Histopathological assessment of depth of coagulation necrosis with Holmium, Moses, and Thulium fiber lasers in human prostate tissue.

PURPOSE: To evaluate coagulation necrosis depth (CND) of Holmium (HL), Moses (ML), and Thulium fiber laser (TFL) in ex vivo human prostate tissue at various energy settings. METHODS: After endoscopic HL enucleation, small prostate tissue fragments were removed from the bladder with graspers and used for study. Immediately after surgery, a single incision was made on the surface of the tissue kept under normal saline at room temperature using a hand-held 550-µm laser fiber. Variable energy settings were tested for all three lasers. Two pathologists measured the CND with light microscopy using ocular micrometer. Impact of various laser settings on CND was analyzed. The differences in CND of all three lasers at similar laser power were compared. RESULTS: Mean CND was 0.56 ± 0.53 mm for long-pulse HL, 0.54 ± 0.53 mm for ML, 0.67 ± 0.67 mm for low-pulse TFL, and 0.81 ± 0.78 mm for high-pulse TFL. There was no significant difference between mean CND of HL and ML at various laser settings ranging from 10 to 120 W and CND with long- and short-pulse settings of TFL at settings from 10 to 60 W. There was a trend of increasing CND in HL and ML with increasing laser power; however, it was not statistically significant. TFL had similar tissue effects as HL and ML. CONCLUSION: There is no significant difference in CND of HL, ML, and TFL in ex vivo human prostate tissue. Other factors besides laser type and settings need to be studied to explain clinical differences among various lasers used for prostate enucleation.

Incidence and risk factors for postoperative urinary incontinence after various prostate enucleation procedures: systemic review and meta-analysis of PubMed literature from 2000 to 2021.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the risk of urinary incontinence (UI) after various prostate enucleation procedures (PEP). METHODS: PubMed was searched from January 2000 to July 2021 for studies investigating UI after PEP. The articles were divided into 5 subgroups: holmium, thulium, greenlight laser, electrocautery, and simple prostatectomy. Meta-analysis was performed to examine rate of stress (SUI), urge (UUI) or unspecified UI at short (< 3 months), intermediate (3-6 months), and long-term (> 6 months). The impact of age, prostate size, surgery time, laser time, postoperative nadir PSA level and technical modifications on UI was analyzed. RESULTS: Most (69.4%) of 49 articles included employed holmium laser. There was no significant difference in incidence of short-, intermediate-, and long-term UI, SUI and UUI between five sub-groups and within different technical modifications. Although not statistically significant, the incidence of UI was higher (15%) at short-term with green-light and simple prostatectomy (95% CI 9-23 and 1-84), and higher (4%) at intermediate-term with holmium laser (95% CI 2-8). SUI was more prevalent at short-term with holmium laser (4%; 95% CI 2-5%), and at intermediate term with simple prostatectomy (3%; 95% CI 1-14). UUI was higher in the thulium group (10%, 95% CI 7-16). Increased age, surgery time, laser time and prostate size up to 80 cc were associated with higher UI. There was no correlation between postoperative PSA and UI. CONCLUSIONS: There is no significant difference in incidence of UI, SUI and UUI after various PEP. Patients age, prostate size, surgery and laser time are linearly associated with UI.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on diagnosis and surgical management of common urological conditions: results from multi-institutional database analysis from the United States.

OBJECTIVE: To determine real life impact during the first pandemic year on diagnosis and surgical management of common urological diseases and 90-day postoperative mortality following common urological surgeries. METHODS: Cross-sectional study from 2016 to 2021. We used TriNetX to obtain the data. Patients with a diagnosis of six common non-oncologic and five oncologic urologic conditions were included. Twenty-four surgical interventions were also analyzed. The total number of diagnosis and surgical procedures were compared yearly from 2016 to 2021 and Chi-square test was used for statistical analysis. Additionally, monthly changes were evaluated during the first pandemic year and a z score period time was reported. The 90-day post-operative mortality rates during the first pandemic year were compared to the preceding year. RESULTS: Overall, a decrease in diagnosis and surgeries were observed during the first pandemic year, with maximum drop in April 2020. Among non-oncological conditions, the decrease in diagnosis of enlarged prostate (5.3%), nephrolithiasis (9.4%), urinary incontinence (18.7%), and evaluation for male sterilization (14.8%) reached statistical significance (P < 0.05 in all). Prostate cancer was the only cancer whose diagnosis showed statistically significant decrease (6.2%, P < 0.05). The surgical case load for benign conditions showed higher reduction (13.1-25%) than for malignant conditions (5.9-16.3%). There was no change in 90-day post-operative mortality in any of the analyzed surgeries. CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that although healthcare delivery decreased in the first pandemic year, causing a decline in the diagnosis and surgical treatment of several diseases, surgical interventions did not increase the risk of death.

Changes in practice patterns of nephrolithiasis in the era of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic: a review.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic led to a drastic change in healthcare priorities, availability of resources and accommodation of different needs and scenarios. We sought to review the effect of the pandemic on different aspects of nephrolithiasis. RECENT FINDINGS: The pandemic resulted in a significant impact on management of patients with nephrolithiasis around the world. A significant decrease in patient presentation and differences in strategies of management to truncate exposure and surgery time and expedite patient discharge deferring definitive management has been noted. Moreover, new safety measures such as COVID-19 PCR testing prior to surgery and limiting any intervention for COVID-19 positive patients to only life-saving scenarios has been implemented. Different emergency triaging proposals are being used, mainly including high risk patients with septic shock or complete obstruction/renal injury. Moreover, the emergence of telehealth has changed outpatient practice dramatically with a significant adoption to minimize exposure. Lastly, the effect of COVID-19 on renal physiology has been described with significant potential to cause morbidity from immediate or delayed acute kidney. No physiological effect on stone formation has yet been described, and transmission through urine is rare. SUMMARY: The COVID-19 pandemic has markedly shifted the treatment of nephrolithiasis in many ways, including emergency triage, outpatient care, and definitive management. Although various approaches and algorithms proposed are meant to optimize management in the time of the pandemic, further studies are required for validation.

Outcomes of active surveillance for clinically localized prostate cancer in a middle eastern tertiary care center.

BACKGROUND: The aim of our study was to evaluate the outcome of active surveillance (AS) for prostate cancer for a cohort of patients at our institution. METHODS: A total of 43 patients with low risk prostate cancer were enrolled in an active surveillance pilot program at our institution between 2008 and 2018. Follow up protocols included: periodic prostate specific antigen (PSA), digital rectal examination (DRE), multiparametric MRI, and prostate biopsy at one year. Pertinent parameters were collected, and descriptive statistics were reported along with a subset analysis of patients that dropped out of the protocol to receive active treatment for disease progression. RESULTS: Out of 43 eligible patients, 46.5% had a significant rise in follow up PSA. DRE was initially suspicious in 27.9% of patients, and none had any change in DRE on follow up. Initially, prostate MRIs showed PIRADS 3, 4, and 5 in 14%, 37.2%, and 11.6% respectively, while 23.2% had a negative initial MRI. 14% did not have an MRI. Upon follow up, 18.6% of patients had progression on MRI. Initial biopsies revealed that 86% were classified as WHO group 1, while 14% as WHO group 2. With regards to the follow up biopsies, 11.6% were upgraded. 20.9% of our patients had active treatment; 44.4% due to upgraded biopsy results, 22.2% due to PSA progression, 22.2% due to strong patient preference, and 11.1% due to radiologic progression. CONCLUSIONS: For selected men with low risk prostate cancer, AS is a reasonable alternative. The decision for active treatment should be tailored upon changes in PSA, DRE, MRI, and biopsy results.

Is age an independent risk factor for perioperative mortality and morbidity after radical prostatectomy? Analysis of the American college of surgeons national surgical quality improvement program database.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the safety and surgical outcomes of radical prostatectomy (RP) when looking at age as an independent risk factor of perioperative mortality and morbidity. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was performed using American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database. Patients who underwent a RP from 2008 to 2015 were identified. They were divided into three groups based on their age 15 group at the time of surgery. Patients' characteristics were compared across the three following age groups: 74 years. The correlation between the three different age groups and their respective 30-day postoperative mortality and morbidity were assessed using logistic regression. Unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios (ORs) were estimated. RESULTS: A total of 43025 patients were identified, 81.7% were aged 74 years. Overall, 102 patients died in the 30-day postoperative period. Univariate and multivariate analysis showed a significant increase in the 30-day postoperative mortality from 0.1% to 0.4% to 1.3% in the three different age groups 74 years, respectively. In addition, there was a significant increase in postoperative complications in the group of patients aged >74 years. A higher risk of complications 25 related to cardiac (OR 2.18 in age group 70-74 vs OR 7.45 in age group >74 years), respiratory (OR 2.36 vs OR 5.91), neurological (OR 2.28 vs OR 3.44), wound infections (OR 1.49 vs OR 3.25), and sepsis (OR 1.54 vs OR 2.64) were seen with the youngest group taken as a reference. CONCLUSION: Age is an independent risk factor for perioperative mortality and morbidity after RP in elderly patients. Therefore, age should be considered in the decision making of therapeutic options for patients with prostate cancer. ABBREVIATIONS: BMI: body mass index; CNS: central nervous system; SIOG: International Society of Geriatric Oncology; SEER: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results; ACS: American College of Surgeons; NSQIP: National Surgical Quality Improvement Program; OR: odds ratio.

Development of a novel nomogram incorporating platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio for the prediction of lymph node involvement in prostate carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: The available nomograms used to predict lymph node involvement (LNI) are not comprehensive. We sought to derive a novel nomogram incorporating the platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) to predict LNI and compare its performance to validated preoperative risk nomograms in a cohort of men undergoing robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy at our institution. METHODS: Our electronic health record was queried for patients who underwent robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy with bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy between 2013 and 2019. A bootstrapped multivariate logistic regression model was constructed for the predictors of LNI while adjusting for other covariates. Then, we used the derived logistic regression formula to estimate each patient's risk (%) for LNI. Individualized risks were also calculated using the following verified nomograms: Briganti-2012, Cagiannos, Godoy, and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Subsequently, we plotted the risks for our nomogram and the 4 verified nomograms into receiver operating characteristics curves. We reported the area under the curve (AUC) for each of the 5 nomograms and the corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI). RESULTS: The cohort included 173 patients, of which 13.9% demonstrated LNI. LNI was associated with higher preoperative prostate-specific antigen (PSA) ≥ 10 [odds ratio [OR] = 4.89; 95% confidence interval [CI] (1.42-16.83)], higher grade (WHO group ≥ 3)[19.21; (2.23-195.25)], and higher percentage of positive biopsy cores (≥60%) [3.38, (1.04-11.00)]. With every 30-unit increase in PLR the risk of LNI increased by 47%. The nomogram derived from our data had the highest AUC [(AUC 0.877; 95% CI (0.806-0.947)]. The Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Briganti 2012 displayed almost congruent ability [0.836; 95% CI (0.758-0.915)] and [0.827; (0.752-0.902)] to identify patients with positive nodes in our cohort with perfect sensitivity and negative predictive value. CONCLUSION: The nomogram incorporating PLR demonstrated 94.7% sensitivity to predict LNI and avoided pelvic lymphadenectomy in half of the patients at a cut-off between 6.5% and 8.5%. A prospective study with a larger sample is needed to validate our findings.

Robot-Assisted Laparoscopic Radical Prostatectomy 6 Months After Rectal Spacer Hydrogel Injection.

Background: SpaceOAR (organ at risk) hydrogel is a hydrogel matrix injected into the perirectal space posterior to the prostate for the purpose of mitigating radiation dose (and hence side effects of radiation) on the rectum. Manufacturer descriptions state that this material is reabsorbed 3 to 6 months after injection. Case Discussion: We encountered a 75-year old male patient who underwent SpaceOAR injection in anticipation for primary external beam radiation treatment for intermediate risk prostate cancer (Gleason score 7 = 4 + 3, prostate specific Antigen [PSA] = 2.32, cT2a). After initiation of androgen deprivation, but before radiotherapy, the patient decided to no longer undergo radiation but rather elected to proceed with surgery. Based on the presence of the SpaceOAR, we delayed his surgery to 6 months after SpaceOAR injection to allow for absorption of the material. A preoperative MRI showed persistent hydrogel matrix in the perirectal space. We performed a robotic radical prostatectomy effectively despite the persistent SpaceOAR hydrogel by modifying our dissection closer to the prostate posteriorly. Conclusion: SpaceOAR hydrogel may alter patient anatomy even 6 months after deployment, however, robotic prostatectomy would be feasible with proper knowledge of anatomy and by following the proper dissection planes above the perirectal space.

Practice patterns in ordering a voiding cystourethrogram for pediatric patients among different specialties in a Middle Eastern tertiary care center.

INTRODUCTION: Voiding cystourethrogram (VCUG) is a very popular test performed to evaluate genitourinary tract anomalies. Nevertheless, this test can be overused and can lead to unnecessary patient discomfort, radiation exposure, and cost. We sought to study the practice patterns in ordering a VCUG in a Middle Eastern tertiary care center. METHODS: Over a period of 3 years, a retrospective analysis of all VCUG images done for pediatric patients in a single center was made. Further clinical details were extracted from the electronic health records. The specialty of an ordering physician and the reported indication for the procedure were noted. Indications for VCUG were recorded based on the AAP 2011 guidelines, NICE guidelines 2007, and ACR 2011 guidelines. Based on these criteria, patients were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 92 VCUGs were evaluated. Of all VCUGs done, pediatricians ordered the most VCUGs (50/92), followed by pediatric infectious disease (16/92), pediatric nephrology (9/92), pediatric urology (7/92), adult urology (5/92), pediatric surgery (3/92), obstetrician-gynecologist (1/92), and emergency medicine (1/92). Properly indicated VCUGs were 50% by general pediatrics, 55% by pediatric infectious disease, 45% by pediatric nephrology, 40% by adult urology, 33% by pediatric surgery, and 100% by pediatric urology. CONCLUSION: VCUG is utilized differently by different specialties. In some centers, adult specialties may order a pediatric VCUG. General pediatricians order VCUG the most with a tendency for misuse in up to 50%. Pediatric urology is not the most ordering specialty of VCUG; however, it utilizes it most appropriately. The noted practice patterns may be improved with awareness of the indications and limitations of the study and with proper referral.