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In late December, Congress changed the rules, albeit slightly. These changes, among others in 2008, warrant urologists' attention.

Patients undergoing surgical treatment for stress incontinence with concomitant surgical repair, including anterior or posterior/apical repair and other non-prolapse procedures, appear to be at higher risk for wound-related or genitourinary complications.

A study supported the argument that the perineal approach and employment of the gracilis muscle should be the preferred approach for recto-urethral fistula repair.

Concern in the orthopedic community notwithstanding, placement of a suprapubic catheter does not appear to increase the risk of infection in patients with pelvic fracture urethral distraction defect.

Urethroplasty using a tissue-engineered urethral acellular matrix graft is a promising option for reconstruction of severe urethral stenosis.

Urethroplasty using a tissue-engineered urethral acellular matrix graft is a promising option for reconstruction of severe urethral stenosis.

A dorsal onlay, split-thickness extragenital skin graft appears to be a viable alternative for the treatment of long recurring anterior urethral strictures.

Buccal mucosa grafts and penile skin flaps have proven over the last 2 decades to be reliable tissue transfer techniques for reconstruction of intermediate and long urethral strictures.

Offering a concomitant Burch colposuspension to stress-continent women undergoing sacrocolpopexy not only appears to protect patients from later stress urinary incontinence, but it also may improve symptoms of urge incontinence above and beyond the effects of the prolapse repair alone.

Among the many recommendations within the new AUA guideline for the management of nonmuscle-invasive bladder cancer, arguably one of the most important is the idea of repeating resection for patients with high-grade Ta or T1 disease within a few weeks of the initial resection before making a treatment recommendation.

Women with greater baseline urge incontinence symptoms, those with more advanced pelvic organ prolapse, and postmenopausal women not on hormone replacement therapy (HRT) are all at greater risk for treatment failure when undergoing Burch and sling procedures for stress urinary incontinence.

Cherry Hill, NJ-Vision USA's sport bifocal safety glasses have soft rubber nose and ear pads and vents between lenses and frame for enhanced comfort.

Use of hemostatic hydrodissection and bipolar vessel coagulation appears to be a viable method for avoiding vascular clamping and subsequent renal ischemia while performing laparoscopic or robotic partial nephrectomy.

Men undergoing laparoscopic nephrectomy should be warned that they might develop testicular pain postoperatively.

Botulinum toxin A (Botox) is highly effective as a treatment for refractory urge incontinence symptoms in women with urodynamic evidence of detrusor overactivity incontinence, but patients require assessment for transient urinary retention.

A recent multicenter study provides some justification for the increasing popularity of transobturator slings in the treatment of stress urinary incontinence in patients with and without concurrent pelvic organ prolapse.

Thomas Hooton, MD, discusses the Infectious Diseases Society of America guidelines on three common urologic infections.

Judah Folkman, MD, whose groundbreaking work involving tumor angiogenesis led to the development of targeted therapies for the disease, died Jan. 14 in Denver of an apparent heart attack. He was 74.

Inverness Medical Innovations, Inc. has finalized its acquisition of Matritech, Inc., the manufacturer of the NMP22 BladderChek Test.

Michael Kuettel, MD, PhD, chairman of the department of radiation medicine at Roswell Park Cancer Institute, has been selected to serve on the steering committee for the National Consensus Standards for Clinical Level Cancer Care of the National Quality Forum.

The FDA has approved a new lower-dose regimen of tadalafil (Cialis), an oral erectile dysfunction medication for once-daily use. The 2.5-mg formulation is intended for use by men with ED who anticipate sexual activity at least twice weekly. For other men, the previously approved 5-mg dosing regimen is indicated.

An investigational topical treatment for overactive bladder produced a statistically significant reduction in incontinence episodes and a reduction in frequency, while increasing void volume compared with placebo in a phase III study of oxybutynin topical gel in patients with overactive bladder.

Findings by University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center researchers encourage men to weigh the potential benefits against the side effects of the drug finasteride (Proscar) before taking it to prevent prostate cancer.

A simple blood test may determine which men are likely to develop prostate cancer, according to a team of U.S. and Swedish researchers.

Men with BPH who take a combination of dutasteride (Avodart) and tamsulosin (Flomax) appear to experience significantly greater improvement in urinary symptoms than do men taking either medication alone, according to findings from the CombAT (Combination of Avodart and Tamsulosin) study.

Men with localized prostate cancer who are treated with androgen suppression therapy and radiation therapy have longer survival, but those with moderate to high levels of concomitant illness do not experience this effect, according to a study in last week’s JAMA (2008; 299:289-95).