Antegrade scrotal sclerotherapy of internal spermatic veins for varicocele treatment: Technique, complications, and results

Varicocele repair is mainly indicated in young adult patients with clinical palpable varicocele and abnormal semen parameters. Varicocele treatment is associated with a significant improvement in sperm concentration, motility, morphology, and pregnancy rate. Antegrade scrotal sclerotherapy (ASS) represented one of the main alternatives to the traditional inguinal or suprainguinal surgical ligation. This article reviews the use of ASS for varicocele treatment. We provide a brief overview of the history of the procedure and present our methods used in ASS. In addition, we review complication and success of ASS, including our own retrospective data of treating 674 patients over the last 17 years. Herein, we analyzed step by step the ASS technique and described our results with an original modified technique with a long follow-up. Between December 1997 and December 2014, we performed 674 ASS. Mean operative time was 14 min (range 9 to 50 min). No significant intraoperative complications were reported. Within 90 days from the procedure, postoperative complications were recorded in overall 49 (7.2%) patients. No major complications were recorded. A persistent/recurrent varicocele was detected in 40 (5.9%) cases. In 32/40 (80%) cases, patients showed preoperative grade III varicoceles. In patients with a low sperm number before surgery, sperm count improved from 13 7 10 6 to 21 7 10 6 ml-1 (P < 0.001). The median value of the percentage of progressive motile forms at 1 h improved from 25% to 45% (P < 0.001). Percentage of normal forms increased from 17% before surgery to 35% 1 year after the procedure (P < 0.001). In the subgroup of the 168 infertile patients, 52 (31%) fathered offspring at a 12-month-minimum follow-up. Therefore, ASS is an effective minimal invasive treatment for varicocele with low recurrence/persistence rate. \ua9 2016 AJA, SIMM & SJTU

[The robotic surgeon training]

The widespread robotic surgery in the world highlighted the relevance of the training programs for young urologists and residents. In the last years, urologic societies and some independent robotic surgeons strongly worked to standardize some general and specific training modules. Theoretical and practical sections of robotic training programs have been recently specified. The role of simulators, dry and wet laboratories, bedside assistance, and modular (step-by-step) training at console represent the most relevant elements of robotic surgeon training. Ideally, these didactic tools should be available in modern training centers. The development of structured robotic training programs should be considered as one of the priorities that the urologic community must take into account in the near future

Urethral-fixation technique improves early urinary continence recovery in patients who undergo retropubic radical prostatectomy

Objectives: To describe step-by-step an original urethrovesical anastomosis technique (urethral fixation) in patients undergoing retropubic radical prostatectomy (RRP), to compare their early urinary continence recovery with those in a control group receiving a standard anastomosis technique and to identify the predictors of early urinary continence recovery. Patients and methods: We compared 70 patients who underwent RRP with the urethral-fixation technique with a contemporary control group of 51 patients who received RRP with a standard urethrovesical anastomosis. In the urethral-fixation group, the urethrovesical anastomosis was made using eight single sutures. Specifically, to avoid retraction and/or deviations, we fixed the urethral stump laterally to the medial portion of levator ani muscle. Also, to maintain the normal position in the context of the pelvic floor, we fixed the urethral sphincter deeper to the medial dorsal raphe using a 3-0 polydioxanone suture at the 6 o'clock position before completing the incision of the urethral wall. Urinary continence recovery was evaluated at 1, 4, 8 and 12 weeks after catheter removal. Patients self-reporting no urine leak were considered continent. Uni- and multivariable analyses were used to identify predictors of urinary incontinence at the different follow-up time-points. Results: The evaluated groups had comparable preoperative variables. At 1 week after catheter removal, 32 (45.7%) patients in the urethral-fixation group and 10 (19.6%) in the control group were continent (P = 0.01). At 4 weeks after catheter removal, 46 (65.7%) patients in the urethral-fixation group and 16 (31.4%) in the control group were continent (P = 0.001). At 8 weeks after catheter removal, 59 (84.3%) patients in the urethral-fixation group and 21 (41.2%) in the control group were continent (P < 0.001). Finally, at 12 weeks after catheter removal, 63 (90%) patients in the urethral-fixation group and 32 (62.7%) in the control group were continent (P = 0.001). The urethral-fixation technique was an independent predictor of urinary continence recovery at 1 week [odds ratio (OR) 4.305; P = 0.002); 4 weeks (OR 4.784; P < 0.001); 8 weeks (OR 7.678; P < 0.001) and 12 weeks (OR 5.152; P = 0.001) after catheter removal. Conclusions: The urethral-fixation technique significantly improves early urinary continence recovery in comparison with the standard technique. Moreover, our study confirmed that this surgical technique is an independent predictor of urinary continence recovery at 1, 4, 8 and 12 weeks after catheter removal

A Prospective Accuracy Study of Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System Version 2 on Multiparametric Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Detecting Clinically Significant Prostate Cancer With Whole-mount Pathology

To assess the accuracy of Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System version 2 (PI-RADS v2) in detecting clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa) on multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) using whole-mount sections after radical prostatectomy (RP) as reference standard