Journal Reviews archive for March 2014
Can antibiotics reduce ‘unnecessary’ prostate biopsies?
With numerous factors capable of influencing prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels and therefore the likelihood of biopsy, this multi-centred randomised controlled trial (RCT) was designed to see if two weeks of ciprofloxacin compared to placebo would significantly reduce PSA levels...
Has laparoscopic radical prostatectomy had its day?
Over recent years there has been a massive uptake in robotic surgery particularly for robot-assisted prostatectomy. The drive for this has been patient and physician led with little in the way of prospective randomised trials showing benefits over established operative...
Surgical and pathological outcome of partial nephrectomy: robotic versus laparoscopic approach
Nephron sparing surgery has become the standard surgical treatment for small renal masses (<4cm). Laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (LPN) is shown to be superior to the open approach (OPN) in peri and postoperative morbidity; however, it requires advanced skills and has...
The role of continuous prophylactic antibiotics following JJ stent insertion
Urinary tract infections (UTI) and stent-related symptoms (SRS) are frequently recognised complications of ureteric stent placement. Antibiotic administration at induction prior to ureteric stent insertion is recommended by the European Association of Urology (EAU). Commencing prophylactic antibiotics for the ‘entire...
Can PET/CT help in selecting treatment for patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer more appropriately?
Radical cystectomy is one of the most drastic procedures that urological patients have to undergo with a five-year mortality of around 50% in those with organ-confined disease at presentation. Traditional imaging is with contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) but lymphadenectomy often...
Cryotherapy for small renal masses: better than surveillance?
With the rapid rise in incidental small renal mass detection, some of which have malignant potential, comes the need to either survey or treat these masses safely and with minimal morbidity. This large series of 147 patients with 171 masses,...
Reflux oesophagitis and risk of interstitial cystitis: is there a link?
This study aims to explore the potential link between reflux oesophagitis (RE) and interstitial cystitis / bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS). IC/BPS is a chronic disease which is difficult to diagnose and treat. Two percent of the population may be affected....
Novel therapy for SUI
This is a joint study from Iran and University College London. Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is a difficult condition to treat for patients and clinicians alike. Various surgical procedures have their benefits and pitfalls. Cell therapy is a new modality;...
Pacemakers in the upper urinary tract
This is an interesting study from Italy. The mechanism by which urine is transported from the kidney to the bladder via the upper urinary tract (UUT) remains poorly understood and elusive. For many years, pyeloureteric rhythmicity is thought to arise...
Adults with myelomeningocoele: life situation and bladder and bowel management
Long-term outcome studies of patients to include what happens at transition to adulthood are rare but increasing in the literature as paediatric urologists are questioning their long-term results more deeply. These authors aimed to assess life situation and bladder and...
Age does not impact risk for urethroplasty complications after TIP repair of hypospadias
This paper is evidence of an increasing trend (especially in the USA) to lower the age at which hypospadias repair is undertaken. The current generalised best accepted age to repair hypospadias is between 6-18 months, which was reduced in the...
Is renal pelvis reduction during dismembered pyeloplasty necessary?
The development of laparoscopic pyeloplasty has progressively led to a reduction in the amount of perioperative renal pelvic excision as a large excision leads to a longer anastomosis with associated increased risks (leak, operative time). This prospective study of 40...
