Authors

Enhancements to PNL make a good procedure even better

The tubeless PNL approach provided the greatest comfort for the patient.

Managing laparoscopic injuries: An addendum

This addendum includes advice on managing gas emboli/vascular insufflation,vascular injuries, subcutaneous emphysema, pneumomediastinum, and pneumothoraxArieh L. Shalhav, MD, is associate professor of surgery and directorof minimally invasive urology, and Marcelo A. Orvieto, MD, is a fellowin minimally invasive urology, University of Chicago.As discussed in a recent "Hands On" article ("How to preventand manage laparoscopic injuries," July 2003, page 50), the overallcomplication rate related to urologic laparoscopy is approximately 4%, varyingwidely according to the procedure's technical difficulty. In this addendumto the article, we discuss how urologists can prevent and manage additionalcomplications associated with laparoscopy, including gas emboli/vascularinsufflation, vascular injuries, subcutaneous emphysema, pneumomediastinum,and pneumothorax.

LUTS’ burden may extend to cardiac events

"LUTS is an important health care burden, and health care professionals should be screening for its presence in men at risk," writes Steven A. Kaplan, MD.

Urology avoids financial woes of other specialties

Minneapolis--Surgeons and other physicians across the country continueto deal with the higher costs of practicing medicine in the face of decliningreimbursements. Those factors added up to lower profit margins for U.S.physician groups in 2002 and a continuing awareness of the need to pay attentionto all of the vagaries of the business of practicing medicine. For the mostpart, urologists showed little change in reimbursement.

COX-2 inhibitor exhibits anti-cancer effects in prostate cancer

Atlanta-Initial results with neoadjuvant celecoxib (Celebrex) strongly suggest that this may be a promising agent in the management of patients with early localized prostate cancer, British researchers reported at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting.

Bladder cancer studies help pinpoint risk of recurrence

Progression-free curves for N0 disease were improved when more than eight to 10 nodes per side were removed.

Pembro shows promising antitumor activity

Pembrolizumab (Keytruda) is showing encouraging antitumor activity in an ongoing phase II study including patients with high-risk, nonmuscle-invasive bladder cancer that is unresponsive to bacillus Calmette-Guérin treatment.

Sperm retrieval in NOA varicocele patients: Side matters

New Orleans-When retrieving sperm from men with nonobstructive azoospermia (NOA) and associated varicocele, go for the testis on the right side. That's the bottom line advice of University of California, San Francisco investigators who evaluated whether side matters in retrieving sperm for ICSI.

Surgical developments take center stage in andrology

There will always be a place for laboratory research in andrology, but the past year has been one of surgical advancements for those who diagnose and treat male infertility.

Can cystitis management be just a phone call away?

Chicago-Large-scale telephone-based management of eligible women withpresumed cystitis is associated with low clinical recurrence rates and avery low incidence of other gynecourologic diagnoses, according to a studyfrom a large California health maintenance organization.

Triple therapy offers local control for high-risk PCa

New York-A combination of hormonal therapy, brachytherapy, andexternal beam radiation has demonstrated excellent local control in high-riskprostate cancer patients.

Sexual dysfunction seen with Thulium laser therapy for benign prostatic hyperplasia

Filling a gap in the knowledge of the incidence of sexual dysfunction following Thulium YAG vaporesection (ThuVaRP), a recent study found that the risk of erectile dysfunction was 20%, while that of retrograde ejaculation was 56% in a group of patients who had been sexually active before the procedure.

Highly toxic chemo may be effective in bladder TCC

Atlanta-Neoadjuvant chemotherapy using a three-drug combination has demonstrated activity in locally advanced transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the bladder, but it also possesses considerable toxicity. That was the conclusion reported in a poster by University of Michigan researchers at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting.

New drug targets considered for erectile dysfunction

Paris-Basic research in erectile dysfunction therapy is being hamperedby the attitude of some funding bodies that phosphodiesterase type-5 inhibitorsalone have solved all problems, according to a special committee convenedat the 2nd International Consultation on Erectile and Sexual Dysfunctionshere.

Prostate Ca patients urged to consult a medical oncologist

New York--Men with prostate cancer are being urged to seek the advice of a medical oncologist in a new educational campaign launched by the Prostate Cancer Foundation.

Antibiotics lower PSA in patients with prostatitis

San Francisco--Elevated PSA levels in men who have chronic bacterial prostatitis return to normal after antimicrobial treatment with either levofloxacin (Levaquin) or ciprofloxacin (Cipro), according to researchers from Northwestern University and Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical.

Does specialty affect sling complication rate?

Gynecologists derive higher complication rates than urologists during the first 30 days following sling procedures for urinary incontinence, according to a multicenter study presented at the European Association of Urology annual congress in Munich, Germany.

Bipolar techniques show advantages in treating benign prostatic hyperplasia

Results from a prospective, randomized controlled clinical trial suggest that bipolar plasma vaporization of the prostate is a promising advance in the surgical treatment of BPH in men with average-size prostates.

BPH: Current, forthcoming modalities show efficacy

Four-year data on the prostatic urethral lift (UroLift) and data on a new water-jet ablation treatment were among BPH/LUTS highlights from this year’s meeting.

Stone progression preventable in private practice

Chicago-A private practice setting can be just as successful with renal stone prevention as a larger academic setting, according to research presented at the AUA annual meeting here. And, if treatment is needed later, a patient can be counseled about options following an accurate assessment of the natural progression of stones.

AUA 2020 annual meeting canceled

How to reduce your biggest tax bill: property taxes

Tax planning has long been an extremely effective tool used by many urologiststo keep their tax bills to a minimum. Often overlooked in this ongoing battlefor legitimately lower tax bills, however, is the biggest tax bill facedby many physicians and their practices: property taxes. Even those utilizingrented property for their practices are impacted by property taxes.

Election Day holds many keys to urologists' future

The decisions by the men and women who are elected will determine whether physicians who treat Medicare are fairly reimbursed; whether the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) is allowed to continue; and even how government agencies, task forces, and advisory boards that make recommendations on specific testing and treatment protocols are allowed to function.

How to 'meet' with a remote audience via videoconference

Take advantage of a high-capacity Internet connection when setting upmeetings

Dr. Neil Baum's 10 tips for being on time as a physician

"There are opportunities for doctors to become more productive, to see more patients, and to avoid the erosion of their incomes," writes Neil Baum, MD.

Combo drug treatment works for bladder Ca BCG failures

Bethesda, MD-A combination of low-dose bacille Calmette-Guin and interferon-alpha (IFN-a) has shown promise in the treatment of bladder cancer patients who have failed initial treatment with BCG.

Thompson: 'It's time for a national solution'

In this exclusive Urology Times interview, Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson addresses the medical liability insurance crisis and outlines several possible solutions. Thompson also discusses the future of managed care, his plans for restructuring Medicare, and his goals for HHS during his tenure. The interview was conducted by Michael T. McCue, editor-in-chief of Managed Healthcare Executive, a UT sister publication.

General urologists less likely to utilize third-line OAB treatments

General urologists are less likely to utilize third-line interventions for overactive bladder than those with additional female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery training.

Urologists are well positioned for 2010

In spite of the chaos of health care reform, urologists' mix of office, outpatient surgery, and hospital practice ensures that we will continue to do well.

ED after PCa therapy: Still problematic, but treatable

Patients should be advised that ED is a good possibility with any form of treatment.