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Infection-retardant coatings on penile prostheses, which have been shown to reduce primary implantation infection rates by more than half, appear to have minimal effect on bacterial growth based on culture data as found at the time of revision surgery

A form of testosterone replacement therapy that uses implantable testosterone pellets (Testopel) is a viable alternative to existing treatments for hypogonadism, with a number of practical advantages for patients.

Ultra low-dose CT imaging (7.5 mA seconds) offers equivalent sensitivity and specificity for detecting ureteral stones compared with a standard CT scanning protocol (140 mA seconds) while reducing radiation exposure by 95%.

When it comes to making a good first impression on patients, one area that should not be overlooked is your practice's Web site.

A simple alteration in how detrusor leak point pressure (DLPP) is measured in patients with neurogenic bladder may result in a more accurate assessment of a patient's potential risk for renal injury.

For the past 9 years, a steady increase in the number of children being diagnosed with urolithiasis has been accompanied by an equally steady increase in the ratio of those children undergoing surgery for the condition.

When it comes to Medicare, supplies are included for all services provided in the office setting.

Newly available urology products and services from Olympus, the National Institutes of Health, Spectrum Surgical Instruments Corp., and Midmark.

An analgesic spray was used in 60 children scheduled to undergo lysis of glanular adhesions, lysis of labial adhesions, or excision of glanular skin bridges, and worked about 30 minutes faster than analgesic cream.

Publication of a major observational study from Harvard Medical School, Boston, followed within weeks by a science advisory from AUA and other professional organizations, adds further evidence of a link between androgen deprivation therapy and elevated risks of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, although this relationship has not been definitively established.

Recent updates to the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology-Prostate Cancer include new recommendations on active surveillance, a new requirement for external beam radiation therapy, and revisions to the entire section on chemotherapy.

A new study challenges what many urologists may feel is understood-that augmentation serves as an independent risk factor for malignancy in young patients with inherent congenital bladder anomalies.

The absence of guidelines for appropriate management of stones in children is clearly a major problem that has resulted in great variability.

There is a great deal of variation in infection control strategies among surgeons who implant penile prostheses, prompting the need for detailed guidelines that may be difficult to formulate.

As this issue of Urology Times went to press, passage of major health care reform legislation-on which AUA and other health care groups had devoted considerable time, energy, and resources-was in jeopardy.

Researchers enumerate the benefits of LESS as improved cosmesis, reduction in iatrogenic bowel injury, reduced risk of visceral and vascular injuries associated with port placement, lower risk of wound infections and incisional hernias, and possible cost reductions derived from the use of a single port.

Researchers from several institutions are now reporting lower infection rates with penile implants coated or impregnated with antibiotics over the long term.

It's time to take a good, hard look at inventory controls and plugging holes in wasted supplies.

Although mesh slings have become increasingly commonplace for the treatment of mild male stress urinary incontinence, the artificial urinary sphincter remains the gold standard of treatment for managing severe post-prostatectomy incontinence.

How does your practice handle patients who don't have insurance or are experiencing financial problems?

Just a few years ago, it would have been unthinkable to offer testosterone therapy (TTh) to men with a history of prostate cancer. Yet several changes have occurred to make TTh a reasonable treatment option in men who are symptomatic from testosterone deficiency.

With a foundation of robotic surgery investigated and established for radical prostatectomy, urologists have now focused on expanding robotic applications to the upper tract. The most common examples are robotic partial nephrectomy and robotic pyeloplasty.

State legislative challenges for urology come in many forms, including turf battles with other physicians, but by working cohesively and aggressively, urology can defeat these bills.

Michael Blute, MD, has joined UMass Memorial Health Care and UMass Medical School, Worcester, MA, as director of the Cancer Center of Excellence, professor of surgery, and interim director of the division of urology in the department of surgery.

A majority?87%?of laparoscopic surgeons has experienced physical symptoms or discomfort, a new survey by University of Maryland, Baltimore researchers has found. This was especially true among those with high-case volumes, according to the results.

FDA recently announced an initiative to reduce unnecessary radiation exposure from three types of medical imaging procedures: computed tomography, nuclear medicine studies, and fluoroscopy.