. CONCLUSIONS: Oxybutynin-TDS was efficacious in spinal cord injury patients with neurogenic detrusor overactivity and was well tolerated at up to 3 times the standard dose.