A census of laparoscopic and robotic urological practice: a survey of minimally invasive surgery department of the Brazilian Society of Urology

ABSTRACT Minimally invasive urologic surgery has been developing in Brazil and now is a routine part of care in many regions and patients with different conditions benefit from it. Training in laparoscopic and robotic surgery has evolved and concerns exist both over the quality of surgical training and the practical effect on results of the urological training. This is an unprecedented study which undertook a census to determinate the current state of laparoscopic and robotic urological practice and to know the mains barriers to adequate practice in Brazil. In august 2017, surveys, consisting of an anonymous questionnaire with 15 questions, were sent via internet to the mailing list of the Brazilian Society of Urology (SBU). With these data, activities related to laparoscopy and robotic surgery of our urologists and the mains difficulties and barriers to practice laparoscopy and robotic surgery were evaluated. In our survey, 413 questionnaires were completed. Majority of the responders were currently working in the southeast region of Brazil (52.1%) and 75.5% of the surgeons performed laparoscopic surgery while, only 12.8%, robotic surgery. The lack of experience on the technique and the lack of equipment were the mains barriers and difficulties for not executing laparoscopic and robotic surgeries, respectively. Proper longitudinal training and access to good equipment in minimally invasive surgery are still barriers for urologists in our country.

Total and partial laparoscopic adrenalectomy.

The Guidelines Project, an initiative of the Brazilian Medical Association, aims to combine information from the medical field in order to standardize producers to assist the reasoning and decision-making of doctors. The information provided through this project must be assessed and criticized by the physician responsible for the conduct that will be adopted, depending on the conditions and the clinical status of each patient.

A census of laparoscopic and robotic urological practice: a survey of minimally invasive surgery department of the Brazilian Society of Urology.

Minimally invasive urologic surgery has been developing in Brazil and now is a routine part of care in many regions and patients with different conditions benefit from it. Training in laparoscopic and robotic surgery has evolved and concerns exist both over the quality of surgical training and the practical effect on results of the urological training. This is an unprecedented study which undertook a census to determinate the current state of laparoscopic and robotic urological practice and to know the mains barriers to adequate practice in Brazil. In august 2017, surveys, consisting of an anonymous questionnaire with 15 questions, were sent via internet to the mailing list of the Brazilian Society of Urology (SBU). With these data, activities related to laparoscopy and robotic surgery of our urologists and the mains difficulties and barriers to practice laparoscopy and robotic surgery were evaluated. In our survey, 413 questionnaires were completed. Majority of the responders were currently working in the southeast region of Brazil (52.1%) and 75.5% of the surgeons performed laparoscopic surgery while, only 12.8%, robotic surgery. The lack of experience on the technique and the lack of equipment were the mains barriers and difficulties for not executing laparoscopic and robotic surgeries, respectively. Proper longitudinal training and access to good equipment in minimally invasive surgery are still barriers for urologists in our country.

Total and partial laparoscopic adrenalectomy

The Guidelines Project, an initiative of the Brazilian Medical Association, aims to combine information from the medical field in order to standardize producers to assist the reasoning and decision-making of doctors. The information provided through this project must be assessed and criticized by the physician responsible for the conduct that will be adopted, depending on the conditions and the clinical status of each patient.

Laparoscopic renal biopsy.

The Guidelines Project, an initiative of the Brazilian Medical Association, aims to combine information from the medical field in order to standardize producers to assist the reasoning and decision-making of doctors. The information provided through this project must be assessed and criticized by the physician responsible for the conduct that will be adopted, depending on the conditions and the clinical status of each patient.

Laparoscopic renal biopsy

The Guidelines Project, an initiative of the Brazilian Medical Association, aims to combine information from the medical field in order to standardize producers to assist the reasoning and decision-making of doctors. The information provided through this project must be assessed and criticized by the physician responsible for the conduct that will be adopted, depending on the conditions and the clinical status of each patient.

Urologic surgery laparoscopic access: vascular complications.

Vascular injury in accidental punctures may occur in large abdominal vessels, it is known that 76% of injuries occur during the development of pneumoperitoneum. The aim of this video is to demonstrate two cases of vascular injury occurring during access in laparoscopic urologic surgery. The first case presents a 60-year old female patient with a 3cm tumor in the superior pole of the right kidney who underwent a laparoscopic partial nephrectomy. After the Verres needle insertion, output of blood was verified. During the evaluation of the cavity, a significant hematoma in the inferior vena cava was noticed. After the dissection, a lesion in the inferior vena cava was identified and controlled with a prolene suture, the estimated bloos loss was 300ml. The second case presents a 42-year old female live donor patient who had her right kidney selected to laparoscopic live donor nephrectomy. After the insertion of the first trocar, during the introduction of the 10mm scope, an active bleeding from the mesentery was noticed. The right colon was dissected and an inferior vena cava perforation was identified; a prolene suture was used to control the bleeding, the estimated blood loss was 200mL, in both cases the patients had no previous abdominal surgery. Urologists must be aware of this uncommon, serious, and potentially lethal complication. Once recognized and in the hands of experienced surgeons, some lesions may be repaired laparoscopically. Whenever in doubt, the best alternative is the immediate conversion to open surgery to minimize morbidity and mortality.

Intravesical and transperitoneal laparoscopy in the management of tumor in the residual ureter.

The occurrence of tumor in the residual ureter after an incomplete nephroureterectomy required by a tumor of renal collecting system is an uncommon but a well described situation. The recommended treatment in this situation is the radical excision of the remaining ureter, being the open technique the most used approach. The aim of this video is to demonstrate a new approach using intravesical and transperitoneal laparoscopy to remove the residual ureter following the oncological concepts. A 67 year-old male patient underwent an incomplete open right radical nephroureterectomy for a transitional cell carcinoma of the renal collecting system. After 16 months, the cystoscopy diagnostic revealed a recurrence of it in the residual ureter. An intravesical approach followed by a transperitoneal laparoscopy has removed the remaining ureter. Operative time was 110 minutes, blood loss 100 mL, the patient was discharged on the first postoperative day and the Foley catheter was removed on the seventh one. Pathological examination revealed low grade transitional cell carcinoma and free surgical margins, no recurrence was observed after six months. To our knowledge, this is the first treatment description of a tumor in the residual ureter with these techniques. This approach can be a minimal invasive alternative in this unusual situation.

Retrocervical deep infiltrating endometriotic lesions larger than thirty millimeters are associated with an increased rate of ureteral involvement.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To estimate the presence of ureteral involvement in deep infiltrating endometriosis (DIE) affecting the retrocervical area. DESIGN: Retrospective study of women undergoing laparoscopic treatment of DIE affecting the retrocervical area. DESIGN CLASSIFICATION: Canadian Task Force classification II-3. SETTING: Tertiary referral private hospital. PATIENTS: We evaluated 118 women who underwent laparoscopy for the treatment of retrocervical DIE lesions between January 2010 and March 2012. INTERVENTIONS: All women underwent laparoscopic surgery for the complete treatment of DIE. After surgery all specimens were sent for pathologic examination to confirm the presence of endometriosis. MEASUREMENTS: Patients with pathologically-confirmed retrocervical DIE were divided into 2 groups according to the size of the lesion (group 1: lesions ≥ 30 mm; group 2: lesions < 30 mm) and the rate of ureteral endometriosis was compared between both groups. MAIN RESULTS: Ureteral involvement was present in 17.9% (95% confidence interval [CI] 10%-29.9%) of women with retrocervical lesions ≥ 30 mm whereas in only 1.6% (95% CI 0.4%-8.5%) of those with lesions <30 mm (odds ratio = 13.3 [95% CI 1.6-107.3]). CONCLUSION: Patients undergoing surgery for retrocervical DIE lesions ≥ 30 mm in diameter have a greater risk of having ureteral involvement (17.9%).

Bilateral retroperitoneoscopic lumbar sympathectomy by unilateral access for plantar hyperhidrosis in women.

OBJECTIVES: Primary focal hyperhidrosis is a disorder of excessive, bilateral, and relatively symmetric sweating occurring in the axillae, palms, soles, or craniofacial region. Armpits are affected in 51% of patients, feet in 29%, palms in 25%, and the face in 20%. There is a wide range of nonsurgical and surgical treatments available for patients with focal hyperhidrosis. Surgical treatments for plantar hyperhidrosis include thoracic and/or lumbar sympathectomy. In this article, we report on a new technique of bilateral retroperitoneoscopic lumbar sympathectomy by unilateral access for plantar hyperidrosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The sample consisted of female patients who presented with plantar hyperhidrosis at the time of surgery and received bilateral retroperitoneoscopic lumbar sympathectomy by a unilateral access technique at our hospital. All patients had already been submitted to a previous thoracic sympathectomy with no improvement of the plantar hyperhidrosis. RESULTS: Five procedures were performed successfully from January through March 2009. Mean operative time and mean estimated blood loss were 59 minutes and 54 cc, respectively. We had no intraoperative complications, and patients were discharged home 12.8 hours after surgery. Immediate warming of the feet was observed at the end of all procedures. On follow-up consultations, all patients referred a complete resolution of the plantar hyperhidrosis and 1 case of compensative hyperhidrosis on the back. CONCLUSIONS: Retroperitoneoscopic lumbar sympathectomy by unilateral access seems to be feasible when performed by a surgeon with experience on advanced laparoscopy. Larger series comparing unilateral to bilateral access are necessary to establish the real benefits and potential disadvantages of this new technique.

Adrenalectomy by retroperitoneal laparoendoscopic single site surgery.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic adrenalectomy is the current standard for treatment of benign adrenal disease. To reduce the invasiveness of surgery, new techniques have been recently proposed, such as mini-laparoscopy, natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery, and laparoendoscopic single site surgery (LESS). Herein, we describe one case of adrenalectomy by retroperitoneal LESS using conventional laparoscopic instruments and ports. CASE REPORT: A 52-year-old female patient with an incidental finding of a 3-cm mass in the left adrenal was referred to us. Preoperative blood concentrations of catecholamines, aldosterone, and cortisol, and urinary excretion of vanilmandelic acid were normal. She underwent an adrenalectomy by retroperitoneal LESS using conventional instruments and ports. Operative time and estimated blood loss were 82 minutes and ≤50cc, respectively. She was discharged 12 hours after surgery. No intra- or postoperative complications occurred. Pathological analysis of the specimen identified an adrenal cortical adenoma. CONCLUSION: Adrenalectomy by retroperitoneal LESS using conventional laparoscopic instruments is feasible. Further studies must be performed to evaluate safety, indications and benefits of this approach.

A comparison of hand-assisted and pure laparoscopic techniques in live donor nephrectomy.

PURPOSE: To compare hand-assisted laparoscopic donor nephrectomy and pure laparoscopic live donor nephrectomy techniques in live donor nephrectomy. METHODS: In this retrospective study, we included all patients submitted to hand-assisted laparoscopic donor nephrectomy and pure laparoscopic live donor nephrectomy between May 2002 and December 2007. The operative data and post-operative courses were reviewed. Information was collected on the operative time, warm ischemia time, estimated blood loss, intra-operative complications, time to first oral intake, length of hospital stay, and post-operative complications. The data were analyzed using Student's t -tests and Fisher exact tests as appropriate, with statistical significance defined as p < 0.05. RESULTS: The means of the operative duration, warm ischemia time and intra-operative bleeding were 83 min, 3.6 min and 130.9 cc, respectively, for hand-assisted laparoscopic donor nephrectomy, and 78.4 min, 2.5 min and 98.9 cc, respectively, for pure laparoscopic live donor nephrectomy (p=0.29, p<0.0001 and p=0.08, respectively). Intra-operative complications occurred in 6% of patients submitted to hand-assisted laparoscopic donor nephrectomy and in 4.5% of those submitted to pure laparoscopic live donor nephrectomy (p=0.68). Only one patient from each group required conversion to open surgery; one person receiving hand-assisted laparoscopic donor nephrectomy had bleeding and one person receiving pure laparoscopic live donor nephrectomy had low carbon dioxide levels during the warm ischemia period. Compared with patients receiving hand-assisted laparoscopic donor nephrectomy, patients submitted to pure laparoscopic live donor nephrectomy were able to take their first meal earlier (12.5 vs. 9.2 hours, p=0.046), were discharged home sooner (2.8 vs. 1.4 days, p<0.0001) and had fewer post-operative complications (7.5% vs. 0.6%, p=0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Pure laparoscopic live donor nephrectomy had some advantages over hand-assisted laparoscopic donor nephrectomy in terms of the warm ischemia time, time to first oral intake, length of hospital stay, and post-operative donor complications.

Cistectomia radical laparoscópica com reservatório ileal / Laparoscopic radical cystectomy with ileal reservoir

Worldwide experience with laparoscopic radical cystectomy is increasing in the last few years. We describe a 29-year-old female who underwent a laparoscopic radical cystectomy with ileal reservoir for a bladder sarcoma. Operative time was 405 minutes and estimated blood loss was 500 mL. She had an uneventful postoperative course and was discharged in the fifth postoperative day. Key-words: bladder, cystectomy, laparoscopy, urinary diversion, bladder neoplasms.

A comparison of hand-assisted and pure laparoscopic techniques in live donor nephrectomy

PURPOSE: To compare hand-assisted laparoscopic donor nephrectomy and pure laparoscopic live donor nephrectomy techniques in live donor nephrectomy. METHODS: In this retrospective study, we included all patients submitted to hand-assisted laparoscopic donor nephrectomy and pure laparoscopic live donor nephrectomy between May 2002 and December 2007. The operative data and post-operative courses were reviewed. Information was collected on the operative time, warm ischemia time, estimated blood loss, intra-operative complications, time to first oral intake, length of hospital stay, and post-operative complications. The data were analyzed using Student's t -tests and Fisher exact tests as appropriate, with statistical significance defined as p < 0.05. RESULTS: The means of the operative duration, warm ischemia time and intra-operative bleeding were 83 min, 3.6 min and 130.9 cc, respectively, for hand-assisted laparoscopic donor nephrectomy, and 78.4 min, 2.5 min and 98.9 cc, respectively, for pure laparoscopic live donor nephrectomy (p=0.29, p<0.0001 and p=0.08, respectively). Intra-operative complications occurred in 6 percent of patients submitted to hand-assisted laparoscopic donor nephrectomy and in 4.5 percent of those submitted to pure laparoscopic live donor nephrectomy (p=0.68). Only one patient from each group required conversion to open surgery; one person receiving hand-assisted laparoscopic donor nephrectomy had bleeding and one person receiving pure laparoscopic live donor nephrectomy had low carbon dioxide levels during the warm ischemia period. Compared with patients receiving hand-assisted laparoscopic donor nephrectomy, patients submitted to pure laparoscopic live donor nephrectomy were able to take their first meal earlier (12.5 vs. 9.2 hours, p=0.046), were discharged home sooner (2.8 vs. 1.4 days, p<0.0001) and had fewer post-operative complications (7.5 percent vs. 0.6 percent, p=0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Pure laparoscopic live...

Laparoscopic running urethrovesical anastomosis with posterior fixation.

INTRODUCTION: Laparoscopic radical prostatectomy is a minimally invasive approach for the treatment of localized prostate cancer. The most technically demanding and time-consuming part of this procedure is the urethrovesical anastomosis. Here we describe our technique for the urethrovesical anastomosis with a posterior fixation, using a running suture with two monofilament absorbable sutures. TECHNICAL CONSIDERATIONS: The first step comprises two X-shaped stitches placed in the posterior wall of the anastomosis (at 7 and 5 o'clock). Each suture is independently tied, leaving the knot (and consequently the needle) on the outside. The 7 and 5 o'clock sutures are then used to perform a clockwise (left wall) and a counterclockwise (right wall) running suture, respectively, and will meet at the 12 o'clock position for the third and final knot. An abdominal Penrose drain is routinely used for monitoring possible anastomotic leakages and is withdrawn when the 24-hour output is less than 100 mL. The patient is discharged as soon as the drain is removed. We performed this technique in 12 consecutive transperitoneal laparoscopic radical prostatectomies, with a mean anastomosis time of 37 minutes, mean operative time of 144 minutes, and mean hospital stay of 2.4 days. The average Foley catheter permanence was 9 days, and no bladder neck sclerosis/stricture was observed with a minimum follow-up of 12 months. CONCLUSIONS: The described technique is a feasible and safe method for urethrovesical anastomosis. Although we had positive results in this initial cohort, further studies with larger series are needed to confirm these findings.

Controle dos vasos renais usando clips vasculares e fio cirúrgico em nefrectomias vídeo-assistidas de doadores vivos / Control of renal vessels using titanium clips and cotton suture in hand-assisted laparoscopic live donor nephrectomy

OBJETIVO: A nefrectomia laparoscópica em doadores vivos para transplante renal vem assumindo um papel importante na era das cirurgias minimamente invasivas, acarretando menor morbidade aos doadores, e resultados semelhantes à técnica aberta no que se refere ao enxerto renal. O objetivo do presente artigo é relatar a experiência do nosso serviço utilizando a técnica de controle dos vasos renais usando fio cirúrgico e clips vasculares. MÉTODO: Foram realizadas 45 nefrectomias utilizando a técnica vídeo-assistida, com ligadura dos vasos renais com clips de titânio (LT-300) e fio cirúrgico. As variáveis analisadas foram tempo cirúrgico, perda sangüínea, tempo de isquemia quente, permanência hospitalar, necessidade de conversão e complicações. RESULTADOS: O procedimento foi realizado com sucesso em todos os casos. O tempo cirúrgico médio foi de 118 minutos, com perda sangüínea estimada em 84ml e tempo de isquemia quente de 4,3 minutos. Dois casos de íleo prolongado, uma lesão de veia gonadal, um escape de artéria renal e uma necrose de ureter foram observados. A permanência hospitalar média foi de 3,7 dias. O uso de clips vasculares e fio cirúrgico reduziu a perda de tecido venoso comparado à técnica com staplers e gerou redução de custos. CONCLUSÕES: A nefrectomia vídeo-assistida com a técnica descrita é factível e mostrou ser efetiva na contenção de gastos e na redução de tecido venoso perdido.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic live donor nephrectomy has acquired an important role in the minimally invasive surgery era, decreasing morbidity to kidney donors, with an equivalent renal graft outcome compared with open surgery. The aim of this article is report our experience using the technique of renal vessels control with metallic clips and cotton suture. METHODS: Fourty-five nephrectomies were performed following the hand-assisted technique and using titanium clips (LT-300) and cotton suture for renal vessels ligatures. Operative data and postoperative courses were reviewed, including surgical time, estimated blood loss, warm ischemia time, length of hospital stay, conversion to laparotomy, and complications. RESULTS: The procedure was performed successfully in all cases, including 18 right nephrectomies and 27 left nephrectomies. The mean operative time in our series was 118 minutes, with an estimated blood loss of 84ml and warm ischemia time of 4.3 minutes. Two cases of postoperative ileus, one gonadal vein lesion, one metallic clip displacement and one ureteral necrosis were observed. The mean postoperative hospital stay was 3.7 days. The use of titanium clips and cotton suture reduced the loss of venous tissue compared to the technique using the Endo-GIA stapling device (4 to 6 mm vs. 10 to 15 mm) and showed to be associated with a cost reduction, saving about 700 US dollars per stapler. CONCLUSION: Hand-assisted nephrectomy using the above described technique is technically feasible and showed to be effective in reducing costs and decreasing the loss of vascular length.

Quilotórax traumático por ferimento penetrante do tórax / Traumatic chylothorax by Gunshot wound of thorax

The authors report two cases of traumatic chylothorax. They were caused by gunshot wounds producing thorax transfixing injuries and the chilothorax was subsequently diagnosed during the thoracic drainage follow-up, a chilous color was noticed in the drainage output. This was confirmed with a Sudam III stain. Both cases were treated conservatively with Total Parenteral Nutrition according to the current literature. One of the cases, in its evolution, required surgical treatment due to a persistent high output fistulae