Preoperative predictors of enucleation time during en bloc 'no-touch' holmium laser enucleation of the prostate.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate preoperative predictors of enucleation time during en bloc 'no-touch' holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) METHODS: We enrolled 135 patients with symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) treated with en bloc 'no-touch' HoLEP from July 2017 to March 2019 by a single surgeon. Preoperative, perioperative, and postoperative clinical variables were examined. Stepwise linear regression was performed to determine clinical variables associated with enucleation times. RESULT: The average (range) enucleation time was 46.1 (12-220) minutes, and the overall operation time was 71 (18-250) minutes. History of antiplatelet agents, history of urinary tract infection (UTI), and increasing specimen weight were each significantly associated with increasing enucleation time. No category IV complications were recorded, and all complications were evenly distributed among the groups according to the HoLEP specimen weight. CONCLUSION: En bloc 'no-touch' HoLEP was found to be an efficient and reproducible surgical method for treating BPH. Prostatic gland size was significantly associated with increased enucleation times. Similarly, history of UTI and antiplatelet agents were correlated with increased operative time.

Lipid Profiles Impact on the Oncologic Outcome of Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma.

Background: The prognosis of upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) varies, with T3/T4 UTUC having less than 50% 5-year survival post-radical nephroureterectomy (RNU). Lipid profiles including cholesterol (CHOL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and triglycerides (TGs), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) have shown correlations with oncologic outcomes in various cancers. We aimed to investigate the prognostic significance of the lipid profiles in UTUC patients who had received RNU. Methods: In this retrospective study, a total of 217 UTUC patients who underwent RNU were analyzed. Prognostic factors for overall survival (OS), cancer-specific survival (CSS), and progression-free survival (PFS) were assessed using Cox proportional hazards regression model and competing risk analysis. Results: The median follow-up duration was 2.36 years. Fifty-one (23.50%) of the patients experienced tumor progression, 16 (7.37%) died from UTUC, and 41 (18.89%) died from all causes during the follow-up period. Multivariate analysis revealed that elevated CHOL, low HDL, and elevated TG were linked to worse OS (P = 0.0188, 0.0002, and 0.0001, respectively). Higher CHOL, LDL, and TG, as well as lower HDL significantly affected PFS (P < 0.001 for all), and elevated CHOL and TG were associated with poorer CSS (P = 0.0033 and 0.0179). A competing risk model indicated that elevated LDL increased the risk of cancer progression (P = 0.407), with CHOL increasing the risk of UTUC-specific mortality (P = 0.0162). Limitations include retrospective design, limited, single-time sampling and relatively small sample size. Conclusions: Lipid profiles were identified as prognostic indicators for UTUC patients post-RNU. It highlights the potential importance of lipid management in improving tumor-related outcomes.

Laparoendoscopic single-site retroperitoneoscopic adrenalectomy versus conventional retroperitoneoscopic adrenalectomy: initial experience by the same laparoscopic surgeon.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to demonstrate our initial experience with and the feasibility of laparoendoscopic single-site retroperitoneoscopic adrenalectomy (LESS-RA). PATIENTS AND METHODS: 54 patients undergoing conventional retroperitoneoscopic adrenalectomy were compared with 27 patients undergoing LESS-RA. The adrenal tumors were considered to be benign preoperatively and <6 cm. Age, sex, laterality, body mass index, surgical indications, time to resuming oral intake, tumor size, operation time, estimated blood loss, intravenous or intramuscular analgesics (pethidine) and postoperative hospital stay were compared between the two groups. Analysis of covariance was applied to analyze postoperative hospital stay and time to resuming oral intake. RESULTS: The length of postoperative hospital stay was significantly higher in the conventional retroperitoneoscopic adrenalectomy group in the adjusted and unadjusted model. The time to resuming oral intake was significant shorter in the LESS-RA group, but was not significant after adjusting opioid analgesics dosage. No conversions to an open or conventional retroperitoneoscopic approach were necessary. There were neither complications nor blood transfusions in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: LESS-RA for benign adrenal tumors is a feasible surgical procedure when tumors are <6 cm. Further clinical research is warranted to define the role of LESS in adrenal surgery and to prove its efficacy over conventional laparoscopic surgery.

Cumulative sum analysis of the learning curve of laparoendoscopic single-site robot-assisted radical prostatectomy.

BACKGROUND: Radical prostatectomy has become the gold standard for treating localized prostate cancer. Improvement in the single-site technique and surgeon's skill reduces not only the hospital duration but also the number of wounds. Realizing the learning curve for a new procedure can prevent unnecessary mistakes. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the learning curve of extraperitoneal laparoendoscopic single-site robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (LESS-RaRP). METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated 160 patients diagnosed with prostate cancer during June 2016 to December 2020 who underwent extraperitoneal LESS-RaRP. Calculated cumulative sum analysis (CUSUM) was used to evaluate the learning curves for the extraperitoneal setting time, robotic console time, total operation time, and blood loss. The operative and functional outcomes were also assessed. RESULTS: The learning curve of the total operation time was observed in 79 cases. For the extraperitoneal setting and robotic console times, the learning curve was observed in 87 and 76 cases, respectively. The learning curve for blood loss was observed in 36 cases. No in-hospital mortality or respiratory failure was observed. CONCLUSION: Extraperitoneal LESS-RaRP using the da Vinci Si system is safe and feasible. Approximately 80 patients are required to achieve a stable and consistent operative time. A learning curve for blood loss was observed after 36 cases.

Smart Blood Vessel Detection System for Laparoscopic Surgery.

OBJECTIVE: Compared with traditional surgery, laparoscopic surgery offers the advantages of smaller scars and rapid recovery and has gradually become popular. However, laparoscopic surgery has the limitation of low visibility and a lack of touch sense. As such, a physician may unexpectedly damage blood vessels, causing massive bleeding. In clinical settings, Doppler ultrasound is commonly used to detect vascular locations, but this approach is affected by the measuring angle and bone shadow and has poor ability to distinguish arteries from veins. To tackle these problems, a smart blood vessel detection system for laparoscopic surgery is proposed. METHODS: Based on the principle of near-infrared spectroscopy, the proposed instrument can access hemoglobin (HbT) parameters at several depths simultaneously and recognize human tissue type by using a neural network. RESULTS: Using the differences in HbT and StO2 between different tissues, vascular and avascular locations can be recognized. Moreover, a mechanically rotatable stick enables the physician to easily operate in body cavities. Phantom and animal experiments were performed to validate the system's performance. CONCLUSION: The proposed system has high ability to distinguish vascular from avascular locations at various depths.

Comparison of different en bloc holmium laser enucleation of the prostate techniques to reduce the rate of postoperative transient urinary incontinence.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate postoperative risk factors for transient urinary incontinence (TUI) after different en bloc holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) techniques. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 169 consecutive patients who underwent HoLEP using the original en bloc technique (n = 41), en bloc with early mucosal strip detachment technique (n = 72), and three horseshoe-shaped incisions technique (n = 56) to treat bladder outlet obstruction from January 2017 to October 2019. Preoperative variables and surgical quality indexes were compared between the groups. TUI was defined as any hygienic or social problem caused by involuntary loss of urine at 2 weeks postoperatively. The postvoid residual urine volume, maximum urinary flow rate, and International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) were assessed. RESULTS: Among all three techniques, the three horseshoe-shaped incisions technique was significantly associated with the lowest incidence of TUI and the lowest IPSS. Although not statistically significant, the three horseshoe-shaped incisions group also showed a trend toward a faster enucleation time. No life-threatening intraoperative complications occurred in any group. CONCLUSION: Use of three horseshoe-shaped incisions in en bloc HoLEP prevented urethral sphincter damage with a low rate of postoperative TUI. Further long-term, multicenter comparative assessment is required.Research Registry number: 6848.

Extraperitoneal Robotic Laparo-Endoscopic Single-Site Plus1-Port Radical Prostatectomy Using the da Vinci Single-Site Platform.

Currently, over 80% of radical prostatectomies have been performed with the da Vinci Surgical System. In order to improve the aesthetic outlook and decrease the morbidity of the operation, the new da Vinci Single Port (SP) system was developed in 2018. However, one major problem is the SP system is still not available in most countries. We aim to present our initial experience and show the safety and feasibility of the single-site robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy (LESS-RP) using the da Vinci Single-Site platform. From June 2017 to January 2020, 120 patients with localized prostate cancer (stage T1-T3b) at Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital were included in this study. We describe our technique and report our initial results of LESS-RP using the da Vinci Si robotic system. Preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative patient variables were recorded. Prostate-specific antigen (PSA)-free survival was also analyzed. A total of 120 patients were enrolled in the study. The median age of patients was 68 years (IQR 63-71), with a median body mass index of 25 kg/m2 (IQR 23-27). The median PSA value before operation was 10.7 ng/mL (IQR 7.9-21.1). The median setup time for creat-ing the extraperitoneal space and ports document was 25 min (IQR 18-34). The median robotic console time and operation time were 135 min (IQR 110-161) and 225 min (IQR 197-274), respectively. Median blood loss was 365 mL (IQR 200-600). There were 11 (9.2%) patients who experienced complications (Clavien-Dindo classification Gr II). The me-dian catheter duration was 8 days (IQR 7-9), with a median of 10 days (IQR 7-11) of hospital stay. The PSA free-survival rate was 86% at a median 19 months (IQR 6-28) of follow up. Robotic radical prostatectomy using the da Vinci Single-Site platform system is safe and feasible, with acceptable outcomes.

Low Hemoglobin-to-Red Cell Distribution Width Ratio Is Associated with Disease Progression and Poor Prognosis in Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma.

The importance of blood cell markers in patients with malignant tumors has been studied, but there are few studies on the prognostic value of hemoglobin-to-red cell distribution width ratio (HRR) in cancer. This is the first study to investigate the effect of preoperative HRR on patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC). Our retrospective cohort study included 730 UTUC patients who underwent nephroureterectomy from 2000 to 2019. Clinicopathological parameters were compared according to HRR levels, and the relationship between blood cell markers (HRR, white blood cell [WBC] count, platelet count) and prognosis was evaluated using Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression model. We found that patients with HRR ≤ 1.05 tended to have worse renal function, higher pathological stages, and more high-grade tumors. In univariate analysis, HRR ≤ 1.05, WBC > 8.65 × 103 cells/µL and platelets >309 × 103 cells/µL were associated with poor progression-free survival (PFS), cancer-specific survival (CSS), and overall survival (OS). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that HRR ≤ 1.05 and WBC > 8.65 × 103 cells/µL were independent prognostic factors for predicting deterioration of PFS, CSS, and OS. In conclusion, HRR and WBC are easy to obtain in clinical practice and are useful indicators to provide prognostic information before surgery for UTUC.

Single-Site Sutureless Partial Nephrectomy for Small Exophytic Renal Tumors.

Partial nephrectomy (PN) is the standard procedure for most patients with localized renal cancer. Laparoscopy has become the preferred surgical approach to target this cancer, but the steep learning curve with laparoscopic PN (LPN) remains a concern. In LPN intracorporeal suturing, the operation time is further extended even under robot assistance, a step which prolongs warm ischemic time. Herein, we shared our experience to reduce the warm ischemia time, which allows surgeons to perform LPN more easily by using a combination of hemostatic agents to safely control parenchymal bleeding. Between 2015 and 2018, we enrolled 52 patients who underwent LPN in our hospital. Single-site sutureless LPN and traditional suture methods were performed in 33 and 19 patients, respectively. Preoperative, intra-operative, and postoperative variables were recorded. Renal function was evaluated by estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) pre- and postoperatively. The average warm ischemia time (sutureless vs. suture group; 11.8 ± 3.9 vs. 21.2 ± 7.2 min, p < 0.001) and the operation time (167.9 ± 37.5 vs. 193.7 ± 42.5 min, p = 0.035) were significantly shorter in the sutureless group. In the sutureless group, only 2 patients suffered from massive urinary leakage (>200 mL/day) from the Jackson Pratt drainage tube, but the leakage spontaneously decreased within 7 days after surgery. eGFR and serum hemoglobin were not found to be significantly different pre- and postoperatively. All tumors were removed without a positive surgical margin. All patients were alive without recurrent tumors at mean postoperative follow-ups of 29.3 ± 12.2 months. Single-site sutureless LPN is a feasible surgical method for most patients with small exophytic renal cancer with excellent cosmetic results without affecting oncological results.

Interrelationship of environmental melamine exposure, biomarkers of oxidative stress and early kidney injury.

Melamine contamination has remained pervasive in the environment even after the 2008 toxic milk scandal. Exposure to chronic low dosages of melamine is known to induce renal tubular damage, increasing the risk of stone formation and early kidney injury. This damage may come about via increased oxidative stress, but no studies of this possibility have been performed in humans. We conducted two human studies in 80 workers from melamine tableware factories (melamine workers) and 309 adult patients with calcium urolithiasis (stone patients) to evaluate the relationships between urinary melamine levels and two urinary biomarkers of oxidative stress, 8-oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) and malondialdehyde (MDA). Both human studies showed urinary melamine levels to be significantly and positively correlated with urinary 8-OHdG and MDA, indicating melamine exposure can increase oxidative stress. Additionally, we used structure equation modeling to evaluate relative contribution of type of melamine-induced oxidative stress on renal tubular injury and found that MDA mediated 36 %-53 % of the total effect of melamine on a biomarker of renal tubular injury, N-Acetyl-ß-d Glucosaminidase (NAG). In conclusion, our findings suggest exposure to low-dose melamine can increase oxidative stress and increase the risk of early damage to kidneys in humans.

Validation of Hyponatremia as a Prognostic Predictor in Multiregional Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma.

Hyponatremia has been shown to be associated with prognosis in various cancers, but its role in upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) is largely unidentified. We created an international multiregional cohort of UTUC, consisting of 524 and 213 patients from Taiwan and the U.S., to validate the significance of hyponatremia. Clinicopathologic characteristics were compared according to the presence of hyponatremia. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression models were used to investigate the association of hyponatremia with disease progression and survival. The impact of hyponatremia in patients from distinct regions was also analyzed. Hyponatremia was found in 143 (19.4%) patients. Hyponatremic patients had significantly worse Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status (p = 0.00001) and higher pT stage (p = 0.002). In multivariate analysis, hyponatremia was an independent prognostic factor for progression (HR 1.585, 95% CI 1.115-2.253, p = 0.010), cancer-specific death (HR 2.225, 95% CI 1.457-3.397, p = 0.0002), and overall mortality (HR 1.819, 95% CI 1.299-2.545, p = 0.0005). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed the consistent adverse effect of hyponatremia on all outcomes in patients from Taiwan and the U.S. (all p < 0.05). Hyponatremia is commonly accessible and can serve as a negative marker for both the general health condition and disease severity of UTUC patients. A similar implication of hyponatremia in progression and survival despite patients' region of presentation suggests its general applicability across different ethnicities.

Lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma of ureter-a rare case report and review of the literature.

Lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma (LELC) is best known to occur in the nasopharynx. When LELC occurs in the urinary tract, this extremely rare neoplasm most commonly affects the bladder but has also been reported in the renal pelvis, ureter, prostate [1], and urethra [2]. We present a case of LELC arising in the right proximal ureter of a 64-year-old male patient with hydronephrosis and nausea. Computed tomography demonstrated right ureter tumor. On biopsy, the patient was diagnosed with infiltrating urothelial carcinoma. An operation consisting of right nephroureterectomy and bladder cuff removal was carried out. The pathologic examination showed pure subtype of LELC, pT3N0. Unlike lymphoepithelioma in the nasopharynx, immunohistochemical analysis of this urinary LELC was negative for the Epstein-Barr virus. No disease progression was noted at 6 months' follow-up. Only eight previous cases of LELC involving the ureter have been reported, and a review of the available literature and a summary of ureter cases are presented here. This is the first report of a ureteral LELC case and third urothelial LELC cases [3] in Taiwan.

Emphysematous prostatic abscess: case series study and review.

OBJECTIVES: To report three cases of emphysematous prostatic abscess (EPA) and review the literature on this rare entity. METHODS: All relevant articles published in English over the last 50 years (1961-2011) were identified using a MEDLINE search for keywords 'emphysematous prostatitis' and 'emphysematous prostatic abscess'. A total of 12 patients were evaluated for their age, race, underlying disease, pathogens, diagnosis tool, treatment options, and clinical outcome. RESULTS: EPA is a high mortality disease (25%) and has an association with diabetes mellitus. The most common pathogen in the 12 cases was Klebsiella pneumoniae. CONCLUSIONS: The mortality of EPA is higher than that of emphysematous cystitis and emphysematous pyelonephritis. Timely recognition and prompt drainage are very important.