Journal Reviews
Worldwide flexible ureteroscopy practice uncovered
While guidelines recommend flexible ureteroscopy (fURS) for treating renal stones <1.5cm, considerable differences exist among urologists in the technique, use, and indications of fURS. In 2014, the Endourology Society set out to explore the differences in the fURS technique and...
Thulium laser: the new kid ‘en bloc’
Transurethral resection of bladder tumour (TURBT) is considered the gold standard for management of bladder cancer. Residual rates of 15-53% at second TURB and upstaging rates of 4-29% with muscle invasion have been reported. The quality and result of the...
Preventive pharmacological therapy for kidney stones
Kidney stones are common, painful and are a chronic disease with a high lifetime risk of recurrence. Without treatment 35-50% of patients experience a second stone within five years of their first experience. Thiazide diuretics, alkali citrate treatment and allopurinol...
Stepwise voltage ramping causes less renal haematomas than fixed maximal voltage ESWL
Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) remains the recommended first line treatment for stones <2cm in the renal pelvis and upper or mid-pole calyces (Türk C, Knoll T, Petrik A, et al. European Association of Urology Guidelines on Urolithiasis. 2014). There...
Medical expulsive therapy for paediatric urolithiasis
Children who have kidney stones are likely to have recurrences. Many initial stones are treated conservatively allowing for spontaneous passage of small stones if possible. Doxazocin or tamsulosin are known to dilate the ureter and allow spontaneous passage of stones...
LUTS among Caucasian-European men who have sex with men: findings from a real-life survey
This study is the first of its kind to report an association between men who have sex with men (MSM) and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). Nine hundred and forty-nine consecutive individuals who presented to a uro-andrology clinic for complaints...
HIV-related stone disease – a potential new paradigm?
This paper discusses the management of patients with stone disease and HIV. The chronic nature of HIV infection is due in large part to the effectiveness of anti-retroviral therapies (ART). However, the role of protease inhibitors has been widely discussed...
How often are instruments changed in RALP & RAPN?
This study investigates how often the robotic instruments are exchanged during robotic-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy (RALP) and robot-assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN). They presently come with a life span of 10 uses but whether all instruments are used fully on 10 different...
Prostatic urethral lift provides good alternative to TURP for men with LUTS
Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) due to prostatic enlargement resulting in bladder outflow obstruction are common. Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) remains the gold standard in operative management, however it is not without its risks. In this multicentre European...
Role of emergency ureteroscopy in the management of ureteric stones
Emergency ureteroscopy for all acute stone patients is not widespread in the UK but this is not the case elsewhere. In Auckland, New Zealand, it is commonly carried out in the emergency setting to reduce pressure on elective lists and...
Day-case monopolar and bipolar transurethral resection of the prostate
The aim of this study was to assess the safety and efficacy of performing monopolar (mTURP) and bipolar transurethral resection of prostate (bTURP) as a day-case. This was a prospective two-centre study. One centre performed day-case mTURP (group M) and...
Cystolithotripsy using the holmium laser: evolving uses for the laser lithotrite
This small prospective study examined 20 patients who were undergoing laser cystolithotripsy for bladder stones. Laser lithotripsy was performed using either a 365 or 550µm holmium:YAG laser fibre with a power setting of 1.0J and a frequency of 10Hz. Stone...
