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Urinary incontinence in women – part 2: management

In the second part of our comprehensive overview of urinary incontinence (UI) the authors explore the plethora of treatment options for this complex condition. (Part 1 available here). Conservative management Initial treatment of incontinence should be conservative. Caffeine reduction and...

Intravesical GAG replacement therapies for bladder pain syndrome / interstitial cystitis – an update

The barrier function of the glycosaminoglycan (GAG) layer of the urothelium was identified by Parsons in 1975, and intravesical therapies to treat chronic inflammatory conditions of the bladder were developed soon after. However, the active role of the urothelium in...

ICS updates on continence care: what’s hot in physiotherapy after 80 years?

Origins of pelvic floor physiotherapy Physiotherapy, and in particular pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) is nowadays first-line management for pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD). PFMT is originally attributed to Dr Arthur Kegel, hence the term Kegel exercises. Indeed, he was the...

Catheters and incontinence after radical prostatectomy: Preparing (but not scaring) men

Every year about 6000 men in the UK undergo radical prostatectomy (RP) for treatment of prostate cancer [1]. Despite surgical advances, RP continues to be associated with significant side-effects including urinary incontinence (UI) [2]. Immediately following removal of the urinary...

Practical surgical management of chronic testicular pain

Chronic testicular pain (CTP) is defined as constant or intermittent, unilateral or bilateral testicular pain of more than three months’ duration, which significantly interferes with the daily activities of the patient prompting medical advice [1-4]. This condition is commonly seen...

Moving hospitals as a consultant urological surgeon: what are the challenges?

Despite over 100 unfilled consultant urological surgeon posts in the UK, the reasons why an established surgeon should wish to move hospitals can still be viewed with suspicion. Why is this the case, when in many other careers, both within...

ICS updates in continence care: the role of the nurse continence specialist in continence services

The nurse who specialises in continence care is recognised as a key member of interdisciplinary teams seeking to deliver high quality integrated continence services. The recently published international service specifications for continence care [1] supports the use of specialist continence...

Management of urological issues following genital gender affirmation surgery for individuals assigned female at birth

Gender incongruence arises when there is a mismatch between an individual’s gender identity and their sex assigned at birth. Genital gender affirmation surgery (GAS) is the final step of transition for transgender and non-binary individuals who experience gender incongruence. This...

Urethroplasty: a review of indications, techniques and outcomes

Urethral stricture is the most common cause of lower urinary tract obstruction in men aged between 20 and 40, carrying an estimated overall prevalence of 0.5% in the UK [1] and results in around 17,000 hospital admissions annually [2]. Endoscopic...

The Mitrofanoff procedure: a continent revolution

Prior to 1980, surgeons had been struggling to provide a catheterisable, continent channel as an alternative to the native urethra, primarily for paediatric patients with congenital neuropathic bladder. In 1980, Professor Paul Mitrofanoff described the continent supravesical antireflux appendicovesicostomy [1]...

Ketamine uropathy – an update

The first two case series that documented the association between urinary tract damage and recreational ketamine use were published 12 years ago [1,2]. Since then ketamine has maintained a controversial profile as an essential medication of expanding utility but with...