A scalable hyperthermic intravesical chemotherapy (HIVEC) setup for rat models of bladder cancer.

Hyperthermic intravesical chemotherapy (HIVEC)-whereby the bladder is heated to ± 43 °C during a chemotherapy instillation-can improve outcomes of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) treatments. Experiments in animal models are required to explore new hyperthermia based treatments. Existing HIVEC devices are not suitable for rodents or large-scale animal trials. We present a HIVEC setup compatible with orthotopic rat models. An externally heated chemotherapeutic solution is circulated in the bladder through a double-lumen catheter with flow rates controlled using a peristaltic pump. Temperature sensors in the inflow channel, bladder and outflow channel allow temperature monitoring and adjustments in real-time. At a constant flow rate of 2.5 mL/min the system rapidly reaches the desired bladder temperature of 42-43 °C with minimal variability throughout a one-hour treatment in a rat bladder phantom, as well as in euthanised and live rats. Mean intraluminal bladder temperatures were 42.92 °C (SD = 0.15 °C), 42.45 °C (SD = 0.37 °C) and 42.52 °C (SD = 0.09 °C) in the bladder phantom, euthanised, and live rats respectively. Thermal camera measurements showed homogenous heat distributions over the bladder wall. The setup provides well-controlled thermal dose and the upscaling needed for performing large scale HIVEC experiments in rats.

Robot assisted radical cystectomy versus open radical cystectomy in bladder cancer (RACE): study protocol of a non-randomized comparative effectiveness study.

BACKGROUND: Despite the fact that the cost-effectiveness of robot-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC) is not yet proven, and open radical (ORC) cystectomy is recommended as the standard of care in patients with high-risk non-muscle-invasive and muscle-invasive bladder cancer, the use of RARC is still increasing. The objective of the current ongoing comparative effectiveness trial therefore is to study the (cost-)effectiveness of RARC compared to ORC, both in terms of objective (complication rates, oncological outcomes) and patient-reported (health-related quality of life) outcome measures. METHODS: This study is designed as a non-randomized, multicentre comparative effectiveness trial. Centres with an annual caseload of > 20 radical cystectomies can include patients after informed consent has been given. Centres that perform RARC must have passed the (initial) learning curve of 40 cases. A total of 338 (2 × 169) patients will be enrolled from 23 participating centres (12 ORC, 10 RARC and 1 LRC). Follow-up visits will be scheduled at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months. During each follow-up visit, clinical data and health-related quality of life questionnaires will be administered. Costs will be studied using a monthly resource usage questionnaire. Impact on complications and quality of life will be calculated as the average difference between the groups with 95% confidence intervals, adjusted for potential baseline differences by means of propensity score matching. DISCUSSION: This study aims to contribute to the development of evidence-based guidelines regarding the most cost-effective surgical technique for radical cystectomy. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Nederlands Trial Register/Dutch Trial Registry, trial identifying number: NTR5362. Registered on 14 August 2015. ( http://www.trialregister.nl/trialreg/admin/rctview.asp?TC=5362 ).

Rare cause of ureteral stenosis more than 10 years after kidney transplantation.

Late renal graft failure is in most cases due to a chronic allograft nephropathy. In this report, we present a case in which a surgical complication led to ureteral stenosis more than 10 years after transplantation. The patient developed slowly deteriorating renal function and ultimately progressive hydronephrosis. At surgical exploration, the ureter was found to perforate the wall of the small bowel before entering the bladder. We successfully performed ureter reimplantation to restore the outflow of the kidney.

One immediate postoperative instillation of chemotherapy in low risk Ta, T1 bladder cancer patients. Is it always safe?

OBJECTIVE: The optimal treatment for solitary low grade, low stage papillary bladder tumours consists of transurethral resection (TUR) followed by one immediate postoperative instillation with a chemotherapeutic drug. However, when during TUR a bladder perforation or a near-perforation occurs, instillation of a chemotherapeutic drug may lead to leakage outside the bladder, possibly causing severe morbidity. So far, few case reports dealing with complications using mitomycin C have been published, but severe complications of leakage after an early adjuvant instillation with epirubicin have not been reported. METHODS: We describe 3 patients in whom we observed serious complications of one immediate postoperative instillation of epirubicin. RESULTS: Two of the patients recovered after conservative therapy, one patient died due to multi organ failure after explorative laparotomy. CONCLUSION: In order to prevent such complications, an immediate postoperative instillation has to be avoided when there is overt or even suspicion of bladder wall perforation.

Anatomy of the proximal coronary arteries as a risk factor in primary repair of common arterial trunk.

The objective of this study was to investigate whether the proximal coronary arterial anatomy is a risk factor in surgical treatment of common arterial trunk, with special focus on the value of preoperative angiocardiography. A retrospective analysis was performed of all 22 patients who underwent primary surgical repair of the common arterial trunk, with a mean follow-up of 5.1 years. In 18 patients preoperative angiocardiography was performed. Anatomical features (angiocardiographical, surgical as well as post-mortem) of the proximal coronary arteries were investigated. With standard biplane angiocardiography single and dual coronary arterial systems could adequately be distinguished. However, the position of the coronary orifices in relation to the sinus of Valsalva could not adequately be identified. Three patients had coronary abnormalities without surgical consequences. In 2 cases the surgical approach had to be modified due to the coronary anatomy. Early mortality was 23% (5/22) and was correlated with worse functional class (p < 0.05) and earlier date of operation (p < 0.05). Late mortality was 5% (1/22). Five patients were reoperated, without mortality. Fourteen surviving patients are in functional class I, and 2 in class II. A further improvement of the surgical therapy of common arterial trunk might be provided by adequate appreciation of the proximal coronary arterial anatomy at surgery.