Treatment for Urinary Incontinence in Women Older Than 65 Years.

IMPORTANCE: Urinary incontinence (UI) is common among women older than 65 years and negatively affects quality of life. However, the prevalence of UI treatment and determinants of treatment are largely unknown. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to identify rates of UI treatment and factors associated with treatment in older women with self-reported UI. STUDY DESIGN: This is a retrospective cohort analysis of a data set linking UI symptoms from the Nurses' Health Study to Medicare claims. We evaluated use of pharmacotherapy, noninvasive, and procedural treatments for UI within 1 year before symptom survey. For pharmacotherapy, we used multivariable logistic regression to estimate odds ratios (ORs) of UI treatment. RESULTS: Of the 67,587 Nurses' Health Study respondents, 15,088 had linkage to Medicare, subscribed to part D, and answered UI questions. Of these, 8,332 (55.2%) women reported UI, and 10.9% with UI had a Medicare claim for treatment; pharmacotherapy represented 94.6% of all treatments.On regression analysis, women with more severe and longer-term UI had higher odds of treatment (severe vs slight UI: OR, 3.1; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.2-4.3) (longer vs new UI: OR, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.5-2.3). Women with mixed (OR, 2.5; 95% CI, 1.9-3.2) or urgency UI (OR, 3.0; 95% CI, 2.2-3.9) had greater odds of treatment compared with women with stress UI. CONCLUSIONS: We estimate that only approximately 1 in 9 older women with self-reported UI underwent treatment within the year before reporting symptoms, of which pharmacotherapy was the most common UI intervention, and women with more severe and longer duration of symptoms were most often treated.

Destroyed bladders: Characterization of progressive inflammatory cystitis.

PURPOSE: We identified a subset of patients with noninfectious cystitis who develop refractory symptoms marked by diffuse inflammatory changes, reduced bladder capacity, and vesicoureteral reflux (VUR), termed here as "progressive inflammatory cystitis" (PIC). Our objective was to describe the phenotype, disease outcomes, and pathologic findings of PIC. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A single institution retrospective cohort study of patients with PIC. Patients with a history of pelvic radiation, urologic malignancy, or neurogenic bladder were excluded. We describe cohort characteristics and use bivariate analyses to compare subgroups. Kaplan-Meier methods estimate time to urinary diversion. RESULTS: From 2008 to 2020, 46 patients with PIC were identified. The median age of symptom onset was 63 years old (interquartile range [IQR]: 56, 70) and the most common presenting symptoms were urinary urgency/frequency (54%) and incontinence (48%). Urodynamics showed a median maximum bladder capacity of 80 mL (IQR: 34, 152), commonly with VUR (68%) and hydronephrosis (59%). Ultimately 36 patients (78%) underwent urinary diversion at a median of 4.5 years (IQR: 2, 6.5) after symptom onset. Significant pathologic findings include presence of ulceration (52%), acute and chronic inflammation (68%), including eosinophils (80%), lymphoid follicles (56%), and mast cells in both lamina and muscularis propria (76%). CONCLUSIONS: PIC is a newly defined entity characterized by significantly diminished bladder capacity, upper tract changes, and relatively quick progression to urinary diversion. Larger prospective cohort studies are required to further characterize this severe phenotype of chronic noninfectious cystitis, aid earlier diagnosis, and guide management decisions.

Factors Associated with Decision Aid Use in Localized Prostate Cancer.

Purpose: Decision aids have been found to improve patients' knowledge of treatments and decrease decisional regrets. Despite these benefits, there is not widespread use of decision aids for newly diagnosed prostate cancer (PCa). This analysis investigates factors that impact men's choice to use a decision aid for newly diagnosed prostate cancer. Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective analysis of a PCa registry from the Michigan Urological Surgery Improvement Collaborative (MUSIC). We included data from men with newly diagnosed, clinically localized PCa seen from 2018-21 at practices offering a PCa decision aid (Personal Patient Profile-Prostate; P3P). The primary outcome was men's registration to use P3P. We fit a multilevel logistic regression model with patient-level factors and included urologist specific random intercepts. We estimated the intra-class correlation (ICC) and predicted the probability of P3P registration among urologists. Results: A total of 2629 men were seen at practices that participated in P3P and 1174 (45%) registered to use P3P. Forty-one percent of the total variance of P3P registration was attributed to clustering of men under a specific urologist's care. In contrast, only 1.5% of the variance of P3P registration was explained by patient factors. Our model did not include data on socioeconomic, literacy or psychosocial factors, which limits the interpretation of the results. Conclusions: These results suggest that urologists' effect far outweighs patient factors in a man's decision to enroll in P3P. Strategies that encourage providers to increase decision aid adoption in their practices are warranted.

Delivering patient-centered care through shared decision making in overactive bladder.

INTRODUCTION: Men and women living with overactive bladder (OAB) face many treatment decisions as they progress through the treatment pathway. Decisions to pursue specific therapies are highly preference sensitive and ideal for shared decision making (SDM). The aim of this narrative review is to provide urologists with a practical summary of methods to elicit preferences and facilitate SDM to promote patient-centered care for OAB. METHODS: We explore OAB as a preference sensitive condition through a review of treatment outcomes and present available data on prediction tools, patient preferences, and decision aids. We propose a paradigm for applying Everyday SDM to OAB care. RESULTS: Clinical outcome data points to equipoise (balanced outcomes) between options for first-, second-, and third-line OAB therapies, making OAB preference sensitive and appropriate for SDM. Methods to personalize care through individualized outcome prediction calculators and tools to elicit patient preferences are emerging. While patient information about OAB is readily available, we identified few OAB decision aids that facilitate patient preference elicitation and SDM. CONCLUSIONS: OAB is a preference sensitive condition, where treatment is largely based on the patient's preferences and values. SDM is an ideal approach to supporting patients through these treatment decisions. We propose the application of Everyday SDM, a personalized, clinically efficient methodology as a method to support patient-centered OAB care.

Assessing the Impact of Decision Aid Use on Post Prostatectomy Patient Reported Outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether completing a decision aid, Personal Patient Profile - Prostate (P3P), prior to prostatectomy, affects self-reported bother from post-prostatectomy urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective analysis included data from men with newly diagnosed clinically localized, very low to intermediate risk prostate cancer who elected for prostatectomy within the Michigan Urological Surgery Improvement Collaborative between 2018-2021. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to estimate the association between P3P use and bother from post prostatectomy erectile dysfunction and urinary incontinence as measured by the Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite (EPIC-26). RESULTS: Among the 3987 patients included, 7% used P3P (n = 266). Men who used P3P reported significantly less bother from erectile dysfunction at 6 months vs non-users (aOR 0.42 [95% CI 0.27-0.66]). At 12 months, the effect of P3P on bother from erectile dysfunction was not statistically significant (aOR 0.62 [95% CI 0.37-1.03]). Men who used P3P did not have a statistically significant difference in bother from urinary incontinence (3-month: aOR 0.56 [95% CI 0.30-1.06]; 6-month; aOR 0.79 [95% CI 0.31-1.97]). CONCLUSION: Within the stated limitations of this study, we find that use of a decision aid for localized prostate cancer was associated with decreased odds of men being bothered from sexual dysfunction but not urinary incontinence at 6 months post prostatectomy.

Incomplete bladder emptying and urinary tract infections after botulinum toxin injection for overactive bladder: Multi-institutional collaboration from the SUFU research network.

INTRODUCTION: Onabotulinumtoxin A (BTX-A) is an effective therapy for overactive bladder (OAB), however, adverse events may prevent patients from initiating therapy. The study objective was to report real-world rates of incomplete emptying and urinary tract infection (UTI) in men and women undergoing BTX-A for OAB. METHODS: Eleven clinical sites performed a retrospective study of adults undergoing first-time BTX-A injection (100 units) for idiopathic OAB in 2016. Exclusions included: postvoid residual (PVR) > 150 ml, prior BTX-A, pelvic radiation, or need for preprocedure catheterization. Primary outcomes at 6 months were incomplete emptying (clean intermittent catheterization [CIC] or PVR ≥ 300 ml without the need for CIC); and UTI (symptoms with either positive culture or urinalysis or empiric treatment). We compared rates of incomplete emptying and UTI within and between sexes, using univariate and multivariable models. RESULTS: 278 patients (48 men and 230 women) met inclusion criteria. Mean age was 65.5 years (range: 24-95). 35% of men and 17% of women had incomplete emptying. Men had 2.4 (95% CI: 1.04-5.49) higher odds of incomplete emptying than women. 17% of men and 23.5% of women had ≥1 UTI, the majority of which occurred within the first month following injection. The strongest predictor of UTI was a history of prior UTI (OR: 4.2 [95% CI: 1.7-10.3]). CONCLUSIONS: In this multicenter retrospective study, rates of incomplete emptying and UTI were higher than many previously published studies. Men were at particular risk for incomplete emptying. Prior UTI was the primary risk factor for postprocedure UTI.

Patient Preferences and Treatment Decisions for Prostate Cancer: Results From A Statewide Urological Quality Improvement Collaborative.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the relationship between influential factors and treatment decisions among men with newly diagnosed prostate cancer (PCa). METHODS: We identified men in the Michigan Urological Surgery Improvement Collaborative registry diagnosed with localized PCa between 2018-2020 who completed Personal Patient Profile-Prostate. We analyzed the proportion of active surveillance (AS) between men who stated future bladder, bowel, and sexual problems (termed influential factors) had "a lot of influence" on their treatment decisions versus other responses. We also assessed the relationship between influential factors, confirmatory testing results and choice of AS. RESULTS: A total of 509 men completed Personal Patient Profile-Prostate. Treatment decisions aligned with influential factors for 88% of men with favorable risk and 49% with unfavorable risk PCa. A higher proportion of men who identified bladder, bowel and sexual concerns as having "a lot of influence" on their treatment decision chose AS, compared with men with other influential factors, although not statistically significant (44% vs 35%, P = .11). Similar results were also found when men were stratified based on PCa risk groups (favorable risk: 78% vs 67%; unfavorable risk: 17% vs 9%, respectively). Despite a small sample size, a higher proportion of men with non-reassuring confirmatory testing selected AS if influential factors had "a lot of influence" compared to "no influence" on their treatment decisions. CONCLUSION: Men's concerns for future bladder, bowel, and sexual function problems, as elicited by a decision aid, may help explain treatment selection that differs from traditional clinical recommendation.

Implementation of prostate cancer treatment decision aid in Michigan: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: The American Urological Association White Paper on Implementation of Shared Decision Making (SDM) into Urological Practice suggested SDM represents the state of the art in counseling for patients who are faced with difficult or uncertain medical decisions. The Michigan Urological Surgery Improvement Collaborative (MUSIC) implemented a decision aid, Personal Patient Profile-Prostate (P3P), in 2018 to help newly diagnosed prostate cancer patients make shared decisions with their clinicians. We conducted a qualitative study to assess statewide implementation of P3P throughout MUSIC. METHODS: We recruited urologists and staff from 17 MUSIC practices (8 implementation and 9 comparator practices) to understand how practices engaged patients on treatment discussions and to assess facilitators and barriers to implementing P3P. Interview guides were developed based on the Tailored Interventions for Chronic Disease (TICD) Framework. Interviews were transcribed for analysis and coded independently by two investigators in NVivo, PRO 12. Additionally, quantitative program data were integrated into thematic analyses. RESULTS: We interviewed 15 urologists and 11 staff from 16 practices. Thematic analysis of interview transcripts indicated three key themes including the following: (i) P3P is compatible as a SDM tool as over 80% of implementation urologists asked patients to complete the P3P questionnaire routinely and used P3P reports during treatment discussions; (ii) patient receptivity was demonstrated by 370 (50%) of newly diagnosed patients (n = 737) from 8 practices enrolled in P3P with 78% completion rate, which accounts for 39% of all newly diagnosed patients in these practices; and (iii) urologists' attitudes towards SDM varied. Over a third of urologists stated they did not rely on a decision aid. Comparator practices indicated habit, inertia, or concerns about clinic flow as reasons for not adopting P3P and some were unconvinced a decision aid is needed in their practice. CONCLUSION: Urologists and staff affiliated with MUSIC implementation sites indicated that P3P focuses the treatment discussion on items that are important to patients. Experiences of implementation practices indicate that once initiated, there were no negative effects on clinic flow and urologists indicated P3P saves time during patient counseling, as patients were better prepared for focused discussions. Lack of awareness, personal habits, and inertia are reasons for not implementing P3P among the comparator practices.

Changes in patient reported outcome measures after treatment for female urethral stricture.

INTRODUCTION: There is a paucity of patient reported outcome measure (PROM) data for women with urethral strictures. To address this gap, we aim to evaluate change in PROM among women who underwent surgery for a stricture. METHODS: American Urological Association Symptom Index (AUA-SI) and Urogenital Distress Inventory (UDI-6) data from a multi-institutional retrospective cohort study of women treated for urethral stricture was assessed. RESULTS: Fifty-seven women had either AUA-SS or UDI-6 and 26 had baseline and postoperative data for either. Most women underwent urethroplasty (77%) and the majority (73%) remained stricture free at median follow-up of 21 months (interquartile range [IQR] 7-37). The median baseline AUA-SI was 21 (IQR 12-28) and follow-up was 10 (IQR 5-24). After treatment, there was a median decrease of 12 (IQR -18 to -2) in AUA-SI (p = 0.003). The median AUA Quality of life (QOL) score at baseline and follow-up were 6 (IQR 4-6) and 3 (IQR 2-5), respectively. There was a median AUA-QOL improvement of 2 points (-5,0; p = 0.007) from a baseline 5 (unhappy) to 3 (mixed). Median UDI-6 scores were 50 (IQR 33-75) at baseline and 17 (IQR 0-39), at follow-up. After treatment, there was a median decrease of 19 (-31 to -11; p = 0.01). CONCLUSION: Women with urethral strictures have severe lower urinary tract symptoms which improved after surgery. This study substantiates the claims that recognizing and treating women with urethral stricture disease greatly improves lower urinary tract symptoms and QOL.

Patient Reported Shared Decision Making in Urology from the Surgical Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) Survey.

INTRODUCTION: Shared decision making balances the best available evidence with patients' preferences and values in order to make a medical decision. The use of shared decision making and its link to clinically meaningful outcomes are not well described in urology. We report the rates of shared decision making among patients undergoing urological surgery, and explore the relationship between shared decision making and patient reported surgeon ranking. METHODS: This study uses Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Provider and Systems Surgical Care Survey data from patients undergoing urological surgery between 2011 and 2013. A shared decision making composite score was created from the sum of 3 survey items. We fit an ordinal logistic regression model to evaluate factors that influence patients' overall shared decision making score. In a separate model, we evaluated how shared decision making and use of decision aid impact patients' ranking of surgeons. RESULTS: In this sample, 430 (33.8%) surveys were returned. Of respondents, 71% scored maximum points on the shared decision making composite score and 59% reported that their surgeon used a decision aid. Discussing alternative treatment options was the most often omitted step in shared decision making. Patients who report use of a decision aid had nearly double the odds of self-reported shared decision making (OR 1.84, 95% CI 1.10-3.06, p=0.02). Shared decision making or decision aid use was not associated with patient reported surgeon ranking. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of patients reported shared decision making and decision aid use during preoperative counseling. Patients reporting decision aid use had nearly double the odds of reporting shared decision making. There was no correlation between either shared decision making or decision aid use and patients' ranking of their surgeon.

Patient-Provider Discussions About Urinary Incontinence Among Older Women.

BACKGROUND: Urinary incontinence (UI) is prevalent in women and has been associated with decreased quality of life and institutionalization. Despite this, and the fact that several treatment options exist, few women discuss UI with clinicians. The aim of this study was to examine the proportion of middle aged and older women with urinary incontinence who have discussed UI with clinicians, focusing on female health professionals as a way to examine this question outside of issues of health care access. METHODS: Data are from the Nurses Health Studies (NHS), two ongoing observational, prospective, cohort studies. The surveys collected detailed information about UI, including frequency, amount and type. Women were also asked if they had discussed UI with a clinician. We used multivariable-adjusted logistic regression to estimate odds ratios (OR) of participants reporting discussion about UI. RESULTS: 94,692 women with UI aged 49-91 years old were included in this study. Of these, 34% reported that they had discussed their incontinence with a clinician. Women with daily UI had 4.4 times greater odds of discussing it with clinicians when compared to those with monthly UI (OR = 4.36, 95% confidence interval [CI] 4.06-4.69). When controlling for severity of symptoms, the oldest women, greater than eighty years, were 20% less likely to have discussed UI with their clinician, compared to the youngest women (OR = 0.81, 95% CI 0.73-0.89). CONCLUSIONS: A minority of women with UI, even among health professionals, discuss their symptoms with clinicians. Oldest women were the least likely to discuss their UI with a provider.

Depth and Location of Sacral Suture Placement During Cadaveric Simulation of Open Sacrocolpopexy.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the location and depth of placement of sacral sutures in a cadaveric sacrocolpopexy model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Following a 1-hour instructional session, trainees performed an open sacrocolpopexy on unembalmed cadavers under guidance by a Female Pelvic Medicine & Reconstructive Surgery board-certified surgeon. At completion of the session, the presacral tissues were dissected and the location and depth of each sacral suture was identified. RESULTS: A total of 19 sutures were placed by 9 trainees into 8 cadavers. The majority of sutures (14/19, 74%) were placed between L5 and S1. Three sutures (16%) were placed at L5 and 2 (11%) were placed at the S1 vertebral body. The mean depth of the anterior longitudinal ligament (ALL) was 1.4 mm. When assessing depth of suture placement, 13 of 19 (68%) were placed into the ALL without penetrating the disc space. Two sutures (11%) were placed in the tissues superficial to the ALL and 4 (22%) were placed deep to the ALL into the periosteum or disc. CONCLUSION: This study of cadaveric simulation of open sacrocolpopexy finds that location of sacral suture placement is most commonly at the level of the L5-S1 disc space and that placement of sutures into the underlying disc occurs about 1 in 5 times.

Treatment of urethral stricture disease in women: A multi-institutional collaborative project from the SUFU research network.

AIM: Female urethral stricture disease is rare and has several surgical approaches including endoscopic dilations (ENDO), urethroplasty with local vaginal tissue flap (ULT) or urethroplasty with free graft (UFG). This study aims to describe the contemporary management of female urethral stricture disease and to evaluate the outcomes of these three surgical approaches. METHODS: This is a multi-institutional, retrospective cohort study evaluating operative treatment for female urethral stricture. Surgeries were grouped into three categories: ENDO, ULT, and UFG. Time from surgery to stricture recurrence by surgery type was analyzed using a Kaplan-Meier time to event analysis. To adjust for confounders, a Cox proportional hazard model was fit for time to stricture recurrence. RESULTS: Two-hundred and ten patients met the inclusion criteria across 23 sites. Overall, 64% (n = 115/180) of women remained recurrence free at median follow-up of 14.6 months (IQR, 3-37). In unadjusted analysis, recurrence-free rates differed between surgery categories with 68% ENDO, 77% UFG and 83% ULT patients being recurrence free at 12 months. In the Cox model, recurrence rates also differed between surgery categories; women undergoing ULT and UFG having had 66% and 49% less risk of recurrence, respectively, compared to those undergoing ENDO. When comparing ULT to UFG directly, there was no significant difference of recurrence. CONCLUSION: This retrospective multi-institutional study of female urethral stricture demonstrates that patients undergoing endoscopic management have a higher risk of recurrence compared to those undergoing either urethroplasty with local flap or free graft.

A prospective observational cohort study of posterior tibial nerve stimulation in patients with multiple sclerosis: design and methods.

BACKGROUND: Posterior tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS) is a promising treatment for lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in patients with MS. However, long term data focusing on PTNS impact on health-related quality of life (HRQOL), bowel and bladder symptoms are lacking. This paper describes a study protocol that examines the extended efficacy of PTNS on MS related bladder and bowel symptoms and resulting HRQOL. METHODS/DESIGN: This is a single-centered, prospective, longitudinal, observational cohort study of patients with MS who suffer from LUTS and are refractory to two prior treatment modalities. Participants who have elected to pursue PTNS therapy for LUTS will be eligible. The primary outcome is the median number of urinary frequency and incontinence episodes on a 3-day voiding diary at 3, 12 and 24 months compared to baseline. Secondary outcome measures will include change in total AUA-SS, M-ISI, NBSS, SF-12, SSS and BCS scores from baseline The Expanded Disability Status Scale and magnetic resonance imaging will be evaluated at baseline and annually throughout the study. DISCUSSION: This research protocol aims to expand on the existing literature regarding outcomes of PTNS in MS. Specifically, it will provide long term follow-up data on bladder, bowel, sexual and HRQOL outcomes. The completion of this study will provide longitudinal efficacy data of the impact of PTNS in MS patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT04063852.

Recommendations for evaluation of neurogenic bladder and bowel dysfunction after spinal cord injury and/or disease.

Objective: To provide an overview of clinical assessments and diagnostic tools, self-report measures (SRMs) and data sets used in neurogenic bladder and bowel (NBB) dysfunction and recommendations for their use with persons with spinal cord injury /disease (SCI/D).Methods: Experts in SCI/D conducted literature reviews, compiled a list of NBB related assessments and measures, reviewed their psychometric properties, discussed their use in SCI/D and issued recommendations for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) Common Data Elements (CDEs) guidelines.Results: Clinical assessments included 15 objective tests and diagnostic tools for neurogenic bladder and 12 for neurogenic bowel. Following a two-phase evaluation, eight SRMs were selected for final review with the Qualiveen and Short-Form (SF) Qualiveen and the Neurogenic Bowel Dysfunction Score (NBDS) being recommended as supplemental, highly-recommended due to their strong psychometrics and extensive use in SCI/D. Two datasets and other SRM measures were recommended as supplemental.Conclusion: There is no one single measure that can be used to assess NBB dysfunction across all clinical research studies. Clinical and diagnostic tools are here recommended based on specific medical needs of the person with SCI/D. Following the CDE for SCI studies guidelines, we recommend both the SF-Qualiveen for bladder and the NBDS for bowel as relatively short measures with strong psychometrics. Other measures are also recommended. A combination of assessment tools (objective and subjective) to be used jointly across the spectrum of care seems critical to best capture changes related to NBB and develop better treatments.

Outcomes of renal calculi in patients with spinal cord injury.

AIMS: Patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) are at risk of developing renal calculi. This study describes the management of renal calculi among patients with SCI with attention to factors influencing surgical management vs observation. METHODS: This retrospective, cohort study identified patients with SCI and renal calculi between 2009 to 2016 from an institutional neurogenic bladder database and detailed the management of their stones. A stone episode was defined as radiographic evidence of new calculi. RESULTS: Of 205 patients with SCI, 34 had renal stones, for a prevalence of 17%. The mean age was 50 years (range 22,77) and most had cervical SCI (n = 22, 65%). There were 41 stone episodes with 98 individual stones identified with a mean stone size of 4.9 mm (range 1-19). Of the 41 episodes, 10 (24%) underwent surgery after initial diagnosis. Pain was the most common primary indication for surgery (n = 9, 60%). The median time from diagnosis to intervention for all patients was 4 months (interquartile range 1,23). Of the 41 episodes, 31 (76%) were initially observed and among these, 5 ultimately required surgery (16%) while 26 (84%) did not. Of these 26, 12 (46%) stones passed spontaneously and 14 (53%) remained unchanged. The need for surgery correlated with more stone episodes (P = .049). CONCLUSION: In this cohort of patients with SCI and small, nonobstructing renal stones, 76% (n = 31) were offered observation. Of these observed patients, 84% (n = 26) did not require further intervention at a median of 4 years of follow-up.