Cuaj-Canadian Urological Association Journal最新文献

Introduction: Though urology attracts well-qualified applicants, students are not typically provided exposure to this smaller specialty until later in their medical education. While simulation-based training continues to supplement medical education, there is a lack of programming to teach specialty-specific procedural skills to medical students and those outside the specialty. We report a half-day simulation and didactic-based approach to increase exposure to urology to interested second-year medical students.

Methods: A half-day didactic- and simulation-based session was offered to second-year medical students (N=57). After a didactic-based overview of the specialty performed by urology providers and a surgical educator, the students participated in small-group simulations, including hands-on simulations. The students completed a post-curriculum survey measuring knowledge gains and soliciting feedback on the session.

Results: Students were 57.1% Caucasian, 66.7% female, with a mean age of 24.2 years; 80% stated they were potentially interested in pursuing a surgical specialty such as urology prior to the start of the session. Students reported pre- to post-curriculum gains in knowledge (mean=37%) about a career in urology and basic urologic procedures (p<0.001). Participants were also likely to recommend the curriculum to their peers (p<0.001).

Conclusions: Given that exposure to urology in medical school is usually limited and offered later in training, a half-day didactic- and simulation-based experience for second-year students provides an early introduction and experience within the specialty and its common bedside procedures.

Introduction: Gender inequality has been prevalent in the history of medicine, specifically within surgical specialties. Though there have been advances, urology has remained overwhelmingly male-dominant, with slow growth in female recruitment. This survey study evaluated whether gender-related differences in the perception of urology are present among future applicants that could account for gender disparity seen in recruitment.

Methods: An anonymized, online survey was distributed to medical students enrolled at the Max Rady College of Medicine during the 2022-2023 semester. Attracting and deterring survey statements were created using current literature to guide topics of interest. Participants rated each statement using a five-point Likert scale with optional supplemental qualitative responses. Likert ratings were compared using a Mann-U-Whitney calculation between self-identifying male and female participants.

Results: We received 90 responses over six weeks, achieving a response rate of 23%. Female students, compared to their male peers, were deterred by factors such as working in a male-dominated specialty (p<0.001) and working with primarily male patients (p<0.001). There were no significant gender-related differences for statements pertaining to interest in surgery, work-life balance, or exposure to urology.

Conclusions: In this survey study, the biggest deterrents reported by female medical students to entering urology were working in a male-dominated profession and seeing primarily male patients. There were no significant gender-related differences for questions relating to interest in surgery, work-life balance, and exposure to urology.

Introduction: Infectious complications after transrectal prostate biopsy have been increasing, driven in large part, by rates of antibiotic resistance to conventional prophylaxis, such as ciprofloxacin. This study was designed to compare conventional antibiotic prophylaxis (oral ciprofloxacin) with ciprofloxacin and fosfomycin combination therapy prior to biopsy.

Methods: This was a retrospective study looking at men between September 2021 and April 2023, who underwent transrectal prostate biopsy at several institutions in Alberta. The primary outcome was infectious complications within 30 days of prostate biopsy. Secondary outcomes included Clostridium difficile infections, urinary retention, gross hematuria, diarrhea, emergency room (ER ) visits, hospital admissions, and intensive care unit (ICU) admissions. Data was collected on resistance patterns and pathogens isolated in culture.

Results: During the study period, 2168 men underwent transrectal prostate biopsy. A total of 1216 men received ciprofloxacin alone and 877 received fosfomycin and ciprofloxacin. Infectious complications were significantly higher in the ciprofloxacin alone group (5.8% vs. 0.5%, p<0.0001). Thirty-day complications (7.2% vs. 2.1%, p<0.0001), 30-day ER visits (7.1% vs. 1.8%, p<0.0001), and 30-day hospitalizations (2.7% vs. 0.7%, p<0.001) were all higher in the ciprofloxacin alone group. The most isolated pathogen was E. coli in 54/60 (90%). Ciprofloxacin resistance in the isolated pathogens was high, with 52/60 (87%) showing resistance to ciprofloxacin and 51/54 (94%) E. coli strains resistant. No difference was seen in retention, C. difficile infections, bleeding, or diarrhea.

Conclusions: The addition of fosfomycin for antibiotic prophylaxis prior to transrectal prostate biopsy was associated with significant improvement in infectious complications and healthcare utilization.

Introduction: High-dose chemotherapy with autologous stem-cell transplantation (HDC-ASCT) is standard therapy for metastatic germ cell tumors (mGCTs) in patients whose disease progresses during or after conventional chemotherapy. We conducted a retrospective review of HDC-ASCT in relapsed mGCT patients in the province of Alberta, Canada, over the past two decades.

Methods: Patients with mGCTs who received HDC-ASCT at two provincial cancer referral centers from 2000-2018 were identified from institutional databases. Baseline clinical and treatment characteristics were collected, as well as overall survival (OS ) and disease-free survival (DFS). Relevant prognostic variables were analyzed.

Results: Forty-three patients were identified. The median age was 28 years (range 19-56). A majority (95%) had non-seminoma histology and testis/retroperitoneal primary (84%). Twenty patients (47%) had poor-risk disease, as per The International Germ Cell Consensus Classification (IGCCC), at start of first-line chemotherapy. HDC-ASCT was used as second-line therapy in 65% of patients, and 58% of ASCT patients received tandem transplants. Median followup after ASCT was 22 months (range 2-181). At last followup, 42% of patients were alive without disease, including 3/7 (43%) of patients with primary mediastinal disease. Two-year and five-year DFS/OS ratios were 44%/65% and 38%/45%, respectively. Median OS and DFS for all patients were 30.0 months (13.3-46.6) and 8.0 months (0.9-15.1), respectively.

Conclusions: We found that HDC-ASCT is an effective salvage therapy in mGCT, consistent with existing literature. Patients appeared to benefit regardless of primary site. Although limited by small sample size, we found a numerical difference in DFS and OS between second- and third-line HDC-ASCT and single vs. tandem ASCT.

Introduction: At present, there is no literature on the outcomes of robotic-assisted laparoscopic pyeloplasty (RALPyelo) in a Canadian context. Our objective was to perform a retrospective review of RALPyelo cases at a high-volume Canadian center.

Methods: We performed a retrospective review of patients who underwent RALPyelo at St. Michael's Hospital, between January 2012 and May 2019. Demographics, operative details, and pre- and postoperative imaging results (ultrasounds, computed tomography [CT] scans, and diuretic renal scan [DRS ]) were recorded. Patients were excluded if at least one-year followup data was unavailable. Our primary outcome was clinical and radiologic improvement defined as 1) symptom improvement; 2) stable/improved split renal function on DRS ; and 3) either improvement in the degree of hydronephrosis on ultrasound or CT, or improved drainage time on DRS. Secondary outcomes included postoperative complications, need for diagnostic intervention, and reintervention for recurrent UPJO.

Results: A total of 156 patients underwent RALPyelo after exclusions. The median age was 42 and 66% were female. Mean followup was 2.5 years. For our primary outcome, 87% had clinical and radiologic improvement. Diagnostic investigation for possible recurrent/persistent obstruction, based on symptoms and/or imaging results, was required in 17% of cases, but only 3% required reintervention for recurrent UPJO. Accordingly, the overall treatment success was 97%. The most common postoperative complication was urinary tract infection (18%), and urine leak was seen in only 2% of patients.

Conclusions: The results of our study compare favorably with currently reported outcomes in the literature and demonstrate the safety and high level of success of RALPyelo at a high-volume Canadian center.

Introduction: Approximately 20-40% of kidney cancer patients treated for localized disease experience post-surgical recurrence. Several prognostic models exist to help clinicians determine the risk of distant recurrence, but these models vary in criteria and endpoints. We aimed to examine the recurrence rate and clinicopathologic factors as predictors of recurrence in high-risk renal cell carcinoma (RCC) patients.

Methods: We conducted a single-center, retrospective chart review of pT3 RCC patients who underwent a nephrectomy between January 2000 and December 2015. Patients registered in clinical trials for adjuvant therapy and those with fewer than three years of followup were excluded. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and univariate and multivariate Cox regression were performed to identify the rate and predictors of disease recurrence.

Results: Eighty-eight pT3 RCC patients were included, and 39 patients had recurrence with a median of 23.5 months (range 1.6-127.5). Nine patients had disease recurrence beyond 58 months. Kaplan-Meier log-rank tests identified patients with negative surgical margins and low Fuhrman nuclear grades had greater recurrence-free survival. Univariate Cox regression revealed positive surgical margins, high Fuhrman nuclear grade, and large tumor sizes were significant predictors. In the multivariate Cox regression model, high Fuhrman nuclear grade and positive surgical margins were significant predictors of recurrence.

Conclusions: Disease recurrence occurred in 44% of pT3-staged patients. High Fuhrman nuclear grade and positive surgical margins were associated with time to recurrence. Physicians should use prognostic models to facilitate conversations about disease recurrence and continue to monitor high-risk patients beyond the recommended five-year followup period. We recommend monitoring pT3 resected patients for up to 10 years post-surgery.

Introduction: We evaluated the impact of age on perioperative morbidity and clinical outcomes in patients undergoing GreenLight laser prostatectomy for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of prospectively collected data from individuals who underwent GreenLight laser prostatectomy from May 2018 to July 2022. Patient demographics and outcome measures were recorded, including indications for the procedure and American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) scores. All patients had postoperative followup visits at one, three, six, and 12 months. Our evaluation included the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS ), quality of life (QoL) assessment, maximum urinary flow rate (Qmax), postvoid residual volume (PVR), and catheter-free status.

Results: One-hundred-sixty-eight males who underwent GreenLight laser prostatectomy were included. The non-octogenarian group consisted of 111 patients and the octogenarian group comprised 57 individuals. Based on ASA scores, most octogenarians were deemed high-risk (ASA III: 91.2%), while over half of non-octogenarians were lower-risk (ASA II: 53.2%) (p<0.001). Intraoperative parameters, including operative time, vaporization time, lasing time, and energy did not differ significantly between groups. There was no difference in the proportion of intraoperative complications between non-octogenarians and octogenarians (0.9% vs. 3.5%). Postoperative complications were not statistically significant between the two groups (p=0.608). There was also no observed difference in the proportion of patients requiring readmission (p=0.226) or retreatment (p=1.0).

Conclusions: GreenLight laser prostatectomy is a safe and effective treatment for BPH regardless of age. It provides similar surgical and functional outcomes as younger men while maintaining the QoL of octogenarians.