Creatinine to Cystatin-C Ratio in Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Clinically Pragmatic Prognostic Factor and Sarcopenia Biomarker.

INTRODUCTION: Low creatinine to cystatin-C ratio (Cr/Cys-C) may be a biomarker for low-muscle mass. Furthermore, low Cr/Cys-C is associated with decreased overall survival (OS), but to date, has not been examined in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Our objective is to evaluate associations between low Cr/Cys-C ratio and OS and recurrence-free survival (RFS) in patients with RCC treated with nephrectomy. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of patients with RCC treated with nephrectomy. Patients with end-stage renal disease and less than 1-year follow up were excluded. Cr/Cys-C was dichotomized at the median for the cohort (low vs. high). OS and RFS for patients with high versus low Cr/Cys-C were estimated with the Kaplan-Meier method, and associations with the outcomes of interest were modeled using Cox proportional Hazards models. Associations between Cr/Cys-C and skeletal muscle mass were assessed with correlations and logistic regression. RESULTS: A total of 255 patients were analyzed, with a median age of 64. Median (IQR) Cr/Cys-C was 1 (0.8-1.2). Low Cr/Cys-C was associated with age, female sex, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status ≥1, TNM stage, and tumor size. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analysis demonstrated an association between low Cr/Cys-C and decreased OS (HR = 2.97, 95%CI, 1.12-7.90, P =0.029) and RFS (HR = 3.31, 95%CI, 1.26-8.66, P = .015). Furthermore, a low Cr/Cys-C indicated a 2-3 increase in risk of radiographic sarcopenia. CONCLUSIONS: Lower Cr/Cys-C is associated with inferior oncologic outcomes in RCC and, pending validation, may have utility as a serum biomarker for the presence of sarcopenia in patients with RCC treated with nephrectomy.

Minimally invasive lymphocele drainage using the Da Vinci® single port platform: step-by- step technique.

BACKGROUND: Reports in the literature describe lymphocele formation in up to half of patients following pelvic lymph node dissection (PLND) (1) in robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP), with 1-2% requiring intervention (2). The advantage of surgical approach is permanent excision of the lymphocele capsule and fewer days with pelvic drains compared to percutaneous drainage. This study aims to describe the step-by-step surgical management of symptomatic lymphoceles using a less invasive robotic platform, the Da Vinci® Single Port (SP). MATERIAL AND METHODS: We describe the technique of lymphocelectomy and marsupialization with the Da Vinci® SP for symptomatic lymphocele. For this study, several treatment modalities for symptomatic lymphoceles were available, including percutaneous drainage, sclerosing agents, and surgical marsupialization. All the data for this study were obtained through the procedure via Da Vinci® SP. RESULTS: Operative time for the case was 84 minutes. Blood loss was 25ml. No intra- or post- operative complications were reported. The patient had his drain removed in under 24 hours after surgery. The mean follow-up period was 7.7 months. There were no complications or lymphocele recurrence. CONCLUSION: Da Vinci® SP lymphocelectomy is safe and feasible with satisfactory outcomes. The SP enables definitive treatment of the lymphocele sac (3), reducing the number of days with abdominal drains and allows further decrease in surgical invasiveness with fewer incisions and better cosmesis.

Barriers and facilitators to physical activity prehabilitation in patients with kidney cancer.

PURPOSE: Timely and effective physical activity (PA) prehabilitation is an evidence-based approach for improving a patient's health status preoperatively. Identifying barriers and facilitators to PA prehabilitation can help inform best practices for exercise prehabilitation program implementation. We explore the barriers and facilitators to PA prehabilitation in patients undergoing nephrectomy. METHODS: A qualitative exploratory study was conducted by interviewing 20 patients scheduled for nephrectomy. Interviewees were selected via convenience sampling strategy. The interviews were semi-structured and discussed experienced and perceived barriers/facilitators to PA prehabilitation. Interview transcripts were imported to Nvivo 12 for coding and semantic content analysis. A codebook was independently created and collectively validated. Themes of barriers and facilitators were identified and summarized in descriptive findings based on frequency of themes. RESULTS: Five relevant themes of barriers to PA prehabilitation emerged: 1) mental factors, 2) personal responsibilities, 3) physical capacity, 4) health conditions, and 5) lack of exercise facilities. Contrarily, facilitators potentially contributing to PA prehabilitation adherence in kidney cancer included 1) holistic health, 2) social and professional support, 3) acknowledgment of health benefits, 4) exercise type and guidance, and 5) Communication channels. CONCLUSION AND KEY FINDINGS: Kidney cancer patient's adherence to physical activity prehabilitation is influenced by multiple biopsychosocial barriers and facilitators. Hence, adherence to physical activity prehabilitation requires timely adaptation of health beliefs and behavior embedded in the reported barriers and facilitators. For this reason, prehabilitation strategies should strive to be patient-centered and include health behavioral change theories as underlying frameworks for sustaining patient engagement and self-efficacy.

Upper tract urothelial carcinoma with Oligometastasis to the right ventricle, surgical considerations, and management.

Right ventricular (RV) metastasis from an upper tract urothelial carcinoma without inferior vena cava or right atrial involvement is an extremely rare event which highlights the heterogeneity of this disease process. We report a case of a 43-year-old man presenting for long-standing hematuria and left flank pain. Computed tomography revealed a left renal mass with para-aortic lymphadenopathy, in addition to a potential mass in the RV. The mass involving the RV was confirmed on subsequent cardiac evaluation with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and echocardiography. After discussion in a multidisciplinary tumor board, the patient underwent a left nephrectomy, regional lymphadenectomy, and excision of metastatic RV tumor with bovine patch reconstruction. Final pathology reported invasive urothelial carcinoma in the left kidney with involvement of regional para-aortic lymph nodes and metastatic tumor in the RV (T4N3M1, AJCC 8th edition). The patient did well postoperatively and completed adjuvant Cisplatin-Gemcitabine systemic chemotherapy. This is an important addition to the literature as it highlights the aggressive and heterogeneous nature of urothelial carcinoma and the utility of cardiac MRI in surgical planning.

Does type of robotic platform make a difference in the final cost of robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy?

This study evaluates the difference of robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) costs in patients with similar preoperative characteristics operated on using the da Vinci® SP and Xi robotic platforms. We performed a retrospective analysis on 71 consecutive patients with prostate cancer who underwent RARP with the SP robot between June 2019 and April 2020. Propensity score (PS) matching was performed and 71 patients were selected from a cohort of 875 who underwent RARP with the Xi robot in the same period. We divided the total expense per surgery into the cost of disposable materials, robotic instruments (initial purchasing cost divided by the number of "lives"), and operative room costs. Only variable costs are included in this study, as fixed costs do not vary between procedures and are the same for both cohorts. Fixed costs include anesthesia, pathology, surgeon, and hospitalization fees. The median total cost for SP-RARP was $5586 ($5360-$5982) USD and $4875 ($4661-$5093) USD with the XI for a median cost difference of $707 ($584-$832) (P < 0.001). The median cost of disposables for the SP was $1877 ($1588-$2193) USD and for the Xi $1527 ($1407-$1781) USD, P < 0.001. Non-disposable instruments cost per case (fixed cost) was $1610 and $1270 USD for the SP and Xi, respectively. The cost of radical prostatectomy in the SP cohort is higher than the Xi cohort. The greater price was primarily due to the increased cost of instruments and disposable materials. In our experience, the lack of GelPOINT and space maker is also crucial factors to decrease the SP total cost.

A population-based analysis of risk factors and outcomes of prostatic abscess.

BACKGROUND: Prostate abscess is a severe complication of acute bacterial prostatitis. To date, a population-based analysis of risk factors and outcomes of prostatic abscess has not been performed. METHODS: Using the National Inpatient Sample from 2010 to 2015, we identified rates of prostatic abscess among non-elective hospitalizations for acute prostatitis. Significant Elixhauser comorbidities and risk factors were analyzed using survey-weighted logistic regression. Additional survey-weighted regression models were constructed to analyze sepsis, in-hospital mortality, length of hospital stay (LOS), and total hospital charges. RESULTS: A weighted total of 126,103 hospitalizations for acute prostatitis was identified, with 6,775 (5.4%) hospitalizations with prostatic abscess. Numerous risk factors for prostatic abscess were identified, with a history of prostate biopsy (adjusted OR: 5.7; p < 0.001), complicated diabetes mellitus (adjusted OR: 3.23, p < 0.001), and urethral stricture (adjusted OR: 3.15; p < 0.001) having the greatest magnitude of developing abscess. Moreover, those diagnosed with prostatic abscess had increased odds of sepsis (adjusted OR: 1.71, p < 0.001), in-hospital mortality (adjusted OR: 2.73, p < 0.001), LOS (adjusted Incidence Rate Ratio: 1.86, p < 0.001), and total hospital charges (adjusted Ratio: 2.06, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Numerous risk factors were associated with the development of prostatic abscess, with those diagnosed experiencing greater odds of sepsis, in-hospital mortality, longer LOS, and greater hospital charges. Ultimately, better understanding of risk factors associated with this condition will enable clinicians to identify patients at high risk, thereby expediting and tailoring management.

Minimally Invasive Lymphocele Drainage Using the Da Vinci Single-Port Platform: Step-By-Step Technique of a Prostate Cancer Referral Center.

Background: Some reports in the literature describe lymphocele formation in as much as half of patients after pelvic lymph node dissection (PLND) in robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP), with 1%-2% requiring intervention. Several treatment modalities for symptomatic lymphoceles are available, including percutaneous drainage, sclerosing agents, and surgical marsupialization, typically performed by laparoscopy or with a multiport robotic platform. The advantage of surgical approach is permanent excision of the lymphocele capsule and fewer days with pelvic drains compared to percutaneous drainage. This study aims to describe and illustrate, for the first time, the step-by-step surgical management of symptomatic lymphoceles using a less invasive robotic platform, the da Vinci® Single Port (SP). Materials and Methods: We describe the outcomes of three patients who underwent lymphocelectomy and marsupialization with the da Vinci SP for symptomatic lymphoceles after RARP and PLND with the da Vinci Xi. Results: Operative time for cases 1, 2, and 3 was 84, 80, and 79 minutes. The blood loss for each surgery was 25 mL. Patient 2 was discharged in 3 days, whereas patients 1 and 3 were discharged in 4 days. No intraoperative or postoperative complications were reported. All patients had their drain removed in under 24 hours after surgery. The mean follow-up period was 7.7 months (3.5-15.8). No patients were readmitted or had lymphocele recurrence. Conclusion: Da Vinci SP lymphocelectomy is safe and feasible with satisfactory outcomes. The SP enables definitive treatment of the lymphocele sac, reducing the number of days with abdominal drains, and allows further decrease in surgical invasiveness with fewer incisions and better cosmesis.

Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Pediatric Emergency Department Flow.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine how the early stages of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic affected the use of the pediatric emergency department (PED). METHODS: Cross-sectional study of PED visits during January through April, 2016-2020. Data included: total PED visits, emergency severity index (ESI), disposition, chief complaint, age (months), time from first provider to disposition (PTD), and PED length of stay (PED-LOS). P-value <0.01 was statistically significant. RESULTS: In total, 67,499 visits were reported. There was a significant decrease in PED visits of 24-71% from March to April 2020. Chief complaints for fever and cough were highest in March 2020; while April 2020 had a shorter mean PED-LOS (from 158 to 123 min), an increase of admissions (from 8% to 14%), a decrease in ESI 4 (10%), and an increase in ESI 3 (8%) (P < 0.001). There was no difference in mean monthly PTD time. CONCLUSIONS: Patient flow in the PED was negatively affected by a decrease in PED visits and increase in admission rate that may be related to higher acuity. By understanding the interaction between hospital processes on PEDs and patient factors during a pandemic, we are able to anticipate and better allocate future resources.

Cystic Dysplasia of the Rete Testis: Does Pathophysiology Guide Management?

Cystic dysplasia of the rete testis (CDT) is a rare, benign, cause of testicular mass in the pediatric population. The mass appears on sonography as multiple small cysts of varying size surrounded by normal or compressed testicular tissue. CDT is often associated with other genitourinary anomalies, commonly presenting with agenesis or dysplasia of the ipsilateral kidney. The pathophysiology and the management remains controversial. We report a case of a 3-year-old presenting with an enlarged testicular mass later presumed to be CDT associated with ipsilateral renal agenesis, review the literature, and propose an evaluation and management algorithm.

Minimally invasive lymphocele drainage using the Da Vinci® single port platform: step-by- step technique

ABSTRACT Background: Reports in the literature describe lymphocele formation in up to half of patients following pelvic lymph node dissection (PLND) (1) in robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP), with 1-2% requiring intervention (2). The advantage of surgical approach is permanent excision of the lymphocele capsule and fewer days with pelvic drains compared to percutaneous drainage. This study aims to describe the step-by-step surgical management of symptomatic lymphoceles using a less invasive robotic platform, the Da Vinci® Single Port (SP). Material and Methods: We describe the technique of lymphocelectomy and marsupialization with the Da Vinci® SP for symptomatic lymphocele. For this study, several treatment modalities for symptomatic lymphoceles were available, including percutaneous drainage, sclerosing agents, and surgical marsupialization. All the data for this study were obtained through the procedure via Da Vinci® SP. Results: Operative time for the case was 84 minutes. Blood loss was 25ml. No intra- or post- operative complications were reported. The patient had his drain removed in under 24 hours after surgery. The mean follow-up period was 7.7 months. There were no complications or lymphocele recurrence. Conclusion: Da Vinci® SP lymphocelectomy is safe and feasible with satisfactory outcomes. The SP enables definitive treatment of the lymphocele sac (3), reducing the number of days with abdominal drains and allows further decrease in surgical invasiveness with fewer incisions and better cosmesis.