Features
The impact of menopause on bladder symptoms
The menopause is a natural process of ageing when the ovaries completely stop producing reproductive hormones (oestrogen and other sex steroids), and there are no monthly periods for 12 consecutive months. It normally occurs between the ages of 45-55 years...
Giggle incontinence – not a laughing matter!
For many decades, the condition of giggle incontinence (enuresis risoria, giggle micturition) has remained a rare and poorly understood condition. Patients (90% female) present in their teens, with the history revealing an issue for many years. It is debilitating and...
Botulinum toxin – from the sausage poison to urology
Botulinum toxin is the first biological toxin to be licensed for use in treating human disease and since its first therapeutic use in the early 1980s for strabismus has become widely used in the fields of ophthalmology, cosmetic surgery, migraine...
Frailty in urology – part 2
The first article in this series defined frailty and introduced the concept and importance of identifying patients living with frailty who undergo surgery, including those undergoing urological procedures. In the second part of this series we outline how to identify...
The how, why and when of bladder washouts: a guide
Bladder washouts are a treatment usually employed by the urology team, more often in an inpatient setting, and commonly indicated for haematuria with clot retention and catheter bypassing [1,2]. Bladder washout is a cornerstone of treatment in urology wards, yet...
Suprapubic catheterisation – a core surgical trainee’s perspective
Suprapubic catheters (SPCs) are in widespread usage in medical practice and this review will focus on the pre-assessment, indications, methods and complications that are associated with the insertion of an SPC. Although suprapubic catheter insertions may be done electively or...
Frailty in urology – part 1
Part 2 of this topic can be found here Statement of the problem Clinical frailty carries an increased risk of poor health outcomes. The pathological process resulting in frailty is often overlooked and elucidating its aetiology and natural history are...
Frequency-volume chart apps for nocturia: keeping urologists up at night
Background Nocturia is a bothersome symptom and the leading cause of disturbed sleep in adults. It is extremely common, with 55% of men and 60% of women aged 50 waking at least once in the night, with a further 20%...
Purple urine bag syndrome
Purple urine bag syndrome (PUBS) is an uncommon phenomenon where the tubing and urinary catheter bag is noticed to undergo purple discolouration. This has been linked with urinary tract infections (UTI), chronic debilitated states and prolonged catheterisation. PUBS was noticed...
The impact of FGM on the genitourinary system: a 2021 perspective
Awareness of female genital mutilation (FGM) in European countries has increased over recent decades as a result of globalisation and migration of populations. The World Health Organization (WHO) describes FGM as procedures that involve partial or total removal of the...
‘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....
The surgical management of female stress urinary incontinence in a post-mesh era
Trends in surgical management of women with stress urinary incontinence (SUI) have changed in recent times, mainly due to the ‘High Vigilance Pause’ placed on the use of mesh for SUI (and prolapse) surgery in July 2018 following an independent...
