Use of indocyanine green angiography in microsurgical subinguinal varicocelectomy - lessons learned from our initial experience

ABSTRACT Microsurgical subinguinal varicocelectomy (MSV) is generally considered the gold standard nowadays in view of the lower risk of complications and recurrence. To achieve complete ligation of veins while preserving testicular artery (TA) during the procedure remains challenging despite the application of high power optical magnification and micro-Doppler ultrasonography. The use of intraoperative indocyanine green angiography (ICGA) with infrared fluorescence operative micro-scope in MSV potentially lowers the incidence of TA injury and shortens the learning curve of novice surgeons. We present our initial experience in the application of the technique in nine patients and explore the potential of the new adjunct.

Use of indocyanine green angiography in microsurgical subinguinal varicocelectomy - lessons learned from our initial experience.

Microsurgical subinguinal varicocelectomy (MSV) is generally considered the gold standard nowadays in view of the lower risk of complications and recurrence. To achieve complete ligation of veins while preserving testicular artery (TA) during the procedure remains challenging despite the application of high power optical magnification and micro-Doppler ultrasonography. The use of intraoperative indocyanine green angiography (ICGA) with infrared fluorescence operative micro-scope in MSV potentially lowers the incidence of TA injury and shortens the learning curve of nov-ice surgeons. We present our initial experience in the application of the technique in nine patients and explore the potential of the new adjunct.

Androgen deprivation therapy and fracture risk in Chinese patients with prostate carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) increases fracture risk in men with carcinoma of the prostate, but little is known about the fracture risk for different types of ADT. We studied the fracture risk amongst Chinese patients with carcinoma of the prostate prescribed different ADT regimens. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This was a single-centered observational study that involved 741 patients with carcinoma of the prostate from January 2001 to December 2011. RESULTS: After a median follow-up of 5 years, 71.7% of the study cohort received ADT and the incidence rate of fracture was 8.1%. Multivariable Cox regression analysis revealed that use of ADT was significantly associated with risk of incident fracture (Hazard Ratio [HR] 3.60; 95% Confidence Interval [95% CI] 1.41-9.23; p = 0.008), together with aged >75 years and type 2 diabetes. Compared with no ADT, all three types of ADT were independently associated with the risk of incident fracture: anti-androgen monotherapy (HR 4.47; 95% CI 1.47-13.7; p = 0.009), bilateral orchiectomy ± anti-androgens (HR 4.01; 95% CI 1.46-11.1; p = 0.007) and luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonists ± anti-androgens (HR 3.16; 95% CI 1.18-8.43; p = 0.022). However, there was no significant difference in the relative risks among the three types of ADT. CONCLUSIONS: Fracture risk increases among all types of ADT. Clinicians should take into account the risk-benefit ratio when prescribing ADT, especially in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes.

Survival outcomes of Chinese metastatic prostate cancer patients following primary androgen deprivation therapy in relation to prostate-specific antigen nadir level.

AIM: To evaluate the progression-free survival (PFS), cancer-specific survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS) of Chinese metastatic prostate cancer patients following primary androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) in relation to prostate-specific antigen (PSA) nadir level. METHODS: All Chinese prostate cancer patients with bone metastases who were treated with primary ADT from 2000 to 2009 were included. Patients' and disease characteristics were recorded. Patients were categorized into two PSA nadir groups (≤1.0 and >1.0 ng/mL). Associations of PSA nadir with PFS, CSS and OS were analyzed with Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses. The survival outcomes of the two PSA nadir groups were presented. RESULTS: Four hundred nineteen patients were included in the study. PSA nadir appeared to be a good predictor for PFS (hazard ratio [HR] 1.86, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.35-2.56, P < 0.001), CSS (HR 1.60, 95% CI 0.98-2.64, P = 0.063) and OS (HR 1.77, 95% CI 1.20-2.41, P < 0.001) upon multivariate Cox regression analyses. In the PSA nadir groups of ≤1.0 and >1.0 ng/mL, the median PFS were 15 and 10 months, and the 1-year PFS rates were 64% and 40%, respectively; the median CSS were 42 and 27 months, and the 5-year OS rates were 53% and 28%, respectively; and the median OS were 41 and 24 months, and the 5-year OS rates were 45% and 19%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Higher PSA nadir was associated with shorter PFS, CSS and OS in Chinese metastatic prostate cancer patients following primary ADT. The survival outcomes may serve as references in deciding the best treatment strategy in Chinese prostate cancer patients.

Association of time to prostate-specific antigen nadir and logarithm of prostate-specific antigen velocity after progression in metastatic prostate cancer with prior primary androgen deprivation therapy.

We investigated the association of time to prostate-specific antigen nadir (TTPN) and logarithm of prostate-specific antigen velocity after progression Log(PSAVAP) in metastatic prostate cancer with prior primary androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). All metastatic prostate cancer patients treated with primary ADT from 2000 to 2009 were reviewed. Patients who developed disease progression were included in the subsequent analyses. Patients were categorized into three groups according to their TTPN: TTPN of <3 months, 3-17 months, and >17 months. We compared the Log(PSAVAP) between the different TTPN groups using Mann-Whitney U-test and Kruskal-Wallis test. Further multiple linear regression analyses on Log(PSAVAP) were performed to adjust for other potential confounding factors. Among 419 patients who were treated with primary ADT, 306 patients developed disease progression with a median follow-up of 28 months. Longer TTPN was associated with lower Log(PSAVAP) (P = 0.008) within all subgroup analyses (TTPN of <3 vs 3-17 months, P= 0.020; TTPN of 3-17 vs >17 months, P= 0.009; and TTPN of <3 vs >17 months, P= 0.001). Upon multiple linear regression analyses, baseline PSA (regression coefficient 0.001, P= 0.045), PSA nadir (regression coefficient 0.002, P= 0.040), and TTPN (regression coefficient -0.030, P= 0.001) were the three factors that were significantly associated with Log(PSAVAP). In conclusion, a longer TTPN was associated with lower Log(PSAVAP) in metastatic prostate cancer patients following primary ADT. TTPN cut-offs at 3 months and 17 months appeared to have prognostic significance in predicting Log(PSAVAP). TTPN may serve as a good prognostic indicator in deciding the treatment strategy in patients with disease progression.

The performance characteristics of prostate-specific antigen and prostate-specific antigen density in Chinese men.

We investigated the performance characteristics of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and PSA density (PSAD) in Chinese men. All Chinese men who underwent transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy (TRUS-PB) from year 2000 to 2013 were included. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves for both PSA and PSAD were analyzed. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) at different cut-off levels were calculated. A total of 2606 Chinese men were included. For the ROC, the area under curve was 0.770 for PSA (P < 0.001) and 0.823 for PSAD (P < 0.001). PSA of 4.5 ng ml-1 had sensitivity of 94.4%, specificity of 14.1%, PPV of 29.5%, and NPV of 86.9%; PSAD of 0.12 ng ml-1 cc-1 had sensitivity of 94.5%, specificity of 26.6%, PPV of 32.8%, and NPV of 92.7%. On multivariate logistic regression analyses, PSA cut-off at 4.5 ng ml-1 (OR 1.61, 95% CI 1.05-2.45, P= 0.029) and PSAD cut-off at 0.12 ng ml-1 cc-1 (OR 6.22, 95% CI 4.20-9.22, P< 0.001) were significant predictors for prostate cancer detection on TRUS-PB. In conclusion, the performances of PSA and PSAD at different cut-off levels in Chinese men were very different from those in Caucasians. PSA of 4.5 ng ml-1 and PSAD of 0.12 ng ml-1 cc-1 had near 95% sensitivity and were significant predictors of prostate cancer detection in Chinese men.

Prostate cancer detection upon transrectal ultrasound-guided biopsy in relation to digital rectal examination and prostate-specific antigen level: what to expect in the Chinese population?

We investigated the prostate cancer detection rates upon transrectal ultrasound (TRUS)-guided biopsy in relation to digital rectal examination (DRE) and prostate-specific antigen (PSA), and risk factors of prostate cancer detection in the Chinese population. Data from all consecutive Chinese men who underwent first TRUS-guided prostate biopsy from year 2000 to 2013 was retrieved from our database. The prostate cancer detection rates with reference to DRE finding and PSA level of < 4, 4-10, 10.1-20, 20.1-50 and > 50 ng ml-1 were investigated. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to investigate for potential risk factors of prostate cancer detection. A total of 2606 Chinese men were included. In patients with normal DRE, the cancer detection rates were 8.6%, 13.4%, 21.8%, 41.7% and 85.2% in patients with PSA < 4, 4-10, 10.1-20, 20.1-50 and > 50 ng ml-1 respectively. In patients with abnormal DRE, the cancer detection rates were 12.4%, 30.2%, 52.7%, 80.6% and 96.4% in patients with PSA < 4, 4-10, 10.1-20, 20.1-50 and > 50 ng ml-1 respectively. Older age, smaller prostate volume, larger number of biopsy cores, presence of abnormal DRE finding and higher PSA level were associated with increased risk of prostate cancer detection upon multivariate logistic regression analyses (P < 0.001). Chinese men appeared to have lower prostate cancer detection rates when compared to the Western population. Taking the different risk factors into account, an individualized approach to the decision of TRUS-guided biopsy can be adopted.

Prognostic significance of time to prostate-specific antigen (PSA) nadir and its relationship to survival beyond time to PSA nadir for prostate cancer patients with bone metastases after primary androgen deprivation therapy.

BACKGROUND: This study investigated the prognostic significance of time to the prostate-specific antigen nadir (TTPN) and its relationship to survival beyond TTPN in metastatic prostate cancer after primary androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT). METHODS: All metastatic prostate cancer patients treated with primary ADT from 2000 to 2009 were reviewed. The prognostic significance of TTPN in predicting progression-free survival (PFS) beyond TTPN and overall survival (OS) beyond TTPN was analyzed using the Cox regression model. The median PFS and OS were plotted against TTPN on a monthly interval. The PFS beyond TTPN and the OS beyond TTPN with reference to TTPN were calculated and presented. RESULTS: The study enrolled 419 patients with a median follow-up period of 38 months. The findings showed that TTPN was a significant prognostic indicator for both PFS beyond TTPN (hazard ratio [HR] 0.72, 95 % confidence interval [CI] 0.52-0.99, p = 0.04) and OS beyond TTPN (HR 0.65, 95 % CI 0.47-0.90, p = 0.01) according to Cox regression analyses. The relationship between TTPN and survival beyond TTPN consisted of three phases. In the first phase (<3 months for PFS and <6 months for OS), the survival beyond TTPN increased with TTPN. In the second phase (3-17 months for PFS and 6-20 months for OS), the survival beyond TTPN remained relatively static. In the third phase (>17 months for PFS and >20 months for OS), the survival beyond TTPN increased exponentially with TTPN. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, TTPN was a good prognostic indicator for PFS beyond TTPN and OS beyond TTPN in metastatic prostate cancer cases after primary ADT. Different TTPNs had different implications for predicting survival beyond TTPN.

Androgen deprivation therapy and cardiovascular risk in chinese patients with nonmetastatic carcinoma of prostate.

Background. Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) in nonmetastatic prostate cancer is unclear. Recent data suggests possible increase in the cardiovascular risks receiving ADT. The aim of the study was to investigate the cardiovascular outcomes in a cohort of Chinese nonmetastatic prostate cancer patients with no previously documented cardiovascular disease. Methods and Results. 745 patients with no previously documented cardiovascular disease and/or diabetes mellitus diagnosed to have nonmetastatic prostate cancer were recruited. Of these, 517 patients received ADT and the remaining 228 did not. After a mean follow-up of 5.3 years, 60 patients developed primary composite endpoint including (1) coronary artery disease, (2) congestive heart failure, and (3) ischemic stroke. Higher proportion of patients on ADT (51 patients, 9.9%) developed composite endpoint compared with those not on ADT (9 patients, 3.9%) with hazard ratio (HR) of 2.06 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.03-3.24, P = 0.04). Furthermore, Cox regression analysis revealed that only the use of ADT (HR: 2.1, 95% CI: 1.03-4.25, P = 0.04) and hypertension (HR: 2.0, 95% CI: 1.21-3.33, P < 0.01) were independent predictors for primary composite endpoint. Conclusion. ADT in Chinese patients with nonmetastatic prostate cancer with no previously documented cardiovascular disease was associated with subsequent development of cardiovascular events.

Trocar-site hernia at the 8-mm robotic port after robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy: a case report and review of the literature.

Trocar-site hernia is an uncommon but serious complication after laparoscopic surgery as it frequently requires surgical intervention. We describe a 75-year-old man with Gleason score 4 + 3, clinical stage T1c prostate adenocarcinoma who underwent an uneventful robot-assisted transperitoneal laparoscopic radical prostatectomy. On post-operative day four, he developed symptoms of small bowel obstruction due to herniation and incarceration of the small bowels in a Spigelian-type hernia at the left lower quadrant 8-mm trocar site. Surgical exploration was performed via a mini-laparotomy to reduce the bowel and repair the fascial layers. A literature search was performed to review other cases of trocar-site hernia through the 8-mm robotic port after robot-assisted surgery and the suggested methods of prevention.

Technical considerations for radical resection of a primary leiomyosarcoma of the vena cava.

BACKGROUND: Radical resection provides the best hope for cure in leiomyosarcoma of the inferior vena cava (IVC). Multi-visceral resection is often indicated by extensive tumour involvement. This report describes the technical challenges encountered during resection of a retrohepatic IVC leiomyosarcoma. METHODS: Computed tomography showed an IVC leiomyosarcoma measuring 7.8 × 10.0 × 19.3 cm in a 41-year-old patient. The tumour reached the confluence of the hepatic veins, displacing the caudate lobe anteriorly and extending towards the IVC bifurcation inferiorly. En bloc resection of the IVC tumour with a right hepatic and caudate lobectomy, and a right nephrectomy was performed. RESULTS: Subsequent to a Cattel manoeuvre, the operative procedures carried out can be broadly categorized in four major steps: (i) mobilization of the infrahepatic IVC and tumour; (ii) mobilization of the suprahepatic IVC from diaphragmatic attachments; (iii) right hepatectomy with complete caudate lobe resection, and (iv) en bloc resection of the IVC tumour. This approach allowed the entire length of tumour-bearing IVC to be freed from the retroperitoneum and avoided the risk for iatrogenic tumour rupture during dissection at the retrohepatic IVC. Reconstruction of the IVC was not performed in the presence of venous collaterals. CONCLUSIONS: Experience in liver resection and transplantation, and appreciation of the hepatocaval anatomy facilitate the safe and radical resection of retrohepatic IVC leiomyosarcoma.

Robot-assisted radical prostatectomy in Hong Kong: a review of 235 cases.

OBJECTIVES: To report the outcome of all robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RALP) in the public health care system in Hong Kong. PATIENTS AND METHODS: All patients who underwent RALP in the public health care system with at least 1 year of follow-up were evaluated. Data analysis included age, body mass index, preoperative prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level, D'Amico risk category, operative details, pathologic stage, follow-up continence, potency, and biochemical recurrence. RESULTS: Between 2005 and 2009, 235 patients underwent RALP, with a mean age of 66.4±5.9 years and a mean preoperative PSA level of 11.0±10.5 ng/mL. Complications were 16 (7%) in total. There were 176 (74.9%) patients with pT(2) disease and 55 (23.4%) patients with pT(3) disease. The overall rate of positive surgical margins (PSM) was 20.7%. At postoperative 12 months, 72.5% of the patients were pad free. For those 83 preoperative potent patients having nerve-sparing surgery, the overall trifecta rate at 12 months was 37.3%. Multivariate analysis identified that pathologic T staging was significantly associated with PSM, with an odds ratio (OR) of 7.884 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.576-17.379; P<0.001) for the pT(3) group compared with the pT(2) group. When comparing D'Amico medium- and high-risk categories with low-risk categories, they were found to be significantly associated with biochemical failure (medium- compared with low-risk: OR=3.536, 95% CI: 1.253-10.173, P=0.016; high- compared with low-risk: OR=10.214, 95% CI: 2.958-35.274, P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Our data demonstrate the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of RALP in low-to-intermediate volume centers. Our early oncologic outcomes were significantly correlated with pathologic stage and D'Amico risk stratification.