Early unclamping technique during robot-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy can minimise warm ischaemia without increasing morbidity.

OBJECTIVE: To compare perioperative outcomes of early unclamping (EUC) vs standard unclamping (SUC) during robot-assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN), as early unclamping of the renal pedicle has been reported to decrease warm ischaemia time (WIT) during laparoscopic PN. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective multi-institutional study was conducted at eight French academic centres between 2009 and 2013. Patients who underwent RAPN for a renal mass were included in the study. Patients without vascular clamping or for whom the decision to perform a radical nephrectomy was taken before unclamping were excluded. Perioperative outcomes were compared using the chi-squared and Fisher's exact tests for discrete variables and the Mann-Whitney test for continuous variables. Predictors of WIT and estimated blood loss (EBL) were assessed using multiple linear regression analysis. RESULTS: In all, there were 430 patients: 222 in the EUC group and 208 in the SUC group. Tumours were larger (35.8 vs 32.3 mm, P = 0.02) and more complex (R.E.N.A.L. nephrometry score 6.9 vs 6.1, P < 0.001) in the EUC group but surgeons were more experienced (>50 procedures 12.2% vs 1.4%, P < 0.001). The mean WIT was shorter (16.7 vs 22.3 min, P < 0.001) and EBL was higher (369.5 vs 240 mL, P = 0.001) in the EUC group with no significant difference in complications or transfusion rates. The results remained the same when analysing subgroups of complex renal tumours (R.E.N.A.L. nephrometry score ≥7) or RAPN performed by less experienced surgeons (<20 procedures). In multivariable analysis, EUC was predictive of decreased WIT (ß -0.34; P < 0.001) but was not associated with EBL (ß -0.09, P = 0.16). CONCLUSIONS: EUC can reduce WIT during RAPN without increasing morbidity even for complex renal tumours or when being performed by less experienced surgeons.

Feasibility and oncological outcomes of laparoscopic treatment for local relapse of renal cell carcinoma.

UNLABELLED: What's known on the subject? and what does the study add?: Local relapse of renal cell carcinoma following radical nephrectomy is rare, and surgical removal provides the only opportunity for cure. Open surgery has been established as the usual approach for these tumours. It is, however, associated with significant morbidity. Our study describes the largest series of laparoscopic treatment of local relapse of renal cell carcinoma with the longest follow-up. We show that the laparoscopic approach is feasible in expert centres. It provides faster recovery and fewer complications with satisfactory oncological outcomes in selected patients. OBJECTIVE: To assess the feasibility and oncological outcomes of laparoscopic treatment for local relapse of renal cell carcinoma. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Nine patients were treated by a pure laparoscopic approach for local recurrence of a renal tumour between 2005 and 2011 by a single surgeon (HB), following an initial open radical nephrectomy for the primary tumour. Clinical and histopathological data were collected prospectively and analysed retrospectively. Seven patients were treated by a transperitoneal approach and two patients had a retroperitoneal approach. RESULTS: Relapse occurred within a mean time of 83 months (7-168) following nephrectomy. Recurrent tumour size varied from 2.5 to 4.5 cm. All surgeries were performed laparoscopically without need for conversion. Mean operative duration was 144 min (40-240), mean estimated blood loss was 430 mL (50-1300) and mean hospital stay was 4.5 days (3-6). Three patients had Clavien grade I intraoperative complications. Late complications were noted in two patients (Clavien I and IIIb). Pathology confirmed clear cell carcinoma in all patients with an absence of sarcomatoid features and negative surgical margins. Three patients had neoadjuvant treatment and two patients had adjuvant treatment. In all, 67% of patients were disease free with a mean follow-up period of 3 years. CONCLUSIONS: Surgical removal of isolated local recurrence remains the only possibility of cure in patients with renal cell carcinoma. We demonstrated that the laparoscopic approach is a safe and feasible alternative treatment option for selected cases with low morbidity and satisfactory oncological outcomes.

Liver fibrosis in young Egyptian beta-thalassemia major patients: relation to hepatitis C virus and compliance with chelation.

BACKGROUND: The main causes of liver fibrosis in transfusion-dependent thalassemia major are hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and hepatic iron overload. The study aimed to assess liver fibrosis in Egyptian adolescents and young adult poly-transfused beta thalassemia patients infected with HCV using liver FibroScan in relation to iron overload and Liver iron concentration (LIC). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Fifty-one regularly transfused beta thalassemia patients above 12 years old were subjected to measurement of serum alanine transaminase (ALT), serum ferritin (SF), HCV (antibody and RNA), LIC assessed by hepatic R2* and transient elastography (TE) (FibroScan). FibroTest and liver biopsy were done to 25 patients. RESULTS: Eighty two% of studied thalassemia patients were HCV antibody positive; 21(49%) of them were viremic (HCV RNA positive); median LIC was 12 mg/gm dry weight. There were strong positive correlation between the degree of liver stiffness and Ishak fibrosis score assessed in liver biopsy specimens (P = 0.002) and between FibroScan and FibroTest results (P < 0.001). Patients with HCV viremia showed significantly higher ALT, γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), SF, LIC and increased liver stiffness compared to patients with no viremia (P = 0.0001, 0.001, 0.012, 0.006 and 0.001) respectively. Liver cirrhosis (TE values > 12.5kPa) was encountered in 23.5% and variable degrees of liver fibrosis (TE values > 6-12.5 kPa) in 35% of studied thalassemic patients. CONCLUSION: Young beta thalassemia patients with active hepatitis C infection may have hepatic cirrhosis or fibrosis at young age when accompanied with hepatic siderosis. Non invasive Liver FibroScan and Fibro-Test were reliable methods to assess liver fibrosis in young thalassemic-patients.

A new tool for the assessment of satisfaction with iron chelation therapy (ICT-Sat) for patients with ß-thalassemia major.

BACKGROUND: High satisfaction with iron chelation is a major determinant for adherence to ICT in beta-thalassaemia major (ß-TM) patients. In this study, a new tool to assess different domains of satisfaction for available forms of ICT was developed and validated. The impact of patients' satisfaction with ICT has been tested. METHODS: Items were generated via focus groups and a preliminary version with 24 items (ICT-Sat) with an additional item for treatment preference and a knowledge questionnaire (KQ) was developed. 170 ß-TM patients from three Thalassaemia centers in Egypt, aged 2-32 years received three questionnaires to fill in; the new ICT-Sat, a KQ, and a previously validated tool for satisfaction with ICT (SICT) and retested 4-6 weeks later to ensure re-test reliability. Type of chelation, drug related adverse events, compliance with ICT, and serum ferritin level (SF) during the year prior to the study as well as available cardiac T2*data were recorded. RESULTS: One hundred and fifty two ß-TM patients completed all questionnaires; median age was 12 years. The final 15 remaining ICT-Sat items, yielding to four domain scores, explained 70.6% of the total variance. The "perceived effectiveness" and "fear and worries" domains of the ICT-Sat correlated significantly with the domains "perceived effectiveness" and "acceptance" of the SICT. Patients treated with oral ICT were more satisfied with perceived effectiveness, and their side effects. CONCLUSIONS: A new clinically based ICT-Sat tool was developed and revealed good psychometric characteristics. Adherence to ICT was better correlated with "perceived effectiveness" and SF level.

[Well differentiated paratesticular liposarcoma in adults]. / Liposarcome paratesticulaire bien différencié chez l'adulte.

The authors report a case of well differentiated paratesticular liposarcoma in a 41-year-old patient. This is a rare tumour (about one hundred cases have been reported in the literature), which essentially arises from the spermatic cord. Clinical and radiological signs are nonspecific and the diagnosis is generally based on histological examination of the operative specimen. Due to the histological similarities, all specimens of benign lipoma must be examined for the presence of well differentiated liposarcoma. Treatment consists of transinguinal radical orchidectomy, sometimes with resection of adjacent structures. The prognosis is generally better than that of other paratesticular sarcomas. Adjuvant radiotherapy may be indicated in locally advanced masses or in the case of incomplete resection.

[Vaginal metastases from renal cell carcinoma]. / Metastases vaginales d'un carcinome à cellules rénales.

Renal cell carcinoma rarely metastasizes to the vagina, as only 80 cases have been reported in the literature. Due to the anatomical features of the venous drainage of the left kidney, most vaginal metastases are derived from left renal tumours. Renal imaging looking for a renal tumour must be performed in the presence of a vaginal adenocarcinoma or undifferentiated carcinoma.

Prolonged urinary leakage after partial nephrectomy: a novel management pathway.

INTRODUCTION: To describe an original method for managing prolonged urinary leakage after partial nephrectomy. We placed a Malecot catheter in the ureter to improve the urinary drainage and therefore avoid the renal percutaneous treatment of the fistula or potential open surgery. TECHNICAL CONSIDERATIONS: We performed ureteral stenting using a 16 F Malecot catheter in 3 patients who had a prolonged urinary fistula after partial nephrectomy in which the placement of a ureteral stent could not resolve the urine leak. Drainage using 2 ureteral catheters was performed, which proved to be insufficient for the urinary fistula to resolve. We subsequently placed in the dilated ureter a 16 F Malecot catheter into the renal pelvis using a cystoscopic approach and a bladder catheter to complete the drainage. In all cases, the urine leak stopped after stenting with the Malecot catheter. At 1 month after the stenting, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging showed complete healing of the fistula. No infection or secondary ureteral stricture was reported. CONCLUSION: This technique with a low complication profile can be used as an additional endoscopic step, before more invasive procedures.

Does the use of a barbed polyglyconate absorbable suture have an impact on urethral anastomosis time, urethral stenosis rates, and cost effectiveness during robot-assisted radical prostatectomy?

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the use of a single needle driver with the V-Loc (Covidien, Dublin, Ireland) running suture and compare this with the use of 2 needle drivers with polyglactin interrupted sutures (IS) in dividing the dorsal venous complex (DVC) and forming the urethrovesical anastomosis (UVA) during robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective cohort study was performed to compare V-Loc (n = 40) with polyglactin (n = 40) sutures. Division of the dorsal venous complex and formation of the UVA during robot-assisted radical prostatectomy using V-Loc or polyglactin sutures were studied. Preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative parameters were measured. RESULTS: V-Loc sutures were associated with a statistically significant reduction in mean dorsal vein suture time (3.15 minutes V-Loc vs 3.75 minutes IS, P = .02) and UVA anastomosis time (8.5 minutes V-Loc vs 11.5 minutes IS, P = .001). No significant difference was noted between operative time (121 minutes V-Loc vs 130 minutes IS, P = .199), delayed healing rates (5% V-Loc vs 7.5% IS, P = .238), continence rate at 12 months (97.5% V-Loc vs 95% IS, P = .368), and urethral stenosis rates (2.5% V-Loc vs 2.5% IS, P = .347) in both groups. CONCLUSION: The use of a V-Loc running suture with a single needle driver is a feasible, reproducible, and economic technique with no significant difference in continence rates and urethral stenosis rates, compared with the use of a traditional interrupted suture.

Prevalence of renal cell carcinoma in patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease and chronic renal failure.

OBJECTIVES: To study the prevalence and the characteristics of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) in our series. METHODS: We reviewed retrospectively all the nephrectomies performed in our department between 1982 and 2003 in patients with ADPKD and chronic renal failure. RESULTS: Seventy-nine patients (42 males and 37 females) with ADPKD and chronic renal failure underwent 89 nephrectomies; in 10 of 79, both kidneys were removed but not simultaneously. Mean age was 50.4 years (range, 32-69 years). Of 79 patients, 50 had end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and were on hemodialysis or had received a transplant for >1 year. On histologic examination, 11 of 89 kidneys were diagnosed with carcinomas. There was 1 patient with bilateral tumor (tubulopapillary Ca) and 3 kidneys (27.3%) with multifocal tumors. Regarding the histologic type, there were 7 of 12 (58.3%) clear cell carcinomas and the remaining 5 (41.7%) were tubulopapillary carcinomas. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of RCC was higher in patients with ADPKD and ESRD, with >1 year on dialysis or renal transplantation undergoing nephrectomy according the protocol. It would be 2 to 3 times more frequent than RCC in patients with ESRD alone. The clinician should maintain a high alert of suspicion for RCC in such patients.

Metastatic breast carcinoma to the bladder.

Bladder involvement in metastatic breast carcinoma is a rare situation and accounts for about 3% of secondary bladder neoplasms. Most patients are symptomatic, with evidence of disseminated disease at diagnosis.

Laparoscopy in ureteral engineering: a feasibility study.

OBJECTIVE: We recently bioengineered a ureter substitute from a seeded scaffold implanted by open surgery in the omentum. In view of the development of laparoscopy in the treatment of benign conditions of the ureter, obtaining a ureter substitute by minimally invasive techniques would be a desirable objective. However, conflicting results about the biological impact of carbon dioxide insufflation on the microcirculation of intra-abdominal organs prompted us to investigate first whether the results obtained by open surgery, in terms of vascular supply and maturation, could be reproduced laparoscopically. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Bladder full-thickness tissue was harvested laparoscopically from three pigs for urothelial and smooth muscle cell primary cultures subsequently used to seed a small intestinal submucosa (SIS) matrix. After 2 wk, the in vitro seeded constructs were shaped around silicone drains and transferred laparoscopically into the abdomen for omental maturation. Three weeks later, the constructs were harvested for histological, immunohistochemical, and electron microscopic analysis. RESULTS: The laparoscopic procedures were performed successfully in all animals. After omental maturation, the constructs were vascularized and comprised of a well-differentiated multilayered urothelium with umbrella cells, over connective tissue and smooth muscle cells, with no evidence of fibrosis or inflammation. Electron microscopic analysis showed characteristics of a terminally differentiated urothelium. CONCLUSION: As shown by conventional microscopy, immunochemistry, and electron microscopy, carbon dioxide insufflation does not impact cell growth and differentiation. These findings validate the laparoscopic approach for omental maturation of ureter substitutes.

Terminal urothelium differentiation of engineered neoureter after in vivo maturation in the "omental bioreactor".

OBJECTIVE: Long ureteric defects may theoretically be repaired with the use of tissue-engineered neoureter. However, attempts to construct such a neoureter in animal models have failed because of major inflammatory response. Avoidance of such inflammation requires a well-differentiated urothelium. We investigated whether omental maturation of a seeded construct in a pig model could achieve terminal differentiation of the urothelium to allow construction of a stricture-free neoureter. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Bladder biopsies were taken to allow urothelial and smooth muscle cell cultures. These cultured cells were used to seed small intestinal submucosa (SIS) matrix. After 2 wk of cell growth, the in vitro SIS-seeded construct was shaped around a silicone drain and wrapped by the omentum to obtain neoureters. These neoureters were left in the omentum without any contact with urine, and then harvested 3 wk later for histologic and immunohistochemical studies. RESULTS: Before implantation, the in vitro constructs were composed of a mono- or bilayer of undifferentiated urothelium overlying a monolayer of smooth muscle cells. After 3 wk of omental maturation, these constructs were vascularized and comprised a terminally differentiated multilayered urothelium with umbrella cells over connective tissue and smooth muscle cells, with no evidence of fibrosis or inflammation. CONCLUSION: We obtained, for the first time, with this model of in vivo maturation in the omentum, a mature neoureter composed of a well-differentiated multilayered urothelium.

Discovery of a pituitary adenoma following treatment with a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist in a patient with prostate cancer.

We report the case of a T3 prostate cancer in a 70-year-old white man. Hormone therapy represents a prominent branch in the treatment of locally advanced and metastatic prostate cancer. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists have been proven to have a double effect on androgen metabolism: an initially stimulating, followed by an inhibitory, effect on the pituitary gland. This phenomenon may be noxious in the case of gonadotroph adenoma, with subsequent symptoms of intracranial hypertension. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonists (abarelix), by avoiding the flare-up reaction, might be used in such instances.

Discovery of a pituitary adenoma following a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist in a patient with prostate cancer.

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists have become the treatment of choice for locally advanced and metastatic prostate cancer. We report a case of prostate cancer in which this treatment led to severe symptoms of intracranial hypertension due to the concomitant presence of an asymptomatic functional pituitary adenoma. A 70-year-old white man was initially evaluated for a multifocal adenocarcinoma, Gleason score 6 (3+3) with perineural invasion suggesting an extracapsular extension. A conformational external beam radiation (74 Gy) with a concomitant GnRH agonist (leuprolide) was initiated. Almost 10 days after the administration of leuprolide the patient complained of visual disturbance, diplopia and other symptoms of intracranial hypertension. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain demonstrated a large sella mass lesion. To relieve the patient's symptoms, a transsphenoidal subtotal tumorectomy was necessary. The histopathological examination revealed an invasive gonadotroph pituitary adenoma. Two years later, there is no sign of progression either on his prostatic disease (prostate-specific antigen of 0.21 ng/mL) or on his pituitary disease (FSH, 4.7 UI/L, LH, 3.1 UI/L and total testosterone, 627 ng/dL) with values of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis in the normal range. We advocate that a high index of suspicion of pituitary tumor must be considered in any case of intracranial hypertension following the administration of GnRH agonist. Abarelix could have a place in such cases.