Female Urology and Urogynecology: The Outcome of Patients Participating in Live Surgical Broadcasts.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: The aims of this study were to assess the complications and short- and long-term outcomes of patients involved in live surgical broadcasts (LSBs) of female urology and urogynecological surgery and compare the surgical success with operations performed outside this setting by the same surgeons. METHODS: We reviewed our prospectively collected database of all patients who had taken part in LSBs between 2008 and 2015 for the annual female urology and urogynecology course. Data on intraoperative and 30- and 90-day complications and primary outcomes from surgery were collected. Procedure-specific success rates were determined and compared with the center's previously published success rate for these procedures. RESULTS: Overall, 53 females with a median age of 50 years (range, 23-77 years) underwent 62 procedures during these LSBs. There were no intraoperative complications. There was 1 Clavien-Dindo grade II complication within 30 days of surgery. Within 90 days of surgery, there was 1 Clavien-Dindo grade III complication, which occurred in a patient having removal of anterior pelvic organ prolapse mesh for urethral erosion and simultaneous colposuspension. The majority of operations, 57 (92%) of 62, achieved their intended primary outcome. CONCLUSIONS: With careful planning, LSB can offer a safe way of sharing current operative techniques and decision making with similar 30- and 90-day complication rates to standard practices and comparable functional outcomes to standard practice.