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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,...

Medical statistics for urologists: part 3 – diagnostic testing

Following on from the first two parts of this series (see Part 1 here, and Part 2 here), this final article aims to demonstrate how the theory of statistics applies to medical diagnostics. Probability in diagnostic testing Diagnostic tests refer...

Innovations in flexible ureteroscopy for renal calculi: a comprehensive review

This article has been verified for CPD. Click the button below to answer a few short questions and download a form to be included in your CPD folder. Flexible ureteroscopy (f-URS) has become a core modality in the treatment of...

Kidney stones in pregnancy

Urolithiasis related complications are estimated to affect between 1:200 and 1:2000 pregnancies [1,2]. With around 825,000 conceptions in England and Wales in 2021 [3], this represents an uncommon but not rare occurrence. What is normally a straightforward pathway for a...

Theatre utilisation in urology theatres at a UK tertiary referral centre

Introduction The efficient use of operating theatres is important to ensure optimum cost-benefit for the hospital and to clear waiting lists. The key elements in the efficient use of operating theatres are: effective management and good communication, trained staff, appropriate...

New study shows UK may finally be ready for prostate cancer screening

Prostate Cancer UK study shows tens of thousands fewer men each year face unnecessary harm thanks to new screening techniques. New research by Prostate Cancer UK shows that the UK may finally be in a position to roll out a...

A sigma six approach to improving nephrostomy and antegrade stent services at a district general hospital – an audit project

As hospitals merge into larger trusts there becomes a centralisation of some services. Interventional radiology (IR) has been one of those services. Our district general hospital runs bi-weekly lR lists following service centralisation. Urology and IR most commonly liaise on...

Management of calyceal diverticular stones using ultramini PCNL

Calyceal diverticulae are congenital smooth-walled, non-secretory urothelium-lined cavities within the renal parenchyma that communicate with calyceal fornix through a diverticular neck. They were first described by Rayer in Traitements des maladies des reins [1]. Calculi occur in approximately 9.5% to...

A negative ureteroscopy for stone disease: is it acceptable and is it avoidable?

Urinary tract stone disease and the consequent demand for endoscopic intervention in the upper urinary tract is an increasing phenomenon [1]. Although ureteroscopy is generally considered to be associated with low morbidity [2], risks do exist. Recognised complications include urothelial...