Minimally invasive surgical therapies for benign prostatic hyperplasia in the geriatric population: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Geriatric patients, prone to adverse events (AEs) and low compliance with drugs, may benefit from minimally invasive surgical therapies (MISTs) for managing benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). We evaluated the efficacy, safety, and procedural characteristics of MISTs in geriatric patients with BPH. METHODS: PubMed/MEDLINE database was systematically searched for relevant articles through October 1, 2023. Eligible studies focused on geriatric patients (≥65 years) with BPH who were treated with MISTs and evaluated follow-up surgical, micturition, and/or sexual outcomes. Studies were included if there was separate reporting for age subgroups ≥65 years, or if the mean age minus standard deviation was ≥65 years, or if the first quartile was ≥65 years. RESULTS: Out of 292 screened studies, 32 (N = 3972 patients) met inclusion criteria and assessed prostatic artery embolization (PAE), Rezum, GreenLight, holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP), thulium laser enucleation of the prostate (ThuLEP), diode laser enucleation of the prostate (DiLEP), and Aquablation. Except for Rezum, all MISTs required a planned overnight stay. While PAE and Rezum could be performed under local anesthesia, the other MISTs needed general or spinal anesthesia. Postoperative catheterization duration was longest for PAE (median 14 days) and Rezum (21 days) and shortest for GreenLight (1.9 days). At 12 months postoperatively, all MISTs exhibited significant percent changes in International Prostate Symptom Score (median -69.9%) and quality of life (median -72.5%). Clavien-Dindo Grade 1 AEs ranged widely, with PAE (5.8%-36.8%), Rezum (0%-62.1%), and GreenLight (0%-67.6%) having the largest range, and HoLEP (0%-9.5%), ThuLEP (2%-6.9%), and DiLEP (5%-17.5%) having the smallest. PAE, Rezum, DiLEP, and Aquablation reported no significant changes in the International Index of Erectile Function. CONCLUSIONS: Although all the MISTs reviewed in this study effectively treat BPH in geriatric patients, differences in procedural characteristics and safety profiles across MISTs were considerable. Physicians should use shared decision-making processes, considering risks and patient characteristics, when choosing a suitable treatment option for their patients.

Rezum water vapor therapy for patients with mild, moderate, or severe lower urinary tract symptoms: A retrospective study in a multiethnic population.

BACKGROUND: The Rezum System (Rezum) represents a novel, minimally invasive surgical therapy used to treat lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) secondary to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). We evaluated the safety and efficacy of Rezum in patients with mild, moderate, or severe LUTS. METHODS: A single office, retrospective study was conducted on patients from a multiethnic population treated with Rezum between 2017 and 2019. Patients were categorized into three cohorts based on baseline International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) LUTS severity: mild LUTS (IPSS ≤ 7), moderate LUTS (IPSS 8-19), or severe LUTS (IPSS ≥ 20) cohorts. Outcome measures, including IPSS, quality of life (QoL), maximum urinary flow rate (Qmax), postvoid residual (PVR), BPH medication usage, and adverse events (AEs) were collected and analyzed at baseline, 1-, 3-, 6-, and/or 12-months postoperatively. RESULTS: A total of 238 patients were included: 33 with mild LUTS, 109 with moderate LUTS, and 96 with severe LUTS. At 1-month follow-up, the moderate and severe LUTS cohorts saw significant improvements in IPSS (moderate LUTS: -3.0 [-6.0, 1.5], p < 0.001; severe LUTS: -10.0 [-16.0, -5.0], p < 0.001) and QoL (moderate LUTS: -1.0 [-3.0, 0.0], p < 0.001; severe LUTS: -1.0 [-3.0, 0.0], p < 0.001) and improvements remained durable up to 12-months (p < 0.001). The mild LUTS cohort saw significant worsening in IPSS by 2.0 (0.0, 12.0) at 1-month (p = 0.002) but returned to baseline at 3-months (p = 0.114). However, the mild LUTS cohort experienced significant improvements in QoL by -0.5 (-3.0, 0.0) at 3-months (p = 0.035) and nocturia by 0.0 (-1.0, 0.0) at 6-months (p = 0.002), both of which remained durable to 12-months (p < 0.05). Most AEs were transient and nonserious, with gross hematuria (66.5%) being most common. There were no significant differences in QoL point reduction, Qmax improvement, PVR reduction, and AE occurrence between the cohorts at 12-months (p > 0.05). At 12-months, 80.0%, 87.5%, and 66.0% of the patients in the mild, moderate, and severe LUTS cohorts discontinued their BPH medications, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Rezum provides rapid and durable relief in LUTS in patients with moderate or severe LUTS and can be offered to patients with mild LUTS who have bothersome nocturia and wish to discontinue their BPH medications.

Management of large kidney stones in the geriatric population.

PURPOSE: The aim of this review is to highlight the unique factors that predispose geriatric patients to nephrolithiasis and to compare the utility and efficacy of surgical techniques in this specific patient population. METHODS: PubMed and EMBASE databases were reviewed, and studies were organized according to surgical treatments. RESULTS: Few prospective studies exist comparing kidney stone removal in the elderly to younger cohorts. In addition, various age cut-offs were used to determine who was considered elderly. Most studies which analyzed Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy (PCNL) found a slightly higher rate of minor complications but comparable stone free rate and operative time. For ureteroscopy (URS) and extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (ESWL), there were minimal complications observed and no difference in clinical success in the elderly. All surgical techniques were presumed to be safe in the elderly and most found no difference in stone-free rates. CONCLUSIONS: Unique attributes of the geriatric population contribute to stone formation and must be considered when determining appropriate management modalities. This review provides an overview of the utility and efficacy of PCNL, URS and ESWL in the elderly, as well as a porposed algorithm for management in this population.

Optimizing pain management following kidney stone surgery: can we avoid narcotics?

INTRODUCTION: Opioids are often used to manage postoperative pain. Non-narcotic alternatives have increasingly been used to reduce opioid usage. We conducted an open-label randomized non-inferiority clinical trial to compare non-opioid to opioid therapy for pain management after nephrolithiasis surgery. METHODS: Patients undergoing elective ureteroscopy or percutaneous nephrolithotomy between July 2018 and May 2021 were randomized to receive ketorolac (non-opioid) or oxycodone-acetaminophen (opioid). Each patient was surveyed one week postoperatively to assess pain outcomes. Patient demographics, surgical variables, number of pills used, constipation, and adverse events were also assessed. We evaluated whether non-opioid analgesia was non-inferior to opioid analgesia for postoperative pain, assuming a non-inferiority margin of 1.3 in pain score between groups. RESULTS: Analyses were based on 90 patients with postoperative pain data: 44 in the ketorolac group and 46 in the oxycodone-acetaminophen group. The groups were similar regarding demographics, type of surgery, ureteral stent placement, and stone burden. Non-inferiority of non-opioids compared to opioids was demonstrated for all outcomes. At follow-up, the average pain scores were 3.20 ± 1.94 (SD) in the non-opioid group and 4.17 ± 1.84 in the opioid group (difference = - 0.96; 95% CI: - 1.76, - 0.17, p = 0.018). The mean proportions of unused pills were similar between groups (p = 0.47) as were rates of constipation (p = 0.32). CONCLUSIONS: Non-opioid analgesia was non-inferior to opioid analgesia in pain management after kidney stone surgery. This trial contributes to the evidence that non-opioid analgesics should be considered an effective option for pain management following non-invasive urologic procedures.

Clinical challenges of scrotal lymphangioma in an adult: a rare case of scrotal swelling.

Scrotal lymphangiomas represent an extremely rare cause of scrotal swelling. We report a case of scrotal lymphangioma in an 18-year-old male who presented with painful scrotal swelling. Scrotal ultrasound revealed a complex multicystic structure in the left hemiscrotum. The patient underwent successful surgical excision of the mass. Postoperatively, he developed a hydrocele which eventually spontaneously regressed. Histopathology confirmed the diagnosis. We outline the unusual presentation, characteristic imaging and histology findings, and surgical management of scrotal lymphangiomas. With this information, urologists may exercise a heightened level of awareness for this rare cause of scrotal swelling.

Cross-sectional and comparative analysis of videos on erectile dysfunction treatment on YouTube and TikTok.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of information regarding erectile dysfunction (ED) treatment on YouTube and TikTok. The term "erectile dysfunction" was searched on YouTube and TikTok in July 2021. The first 50 videos on each platform that met inclusion were included. Videos were sorted as reliable or unreliable based on accuracy of video content. Quality of information was evaluated using Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool (PEMAT) and 5-point modified DISCERN. TikTok videos were shorter (0.4 minutes vs. 5.2 minutes, p < 0.001) and had more likes (2294 vs. 1000, p = 0.005), views per month (17,281 vs. 3521, p < 0.001) and subscribers/followers (97,500 vs. 23,000, p = 0.016) than YouTube videos. TikTok videos were less reliable than YouTube videos (TikTok 5/50 [10%] vs. YouTube 21/50 [42%], p < 0.001). YouTube mentioned more about phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (32% vs. 10%, p = 0.007), while TikTok mentioned more about alternative supplements (36% vs. 4%, p < 0.001). YouTube had a higher DISCERN (1.99 vs. 0.98, p < 0.001) and PEMAT actionability scores (64.2% vs. 54.0%, p = 0.039) when compared to TikTok. YouTube videos were of higher quality than TikTok videos. Nevertheless, YouTube had a considerable amount of unreliable information. We recommend a collaborative effort from the medical community to improve information regarding ED treatment on YouTube and TikTok.

Assessing the quality and readability of online content on shock wave therapy for erectile dysfunction.

Patients are becoming increasingly reliant on online platforms for obtaining health information. Previous research has shown that the quality of information available on the internet regarding novel medical therapies is generally poor and frequently misleading. Shock wave therapy represents a novel restorative therapy for erectile dysfunction (ED) that has recently gained attention. We hypothesised that online sources regarding shock wave therapy for ED would be fraught with misleading claims and unreliable health information. Our objective was to evaluate the quality and readability of online medical information on shock wave therapy as a treatment for ED. Websites were generated using a Google search of 'shock wave therapy for erectile dysfunction' with location filters disabled. Readability was analysed using the Readable software (Readable.com, Horsham, United Kingdom). Quality was assessed independently by three reviewers using the DISCERN tool. Articles were subdivided into those from private clinic websites and those from universities or news media websites. Statistical analysis was conducted using the Student's t test. Nine articles that resulted from the Google search had mean readability scores as follows: Flesch-Kincaid grade level (10.8), Gunning-Fog Index (13.67), Coleman-Liau Index (12.74), Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG) Index (13.33), FORCAST Grade Level (11.33), and Automated Readability Index (11.08). The mean Flesch Reading Ease score was 46.4. The articles had a mean DISCERN score of 3.1, suggesting 'moderate quality' content. Articles from universities (n = 2) or news sources (n = 3) had significantly higher DISCERN scores than articles from private medical practices (n = 4). There was no difference in readability scores between the groups. Articles from private clinics are just as readable as those from universities or news media, but they are significantly more biased and misleading. The current online material relating to shock wave therapy for ED may not adequately inform patients in their medical decisions making, thereby necessitating closer collaboration between the sources disseminating information and urologists.

Rates of False-Negative Screening in Prostate Specific Antigen Secondary to 5-Alpha Reductase Inhibitor Usage: A Quality-Improvement Initiative.

PURPOSE: Patients often take 5-alpha reductase inhibitors (5-ARIs) for the management of benign prostatic hyperplasia. However, 5-ARIs can decrease prostate specific antigen (PSA) by approximately half and therefore may lead to false negative PSA tests. We investigated false-screening rates in men on 5-ARIs undergoing PSA testing and whether ordering physicians noticed false negative findings. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A single institution, retrospective study was conducted on patients with a PSA value documented between 2014 and 2017. Patient demographics, PSA results, 5-ARI usage, and providing clinician characteristics were collected. Published normal PSA values were used to determine PSA test positivity; values for those on 5-ARIs were doubled. RESULTS: A total of 29,131 men were included. 1,654 (5.7%) were prescribed 5-ARIs at least 12 months prior to PSA evaluation. 118 men (7.1%) had a value that would be positive if corrected for 5-ARI usage, 33 (27.9%) of which had no indication that the provider had noted this. There was no effect on rates of false negative values if the PSA was ordered by a different provider than the one who prescribed the 5-ARI (p = 0.837). However, if the provider who ordered the PSA test was an urologist, the likelihood that a false negative value would be identified was lower (p=0.001). CONCLUSIONS: More than a quarter of men with false negative tests were missed. This occurred more often when the ordering provider was not an urologist. An educational opportunity exists to improve the quality of PSA testing by preventing false negative tests.

Pyoderma gangrenosum of the penis.

Pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) is a cutaneous inflammatory disorder that results in painful ulcers. Isolated penile PG is an exceedingly rare entity that has only been reported in a handful of cases. This case highlights the course of a 71-year old man with a locally destructive, nonhealing penile ulceration who was ultimately diagnosed with PG. He underwent extensive work up to reach the diagnosis. His disease progression was halted with systemic steroids and Methotrexate. We present his clinical course and a review of the literature to highlight the need for early recognition of this potentially devastating condition and to outline management options.

Patient-Centered Satisfaction After Secondary Correction of the Cleft Lip and Nasal Defect.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate patient-reported aesthetic and psychosocial outcomes of secondary cleft lip and nose revision procedures. DESIGN: Single-center cohort study. SETTING: Tertiary care pediatric hospital. PATIENTS/PARTICIPANTS: Patients who underwent secondary revision procedures for cleft lip and nasal defect (N = 42). INTERVENTIONS: Patients were administered a survey during a routine postoperative clinic visit. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Outcome measures were planned prior to data collection and included improvement in appearance seen in lip and nose, satisfaction with revision procedure, changes in self-confidence, likelihood to participate in social activities, and effect on teasing by peers. RESULTS: Patients agreed that an improvement was seen in the appearance of their lip (1.93) and nose (1.98) following surgery. Overall, patients felt satisfied with the results of their revision procedure (1.76). An improvement in confidence and decrease in feelings of self-consciousness was reported. Patients were teased less by their peers and more likely to participate in social activities. CONCLUSIONS: Secondary revision procedures of the cleft lip and nasal defect provide a patient-reported improvement in appearance and a positive psychosocial impact on patient's lives.

Ectopic ACTH-secreting neuroendocrine tumor: a rare etiology of a pediatric solid renal mass.

Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are rare tumors with varying clinical presentations. We describe the case of an 11-year-old female presenting with Cushingoid features in the setting of a left-sided flank mass. Her presentation and evaluation suggested a paraneoplastic ectopic ACTH syndrome. She underwent open left radical nephrectomy and final pathology confirming a high-grade NET with nodal metastasis. Although exceedingly rare, ACTH-secreting tumors of the kidney can cause significant morbidity and mortality and so we recommend it be included in the differential diagnosis of pediatric renal masses.

Angiotensin-(1-7) contributes to insulin-sensitizing effects of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition in obese mice.

Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors reduce body weight, lower blood pressure (BP), and improve insulin sensitivity in animal models of cardiometabolic syndrome. These effects are generally attributed to reduced angiotensin (ANG) II formation; however, these therapies also increase levels of ANG-(1-7), a beneficial hormone opposing ANG II actions. We hypothesized that this ANG-(1-7) generation contributes to the insulin-sensitizing effects of ACE inhibition in obese mice. Adult male C57BL/6J mice were placed on a 60% high-fat diet for 11 wk. During the last 3 wk of diet, mice received normal water or water containing the ACE inhibitor captopril (50 mg/l) as well as the ANG-(1-7) mas receptor antagonist A779 (400 or 800 ng·kg-1·min-1) or saline vehicle via subcutaneous osmotic minipumps. At the end of treatment, arterial BP was measured, and hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamps were performed in conscious obese mice receiving vehicle, captopril, captopril plus A779, or A779 ( n = 6-13/group). Captopril reduced body weight (28 ± 2 vs. 41 ± 2 g saline; P = 0.001), lowered systolic BP (109 ± 6 vs. 144 ± 7 mmHg saline; P = 0.041), and improved whole-body insulin sensitivity (steady-state glucose infusion rate: 31 ± 4 vs. 16 ± 2 mg·kg-1·min-1 saline; P = 0.001) in obese mice. A779 attenuated captopril-mediated improvements in insulin sensitivity (23 ± 2 mg·kg-1·min-1; P = 0.042), with no effect on body weight (32 ± 2 g; P = 0.441) or BP (111 ± 7 mmHg; P = 0.788). There was no effect of A779 alone on cardiometabolic outcomes. These data suggest that insulin-sensitizing effects of ACE inhibition are in part due to activation of ANG-(1-7)/ mas receptor pathways and provide new insight into mechanisms underlying the positive metabolic effects of these therapies.

Hemophilia in the cath lab: Balancing the need to clot with the treatment of thrombosis.

Hemophilia is a rare genetic disorder that inherently results in bleeding risks that can be successfully managed in the cardiac catheterization laboratory. Standard of care options such as drug-coated stents should not be denied hemophiliacs solely on the basis of their genetic defect. Successful care of hemophilia requires a close collaboration with a specialist in these bleeding disorders to optimize care.

Temporal Trends of Semen Quality and Fertility Rates Over the Course of a Decade: Data From King County, Washington.

OBJECTIVE: There has been a widely reported decline in both semen quality and fertility rate, however to date these studies have not looked at a decline of both in the same time period within the same geographical area. The objective of this study was to determine if there existed a temporal trend in both semen parameters and fertility rates for the same geographic area (King County, WA) over time. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Semen parameters from sperm donors at Seattle sperm bank were obtained from 2008 to 2021. Sperm donations occurred in King County, WA. Donors were from within 50 miles of the donation site. Fertility rates were calculated for King County, WA using census data from SEER to find number of women aged 15-49 and the number of births were found using CDC Wonder data from 2006 to 2017. RESULTS: There were a total of 76,622 sperm donor semen analyses from King County, WA included in our study from 2008 to 2021. The fertility rate for King County, WA was calculated from 2006 to 2017. From 2008 to 2021, there was a statistically significant decline in semen quality over time for both sperm count (P < .01), total motile sperm count (P < .01), sperm concentration (P < .01), and progressive motility (P < .01). Additionally, from 2006 to 2017 there was a statistically significant decline in fertility rate (P < .01). CONCLUSION: We report a statistically significant decline in sperm parameters among donors and a corresponding decline in fertility rates from the same geographic area that warrants further investigation given the serious societal and economic impacts a shrinking population presents. While certainly not the sole contributing factor, declining sperm parameters likely need to be accounted for when accounting for declining fertility rates.

Implementation of a shared research database to increase medical student awareness and involvement in urology research A pilot study.

INTRODUCTION: We aimed to assess the effect of a shared institutional research database on medical students' scholarly work, perceived research competency, and self-reported satisfaction. METHODS: An institutional inventory database was created on Google Sheets with a listing of available mentors and a description of their ongoing research projects. The inventory database was shared with interested students and faculty. Students who agreed to participate were surveyed pre- and post-inventory. Survey questions assessed student demographics, prior research experience, and their perception of research competency and satisfaction. The number of presentations, publications, and articles pre- and post-inventory were also abstracted. Survey responses were compared using the Mann-Whitney U test. RESULTS: A total of 20 students were surveyed pre-inventory and at a median followup of six months (5-7) post-inventory. There was a significant increase in scholarly presentations and publications post-inventory (p<0.05 for all). Furthermore, post-inventory, students reported feeling more confident in establishing an academic career, finding good mentors, managing their relationship with their mentor, managing professional challenges, and effectively showcasing themselves professionally and describing their research (p<0.05 for all). More than 65% of students agreed or strongly agreed that the database was easy to use, accessible, transparent, and would like a similar database created for other specialty departments. CONCLUSIONS: After performing mentorship-guided research through an institutional research database, medical students felt more confident in their ability to perform research and produced more scholarly work. Therefore, we recommend a research database be created across all institutional departments to foster interest in conducting research.

Electronic Health Record Usage Patterns Across Surgical Subspecialties.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to utilize metrics from physician action logs to analyze surgeon clinical, volume, electronic health record (EHR) efficiency, EHR proficiency, and workload outside scheduled time as impacted by physician characteristics such as years of experience, gender, subspecialty, academic title, and administrative title. METHODS: We selected 30 metrics from Epic Signal, an analytic tool in Epic that extracts metrics related to clinician documentation. Metrics measuring appointments, messages, and scheduled hours per day were used as a correlate for volume. EHR efficiency, and proficiency were measured by scores built into Epic Signal. Metrics measuring time spent in the EHR outside working hours were used as a correlate for documentation burden. We analyzed these metrics among surgeons at our institution across 4 months and correlated them with physician characteristics. RESULTS: Analysis of 133 surgeons showed that, when stratified by gender, female surgeons had significantly higher EHR metrics for time per day, time per appointment, and documentation burden, and significantly lower EHR metrics for efficiency when compared to male surgeons. When stratified by experience, surgeons with 0 to 5 years of experience had significantly lower EHR metrics for volume, time per day, efficiency, and proficiency when compared to surgeons with 6 to 10 and more than 10 years of experience. On multivariate analysis, having over 10 years of experience was an independent predictor of more appointments per day, greater proficiency, and spending less time per completed message. Female gender was an independent predictor of spending more time in notes per appointment and time spent in the EHR outside working hours. CONCLUSION: The burden associated with volume, proficiency, efficiency, and workload outside scheduled time related to EHR use varies by gender and years of experience in our cohort of surgeons. Evaluation of physician action logs could help identify those at higher risk of burnout due to burdensome medical documentation.

A primer on the restorative therapies for erectile dysfunction: a narrative review.

INTRODUCTION: Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common condition that affects millions worldwide. Patients and urologists alike are seeking alternative therapies that can provide long-lasting results in the treatment of ED. This review provides a comprehensive overview of restorative treatments available for ED, such as platelet-rich plasma, stem cell therapy, and shockwave therapy. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this narrative review is to provide a primer for urologists and general practitioners on the basics of implementing ED restorative therapies in their practice. METHODS: The PubMed, MEDLINE, and Google Scholar databases were searched for articles in the English language through August 31, 2023, that included key terms such as "erectile dysfunction," "restorative therapy," "shockwave therapy," "platelet-rich plasma," "stem cell therapy," and "stromal vascular fraction." Reference lists of selected studies were manually reviewed to find articles not identified by the initial database search. RESULTS: Shockwave therapy has demonstrated effectiveness in treating ED, with devices like the Medispec ED1000 and Storz Duolith showing statistically significant improvements in patient scores for International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF)-Erectile Function scores in clinical trials. In reported studies of platelet-rich plasma injections, a substantial percentage of patients reached a minimal clinically important difference in the IIEF-Erectile Function scale after treatment. Studies of ED treatment with stem cell therapy, while limited and with small sample sizes, have demonstrated encouraging improvements in patient scores for the abridged 5-item version of the IIEF after treatment. CONCLUSION: Shockwave, platelet-rich plasma, and stem cell therapies are important, novel, noninvasive restorative treatments for ED that can provide relief for patients wishing to avoid a more invasive approach. While these therapies have shown promising results in clinical trials, more research is required to establish them as standardized and efficacious options in the management of ED.