Features
What is new in lasers for endourology: looking into the future
From the first cystoscopic argon and neodymium-YAG (yttrium-aluminium-garnet) laser used for bladder tumours in 1976 by Staehler et al. [1], lasers have proven to be a versatile and an evolving tool in the therapeutic management of a variety of urological...
Establishing a new TPPBx service during the COVID-19 pandemic
COVID-19 had a major impact on our hospital services from early in the pandemic, with almost three times as many patients being ventilated compared to the normal ITU capacity at the beginning of April. During the build-up to this point,...
‘One team’: our experience teaching catheter care and difficult urethral catheterisation to NHS Nightingale Hospital London volunteer staff members
The NHS Nightingale Hospital London was launched in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In mid-March 2020, the predicted scale of the pandemic was uncertain and there was concern that COVID-19 might overwhelm existing intensive care unit (ICU) capacity within weeks....
Delivering a laparoscopic urology workshop in West Africa: our initial experience in Senegal
Despite universal adoption and significant technological innovation since its inception around 30 years ago, access to laparoscopic surgery remains lacking in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Whilst some progress has been made in recent years to bridge the gap with the developed...
A greener urology
Healthcare in England is responsible for 4-5% of the country’s carbon footprint which is defined as the amount of greenhouse gasses, primarily carbon dioxide, released into the atmosphere by a particular activity. The six greenhouse gasses which vary in their...
OCERT: a new multi-specialty project to standardise robotic surgical training
Since its introduction by Dr William Osler in 1890 to the Board of Trustees at John Hopkins Hospital [1], the Halstedian ‘See one, do one, teach one’ has represented a guideline for surgeons worldwide, both for open and laparoscopic surgery,...
The Re-humanising Revolution: Breaking the conspiracy of silence
Over the last few years, the mental and emotional wellbeing of those who work in medicine has come under scrutiny. The author introduces a new resource. Working in healthcare has always been stressful but never more so than today. In...
A guided guide to the guide wire
The use of guide wires has become a core skill utilised by urologists, especially within the field of endourology. The authors take us through the development of the guide wire and their current use in urology. The history The first...
Benign prostatic hyperplasia: what are the benefits and harms of various surgical management options?
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is characterised by stromal and epithelial prostatic cell hyperplasia. The enlarged prostate may be associated with voiding and storage lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). These have been predominantly attributed to bladder outlet obstruction (BOO), assumed to...
MRI screening for prostate cancer: a step towards a ‘prostagram’
The UK National Screening Committee has been calling for further research into alternative screening tests for prostate cancer. The committee decided against prostate cancer screening using prostate specific antigen (PSA) testing on the basis that “PSA is still a poor...
Mechanisms and prevention of catheterisation associated urethral injury (CAUI)
Urethral catheterisation is a common procedure performed by health professionals across different grades and specialties in a variety of clinical settings. An estimated 15-25% of hospitalised patients have a urinary catheter inserted during their inpatient stay and up to 13%...
PREDICT Prostate – individualised, evidence-based estimates of survival and treatment benefit
Earlier this year ‘PREDICT Prostate’ was launched online alongside a high-profile publication in PLOS Medicine. The prognostic model and decision-aid has been designed to inform treatment decision-making among men newly diagnosed with non-metastatic prostate cancer. David Thurtle and Vincent Gnanapragasam...