The Efficacy of Inside-Out Transversus Abdominis Plane Block vs Local Infiltration before Wound Closure in Pain Management after Kidney Transplantation: A Double-blind, Randomized Trial

Objective: Transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block is a form of multimodal pain management in open abdominal surgery. Among patients who undergo kidney transplantation, their choice of painkillers is limited. This study aims to determine the efficacy of TAP block vs local infiltration in pain management after kidney transplantation. Materials and Methods: In this prospective, randomized, double-blinded clinical trial, 46 patients with end-stage kidney disease who had undergone kidney transplantation were randomly divided into two groups: a local anesthetic infiltration (LA) group receiving 0.25% Bupivacaine 20 ml around the surgical wound before wound closure and a TAP block group receiving 0.25% Bupivacaine 20 ml by the inside-out technique. Their postoperative pain scores and morphine consumption were recorded at 2, 6, 12, 18, 24, and 48 hours. Results: There was no statistically significant difference in the baseline characteristics between the groups. The postoperative pain score at two hours in the TAP block group was significantly lower than in the LA group (P value = 0.037), but without other differences in their pain scores after two hours. There was no statistical difference in the morphine consumption between the two groups. The total morphine consumption in the TAP block group was less than in the LA group, but this was not statistically significant. No patients suffered from complications of the TAP block. Conclusion: Transversus abdominis plane block can reduce postoperative pain at two hours after kidney transplantation, without significant complications

Metastatic Malignant Melanoma of the Urinary Bladder: A Case Report and Review of Literature

Objective: Metastatic malignant melanoma of the urinary bladder is extremely rare in clinical practice, herein, we review literature to demonstrate epidemiology, management and prognosis of this rare condition. Case presentation: A 57-year-old male with history of malignant melanoma of left big toe was referred to the urology division with the complaint of intermittent painless gross hematuria. Cystoscopy revealed multiple bladder masses, hence transurethral resection of bladder tumor was performed. Histologic and immunohistochemical examination revealed metastatic malignant melanoma involving urinary bladder mucosa. Conclusion: Suspicion of metastasis should be raised in a patient with urinary symptom, especially if the history of malignant melanoma is present. Cystoscopy and biopsy is recommended if metastatic disease is suspected. While long-term survival is poor, management should be individualized according to the patient’s conditions, symptoms and severity of disease

Administration of Renin-Angiotensin System Inhibitor Affects Tumor Recurrence and Progression in Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer Patients

Objective: To evaluate the effects of renin-angiotensin system inhibitors (RASIs) on tumor-recurrence and diseaseprogression in non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) patients. Methods: From 2006-2015, 348 NMIBC patients at Siriraj Hospital were recruited for this study. Tumor-recurrence was identified after the transurethral resection of bladder cancer (TUR-BT) and pathological confirmation of NMIBC, while stage-progression was defined as muscularis-propria invasion after pathological review or metastases. Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess the recurrence-free survival (RFS) and progression-free survival (PFS) rates. Results: Of the 348 patients, 86 (24.7%) received RASIs at the first TUR-BT. The median age was 68 years, and it was significantly older for the RASI cohort. No differences in the tumor characteristics of the groups were found. The median follow-up periods for tumor-recurrence and stage-progression were 2.3 and 3.7 years, respectively. Forty percent of the patients experienced tumor-recurrence, with the no-RASI cohort experiencing a significantly higher tumor-recurrence rate (46% versus 22%, p<0.001). The 5-year RFS rates were 54% and 78% for the no-RASI and RASI cohorts, respectively (p=0.001). Stage-progression was observed in 6% of the patients. The 5-year PFS rates were 87% and 97% for the no-RASI and RASI cohorts, respectively. On univariate and multivariate analyses, a tumor size ≥3 cm and tumor multifocality were associated with recurrent bladder cancer (p<0.02). On the other hand, the administration of RASIs was associated with a reduced recurrence (p≤0.002). Conclusion: Our study suggests that RASI administration might be a potential factor to prevent bladder cancer recurrence. Further study is needed to evaluate the effects of RASIs

Administration of Renin-Angiotensin System Inhibitor Affects Tumor Recurrence and Progression in Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer Patients

Objective: To evaluate the effects of renin-angiotensin system inhibitors (RASIs) on tumor-recurrence and disease-progression in non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) patients. Methods: From 2006-2015, 348 NMIBC patients at Siriraj Hospital were recruited for this study. Tumor-recurrence was identified after the transurethral resection of bladder cancer (TUR-BT) and pathological confirmation of NMIBC, while stage-progression was defined as muscularis-propria invasion after pathological review or metastases. Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess the recurrence-free survival (RFS) and progression-free survival (PFS) rates. Results: Of the 348 patients, 86 (24.7%) received RASIs at the first TUR-BT. The median age was 68 years, and it was significantly older for the RASI cohort. No differences in the tumor characteristics of the groups were found. The median follow-up periods for tumor-recurrence and stage-progression were 2.3 and 3.7 years, respectively. Forty percent of the patients experienced tumor-recurrence, with the no-RASI cohort experiencing a significantly higher tumor-recurrence rate (46% versus 22%, p<0.001). The 5-year RFS rates were 54% and 78% for the no-RASI and RASI cohorts, respectively (p=0.001). Stage-progression was observed in 6% of the patients. The 5-year PFS rates were 87% and 97% for the no-RASI and RASI cohorts, respectively. On univariate and multivariate analyses, a tumor size ≥3 cm and tumor multifocality were associated with recurrent bladder cancer (p<0.02). On the other hand, the administration of RASIs was associated with a reduced recurrence (p≤0.002). Conclusion: Our study suggests that RASI administration might be a potential factor to prevent bladder cancer recurrence. Further study is needed to evaluate the effects of RASIs

Surgical outcomes of patients who underwent retrograde intrarenal surgery using a ureteral access sheath to manage kidney stones sized 1–2 cm compared between patients who did and did not undergo preoperative ureteral stenting

Objective: To investigate the surgical outcomes of patients who underwent retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) using a ureteral access sheath (UAS) to manage kidney stones sized 1–2 cm compared between patients who did and did not undergo preoperative ureteral prestenting. Materials and methods: This retrospective cohort study included 166 patients (aged ≥18 years) who underwent RIRS at Siriraj Hospital (Bangkok, Thailand) during February 2015–February 2020. All patients had renal calculi (stone size: 1–2 cm) located within the pelvicalyceal system. 80 and 86 patients were allocated to the prestent and non-prestent groups, respectively. Patient baseline characteristics, renal stone details, operative equipment, stone-free rate (SFR) at 2 weeks and 6 months, and perioperative complications were compared between groups. Results: All patient baseline characteristics were similar between groups. At 2 weeks after surgery, the overall SFR was 65.1%, and the SFRs in the prestent and non-prestent groups were 73.4% and 59.5%, respectively (p = 0.09). At 6 months after surgery, the overall SFR was 80.1%, and the SFRs in the prestent and non-prestent groups were 90.7% and 79.3%, respectively (p = 0.08). The incidence of perioperative complications was not significantly different between groups. Conclusions: There was no significant difference in the SFR between the presenting and non-prestenting groups at both the 2-week and 6-month postoperative time points. There was also no significant difference in intraoperative and postoperative complications between groups. The SFR was higher at 6 months than at 2 weeks in both groups with no additional procedure

Survival benefits after radical nephrectomy and IVC thrombectomy of renal cell carcinoma patients with inferior vena cava thrombus

Objective: The role of tumor thrombus as a predictor of survival in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is controversial. This study aims to evaluate surgical and oncological outcomes after surgery in RCC with inferior vena cava (IVC) tumor thrombus patients. Materials and methods: A total of 58 patients (2002–2019) underwent radical nephrectomy and IVC thrombectomy at our institute, were retrospectively reviewed. Kaplan-Meier analysis was utilized to compare survival benefits between cohorts and Cox-regression to evaluate potential predictors of patient survival. Results: There were 5(8.6%), 21(36.2%), 23(39.7%) and 9 (15.5%) patients with tumor thrombus level I, II, III and IV respectively. The major complications (Clavien 3–5) were observed in 15 patients (25.8%) and 12 patients (80%) were patients with high thrombus level (III-IV). There was 9%mortality (5patients): 2 intraoperatively and 3 postoperatively. Median follow-up was 15 months (IQR:5–41). Two-year overall survival (OS) was 80% and 75% in all patients and pN0M0 cohort, respectively. There was significant difference in OS among each IVC thrombus level cohort (p < 0.02). Two-year OS of metastatic RCC patients was 67% and not significantly different when compared to non-metastatic cohort (p = 0.12). On multivariate analysis, only sarcomatoid dedifferentiation was associated with OS(p = 0.04). Disease-free survival was not significantly different among thrombus-level cohorts (p = 0.65). Conclusions: Our study suggested that surgical treatment for RCC with IVC thrombus provided substantial OS outcomes. Although survival was significantly reduced with higher IVC thrombus level cohort, the level of thrombus itself was not an independent factor. Only sarcomatoid dedifferentiation was a predictor for reduced OS after radical nephrectomy and tumor thrombectomy. Meticulous patient selection and prompt counselling are substantial step for the operation

Perioperative factors and 30-day major complications following radical cystectomy: A single-center study in Thailand

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the prevalence of early postoperative complications of radical cystectomy, using standardized reporting methodology to assess perioperative characteristics and determine risk factors for major complications. Materials and methods: A retrospective study included 254 consecutive bladder cancer patients undergoing RC between 2012 and 2020 at a urological cancer referral center. Postoperative complications within 30 days were recorded and graded according to the Clavien–Dindo classification (CDC). The study examined risk factors, including novel inflammatory-nutrition biomarkers and perioperative serum chloride. Results: Total complications were observed in 135 (53 %). Of these, 47 (18.5 %) were high grade (CDC ≥ 3). Wound dehiscence was the most common complication, occurring in 14 (5.5 %) patients. Independent risk factors for major complications included an age-adjusted Charlson comorbidity index (ACCI) > 4 and thrombocytopenia (odds ratio [OR] 3.67 and OR 8.69). Preoperative platelet counts < 220,000/μL and albumin < 3 mg/dL were independent risk factors for wound dehiscence (OR 3.91 and OR 4.72). Additionally, postoperative hypochloremia was a risk factor for major complications (OR 13.71), while novel serum biomarkers such as neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), systemic inflammatory response index (SIRI), and prognostic nutritional index (PNI) were not associated with early major complications. Conclusion: Patients who have multiple comorbidities are at a greater risk of developing major complications after undergoing RC. Our result suggests that preoperative platelet counts and serum albumin levels are associated with wound dehiscence

Predictive Factors of Intravesical Recurrence after Ureteroscopy in Upper Urinary Tract Urothelial Carcinoma Followed by Radical Nephroureterectomy

Objective: To investigate the risk factors of developing intravesical recurrence (IVR) in patients with upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) who underwent ureterorenoscopy (URS) before radical nephroureterectomy with bladder cuff excision (RNU). Materials and Methods: This retrospective study collected data from the medical records of patients diagnosed with UTUC between January 2012 and December 2019. All the patients underwent ureteroscopy before radical surgery. Patients previously diagnosed with bladder cancer were excluded. A total of 63 patients were included in the study. Tumour factors, such as multiplicity, location, size, histologic grade, pathologic T-stage, and lymphovascular invasion status, were evaluated. The type of endoscopic procedure and time interval between URS and RNU were analysed to determine the factors affecting IVR. Results: The associated factors with IVR included multifocal tumours (HR = 4.8(1.9–11.9)), large size tumours greater than or equal to 4 cm (HR = 3.3(1.5–7.0)), and time interval greater than or equal to 5 weeks between URS and RNU (HR = 2.6(1.2–5.5)). Factors including tumour location (kidney or ureter), size, grading, T-stage, and lymphovascular invasion as well as the type of endoscopic procedure were not at high risk for IVR. Conclusion: The predictive factors of IVR for UTUC patients who underwent URS before RNU included a multiplicity of primary tumours and a tumour size greater than or equal to 4 cm, while a time interval between URS and RNU greater than or equal to 5 weeks increased the risk of IVR