Risk factors for postoperative Clostridium difficile infection after radical cystectomy for bladder cancer: a NSQIP database analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Patients undergoing cystectomy for bladder cancer are at an increased risk for Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) due to prolonged antibiotics and underlying comorbidities. We aim to evaluate CDI risk factors in cystectomy patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Utilizing National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP), patients undergoing cystectomy with diagnosis of bladder cancer between 2015-2017 were included. Baseline demographics including age, sex, comorbidities, and preoperative labs were collected. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression were used to evaluate risk factors for and complications of CDI during the index hospitalization. RESULTS: There were a total of 6,432 patients included in the analysis, with 6,242 (96%) and 190 (4%) in the non-CDI vs. CDI groups, respectively. Patients with a diagnosis of postoperative CDI were more likely to be female [4.09% vs. 2.71%, p = 0.001] and have lower preoperative albumin [3.78 g/dL (0.52) vs. 3.92 g/dL (0.48), p = 0.003]. Patients with a history of female sex (OR 1.46, p = 0.03), neobladder (OR 1.57, p = 0.01), and low preoperative albumin (OR 1.45, p = 0.04) were at the highest risk for development of CDI postoperatively. Patients with a diagnosis of CDI were more likely to experience readmission within 30 days (31.1% vs. 19.2%, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Utilizing the NSQIP database, we identified predictors for development of CDI in cystectomy patients. Female sex, continent diversion, and low preoperative albumin all significantly increased the rate of CDI. While our findings are retrospective, they are compelling enough to warrant further prospective investigation.

Percentage of Teratoma in Orchiectomy and Risk of Retroperitoneal Teratoma at the Time of Postchemotherapy Retroperitoneal Lymph Node Dissection in Germ Cell Tumors.

PURPOSE: Presence of teratoma in the orchiectomy and residual retroperitoneal mass size are known predictors of finding teratoma during postchemotherapy retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (PC-RPLND). We sought to determine if the percentage of teratoma in the orchiectomy specimen could better stratify the risk of teratoma in the retroperitoneum. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The Indiana University Testis Cancer Database was reviewed to identify patients who underwent PC-RPLND for nonseminomatous germ cell tumors from 2010 to 2018. A logistic regression model was fit to predict the presence of retroperitoneal teratoma using teratoma and yolk sac tumor in the orchiectomy, residual mass size and log transformed values of prechemotherapy alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and beta-human chorionic gonadotropin. The study cohort was split into 60% training and 40% validation sets using 200 bootstraps. A predictive nomogram was developed for predicting teratoma in the retroperitoneum. RESULTS: A total of 422 men were included. Presence of teratoma in the orchiectomy (OR 1.02, p <0.001), residual mass size (OR 1.16, p <0.001) and log transformed prechemotherapy AFP (OR 1.12, p=0.002) were predictive factors for having teratoma in the retroperitoneum. The C-statistic using this model demonstrated a predictive ability of 0.77. Training set C-statistic was 0.78 compared to 0.75 for the validation set. A nomogram was developed to aid in clinical utility. CONCLUSIONS: The model better predicts patients at higher risk for teratoma in the retroperitoneum following chemotherapy, which can aid in a more informed referral for surgical resection.

The Role of Prostate Specific Antigen Monitoring after Holmium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate.

PURPOSE: Prostate specific antigen screening for prostate cancer has recently been challenged due to poor sensitivity. In addition to prostate cancer, a number of conditions elevate prostate specific antigen, of which benign prostatic hyperplasia is most common. The objective of this study was to assess the positive predictive value of prostate specific antigen and prostate specific antigen density for prostate cancer risk following holmium laser enucleation of the prostate. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We queried an institutional review board approved database of holmium laser enucleation of the prostate performed at Indiana University from 1999 to 2018 to identify 1,147 patients with prostate specific antigen data available after holmium laser enucleation. A total of 55 biopsies after enucleation were recorded. Demographics, prostate specific antigen, prostate volume and oncologic details were analyzed. The primary outcome was biopsy proven prostate cancer. RESULTS: A total of 55 patients underwent transrectal ultrasound prostate biopsy for cause after holmium laser enucleation of the prostate. Cancer was identified in more than 90% of biopsied cases. Men with prostate specific antigen above 1 ng/ml at biopsy had a 94% probability of cancer detection and an 80% risk of clinically significant disease. Prostate specific antigen density above 0.1 ng/ml2 was associated with a 95% risk of cancer and an 88% risk of clinically significant cancer. Prostate specific antigen greater than 5.8 ng/ml or prostate specific antigen density greater than 0.17 ng/ml2 was universally associated with biopsy proven cancer. CONCLUSIONS: Prostate specific antigen and prostate specific antigen density have high positive predictive value for prostate cancer risk after holmium laser enucleation of the prostate. Thresholds for biopsy should be lower than in patients who do not undergo holmium laser enucleation. Those who undergo that procedure and have prostate specific antigen above 1 ng/ml or prostate specific antigen density above 0.1 ng/ml2 are at higher risk for harboring clinically significant disease and should undergo biopsy. Referring physicians should be aware of these significant risk shifts.

A Prospective Program to Reduce the Clinical Incidence of Clostridium difficile Colitis Infection after Cystectomy.

PURPOSE: The development of Clostridium difficile infection after cystectomy is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. We implemented a prospective screening program to identify asymptomatic carriers of C. difficile and assessed its impact on clinical C. difficile infection rates compared to historical matched controls. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Prospective C. difficile screening prior to cystectomy began in March 2015. The 380 consecutive patients who underwent cystectomy before the initiation of screening (control cohort) were matched based on 5 clinical factors with the 386 patients who underwent cystectomy from March 2015 to December 2017 (trial cohort). Patients who screened positive were placed in contact isolation and treated prophylactically with metronidazole. Multivariable models were built on an intent to screen basis and an effectiveness of screening basis to determine whether screening reduced the rate of symptomatic C. difficile infection postoperatively. RESULTS: With the implementation of the screening protocol the C. difficile infection rate declined from 9.4% to 5.5% (OR 0.52, p = 0.0268) in patients on the intent to screen protocol and from 9.2% to 4.9% in those on the effectiveness of screening protocol (OR 0.46, p = 0.0174). CONCLUSIONS: C. difficile screening prior to cystectomy is associated with a significant decrease in the rate of clinically symptomatic infection postoperatively. These results should be confirmed in a randomized controlled trial.

Standardized Reporting of Microscopic Renal Tumor Margins: Introduction of the Renal Tumor Capsule Invasion Scoring System.

PURPOSE: Renal tumor enucleation allows for maximal parenchymal preservation. Identifying pseudocapsule integrity is critically important in nephron sparing surgery by enucleation. Tumor invasion into and through the capsule may have clinical implications, although it is not routinely commented on in standard pathological reporting. We describe a system to standardize the varying degrees of pseudocapsule invasion and identify predictors of invasion. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a multicenter retrospective review between 2002 and 2014 at Indiana University Hospital and Loyola University Medical Center. A total of 327 tumors were evaluated following removal via radical nephrectomy, standard margin partial nephrectomy or enucleation partial nephrectomy. Pathologists scored tumors using our i-Cap (invasion of pseudocapsule) scoring system. Multivariate analysis was done to determine predictors of higher score tumors. RESULTS: Tumor characteristics were similar among surgical resection groups. Enucleated tumors tended to have thinner pseudocapsule rims but not higher i-Cap scores. Rates of complete capsular invasion, scored as i-Cap 3, were similar among the surgical techniques, comprising 22% of the overall cohort. Papillary histology along with increasing tumor grade was predictive of an i-Cap 3 score. CONCLUSIONS: A capsule invasion scoring system is useful to classify renal cell carcinoma pseudocapsule integrity. i-Cap scores appear to be independent of surgical technique. Complete capsular invasion is most common in papillary and high grade tumors. Further work is warranted regarding the relevance of capsular invasion depth as it relates to the oncologic outcome for local recurrence and disease specific survival.

Changing USA national trends for adrenalectomy: the influence of surgeon and technique.

OBJECTIVE: To explain differences over time between operative approach and surgeon type for adrenal surgery in the USA. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective cohort analysis was performed on all patients undergoing adrenalectomy between 2002 and 2011 using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample. Patients undergoing concurrent nephrectomy were excluded. Surgeon specialty was only available for 2003-2009. Descriptive analyses and multivariable logistic regression models were used to assess variables associated with minimally invasive surgery (MIS) and urologist-performed procedures. RESULTS: In all, 58,948 adrenalectomies were identified. A MIS approach was used in 20% of these operations. There was a 4% increase in MIS throughout the study period (P < 0.001). Cases performed at teaching hospitals were more likely to be MIS (odds ratio [OR] 1.47, P < 0.001). We were able to identify surgical specialty in 23,746 cases, of which 60% were performed by urologists. Cases performed in the Midwest compared with Northeast were at increased adjusted odds of being performed by urologists (OR 1.38, P = 0.11). Despite most cases being performed by urologists, adrenalectomy by urologists showed a 15% annual decrease over the analysed period (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The use of a MIS technique to perform adrenalectomy is increasing at a slower rate compared with most other surgical extirpative procedures. Further investigation to explain the decreased performance of adrenalectomy by urologists is warranted.

Robot-assisted renal tumor enucleo-resection in patients with a solitary kidney.

INTRODUCTION: Nephron-sparing surgery is most crucial for patients with a small renal mass in a solitary kidney. Historically, a minimally invasive approach in this setting has been discouraged. Tumor enucleo-resection, long established in the management of hereditary renal tumor syndromes, is currently being evaluated as a viable surgical technique in the sporadic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) population. This approach may significantly reduce or eliminate the need for hilar clamping. We sought to evaluate our experience with robot-assisted enucleo-resection partial nephrectomy (EN-RAPN) in patients with solitary kidneys. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Records of patients with a solitary kidney requiring partial nephrectomy performed with robot-assisted enucleo-resection technique at four academic institutions between 2010 and 2013 were reviewed. Baseline demographic, perioperative and pathological data were collected. Functional and early operative outcomes were analyzed. RESULTS: Twelve patients underwent EN-RAPN with a median age of 68 years (range 55-80) and follow up duration of 12.55 months (IQR: 5.25, 18.88). Median warm ischemia time was 5.5 minutes (IQR: 0, 13.25) with 6/12 (50%) done off-clamp (zero warm ischemia). Ten (83.3%) patients were pT1a and clear cell was the predominant pathology (9 patients, 75%). Surgical margins were negative in all patients. No patient experienced renal loss or required dialysis. Pre and postoperative estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) at last follow up was similar (54.3, 48.9, Δ-7.0%; p = 0.313). CONCLUSIONS: Robot-assisted enucleo-resection partial nephrectomy in patients with a solitary kidney appears safe and feasible in our early experience. This approach may be utilized to maximize renal preservation and minimize hilar clamping in this setting.

Spontaneous resolution of inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor of the kidney.

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT) of the kidney is a rare and benign condition often confused with renal malignancy based on clinical presentation and radiologic evaluation that has commonly been treated with nephrectomy. Utilizing renal mass biopsy to help diagnose and guide therapeutic intervention is increasing but has not been universally adopted to this point. We present a case of an incidentally found atypical renal mass in a 71-year-old female diagnosed as inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor of the kidney after core needle biopsy. This tumor was managed conservatively without surgical intervention and resolved spontaneously.

Multicystic dysplastic kidney: is an initial voiding cystourethrogram necessary?

INTRODUCTION: Traditionally, a voiding cystourethrogram (VCUG) has been obtained in patients diagnosed with multicystic dysplastic kidney (MCDK) because of published vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) rates between 10%-20%. However, with the diagnosis and treatment of low grade VUR undergoing significant changes, we questioned the utility of obtaining a VCUG in healthy patients with a MCDK. We reviewed our experience to see how many of the patients with documented VUR required surgical intervention. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of children diagnosed with unilateral MCDK from 2002 to 2012 who also underwent a VCUG. RESULTS: A total of 133 patients met our inclusion criteria. VUR was identified in 23 (17.3%) children. Four patients underwent ureteral reimplant (3.0%). Indications for surgical therapy included breakthrough urinary tract infections (2 patients), evidence of dysplasia/scarring (1 patient) and non-resolving reflux (1 patient). All patients with a history of VUR who are toilet trained, regardless of the grade or treatment, are currently being followed off antibiotic prophylaxis. To date, none have had a febrile urinary tract infection (UTI) since cessation of prophylactic antibiotics. Hydronephrosis in the contralateral kidney was not predictive of VUR (p = 0.99). CONCLUSION: Routine VCUG in healthy children diagnosed with unilateral MCDK may not be warranted given the low incidence of clinically significant VUR. If a more conservative strategy is preferred, routine VCUG may be withheld in those children without normal kidney hydronephrosis and considered in patients with normal kidney hydronephrosis. If a VCUG is not performed the family should be instructed in signs and symptoms of urinary tract infection.

Bladder and Kidney Cancer Diagnosis and Survival Increase With Medicare Eligibility at Age 65.

INTRODUCTION: Medicare eligibility at 65 has been associated with increased diagnosis and survival for certain cancers due to greater health care utilization. We aim to assess for a similar "Medicare effect" for bladder and kidney cancers, which has not been previously established. METHODS: Patients diagnosed with bladder or kidney cancer from 2000-2018 at ages 60-69 years were identified with the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. We used age-over-age percent change calculations to characterize trends in cancer diagnoses focusing on patients aged 65. Multivariable Cox models were used to compare cancer-specific mortality across ages at diagnosis. RESULTS: We identified 63,960 patients diagnosed with bladder cancer and 52,316 diagnosed with kidney cancer. Age-over-age change in diagnosis was highest for patients aged 65 compared to all other ages for both cancers (P < .01 for both). Stratified by stage, patients aged 65 had a higher age-over-age change than those aged 61-64 or 66-69 for in situ (P = .01, P < .01, respectively), localized (P = .03, P = .01), and regional (P = .02, P = .02) bladder cancer and localized (P = .01, P = .01) kidney cancer. Bladder cancer patients aged 65 had lower cancer-specific mortality than patients aged 66 (HR = 1.17, P = .01) and 69 (HR = 1.18, P = .01), while kidney cancer patients aged 65 had lower mortality than patients aged 64 (HR = 1.18, P < .01) and 66-69. CONCLUSIONS: The age of 65, marking the onset of Medicare eligibility, is associated with more diagnoses of bladder and kidney cancer. Patients diagnosed at age 65 demonstrate decreased bladder and kidney cancer-specific mortality.

Identifying Preoperative Predictors of Operative Time and Their Impact on Outcomes in Robot-Assisted Partial Nephrectomy.

Objective: To identify preoperative characteristics in patients with renal masses that influence operative time during robot-assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN) and evaluate the relationship between operative time and length of stay (LOS), complication rates, and overall outcome. Materials and Methods: We queried our institutional database to identify a cohort of patients who underwent RAPN by two experienced robotic surgeons between 2012 and 2019. A multivariable regression model was developed to analyze operative time, LOS, and any grade complication within 30 days postoperatively using the bootstrap resampling technique. Results: A total of 392 patients were included. On multivariable analyses, prior abdominal surgery (p = 0.001) was associated with 22 minutes of increase in operating room time, as well as adhesive perirenal fat (22 minutes, p = 0.001). For each one unit increase in nephrometry score, there was a 4-minute increase in operating room time (p = 0.028), and for each one-cm increase in tumor size, there was an associated 12-minute increase in operating room time (p < 0.001). For each 1 year increase in age, there was an associated 0.024-day increase in LOS [odds ratio (OR) (0.013-0.035)]; in addition, for every one-cm increase in tumor size there was a 0.18-day associated increase in LOS [OR (0.070-0.28)]. Each 1-hour increase in operating room time was associated with a 0.25-day increased LOS [OR (0.092-0.41)]. Only tumor size was found to be associated with any grade complication. Conclusions: Patients with a history of abdominal surgery, larger complex tumors, and significant Gerota's fat undergoing robotic partial nephrectomy should anticipate longer operative times. Older patients with larger tumors and longer operative times can anticipate a longer LOS. Tumor size appears to be the common determinant of all three outcomes: operative time, LOS, and any grade Clavien complication.

Historical Considerations and Surgical Quality Improvement in Robotic Prostatectomy.

Laparoscopic prostatectomy was technically challenging and not widely adopted. Robotics led to the widespread adoption of minimally invasive prostatectomy, which has been used heavily, supplanting the open and traditional laparoscopic approach. The benefits of robotic prostatectomy are disputed. Data suggest that robotic prostatectomy outcomes have improved over time.

Xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis: a comparison of open and minimally-invasive surgical approaches.

To compare perioperative outcomes between patients undergoing minimally-invasive (MIS) and open surgical approaches for the treatment of Xanthogranulomatous Pyelonephritis (XGP). Between 2007 and 2017 we retrospectively identified 40 patients undergoing nephrectomy at our institution for pathologically confirmed XGP. Patients whose operations were ultimately completed with open technique were analyzed with the open cohort, whereas patients whose operations were completed in entirety using any laparoscopic approach were analyzed with the MIS group. Twenty-three patients were analyzed in the open cohort, compared to seventeen in the MIS group. Three patients in the open cohort were converted intraoperatively from MIS to open approach. Compared to the open group, the MIS group less often had an abscess on preoperative CT (11.8% vs 54.5%; p = 0.006). The MIS group also had lower intraoperative blood loss (100 vs 400 mL; p < 0.001), lower rate of blood transfusion (0% vs 45.5%; p = 0.002), lower postoperative intensive care admission (0% vs 34.8%; p = 0.013), and shorter hospital stay (4 vs 7 days; p = 0.013). However, there was no significant difference in high-grade complications between these groups (5.9% vs 34.8%; p = 0.054). Preoperative CT scan may be an important factor when considering operative approach for treatment of XGP. Patients who are able to undergo MIS approach have less blood loss, shorter hospitalization, and are less likely to require intensive care admission, which may be related to the disease process, the surgical technique, or both.

Definitive surgical therapy for refractory radiation cystitis: Evaluating effectiveness, tolerability, and extent of surgical approach.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: The management of severe symptoms secondary to radiation changes to the bladder can be difficult. Many patients often endure costly procedures, hospitalizations, transfusions, and physician visits for intractable symptoms. Our aim was to evaluate the short-term efficacy and feasibility of urinary diversion in patients with severe, debilitating symptoms related to radiation cystitis by focusing on perioperative data examining surgical feasibility and assess for any improvement in the number of procedures, transfusions, hospitalizations, and office visits required. METHODS: With IRB approval, we queried our institutional database for patients with a diagnosis code of radiation cystitis who underwent urinary diversion with or without bladder removal from 2011 to 2018. We reviewed institutional and regional record to assess pre, peri and postoperative outcomes, including rates of surgical procedures, hospitalizations, transfusions and clinic visits, in the year before and after treatment. Non-parametric statistics and linear regression were used. RESULTS: Of the 286 patients with radiation cystitis, 45 patients underwent definitive urinary diversion - 31 with concomitant cystectomy and 14 with diversion alone. Analysis of perioperative variables such as estimated blood loss, surgical time, post-operative hospital stay or complication rates were similar to our experience with cystectomy in non-radiated patients. With a mean follow up of 14.6 months, we found that the number of procedures, hospitalizations and transfusions objectively improved following radical surgery. Office visits, however, did not seem to be impacted by performing urinary diversion. There were no significant differences in post-operative benefits between patients that received a concomitant cystectomy and those that only underwent diversion. CONCLUSION: Patients suffering from severe refractory symptomatic radiation cystitis may be best treated with a radical surgical approach. Definitive urinary diversion with or without cystectomy can lower burden of disease by reducing the need for additional procedures, hospitalizations, and blood transfusions on short term follow-up.

Postchemotherapy retroperitoneal lymph node dissection in patients presenting with very high HCG levels.

PURPOSE: Choriocarcinoma germ cell tumors are rare and usually present with significantly elevated human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) levels. When curable, it is felt to be largely a result of chemotherapy. We sought to determine the histologic characteristics for those undergoing postchemotherapy retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (PC-RPLND) and compare them with metastatic nonseminomatous germ cell tumor (NSGCT) patients with similarly elevated hCG levels. METHODS: We reviewed medical records of men undergoing PC-RPLND between 1988 and 2017 with postorchiectomy, preinduction chemotherapy hCG levels greater than 50,000 mIU/ml. They were stratified by primary tumor histology: Pure choriocarcinoma and mixed NSGCT. Clinical, pathologic, and serologic data were reported and logistic regression was used to assess for predictors of necrosis in the PC-RPLND specimen. RESULTS: Our cohort consisted of 108 men. The mixed group (n = 91) had a median hCG of 165,177 mIU/ml, a postchemotherapy node size of 4.7 cm, of whom 19.8% also received salvage chemotherapy prior to RPLND. The pure choriocarcinoma group (n = 17) had a median hCG of 170,267 mIU/ml, a node size of 5.1 cm, of whom 17.6% received salvage chemotherapy. 88.2% of patients with choriocarcinoma had necrosis in the PC-RPLND specimen compared with 29.7% of the mixed NSGCT group (P = <0.0001). Controlling for salvage chemotherapy use, prechemotherapy hCG, node size and marker status, choriocarcinoma patients were 20 fold more likely to have necrosis on RPLND specimen (Odds ratio 20.68 [95% confidence interval 5.279-81.114]). CONCLUSION: While PC-RPLND is appropriate in patients with residual masses after chemotherapy, patients with pure choriocarcinoma presenting with significantly elevated hCG levels represent a unique patient population where necrosis is found more often than anticipated.

Understanding the role of salvage lymphadenectomy in node only recurrences after nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma.

PURPOSE: To investigate oncological outcomes and relapse patterns in retroperitoneal lymph node (LN)-only recurrences with salvage retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (S-RPLND). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed records of 19 patients undergoing RPLND for RCC recurrences between 2011 and 2018. All patients initially had primary non-metastatic RCC, with subsequent recurrence restricted to the retroperitoneal lymph nodes (LN). LN recurrence sites after nephrectomy and relapses after S-RPLND were assessed. The primary outcomes were post-RPLND Relapse-Free Survival (RFS), and Cancer-Specific Survival (CSS). RESULTS: The median age of our cohort was 60 years at RPLND. Right and left nephrectomies were performed in 14 (73.7%) and 5 (26.3%), respectively. Clear cell carcinoma was found in 10 (52.6%) patients, followed by papillary in 4(21.1%), chromophobe in 2(10.5%), and 'other' in 3 (15.8%). The extent of lymphadenectomy during nephrectomy and S-RPLND varied based on surgical approach. The median follow-up time after S-RPLND of the entire cohort was 31.53 months, and the median RFS was 9.63 months. Overall, 4 patients died of cancer, of which 3 (75%) were N1 at time of nephrectomy. The CSS after RPLND at 3 and 5 years was 81.5% and 61.1%, respectively. The RFS after RPLND at 2 and 5 years was 44.4% and 29.6%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that aggressive surgical management provides satisfactory CSS with acceptable complication rates. Moreover, we believe this subset of patients with node-only recurrence showed an unpredictable pattern of lymphatic spread, with predilection for regional dissemination warranting surgical resection of LN recurrences in a bilateral template fashion when feasible.

Urothelial carcinoma in situ response to cisplatin-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy, or lack thereof: Impact on patient selection for organ preservation in muscle-invasive disease?

INTRODUCTION: Neoadjuvant cisplatin-based chemotherapy (NACT) followed by radical cystectomy improves urothelial bladder cancer survival [1]. Complete pathological response on cystectomy pathology (pT0N0) is associated with the best survival outcomes [2]. Rates of complete response have increased with improved adoption of NACT calling into question the need for radical cystectomy or perhaps use of organ preservation protocols. In patients with papillary bladder tumors, carcinoma in situ (CIS) has been shown to influence progression and develop into invasive urothelial carcinoma [3]. Furthermore, in patients with invasive urothelial carcinoma, concurrent CIS has been reported in roughly 45% to 65% of cases [4]. Thus, we sought to determine the response rate of CIS to NACT to determine if the presence of CIS should factor into excluding patients from organ preservation. METHODS: A review of our prospectively maintained bladder cancer database was performed among patients undergoing preoperative cisplatin-based chemotherapy followed by cystectomy between 2007 and 2017. Presence of CIS before and after radical cystectomy was assessed. Random bladder biopsies or transurethral resection (TUR) with enhanced imaging for CIS (Cysview) were not routinely utilized in the preoperative setting. RESULTS: One-hundred eighty-three patients were identified that underwent preoperative cisplatin chemotherapy. A total of 96 (52.4%) unique patients had documented CIS in the entire cohort. Forty-eight (50%) patients were noted to have CIS on TUR. Of these 48 patients, 26 (54.1%) were noted to have residual CIS on final pathology. An additional 48 patients were found to have CIS on final pathology that was not diagnosed on TUR, making a total of 74 (77.1%) patients with CIS refractory to NACT on cystectomy pathology. CONCLUSIONS: CIS seems to respond poorly to cisplatin-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy. If organ preservation protocols are considered, a thorough assessment for CIS with enhanced photodynamic detection cystoscopy or random bladder biopsies should be considered. Residual cisplatin-refractory disease, even if noninvasive CIS, may lead to poor outcomes. Future molecular classifiers may assist in disease signatures to help guide treatment protocols.

Improving postoperative quality of care in germ cell tumor patients: Does scheduled alvimopan, acetaminophen, and gabapentin improve short-term clinical outcomes after retroperitoneal lymph node dissection?

INTRODUCTION: To determine the benefits of alvimopan and multimodal pain management strategies in men undergoing retroperitoneal lymph node dissection for testicular cancer. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was completed in men undergoing retroperitoneal lymph node dissection from January 2017 to May 2018. Patients were placed into the 3-drug, 2-drug, and control cohorts as a result of a prospectively determined protocol during the study period. Men in the 3-drug group were managed using alvimopan 12 mg PO the morning of surgery then BID until bowel movement, gabapentin 300 mg daily, and acetaminophen 1,000 mg q6H. The 2-drug group was managed with the above regimen excluding alvimopan. Controls were treated per our standard perioperative pathway. Primary outcomes were length of stay, IV narcotic consumption, bowel movement during hospitalization, and time to bowel movement and assessed in multivariate models controlling for operative time, concomitant surgery, chemotherapy receipt, and residual mass size. RESULTS: One-hundred and fifty-two consecutive patients underwent RPLND (42 3-drug, 38 2-drug, and 72 controls). Multivariable models indicated that the 3-drug (IRR 0.89, P < 0.0001) and 2-drug group (IRR 0.87, P = 0.0209) had shorter hospital stays than controls. Men in the 3-drug group required less narcotic pain medication than the 2-drug (ß -8.16, P = 0.0405) and the control (ß -8.16, P = 0.0302) group. Men receiving alvimopan (3-drug) were almost 6 times more likely than the 2-drug group (odds ratio 5.94, P < 0.0001) and 4 times more likely than the control group (odds ratio 3.86, P = 0.0017) to have a bowel movement during hospitalization. Men in the 3-drug group had the quickest return of bowel movements. CONCLUSIONS: Multimodal pain management improves length of stay in men undergoing retroperitoneal lymph node dissection for testis cancer. The addition of alvimopan allows for quicker return of bowel movements and reduces overall narcotic requirements.

Robot-Assisted Radical Prostatectomy in Patients with a History of Holmium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate: The Indiana University Experience.

Introduction: We sought to update our experience of oncologic and functional outcomes of robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) for prostate cancer in patients with history of holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP). Patients and Methods: Twenty-seven patients with previous HoLEP who underwent RARP were matched 1:1 with RARP patients with no history of transurethral surgery. Demographic, operative, oncologic, continence, and erectile function outcomes were analyzed. Results: Median time between HoLEP and RARP was 31 months with a mean prostate-specific antigen doubling time of 4.28 ng/mL/year. Operative times were significantly longer with higher bladder neck reconstruction rates and similarly low complication rates. Biochemical recurrence was relatively low (7%) in the HoLEP group, identical to the comparative group. Continence at last follow-up was not statistically significant between groups, although time to continence favored the non-HoLEP cohort. Erectile function recovery was generally poor in the post-HoLEP cohort (11%), although bilateral nerve sparing was rarely performed (11%). Compared with our initial experience, there were significant improvements in time to continence (16 vs 36 weeks). No T2 post-HoLEP RARP since 2010 has had a positive surgical margin. Conclusions: Post-HoLEP prostatectomy remains feasible with similar perioperative and oncologic outcomes compared with matched cohorts. Functional recovery remains slowed yet may continue to improve with technical familiarity.