Robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy with the Senhance® robotic platform: single center experience.

OBJECTIVE: To describe our institution's initial experience with robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) using the Senhance® robotic system. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A prospective analysis of 127 robot-assisted radical prostatectomies was performed. Patient demographics, preoperative and intraoperative parameters, histopathological examination results, intraoperative and early postoperative complications were obtained and analyzed. RESULTS: The median patient age was 61.0 ± 6.36 (from 37 to 73) years, with a mean body mass index of 26.2 ± 3.79 kg/m2. Of 127 patients, 16.5% (n = 21) underwent a pelvic lymph node dissection, 29.1% (n = 37) underwent one sided or bilateral nerve sparing. Post-operative extracapsular invasion (≥ pT3) was found in 15% (n = 19) of the cases and a Gleason score ≥ 7 in 74.8% of all patients. Our median operative time was 180 ± 41.98 min [interquartile range (IQR) 150-215], and median blood loss was 250 ± 236 (IQR 175-430) ml. Of 127 patients, 33.9% (n = 43) had positive margins, of them 28.7% in pT2 and 57.9% in pT3. Fifteen patients (11.8%) experienced complications, of them only three had Clavien-Dindo ≥ 3. Operation time decreased by about 60 min and estimated blood loss decreased by about 200 ml from the initial experience of each surgeon. CONCLUSIONS: Robotic prostatectomy using a Senhance® robotic system is feasible, and warrants further study to determine whether it can improve patient outcomes.

Extracorporeal shock wave therapy for the treatment of chronic pelvic pain syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Prostatitis is the most commonly diagnosed disease in men younger than 50 years and accounts for about 8% of all urologists' consultations. OBJECTIVE: After evaluating clinical trials and demonstrating the efficacy of chronic non-bacterial prostatitis treatment, it remains of clinical importance to continue studies on the use of low-energy extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) in men. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From May 2017 to April 2018, 40 patients with chronic prostatitis (CP) type IIIB/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS) were enrolled in the study. The patients underwent ESWT once a week for 4 weeks. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 47.8 years. A statistically significant improvement in all the parameters, i.e., the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), the visual analogue scale (VAS), National Institutes of Health Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (NIH-CPSI), and the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF), was observed at week 4. The effect of the treatment was maintained during the entire 12-week period. The NIH-CPSI total score showed the best improvement at week 4, but a slight deterioration without a statistically significant change was noticed at week 12. The greatest improvement at week 4 was documented for the NIH-CPSI and IPSS (43% and 37%, respectively). At week 12, an improvement of 52% and 39% was recorded for VAS and IPSS, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings confirmed the effectiveness and safety of ESWT in resistant cases of CPPS in the short term. ESWT is cost-effective, which takes little time or requires a small amount of staff, and is easily conducted.

Evaluation of LRINEC Scale Feasibility for Predicting Outcomes of Fournier Gangrene.

BACKGROUND: Fournier gangrene (FG) is a fulminant necrotizing infection of the perineal, perianal, and periurethral tissues. The Laboratory Risk Indicator for Necrotizing Fasciitis (LRINEC) scale is used for diagnosis of necrotizing fasciitis. However, data on its relevance and usefulness in FG are lacking. The aim of this study was to evaluate the utility of the LRINEC scale in predicting the outcome of FG. METHODS: This retrospective case study included 41 patents with FG treated at our institution from 2000 to 2013. The patients were divided into survivors and non-survivors. RESULTS: The mortality rate was 22%. The median age (75 vs. 62.5 y; p = 0.013), rate of co-existing diabetes mellitus (66.7% vs. 3.1%; p < 0.001), and median affected skin surface (4% vs. 1%; p < 0.001) were greater in the non-survivors. Seven of nine patients (77.8%) who did not survive (compared with 37.5% who survived) had a polymicrobial infection (p = 0.032). Of all the causative pathogens isolated, Proteus mirabilis was more common in non-survivors (55.6% vs. 6.3%; p = 0.001). The median calculated LRINEC score for survivors was 5 compared with 10 for the non-survivors (p < 0.001). Regression analysis showed that all the aforementioned variables, except for polymicrobial culture, were significant risk factors for predicting death. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for the LRINEC score was the highest, 0.976 (95% confidence interval 0.872-0.999; p < 0.0001), and the cut-off value was ≥9 with 93.7% specificity and 100% susceptibility for the prediction of a lethal outcome. CONCLUSIONS: The LRINEC score could be used for prediction of disease severity and outcomes. A threshold of 9 could be a high-value predictor of death during the initial evaluation of patients with FG.