Partner Involvement Reduces Postoperative Care Burden Following Penile Prosthesis Placement.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether preoperative partner involvement at clinic appointments is associated with deviation from a standardized postoperative care pathway for patients undergoing an inflatable penile prosthesis placement. METHODS: This is a retrospective study of 170 patients undergoing primary inflatable penile prosthesis placement performed by a single surgeon between 2017 and 2020. A standardized postoperative clinical pathway was used, including planned follow-up visits at 2 weeks (for wound check and device deflation) and 6 weeks (for device teaching). Patient characteristics, including demographics, partner involvement, and the number of follow-up visits were obtained from the medical record. Logistic regression modeling was performed to determine whether partner involvement was associated with unanticipated follow-up visits. RESULTS: Partners were involved in preoperative visits for 92 patients (54%). Additional unplanned follow-up visits were observed for 58 patients (34%) between 0 and 6 weeks and for 28 patients (16%) after 6 weeks from surgery. Partner involvement was associated with reduced odds of unanticipated follow-up visits, both between 0 and 6 weeks (odds ratios 0.37, 95% CI 0.18-0.75) and after 6 weeks (odds ratios 0.33, 95% CI 0.13-0.81) in adjusted models. CONCLUSION: Having a patient's partner involved during the preoperative period is associated with a significant reduction in unanticipated follow-up. We would recommend that urologists routinely encourage patients considering the insertion of a penile prosthesis to involve their partners in perioperative visits. Further research needed is needed to determine how to best support patients during surgical decision-making and through the postoperative period.

Penile prosthesis salvage: a historical look at the Mulcahy technique and a review of the latest literature.

Historically, management of inflatable penile prosthesis infection was explantation of the device with delayed reimplantation at a later date. In 1991, this paradigm was challenged when early attempts at washout and immediate salvage proved successful. The clinical experiences and data generated over the past 30 years have allowed implanters to refine their salvage procedures to improve patient outcomes. In this article, we review the original Mulcahy technique for salvage and discuss updates to this protocol based on recent data.

New findings regarding the influence of assistants on surgical outcomes in penile prosthesis implantation.

Penile prosthesis implantation is the definitive treatment for refractory erectile dysfunction, yet exposure to this procedure during training of urology residents is often limited. To assess the effects of resident participation in penile prosthesis surgery, we compared surgical outcomes in a retrospective case series of 253 penile prosthesis surgeries by a single surgeon at the same institution between 2017 and 2020 with the assistance of either a registered nurse first assistant (RNFA) or a resident. Pertinent patient characteristics and surgical complications including device complications, surgical site infection, postoperative bleeding, iatrogenic injury, cardiovascular events, pulmonary events, and urinary retention were documented. Measured outcomes included operative time, Emergency Room (ER) visits, unplanned postoperative visits, pain medication refills, and surgical complications. Compared to RFNAs, resident-assisted penile prosthesis surgery was associated with significant increase in mean operative time (71.4 min vs. 87.9 min, p < 0.01) and postoperative ER visits (3.0% vs. 10.6%, p = 0.03) but not surgical complications (19.7% vs. 20.8%, OR 1.03, 95% CI [0.46 -2.30]) or other measured outcomes. Compared to a dedicated RFNA, Resident assistance increased operative time by approximately 17 min, but did not increase post-operative surgical complications, supporting the notion that resident assistance in these procedures may be appropriate as an integral part of training.

A multicenter investigation examining timing of penile prosthesis infection management and responsible organisms.

The purpose of this investigation was to examine the timing of penile prosthesis infection management by different responsible organisms. A retrospective cohort study was performed of patients who underwent penile prosthesis salvage or explant procedures due to a suspected infection between 2001 and 2018. The cohort consisted of 216 patients from 33 different facilities and six countries. The most common primary organisms responsible for device infections included, Gram-positives (31.5%), no growth cultures (30.6%), Gram-negatives (22.2%), fungal (11.6%), and anaerobic organisms (4.2%). Overall, median time to infection was 1.8 (interquartile range [IQR]: 1.0-3.0) months for all patients. Median time to infection management was similar between responsible organisms: 1.0 (IQR: 1.0-2.3) months for Gram-negatives and 2 months for Gram-positives (IQR: 1.0-1.4), fungal (IQR: 1.0-5.0), anaerobes (IQR: 1.0-2.5), and no growth cultures (IQR: 1.0-3.0, p = 0.56). Median time to infection management was significantly shorter among patients who received aminoglycoside/vancomycin prophylaxis (1.5 months, IQR: 1.0-2.5, p < 0.01) compared to other antibiotic groups. Median time to infection management was significantly longer for patients managed with a three-piece inflatable implant salvage procedure (2.8 months, IQR: 1.0-5.0, p = 0.02) compared to other salvage procedures. Conventional wisdom surrounding early versus late penile prosthesis infections should largely be abandoned. More than half of penile prosthesis infections are surgically managed within 2 months of initial device placement.

Online Symptom Checkers are Poor Tools for Diagnosing Men's Health Conditions.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the accuracy of the 4 most commonly used online symptom checkers (OSCs) in diagnosing erectile dysfunction (ED), scrotal pain (SP), Peyronie's disease (PD), and low testosterone (LT). METHODS AND OUTCOMES: One-hundred and sixty artificial vignettes were created by de-identifying recent initial outpatient consults presenting to discuss ED (40), SP (40), PD (40), and LT (40). The vignettes were entered into the 4 most frequently used OSCs (WebMD, MedicineNet, EverydayHealth, and SutterHealth) as determined by web traffic analysis tools. The top 5 conditions listed in the OSC differential diagnosis were recorded and scored. RESULTS: WebMD's accuracy for ED, SP, PD, and LT vignettes was 0%, 22.5%, 0%, and 95%, respectively. EverydayHealth was only able to diagnose SP 20% of the time, and failed to diagnose ED, PD, or LT on all occasions. MedicineNet diagnosed ED, PD, SP, and LT in 100%, 98%, 27.5%, and 0% of vignettes, respectively. SutterHealth correctly diagnosed ED, SP, and LT in 100%, 20%, and 80% of patients, respectively. Cumulatively, the OSCs were most accurate in diagnosing ED and least accurate in diagnosing SP when using the Top 1 (37.5% vs 6.9%) and Top 5 (50% vs 24.5%) of the suggested conditions. CONCLUSION: No OSC could accurately diagnose all the conditions tested. The OSCs, on average, were poor at suggesting precise diagnoses for ED, PD, LT, SP. Patients and practitioners should be cautioned regarding the accuracy of OSCs.

Current Findings Regarding Perioperative Complications in Benign Scrotal Surgery.

OBJECTIVES: To characterize patients at the greatest risk of morbidity and mortality after benign scrotal surgery. METHODS: A secondary data analysis was conducted of adults undergoing elective scrotal surgery for benign conditions using 2015-2020 American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement data. Patients who experienced a postoperative complication, an unplanned procedure, or who died within 30-days of surgery were identified using the composite outcome "postoperative event". Multiple logistic regression was used to examine the association between patient characteristics and the odds of experiencing a postoperative event. RESULTS: The study consisted of 12,917 patients, of which 4.1% experienced a postoperative event. After adjustment, malnourishment (OR 4.1, 95% CI: 1.2 - 14.5) decreased functional status (OR 3.8, 95% CI: 2.0 - 7.1), bleeding disorders (OR 3.4, 95% CI: 2.2 - 5.4), age ≥ 40 years (OR 1.6, 95% CI: 1.2 - 2.0), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, (COPD, OR 1.8, 95% CI: 1.2 - 2.6), smoking (OR 1.4, 95% CI: 1.2 - 1.8), diabetes (OR 1.3, 95% CI: 1.1 - 1.7) and increased body mass index (BMI, OR 1.1, 95% CI: 1.1-1.1) were identified as risk factors for a postoperative event. The risk of a postoperative event was 2.7%, 4.5%, and 11.2% for patients with none, 1 to 2, and > 2 risk factors, respectively. CONCLUSION: Complications after benign scrotal surgery are not infrequent. Risk factors include malnourishment, decreased functional status, bleeding disorders, age, COPD, smoking, diabetes, and increased BMI. Our results can be used to counsel patients on their risk of negative outcomes following these procedures.

Prevention of Urinary Incontinence in Women.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Despite available treatments for urinary incontinence, the data regarding prevention is less established. This review sought to identify prevention measures and discuss their underlying evidence base with an attempt to include the most recent updates in the field. RECENT FINDINGS: Urinary incontinence is a prevalent issue among women, particularly surrounding pregnancy and menopause. Interventions regarding pregnancy include not only general health promotion but also potentially interventions such as pelvic floor muscle training and decisions regarding method of delivery. With regard to menopause, the literature suggests avoiding treatments that have adverse effects on continence. Lastly, promoting healthy life style and reducing effects of co-morbid conditions can impact a woman's continence. The literature indicates that preventative strategies exist for urinary incontinence, though the data is limited in this area. Further work is needed to determine the impact of prevention measures and how best to implement them.

Understanding the relationship between health insurance and kidney stones: an examination of NHANES data.

INTRODUCTION: To investigate the relationship between socioeconomic factors, specifically insurance status, and kidney stones using a nationally representative cohort. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective secondary data analysis of National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data from 2007 to 2014 was performed. Using univariate statistics and multiple logistic regressions, we examined the relationship between socioeconomic factors and kidney stone history. RESULTS: The weighted national prevalence of nephrolithiasis between ages 20 and 64 was 7.7% of a population of over 95.3 million. Fifty-three percent of the total population was female. The mean age was 42 years and the mean body mass index (BMI) was 28.7. The prevalence of nephrolithiasis was higher among individuals who had state-assisted insurance compared to those with private insurance (10.3% versus 7.3%, p = 0.005). On univariate regression analysis, having a college education was protective against stones compared to having less than a high-school degree (OR 0.62, 95% CI 0.43-0.84; p = 0.009). Income was also significantly associated with kidney stone prevalence. After adjusting for race, BMI, gender, water intake, income, and education level through multivariable analysis, having private insurance was associated with lower odds of developing nephrolithiasis compared to having state-assisted insurance (OR 0.62, 95% CI 0.44-0.89; p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Individuals with state-assisted insurance were found to have significantly increased odds of a kidney stone compared to those with private insurance. Urologists, primary care, and policy makers should recognize this disparity exists and target opportunities to elucidate mechanisms and provide intervention for this high-risk group.

Updates in penile prosthesis infections.

Inflatable penile prostheses are an important tool in the treatment of medically refractory erectile dysfunction. One of the major complications associated with these prostheses is infections, which ultimately require device explanation and placement of a new device. Over the past several decades, significant work has been done to reduce infection rates and optimize treatment strategies to reduce patient morbidity. This article reviews the current state of knowledge surrounding penile prosthesis infections, with attention to the evidence for methods to prevent infection and best practices for device reimplantation.

Overuse of Cystoscopic Surveillance Among Patients With Low-risk Non-Muscle-invasive Bladder Cancer - A National Study of Patient, Provider, and Facility Factors.

OBJECTIVE: To understand cystoscopic surveillance practices among patients with low-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). METHODS: Using a validated natural language processing algorithm, we included patients newly diagnosed with low-risk (ie low-grade Ta) NMIBC from 2005 to 2011 in the VA. Patients were followed until cancer recurrence, death, last contact, or 2 years after diagnosis. Based on guidelines, surveillance overuse was defined as >1 cystoscopy if followed <1 year, >2 cystoscopies if followed 1 to <2 years, or >3 cystoscopies if followed for 2 years. We identified patient, provider, and facility factors associated with overuse using multilevel logistic regression. RESULTS: Overuse occurred in 75% of patients (852/1135) - with an excess of 1846 more cystoscopies performed than recommended. Adjusting for 14 factors, overuse was associated with patient race (odds ratio [OR] 0.49, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.28, 0.85 unlisted race vs White), having 2 comorbidities (OR 1.60, 95% CI: 1.00, 2.55 vs no comorbidities), and earlier year of diagnosis (OR 2.50, 95% CI: 1.29, 4.83 for 2005 vs 2011, and OR 2.03, 95% CI: 1.11, 3.69 for 2006 vs 2011). On sensitivity analyses assuming all patients were diagnosed with multifocal or large low-grade tumors (ie, intermediate-risk), overuse would have still occurred in 45% of patients. CONCLUSION: Overuse of cystoscopy among patients with low-risk NMIBC was common, raising concerns about bladder cancer surveillance cost and quality. However, few factors were associated with overuse. Further qualitative research is needed to identify other determinants of overuse not readily captured in administrative data.

Trends in Operating Room Assistance for Major Urologic Surgical Procedures: An Increasing Role for Advanced Practice Providers.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize changes in surgical assistance patterns over time for commonly performed urologic operations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study used the Medicare Physician/Supplier Procedure Summary Master File to identify cases performed by urologists from 2003 to 2014. Current Procedural Terminology modifiers were used to identify operations assisted by second surgeons and advanced practice providers (APPs). Rates were reported annually for 6 common urologic operations, and average annual rates of change were determined using least squares regression and tested using t tests (α = .05). RESULTS: Of the urologic operations analyzed, 5.0% of cases (n = 33,895) were assisted by APPs compared with 27.0% (n = 182,842) assisted by a second surgeon. The proportion of cases assisted by an APP rose significantly for all procedures; conversely, the proportion of cases assisted by a second surgeon declined significantly for all procedures, except for open partial nephrectomy. The largest changes were seen in robotic prostatectomies for which second surgeon assistance fell from 26% in 2004 to 15% in 2014, whereas APP assistance rose from <1% to 7%. CONCLUSION: Urologists are increasingly using APPs as assistants in surgery, particularly in robotic and laparoscopic operations. This trend will likely continue as the shortage of urologists worsens in the coming years.

Nonfatal tractor-related injuries presenting to a state trauma system.

PURPOSE: To identify tractor-related injuries using data from a statewide trauma system, to characterize the mechanisms of nonfatal tractor-related injury, and to determine which injuries are associated with higher severity injury. METHODS: A retrospective observational study was conducted using the Iowa State Trauma Registry to identify cases of nonfatal tractor-related injuries over an 11-year period from 2002 to 2012. Frequency of injury was reported by age, sex, severity, and nature. Injuries were classified by mechanism and a polytomous regression model was used to predict injury severity adjusting for sex and age. RESULTS: Five-hundred thirteen nonfatal tractor-related injuries were identified with 18% classified as severe. Injuries were most frequent among males and among those ≥45years of age. Rollovers were the most frequent mechanism of both total (25%) and severe injury (38%), although the frequency of injury mechanism varied by age. Falls were the next most frequent mechanism of injury (20%) but resulted in fewer high-severity injuries. Collision (adjOR=1.89, 95% CI=1.01-3.51), rollover (adjOR=2.03, 95% CI=1.21-3.40), and run over/rolled on (adjOR=2.06, 95% CI=1.17-3.62) injuries were significantly associated with higher injury severity. Advanced age was also a significant predictor of higher severity injury (adjOR=1.82, 95% CI=1.06-3.12). SUMMARY: Mechanisms of nonfatal tractor-related injuries are heterogeneous, differ by age, and are associated with varying level of severity. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: This work shows the burden of nonfatal tractor injuries on a rural state trauma system. These findings also demonstrate the heterogeneous nature of nonfatal tractor injuries and underscore the need for a multi-level approaches to injury prevention.