Features
Use of Clavien-Dindo classification in urology part 2 – upper tract
A classification system of surgical complications was proposed by Clavien in 1992 [1] and further modified by Dindo in 2004 [2]. Clavien-Dindo classification has since then been validated through many retrospective case series as well as in comparative studies to...
Consensus statements on PSA testing in asymptomatic men in the UK
In January 2016, the UK National Screening Committee once again recommended against a systematic population screening programme for prostate cancer due to the, as yet, insufficient evidence that the benefits of screening would outweigh the harm to the population as...
The scent of Ethiopia: a personal story – part 1
Background The year was 2004; I had just moved to the UK as a young house officer and finished my observership programme at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London. I was inspired by greats like Patrick Duffy and Phillip Ransley,...
Use of Clavien-Dindo classification in urology part 1 – pelvic surgery
There is no widely accepted system to classify postoperative complications. It is necessary to compare the outcome and complications while validating a new surgical procedure or one of the surgical approaches of a particular condition. Several parameters have long been...
The role of specialist therapeutic radiographers in the treatment and care of men with prostate cancer
The Statement of Intent: Cancer Strategy for England: 2015-2020 indicates that the number of people diagnosed with cancer each year will continue to grow rapidly due to the ageing population. There is also a requirement to diagnose and offer patients...
Stereotactic body radiotherapy for oligometastatic disease secondary to urological cancer
The concept of oligometastatic disease is controversial. The traditional model of cancer, which most of us learnt at medical school, is of a disease which starts confined to an organ, for example the prostate, where it can be cured with...
The emerging role of physician associates in urology
The physician associate (PA) is a new role in the NHS which has expanded across medical and surgical specialties to include urology. In the USA, it has long been an established field of practice where physician assistants work autonomously within...
Physiotherapy first for pelvic floor dysfunction
Physiotherapy should be included in first-line management options for pelvic organ prolapse and urinary incontinence in women [1,2]. Additionally, referral to physiotherapy is widely practised for the management of urinary incontinence in men, faecal incontinence, defecation disorders and various pelvic...
An algorithm for the management of haemorrhagic cystitis
Haemorrhagic cystitis (HC) can be one of the most difficult conditions to treat in urological practice. It is characterised by intractable bleeding from the bladder and may be acute or chronic. The most frequently reported causal factors are radiotherapy (RT)...
Reflections on 20 years as an Army Reserve doctor: live a life less ordinary
It seems a very short time ago that my predecessor recruited me into my regiment as a surgical senior house officer during a varicose vein operation in a cottage hospital in Stroud, informing me that I would be only the...
Prostate cancer survivorship: a new path for uro-oncology
Over two million people in England have a diagnosis of cancer [1]. Of this figure, over 250,000 have been diagnosed with prostate cancer [2]. However, during the next decade, a rapid increase in the number of new cancer diagnoses, as...
Guide to gaining approval for a clinical study
This article focuses on gaining approval for clinical research involving NHS patients, although the principles can be applied to other types of research. It can be quite a daunting process for the uninitiated applicant. Often it can be made less...
