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Purpose: Excessive kidney mobility is an underestimating challenge for surgeons during retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) and extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESL). There is no technique approved as a gold standard procedure for reducing excessive kidney mobility. The study aimed to uncover predictive factors for determining excessive renal mobility by utilizing clinicodemographic characteristics and noncontrast computed tomography (NCCT) data. Materials and Methods: The patients were categorized into two groups based on the presence of excessive renal mobility. Patients were scanned with a 16-channel, multislice NCCT, and images were captured utilizing a 16 × 1.25 mm collimation, 5 mm slice thickness. Many parameters including the origin angle of the renal artery, renal artery, vein length, diameter, the area and length of the psoas muscle, and perirenal and pararenal fatty tissue were measured on the images and analyzed. The data were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression, and the receiver operating characteristic curve model and we used predictive modeling based on three significant parameters. Results: Between May 2023 and May 2024, a total of 140 patients with and without excessive renal mobility enrolled into study. After multivariate analysis, increasing renal vein length and renal artery origin angle results in higher renal motility (odds ratio [OR]: 0.982; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.966-0.998; p = 0.030 and OR: 0.973; 95% CI: 0.948-0.999; p = 0.044; respectively). It also observed that an increase in tidal volume led to a reduction in renal mobility (OR: 1.015; 95% CI: 1.007-1.024; p = 0.001). Predictive modeling was designed based on these outcomes. This predictive modeling accurately estimates the presence of excessive renal mobility with improved 59% specificity and 65% sensitivity ( p < 0.001, area under the curve 0.757; CI: 0.671-0.843). Conclusion: Physicians may predict the presence of excessive renal mobility via the predictive modeling mentioned in the current article. They may perform manipulations to reduce kidney mobility prior to ESL and RIRS.

Purpose: Postoperative fever (POF)/urinary tract infection (UTI) is one of the most unpleasant and undesirable conditions for surgeons after retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS). RIRS is not recommended for any patient with a positive urine culture to avoid POF and UTI, but some patients may develop postoperative UTI even if the urine culture is sterile. This study investigated the predictive factors of fever and UTIs after RIRS., Methods: In total, 1240 patients who underwent RIRS for proximal ureteral stones and/or kidney stones were analyzed. After case-control matching, 168 patients were included in the study. Demographic data, preoperative/peroperative/postoperative data, and hematological parameters were compared. Patients with sterile urine cultures were included in the study. Postoperative fever was defined as fever ≥ 38 °C within 72 h after RIRS. Patients were divided into two groups: those with and without POF/UTI. Demographic data, preoperative and postoperative findings, and inflammatory parameters of the patients were compared retrospectively., Results: POF/UTI was observed in 61 (36.3%) of 168 patients who underwent RIRS. After case-control matching, increased body mass index (BMI) and longer operation time were found to be significant predictors of POF/UTI (p = 0.001 and 0.016 respectively). Preoperative systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) (PxN/L), high Platelet/Lymphocyte Ratio (PLR), and urine leukocyte positivity were found to be significant predictors of POF/UTI (p = 0.037, 0.025 and 0.038 respectively)., Conclusion: Hematological parameters are simple and feasible to use to evaluate POF/UTI in patients undergoing RIRS. High SII and PLR may predict POF and early infection after RIRS. In addition, according to demographic data and per-operative status, high BMI and prolonged operation time are risk factors for infection., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethical approval: The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Tekirdağ Namık Kemal University (Approval number: 2020.242.11.02). Written informed consent for participation was not required for this study in accordance with the national legislation and the institutional requirements. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Objective: To compare the predictive effects of stone size and volume on the efficacy and safety of retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) and to determine the cutoff values of stone volume for prediction of RIRS efficacy and safety. Methods: Patients who underwent RIRS between 2017 and 2021 in six referral centers were retrospectively included in the study. The database of the RIRsearch group, which was formed prospectively, was used for this retrospective analysis. The surgical results and complications of RIRS were evaluated according to stone size and stone volume and compared between these groups. Results: A total of 1128 patients were included. Operation time, intraoperative complication rate, and postoperative complication rate increased significantly as stone size and stone volume increased ( P < .05). Stone size and volume were significant indicators for stone-free rates, but pairwise comparison showed that stone volume was a significantly better predictor of surgical success compared with stone size ( P < .001). Stone size was not sufficient to predict postoperative complications, whereas stone volume predicted these complications with low performance. Conclusions: Stone volume was a better predictor for surgical success than stone size, and it was as reliable as stone size in predicting postoperative complications.

Objective: To evaluate and compare the quality and comprehensibility of answers produced by five distinct artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots-GPT-4, Claude, Mistral, Google PaLM, and Grok-in response to the most frequently searched questions about kidney stones (KS). Materials and Methods: Google Trends facilitated the identification of pertinent terms related to KS. Each AI chatbot was provided with a unique sequence of 25 commonly searched phrases as input. The responses were assessed using DISCERN, the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool for Printable Materials (PEMAT-P), the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), and the Flesch-Kincaid Reading Ease (FKRE) criteria. Results: The three most frequently searched terms were "stone in kidney," "kidney stone pain," and "kidney pain." Nepal, India, and Trinidad and Tobago were the countries that performed the most searches in KS. None of the AI chatbots attained the requisite level of comprehensibility. Grok demonstrated the highest FKRE (55.6 ± 7.1) and lowest FKGL (10.0 ± 1.1) ratings ( p = 0.001), whereas Claude outperformed the other chatbots in its DISCERN scores (47.6 ± 1.2) ( p = 0.001). PEMAT-P understandability was the lowest in GPT-4 (53.2 ± 2.0), and actionability was the highest in Claude (61.8 ± 3.5) ( p = 0.001). Conclusion: GPT-4 had the most complex language structure of the five chatbots, making it the most difficult to read and comprehend, whereas Grok was the simplest. Claude had the best KS text quality. Chatbot technology can improve healthcare material and make it easier to grasp.

Purpose: To evaluate and compare the clinical results of different single-use flexible ureteroscopes (su-fURS) used in retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS)., Materials and Methods: RIRS cases performed identically by an experienced surgeon between 2022 and 2023 in a single center were retrospectively analyzed. These surgeries were performed with three su-fURS (Redpine RP-U-C12, Hugemed HU30, and Pusen Uscope 3022 A). In the study, the age, gender, body mass index, and Charlson comorbidity index of the patients were compared, along with their clinical details, such as the stone size, volume, density, location, and history of hydronephrosis or a double J stent or SWL. Operation time, stone-free rates (SFR), perioperative and postoperative complications, and hospitalization times were also compared., Results: The study included 208 patients. Pusen had 63 cases, Hugemed had 62, and Redpine had 83. The comparison of the patient's demographic and clinical properties with stone-related variables was similar between the groups. The SFR was similar between the groups (p = 0.056). Perioperative, postoperative, and total complication rates and the need for a second intervention showed no significant differences among the three groups (p = 0.324, 0.088, 0.061, and 0.052, respectively)., Conclusion: In the first study comparing the clinical results of cases in which different su-fURS were used, no difference was observed in surgical outcomes and complications, even though the technical features of these devices were different. Urologists should select su-fURS based on clinical requirements, financial constraints, and personal experiences., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

A JJ stent placed before retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) may ease the procedure. However, it is important to note that a prolonged duration of double J stent (DJS) placement before RIRS may increase the risk of postoperative urinary tract infection (UTI). Various publications have established this association, although the duration of the DJS before surgery is scarce. Our study investigates the relationship between the pre-stenting period and postoperative UTI and establishes a cut-off period to minimize this risk. We included a total of 500 cases with preoperative DJS prior to RIRS. The patients were divided into five groups according to their preoperative stenting duration (Group 1: 0-15 days; Group 2: 16-30 days; Group 3: 31-45 days; Group 4: 46-60 days; Group 5: >60 days). Demographic and clinical data of the patients, stone properties, operation data, perioperative and postoperative complications (including fever and UTI), hospitalization time, and stone-free rates (SFR) were compared. The groups contained 53, 124, 102, 63, and 158 patients. The demographics of the patients in each group were similar. There was no statistically significant difference between DJS duration, perioperative/postoperative complications, and SFR, except for the ureteral access sheath (UAS) insertion rate. (p = 0.001). The postoperative fever/UTI rate was the lowest in Group 1 (p = 0.046) compared to other durations. Stent duration does not impact SFR. Longer stents enhance UAS insertion success but increase postoperative infection risk. Our results suggest that RIRS should be performed within two weeks, ideally 20 days following stent insertion, to minimize postoperative infection risk., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Objective: We aimed to compare the radiological and clinical characteristics of COVID-19-positive and -negative acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients who underwent revascularization and to evaluate whether COVID-19 has an effect on revascularization and outcome in AIS patients with COVID-19 infection., Methods: Consecutive COVID-19 positive and negative AIS patients who underwent intravenous thrombolysis and/or endovascular therapy in our hospital between March 2020 and February 2022 were included in this study. Our study is retrospective and 23 COVID-19 positive patients and 108 COVID-19 negative patients were compared in terms of radiological and clinical characteristics., Results: Hypertension was lower in the COVID-19 positive ischemic stroke group (p=0.029). Admission NIHSS score was higher in COVID-19 positive patients (p=0.041). ASPECTS was found to be lower in COVID-19 positive ischemic stroke patients (p=0.019). The rate of hyperdense artery sign differed between groups (p=0.014) and was higher in the COVID-19 positive ischemic stroke group. The incidence of multi-vessel occlusion was found to be significantly higher in the COVID-19-positive ischemic stroke group (p=0.002). In terms of prognostic features, only the 3-month good outcome rate was statistically significantly lower in the COVID-19-positive ischemic stroke group (p=0.011)., Conclusion: This study found that radiologically, COVID-19 may be associated with lower ASPECTS in ischemic stroke patients receiving revascularization treatment and may predispose to multivessel occlusion and hyperdense artery sign. Clinically, COVID-19 may be associated with a more severe initial presentation and worse prognosis at 3 months in ischemic stroke patients undergoing revascularization, but may not affect long-term mortality., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Reusable flexible ureteroscopes may lose their mechanical functionality through overuse, which is known as "aging of the flexible ureteroscope." Although mechanical deterioration has been shown in several studies, the data about the effect of this situation on the efficacy and safety of retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) are missing. The aim of our study was to evaluate the effect of the aging of flexible ureteroscopes on the efficacy and safety of RIRS. Methods: Patients who had undergone RIRS between 2017 and 2021 at a single center were retrospectively included in the study. Serial surgeries were performed using the same reusable flexible ureteroscope (Storz X 2 ) until it was broken or malfunctioned because of the aging process. Group 1 was formed by the first 10 cases on whom the flexible ureteroscopes were used, representing the youngest period of the instruments, whereas group 2 was composed of the last 10 cases on whom the flexible ureteroscopes were used, representing the oldest phase of the instruments. The operative and postoperative data-including the operation time, hospitalization time, intraoperative complications, postoperative complications, and stone-free rates-were compared between the two groups. Results: A total of five flexible ureteroscopes were included in the study. The number of cases for each flexible ureteroscope ranged between 87 and 133, with a median number of 107 cases. The demographic and clinical properties of patients in both groups were similar. The operation time, lasering time, and total laser pulse were similar between the groups. The stone-free rates in group 1 and group 2 were 82.0% and 78.0%, respectively ( p = 0.304). The complication rates were also similar between the groups ( p = 0.591). Conclusion: The aging of reusable flexible ureteroscopes did not negatively affect the efficacy and safety of RIRS. Therefore, surgeons may use the reusable types of flexible ureteroscopes until they are totally broken.

Background: Premature ejaculation (PE) is the most prevalent sexual dysfunction in men, and like many diseases and conditions, patients use Internet sources like ChatGPT, which is a popular artificial intelligence-based language model, for queries about this andrological disorder., Aim: The objective of this research was to evaluate the quality, readability, and understanding of texts produced by ChatGPT in response to frequently requested inquiries on PE., Methods: In this study we used Google Trends to identify the most frequently searched phrases related to PE. Subsequently, the discovered keywords were methodically entered into ChatGPT, and the resulting replies were assessed for quality using the Ensuring Quality Information for Patients (EQIP) program. The produced texts were assessed for readability using the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES), and DISCERN metrics., Outcomes: This investigation has identified substantial concerns about the quality of texts produced by ChatGPT, highlighting severe problems with reading and understanding., Results: The mean EQIP score for the texts was determined to be 45.93 ± 4.34, while the FRES was 15.8 ± 8.73. Additionally, the FKGL score was computed to be 15.68 ± 1.67 and the DISCERN score was 38.1 ± 3.78. The comparatively low average EQIP and DISCERN scores suggest that improvements are required to increase the quality and dependability of the presented information. In addition, the FKGL scores indicate a significant degree of linguistic intricacy, requiring a level of knowledge comparable to about 14 to 15 years of formal schooling in order to understand. The texts about treatment, which are the most frequently searched items, are more difficult to understand compared to other texts about other categories., Clinical Implications: The results of this research suggest that compared to texts on other topics the PE texts produced by ChatGPT exhibit a higher degree of complexity, which exceeds the recommended reading threshold for effective health communication. Currently, ChatGPT is cannot be considered a substitute for comprehensive medical consultations., Strengths and Limitations: This study is to our knowledge the first reported research investigating the quality and comprehensibility of information generated by ChatGPT in relation to frequently requested queries about PE. The main limitation is that the investigation included only the first 25 popular keywords in English., Conclusion: ChatGPT is incapable of replacing the need for thorough medical consultations., Competing Interests: None of the authors received any type of financial support that could be considered a potential conflict of interest regarding the manuscript or its submission., (Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The International Society of Sexual Medicine 2024.)

Introduction: Peyronie's disease (PD) is a common urologic illness, motivating numerous scientific investigations and publications. Scientific publications have more authors each year. A bibliometric review of the PD literature might help urologists and sexual medicine professionals comprehend publication tendencies in this subject. The current study was aimed at presenting a bibliometric analysis of PD, which is one of the important and trending subjects of andrology., Methods: On January 5, 2023, Web of Science scanned documents with the terms Peyronie's disease" "Peyronie's disease treatment", "Peyronie's disease management", "Peyronie's disease surgery" and "Peyronie's disease injection" from 1975 through 2023. Titles, years, authors, citations, citation indices, journal names, authors' countries of origin, article categories, and funding sources were recorded., Results: "Clinical Efficacy, Safety and Tolerability of Collagenase Clostridium Histolyticum for the Treatment of Peyronie Disease in 2 Large Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo Controlled Phase 3 Studies" has the most citations and citation index. Most of the T100 articles were published in 2020, primarily in the Journal of Urology. These articles mainly focused on treatment, especially surgeries. All of these articles were in English, and the vast majority of them were by authors from the US who were most frequently collaborated with by other authors., Conclusion: This research analyzed the top 100 PD studies. This research focused on pathophysiology, innovative surgical procedures, and new approaches of PD. It also recommended bigger databases and more financing for research., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (© 2024 Şahin, Doğan, Akgül, Yazıcı, Şeramet and Dayısoylu.)

Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors have no conflict of interest to declare.

Objective: To determine the relationship between bladder pain syndrome (BPS) and systemic inflammatory index (SII) and to examine the impact of treatment protocols on it., Study Design: Observational Study. Place and Duration of the Study: Department of Urology, Tekirdag Namik Kemal University, Tekirdag, Turkiye, from January 2017 to December 2022., Methodology: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 30 BPS patients who underwent medical therapy. Upon diagnosis, the patients completed the king's health questionnaire (KHQ), beck depression questionnaire (BDQ), beck anxiety questionnaire (BAQ), and short form (SF-36) quality of life form. Peripheral blood SII was measured. After six months of regular therapy, the SII was recalculated when the patients completed the same forms again. The SII was compared between instances when patients reported more complaints, higher form scores, and instances when they reported fewer and lower scores., Results: The patients had a mean age of 46.1 ± 13.6 years, with four males and 26 females. The mean follow-up duration was 76.3 ± 24.5 months. Five patients of KHQ subcategories showed statistically significant decreases following therapy (52 to 39.17, 66.66 to 54.16, 54.40 to 41.07, 75.55 to 58.14, and 60.55 to 40.47). All patients of SF-36 components increased (p = 779, p = 0.393, p = 0.007, p = 0.004, p = 0.008, p = 0.041, p = 0.010, and p = 0.767, respectively). BDQ and BAQ decreased after therapy (11.55 to 11.41 and 11.86 to 11.24, respectively). Lymphocyte count, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and SII decreased significantly (p = 0.001, 0.019, 0.002 and 0.039, respectively)., Conclusion: SII, lymphocyte count, NLR, and PLR decreased after treatment, similar to BDQ and BAQ. SII is a simple and feasible method for evaluating the treatment efficacy of BPS., Key Words: Bladder pain syndrome, Lymphocyte, Neutrophil, Systemic immune inflammation index, Platelet.

Objective: To evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of ultrasonography (USG) and kidney ureter bladder radiography (KUB) for the determination of stone-free status of retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) according to different stone-free status definitions., Materials and Methods: The patients who underwent RIRS between September 2021 and September 2022 were prospectively included in the study. All patients underwent a KUB radiography, urinary system USG and noncontrast abdominal tomography at the postoperative first month of the surgery. The sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive factor, and positive predictive factor of USG and KUB on evaluating the stone-free rate were analyzed according to different stone-free status definitions., Results: A total of 178 patients were included in the study. The stone-free rates according to stone-free definitions as; residual stone <4 mm, <2 mm and no residual stone were 79.2%, 64.0%, and 56.7%, respectively. According to its definition as a residual stone <4 mm, the sensitivity and specificity of USG were 64.9% and 84.3%, respectively. The sensitivity of USG was 57.1% and 52.5% as the definitions were residual stone <2 mm and no residual stone, respectively. Addition of KUB to USG slightly increased the sensitivity but did not change the specificity., Conclusion: USG had high specificity but low sensitivity for evaluating stone-free status after RIRS and addition of KUB did not increase the diagnostic efficacy. Although USG may be used in daily practice, it may overestimate the stone-free status and noncontrast abdominal tomography must be used during the clinical trials to document the exact stone-free rates of RIRS., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors have no conflict of interest to declare., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The aim of the study is to evaluate and compare the quality and readability of responses generated by five different artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots-ChatGPT, Bard, Bing, Ernie, and Copilot-to the top searched queries of erectile dysfunction (ED). Google Trends was used to identify ED-related relevant phrases. Each AI chatbot received a specific sequence of 25 frequently searched terms as input. Responses were evaluated using DISCERN, Ensuring Quality Information for Patients (EQIP), and Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL) and Reading Ease (FKRE) metrics. The top three most frequently searched phrases were "erectile dysfunction cause", "how to erectile dysfunction," and "erectile dysfunction treatment." Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Ghana exhibited the highest level of interest in ED. None of the AI chatbots achieved the necessary degree of readability. However, Bard exhibited significantly higher FKRE and FKGL ratings (p = 0.001), and Copilot achieved better EQIP and DISCERN ratings than the other chatbots (p = 0.001). Bard exhibited the simplest linguistic framework and posed the least challenge in terms of readability and comprehension, and Copilot's text quality on ED was superior to the other chatbots. As new chatbots are introduced, their understandability and text quality increase, providing better guidance to patients., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Objective: To investigate the association between psoas muscle mass (PMM) and failure of ureteral access sheath (UAS) insertion and complications from retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS). Materials and Methods: A multicenter retrospective case-control study was conducted that included patients who underwent RIRS despite failure of UAS insertion (Cohort 1) and confounder-matched control patients who underwent RIRS after successful UAS insertion (Cohort 2). For morphometric analysis of PMM, ipsilateral psoas muscle areas (iPMAs) were measured using the coreslicer.com webkit. After comparing demographic, clinical, and complication rates and iPMAs between cohorts, gender-specific median iPMAs were also determined to further subdivide patients in each cohort as either low iPMAs or high iPMAs. Thereafter, patients were also compared in terms of RIRS complications. Results: Cohort 1 included 86 patients whereas Cohort 2 consisted of 124 matched cases. The median (interquartile range) iPMAs were similar between the cohorts: Cohort 1, 11.05 (6.82-14.44) cm 2 versus 11.12 (6.97-13.69) cm 2 for Cohort 2 ( P ˃ .05). There was a significant inverse relationship between iPMAs with age ( r  = -0.222) and Charlson comorbidity index ( r  = -0.180) for all patients ( P ˂ .05). Perioperative and postoperative complication rates were 8.1% and 16.3% for Cohort 1 and 6.5% and 21% for Cohort 2, respectively. The complication rates were not statistically different between patients with high iPMAs and those with low iPMAs, in male or female patients ( P  > .05). Conclusions: These results show that failure of UAS was not associated with PMM. Furthermore, since the complication rates were similar between patients with high PMM and low PMM, RIRS may be a reliable treatment choice for sarcopenic patients as well as in nonsarcopenic patients.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) in patients with renal calculi with solitary kidneys (SKs). Materials and Methods: In this retrospective, multicenter study, a matched case-control study was carried out using the data from 522 RIRS patients treated between 2014 and 2021. Patients' demographic data, stone characteristics, operative outcomes, perioperative and postoperative complications, and surgical success were analyzed. All patients were evaluated with noncontrast-enhanced computed tomography (NCCT) preoperatively and 1 month after the surgery. Surgical success was defined as no evidence of remaining residual fragments of <3 mm in the first-month postoperative NCCT images. The case group of 29 patients with SKs (Group 1) treated with RIRS were matched with 76 control patients (Group 2) with bilateral kidneys, who underwent unilateral RIRS by propensity score-matched (PSM) analysis. Results: After PSM analysis, the demographic and clinical data did not differ significantly between the groups. The stone burden was similar between the groups: 733.6 mm 3 (range: 50.4-7565.9) versus 991.1 mm 3 (range: 201.2-4380.6) ( P  = .09), respectively. The perioperative complication rates were 13.8% ( n  = 4) in Group 1 and 11.8% ( n  = 9) in Group 2 ( P  = .78). There was no statistically significant difference between the groups for postoperative complication rates (minor complications, classified as Clavien 1 or 2), (6.9% [ n  = 2] versus 13.2% [ n  = 10; P  = .34]), respectively. Surgical success was 82.8% ( n  = 24) in Group 1 and 83.6% in Group 2 ( P  = .92). There was no significant difference between preoperative and postoperative glomerular filtration rate and creatinine values ( P  = .005). Conclusions: Our results support that RIRS is a safe and effective treatment method in SK patients with similar complication and stone-free rates compared to patients who had bilateral functional kidneys and underwent unilateral RIRS.

Background: The aim of this study was (1) to explore effect of ureteral access sheath (UAS) use on primary retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) outcomes, short-term kidney functions, radiation exposure, and ureteroscope lifetime (URS-LT) and (2) to reveal factors that predict UAS insertion failure. Materials and Methods: Patients ( n  = 1318) who underwent RIRS without UAS (Group 1), those who had operation with a <11-13 Fr (Group 2), and those with a ≥11-13 Fr UAS were matched (1:1:2) and compared. Stone-free rate (SFR), intra- and postoperative complications, acute kidney injury (AKI), fluoroscopy time, URS-LT, and UAS insertion failure were the outcomes. Results: SFR, which was highest in Group 3 (75%, 71% and 87.3%, respectively; P  = .001), was significantly associated with use of ≥11-13 Fr (odds ratio [OR]: 4.2, P  < .001), but was not with use of <11-13 Fr UAS (OR: 1.3, P  = .3). Group 3 had less need for auxiliary procedure (15%, 16%, and 7.4%, respectively; P  = .03). Five percent of patients had a risk of AKI, but only 0.3% developed AKI. Although UAS use was protective against creatinine increase (OR: 0.65, P  = .02), increased risk of AKI was only associated with female gender (OR: 5.5, P  < .001). Fluroscopy times were 5, 15, and 87 sn, respectively ( P  < .001). Short URS-LT was strongly associated with high frequency of lower calix stones ( r  = -0.94, P  = .005), but URS-LT was not correlated with sheathless case rate ( r  = 0.59, P  = .22). UAS insertion success in first attempt was more likely in younger (OR: 0.99, P  = .03), hydronephrotic (OR: 3.4, P  < .001), and female cases (OR: 1.5, P  = .008). But absolute UAS insertion failure was associated with female gender (OR: 2.7, P  = .017). Conclusions: Not any UAS use but a higher caliber UAS use may improve SFR and protect against AKI after RIRS. Although UAS insertion failure is seen mostly in men, it may be more challenging in women owing to less efficacy of preoperative Double-J stent.

Purpose: The flexible ureterorenoscopy (FURS) is expensive and fragile equipment which easily break down during the surgery. f-URS have yet some problems with their durability that affect survival. One of the most important ways to increase the survival of a device is to improve its use in the right indications. We aimed to investigate whether the durability of the f-URS will be affected due to the volume and location of the stone and some anatomical features of the including infundibulopelvic angle (IPA), and location anomalies., Materials and Methods: The collected data from 705 patients' data including their age, sex, stone location, and stone volume, S-ReSC score, Hounsfield unit (HU) as stone density, IPA, BMI, and the usage time of f-URS using 10f-URS were included to study. Exp(B) values and confidence intervals (95% CIs) of parameters were calculated with COX regression and Roc curve analysis was also used to determine the cut-off value., Results: Renal malformation, DJstent use, previous ESL application, and UAS use did not affect contrary to expectations stone volume, HU, IPA, and S-ReSC score were among the factors statistically significant affecting the durability of the device. It was observed, Exp(B) values of the affecting factors to be 0.984, 0.268, 0.894, and 0.607, respectively. We found the most appropriate cutoff value for IPA as 41.25 degrees., Conclusion: The mean stone volume broken by each of the subsequent f-URS may increase, while the mean operative time may decrease as time progresses. This result shows us the importance of mastery of the device, such as the deflection maneuver, and the correct use distance of the laser, which improves with the increase in user experience, and makes us interpret that the operation time is shortened with this self-confidence. Factors including stone volume, HU, IPA, S-ReSC score affect the durability of the f-URS device and the as well as manufacturing features., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Purpose: Retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) has been accepted as a first-line therapeutic option for kidney stones <2 cm. Renal mobility might be a challenging situation for the surgeon targeting the laser, thereby limiting the renal mobility during surgery might affect the surgical success. The main objective of the present trial was to evaluate the effect of two different ventilation modes on the efficacy and safety of RIRS performed under general anesthesia. Materials and Methods: The patients undergoing RIRS from January 2023 to April 2023 were prospectively enrolled in the trial. In the standard ventilation (SV) mode, the tidal volume was 8 to 10 mL/kg with respirations per minute being 10-15, whereas in the high ventilation (HV) mode the tidal volume was reduced to 6 to 8 mL/kg with the frequency being increased to 15 to 18 respirations/minute. For the purposes of the trial and the randomization, the anesthesiologist was informed about the ventilation mode used, whereas the surgeon was blinded. The surgical success rates and the observed complications were compared between SV and HV modes. Results: A total of 144 patients were enrolled with the mean age 48.78 ± 14.16 years. The mean duration of operation was 62.9 ± 26.3 minutes in the SV group, whereas it was 58.4 ± 20.1 minutes in the HV group ( p  = 0.031). Fragmentation rate of the stones per minute was higher in the HV group with the difference being statistically significant ( p  = 0.003). In the preoperative period, while hematuria was seen at higher rates in the HV group, the difference was not statistically significant ( p  = 0.671). Stone-free rates (Grades A-B-C) and the rates of postoperative complications were comparable between the groups ( p  = 0.605 and p  = 0.676, respectively). Conclusion: Using HV mode during the RIRS decreased the operative time and provided the surgeon with the ability to target the laser more effectively. Surgeons might prefer using the HV mode during RIRS in a mobile kidney to reduce their operative time and perform comfortable surgery. ClinicalTrials.gov: The trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov with the registration number of NCT05792670.

Purpose: Renal mobility can present challenges for surgeons during stone fragmentation. The respiratory setup of the mechanical ventilator during RIRS might affect renal mobility. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of high ventilation (HV) and standard ventilation (SV) modes on renal mobility during RIRS., Materials and Methods: Patients who underwent RIRS at a single center between November 2020 and November 2021 were retrospectively included in the study. Renal mobility was measured under fluoroscopic view in HVandSV modes during retrograde pyelography. The surgeon, who was absolutely blind about mechanical ventilation modes, was asked to assess the renal movement grade. After the ventilation mode was changed, the surgeon reassessed renal mobility. The data and the surgeon's assessment were recorded and compared to each other., Results: A total of 86 patients with a mean age of 48.6 ± 15.7 years were included in the study. There was a significant difference between the SV and HV modes in terms of renal mobility in fluoroscopic view (17.1±6.1 mm and 13.6 ± 5.2mm, respectively; p=0.007). According to the surgeon's assessments, the grade of renal mobility was found to be significantly higher in the SV group 2.8 ±1.1 compared to the HV group 2.2 ± 0.8 (p=0.001). Renal movement increased significantly under fluoroscopic vision as the renal grading of the surgeon increased(p=0.013). This data demonstrated that the surgeon's assessment of renal mobility was significantly correlated with fluoroscopic kidney movement., Conclusion: Kidney movement was decreased significantly in HV mode during RIRS according to both fluoroscopic findings and surgeon assessment. Most surgeries of mobile kidneys were performed in HV mode, due to the surgeon's preference.

Introduction: COVID-19 is a disease that may cause anxiety, depression, and stress. Bladder pain syndrome (BPS) is a disease in which stress and psychological factors might negatively affect its course. In this study, we aimed to examine the possible clinical aggregation of the pandemic period on BPS patients., Materials and Methods: A total of 35 BPS patients diagnosed between 2010 and 2018 were included. All patients were using medical treatment, and the follow-up period was at least 6 months. According to our clinical follow-up protocol, the BPS patients were given the King's Health Questionnaire (KHQ), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Overactive Bladder Form V8 (OAB-V8), and Visual Analog Score (VAS) in every visit. In the sixth month of the pandemic, the clinical course of the patients was questioned by telephone or video interview, and their treatment continuities were questioned. Information was received about the delays in their follow-up and the difficulties in accessing healthcare opportunities. The same questionnaires were filled out and compared with pre-pandemic scores., Results: The mean age of the patients included in the study was 50.2 ± 13.32 (min:20, max:74), 11 were males and 24 were females. The mean follow-up periods were 71.8 ± 35.6 months. All questionnaire scores showed an increase compared to the pre-pandemic period. A statistically significant increase was detected during the pandemic in all sub-units of the KHQ. The VAS and OAB-V8 scores of 16 patients who requested hospital admission were significantly higher than before the pandemic. However, there was no statistically significant difference in the increase in VAS and OAB-V8 scores of the 19 patients who refused to come to the hospital., Conclusion: BPS patients have been negatively affected by the emotional effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to the fear, stress, anxiety, and depression, the symptoms of BPS patients exacerbated, and the patients could not receive the necessary support due to a lack of regular follow-ups., (© 2023 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background: Live surgery events (LSEs) are frequently organized for sharing the surgical experiences with surgeons at the beginning of their learning curves. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the outcomes and complication rates of patients underwent retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) at LSEs are comparable with regular cases., Methods: Ten courses were organized during 2017-2022. Data of 32 patients who operated in the LSEs were 1:3 matched (for stone burden and surgeon) with the data of patients who underwent regular RIRS within the course periods at the same centers (n = 96). All courses took place in concordance with the latest LSE policies. The primary outcomes were stone-free and complication rates. Fluoroscopy and operation times were the secondary outcomes., Results: Stone-free rates of the groups were similar (84% in LSE and 79% in control group; p = 0.520). Similarly, there were no differences in complication rates ( p = 0.428) and fluoroscopy time ( p = 0.477). Duration of the LSE cases (82.24 ± 31.12 min) was slightly but insignificantly longer than regular cases (73.77 ± 20.89 min, p = 0.092). Moreover, guest surgeons tend to have longer operation time with statistically insignificant prolongation (74.92 ± 30.43 min for host, 89.52 ± 28.34 min for guest surgeons, p = 0.064)., Conclusions: RIRS can be performed without jeopardizing operation efficiency and patient safety in LSEs. If surgeon is not familiar with operating room set-up or staff, live surgery must be performed by host surgeon to avoid extended operating time., Competing Interests: Given his role as Guest Editor, Oktay Özman had no involvement in the peer-review of this article and has no access to information regarding its peer-review., (© 2023 The Author(s).)

Objectives: To complement our previous findings regarding effect of ureteral access sheath (UAS) use, we checked RIRSearch database for patients who operated without using UAS. The aim of the study was to understand these new data better by comparing outcomes of retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) that continued sheathless after a failed UAS insertion vs those planned and completed sheathless. Materials and Methods: Data of 195 patients who underwent sheathless RIRS for kidney and/or ureteral stones between 2011 and 2021 were retrieved from the database. Patients divided into two groups: cases who were planned and completed sheathless ( n  = 110, Group 1) and those who proceeded without UAS after insertion failure ( n  = 85, Group 2). After propensity score matching (PSM), each group consisted of 76 patients. Results: After PSM, stone-free rate for Group 1 (90.8%) was significantly higher than stone-free rate of Group 2 (76.3%) in sheathless RIRS ( p  = 0.02). Also postoperative complication rate was significantly lower in Group 1 (10.5%) than in Group 2 (27.6%) ( p  = 0.007). In Group 2, median operating time was longer (60 minutes, interquartile range [IQR]: 40-80) and more unplanned auxilliary procedure (22.4%) was needed than Group 1 (45 minutes, IQR: 40-50 and 3.9%) (both p  = 0.001). Stone burden (odds ratio [OR]: 1.002, p  = 0.019) and stone density (OR: 1.002, p  = 0.003) were associated with high risk of residual stones after RIRS. Higher hydronephrosis grades were associated with increased stone-free rates (OR: 0.588 for residual stone risk, p  = 0.024). Cases who completed sheathless by dusting all available stones, as planned preoperatively, were more likely to have stone-free status after RIRS than those who proceeded sheathless after UAS insertion failure (OR: 2.645, p  = 0.024). Conclusions: Operation course after UAS insertion failure may be more challenging. In cases who performed without using UAS, surgeons who proceed with procedure sheathless after UAS insertion failure may more frequently run into complications and may fail achieving stone-free status compared with sheathless-planned cases.

Introduction: Although retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) is being performed with increasing frequency, there are only a limited number of studies about the learning curve (LC). This study aimed to analyze the LC of RIRS for five surgeons who underwent the same training., Materials and Methods: The data of the 410 patients who underwent RIRS between April 2017 and 2022 in a single institution, which were performed consecutively by five surgeons, were analyzed. All 50 cases performed by each surgeon were included and numbered consecutively and separately, according to the date of the operation. The combined stone-free rate (SFR) was calculated for each surgeon's cases in the same row, and the LCs were created using moving average and cumulative sum (CUSUM) analyses. Separate multivariable analyses identified each period's (LC vs. beyond) characteristics., Results: The LCs from the combined SFRs reached a plateau after approximately 50 cases for both the CUSUM and the moving average. The effect of stone burden on SFR was more evident in the first 50 cases compared to subsequent cases in the multivariable analyses (p = 0.001 and p = 0.047, respectively). Case order and stone density were independent factors in the first 50 cases (OR: 1.02 [95% CI 1.00-1.04], p = 0.04 and OR: 0.99 [95% CI 0.99-1.00], p = 0.04) but not significant in subsequent cases (OR: 0.97 [95% CI 0.94-1.00], p = 0.1 and OR: 1.00 [95% CI 0.99-1.00], p = 0.7, respectively). Compared to single locations except the lower calyx, the unfavorable effect of the multiple-stone localization on SFR grew in strength after the 50th case (OR: 0.42 [95% CI 0.23-0.78], p = 0.01 and OR: 0.20 [95% CI 0.09-0.46], p &lt; 0.001, respectively)., Conclusions: This is the first study reporting on the RIRS LCs of urology residents. While stone burden, density, and multiple-stone localization were the factors determining SFR in the learning period, after completing the LC, the effect of stone burden weakened and multiple-stone localization became stronger., (© 2023 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Background: To evaluate the newly diagnosed bladder cancer(BC) patients during the pandemic period and compare them with the corresponding last4 years., Objectives: To document the time schedules of BC patient evaluation and define the possible delays and investigate the reasons., Methods: Newly diagnosed BC patients who underwent transurethral resection of bladder tumour in the last5 years were retrospectively included to study. The patients were divided into 5 groups. Group-1 was composed of patients diagnosed betweenMarch, 1,2016 -March-1,2017. The patients who were diagnosed in the further corresponding years formed group 2,3 and 4. The last group(Group-5) was composed of patients who were diagnosed during the pandemic period which was between March,1,2020 and March,1,2021. The clinicodemographic properties and diagnostic time schedules of the patients were compared between the groups., Results: There were56 patients in Group-1,60 patients in Group-2,61 patients in Group-3,68 patients in Group-4, and 58 patients inGroup-5. The mean hospital admission period was102.5±179.0days during the pandemic period which ranged between24.5± 32.0 and38.3±69.1days before thepandemic.(p=0.002)The diagnosis-anesthesia period was significantly higher during the pandemic pandemic period.(p=0.034)., Conclusions: The pandemic period has caused some delays in the diagnosis and treatment of BC patients. Telemonitoring systems may be useful to prevent the possible diagnostic and treatment delays for newly diagnosed BC patients., (© 2022 Dogan C et al.)

Introduction: The Modified Seoul National University Renal Stone Complexity Score (S-ReSC) is a simple model based solely on stone location regardless of stone burden. The aims of this study were to validate S-ReSC for outcomes and complications of retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) and to evaluate its predictive power against the stone burden., Material and Methods: Data of 1007 patients with kidney stones who had undergone RIRS were collected from our RIRSearch database. Linear-by-linear association, logistic regression, ANOVA/post hoc analysis and ROC curve (with Hanley and McNeil's test) were used for evaluation. The main outcomes were stone-free status and complications of RIRS., Results: The overall stone-free rate was 76.8% (773/1007). Higher S-ReSC scores were related to lower stone-free rates and higher total, perioperative and postoperative complication rates ( p <.001, p <.001, p =.008 and p <.001, respectively). S-ReSC score ( p =.02) and stone burden ( p <.001) were independent predictors of stone-free status. But stone burden (AUC = 0.718) had a more powerful discriminating ability than the S-ReSC score (AUC = 0.618)., Conclusions: The S-ReSC score is able to predict not only stone-free status but also complications of RIRS. Although this location-only based scoring system has a fair discriminative ability, stone burden is a more powerful predictor of stone-free status after RIRS. An ideal scoring system aiming to predict outcomes of RIRS must include stone burden as a parameter.

Objective: The aim of the study was to assess whether severely obese patients have an increased risk of complications during and after retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS). Materials and Methods: The data of 639 consecutive patients undergoing RIRS for the treatment of upper tract urinary stones were analyzed retrospectively. The patients were divided into two groups according to their body mass index numbers (Group 1, <35; Group 2, ≥35). The patients' demographics, stone characteristics, operative outcomes, and complication rates were compared between the groups. The primary objective was to examine whether the intraoperative and postoperative complication rates were higher in patients with a body mass index of ≥35 kg/m 2 . Results: After matching of confounding factors, Group 1 comprised 135 patients, and Group 2 comprised 47 patients. The baseline characteristics were similar between the groups. There were no significant differences between groups for intraoperative complication rates (11.8% and 12.8%, respectively; p  = 0.97). There was statistically significant difference in favor of Group 2 for postoperative complication rates (12.6% and 29.7%; respectively, p  < 0.01), overall complication rates (22.9% and 38.2%; respectively, p  = 0.02), mean operation time (56.15 vs 66.45 minutes; respectively, p  = 0.01), and length of stay (1.4 vs 2.1 days; p  = 0.03). Stone-free rates (75.5% vs 85.1%; respectively, p  = 0.17) did not differ between groups. Conclusions: RIRS is an efficient and feasible treatment option for upper urinary tract stones in severely obese patients. However, higher possibility of postoperative, especially infectious, complication rates should be considered in these patients.

Background: The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of stone density on operative complication rates in retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS). Materials and Methods: A total of 473 consecutive patients undergoing RIRS for the treatment of upper tract urinary stones were included. To adjust for baseline confounders, one-to-one propensity score matching was performed. After matching, the patients were divided into two groups according to stone density (low density [LD] group, ≤970 Hounsfield unit [HU]; high density [HD] group, >970 HU). The patients' demographics, stone-related features, stone-free rates, and intraoperative and postoperative complication rates were compared between the groups. The primary objective was to evaluate whether the intraoperative and postoperative complication rates were higher in patients whose stone density was greater than 970 HU. Results: After propensity score matching, 170 of 210 LD and 170 of 263 HD patients undergoing RIRS were included. The baseline characteristics did not differ significantly between the groups. There were no significant differences between LD and HD patients with respect to intraoperative (5.9% and 8.8%, respectively; P  = .29), postoperative (10.6% and 15.3%, respectively; P  = .14), and overall complication rates (15.2% and 21.1%, respectively; P  = .16). Stone-free status was achieved in 143 patients (84.1%) in the LD group and 148 patients (87%) in the HD group; the difference was not statistically significant ( P  = .27). Conclusion: Our results show that RIRS is a safe and effective minimally invasive procedure for the treatment of upper urinary tract stones, even in HD stones.

Purpose: Retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) is a safe and effective treatment option for upper urinary tract stones smaller than 2 cm. Although several studies have documented perioperative and postoperative complications related to RIRS, there exists limited data regarding the readmission and rehospitalization of patients after RIRS. The aims of the study were to document the rates of readmission and rehospitalization after RIRS and to determine the predictive factors for readmission and rehospitalization. Materials and Methods: In this study, we retrospectively analyzed patients who underwent RIRS for the treatment of renal stone disease and were unexpectedly readmitted to the hospital within 30 days after discharge. The hospital admission systems were used to determine readmissions and rehospitalizations. Readmission and rehospitalization rates, causes, and treatment procedures were evaluated. Univariate and multivariate analyses of clinicodemographic properties were performed to evaluate possible predictive factors for readmission and rehospitalization after RIRS. Results: A total of 1036 patients were included in the study. Of these patients, 103 (9.9%) were readmitted to the hospital. Among these readmissions, 35 patients (33.9%) were rehospitalized and 14 (13.6%) underwent surgical intervention. The most common reasons for readmission were renal colic and fever. The presence of preoperative pyuria (odds ratio [OR] 1.86), stone volume (OR 1.54), postoperative complications (OR 3.66), and stone-free status (OR 0.46) were predictive factors for readmission, whereas hospitalization time (OR 1.32), postoperative complications (OR 9.70), and stone-free status (OR 0.06) were predictive factors for rehospitalization after RIRS. Conclusion: Nearly 10% of patients who underwent RIRS were readmitted to the hospital within the first month after discharge, and some were rehospitalized. Preoperative pyuria, high stone volume, presence of postoperative complications, and low stone-free status predicted this readmission and rehospitalization. Clinicians must recognize these predictive factors and inform their patients about this possibility.

Introduction: Several scoring systems and nomograms have been developed to predict the success of retrograde intrarenal surgery. But no meta-analysis for the performance of scoring systems has yet been performed. The aim of this study was to compare predictive ability of recent scoring systems for stone-free rate of retrograde intrarenal surgery., Material and Methods: PubMed and Web of Science databases were searched systematically between April and May 2021. The scoring systems which were validated externally or studied at least by two different researcher groups were selected for further analysis. Of 59 records, 14 studies met the inclusion criteria (n = 4137). Area under curve (AUC) values of selected scoring systems were pooled in random or fixed effects. The I 2 test was used to quantify heterogeneity., Results: Eight, 5, 8, 4 and 3 studies included in meta-analyses for the modified Seoul National University Renal Stone Complexity Score (S-ReSC), R.I.R.S., Resorlu-Unsal Score (RUS), S.T.O.N.E., and Ito's Nomogram, respectively. We found pooled AUC values 0.709 (95% CI 0.670-0.748), 0.704 (95% CI 0.668-0.739), 0.669 (95% CI 0.646 to 0.692), and 0.771 (95% CI 0.724 to 0.818), for first four of them, respectively. Heterogeneity was very high to pool AUC values for Ito's nomogram., Conclusions: Although S.T.O.N.E. score showed higer pooled AUC value, this systematic review and meta-analysis has not revealed superiority of any scoring system. High heterogeneity between studies and dependencies between scoring systems make it difficult to design a comparative statistical model to generalize the findings. Also, limitations aside, neither scoring system has demonstrated good predictive/discriminative performance., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright by Polish Urological Association.)

Objectives: To evaluate the changes of peak systolic velocity(PSV), end-diastolic velocity(EDV), and resistive index(RI) of renal and arcuate arteries at the ipsilateral and contralateral kidneys during the retrograde intrarenal surgery., Methods: The patients who had RIRS for the treatment of renal stones were prospectively included in the study. An experienced radiologist performed doppler ultrasonography of the ipsilateral and contralateral kidney before the surgery just after the anesthesia and at the end of the surgery before stenting. The PSV, EDV, and RI of renal and arcuate arteries at the ipsilateral and contralateral kidneys were measured., Results: A total of 53 patients were included in the study. The postoperative mean PSV, EDV, and RI of renal arteries at the ipsilateral and contralateral arteries were similar to preoperative values. The mean PSV and RI of the arcuate arteries at the ipsilateral kidney significantly increased postoperatively (P = 0.032, P = 0.012) The postoperative mean PSV, EDV, and RI of arcuate arteries did not change significantly during the surgery. The age, gender, and flexible ureteroscopy time did not affect the change of renal and arcuate arterial PSV, EDV, and RI at the ipsilateral and contralateral kidneys., Conclusion: The elevation of intrarenal pressure during RIRS did not change the blood flow at the major arteries of the ipsilateral and contralateral kidneys. On the other hand, there was a significant increase at the RI of the arcuate arteries in the ipsilateral kidney which was proposed to be related to the vasoconstriction of minor vasculature of the kidney., Competing Interests: CONFLICT OF INTEREST None, (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Aim: The guidelines propose optical dilatation before retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS), but there are currently no evidence-based studies concerning the impact of optical dilatation with semirigid ureteroscopy (sURS). The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of optical dilatation through sURS prior to the RIRS procedure on the success and complications of RIRS., Methods: A total of 422 patients were included in the retrospective multicentre study. The patients were divided into two groups according to whether sURS was to be performed. Patients' demographics, stone parameters and operative outcomes were compared. Surgical success was defined as no or up to 3-mm residual stone fragments without the need for additional procedures. The independent predictors for surgical success were determined with a multivariable logistic regression model., Results: Of the 422 patients, 133 (31.5%) were in the sURS group and 289 (68.5%) were in the non-sURS group. Stone characteristics and patients' demographics were similar between the groups. Operation time in the sURS group was significantly longer (compared with the non-sURS group, P < .0001). A ureteral access sheath (UAS) could not be placed in four (3.0%) patients in the sURS group, nor in 25 (8.7%) patients in the non-sURS group (P = .03). Compared with the non-sURS group, the intraoperative complication rate was lower in the sURS group (14 [4.8%] vs 1 [0.8%], P = .04). The surgical success rate was higher in the sURS group (P = .002). Nevertheless, sURS had no independent effect on surgical success. We found two independent predictors for surgical success rate: stone number (P < .0001, OR:2.28) and failed UAS placement (P = .035, OR:3.49)., Conclusions: Optical dilatation with sURS before RIRS increases surgical success by raising the rate of UAS placement and reducing the rate of intraoperative complications. We suggest that this method can be routinely applied to patients who have not been passively dilated with a JJ stent., (© 2021 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Objective: To investigate the awareness about testicular cancer and testicular self examination among medical students and the community., Methods: The cross-sectional comparative study was conducted from January to April 2019 at Tekirdag, Turkey, and comprised young male medical students aged 18-26 years and an age-matched control group of male high school graduates. Data was collected using face-to-face survey through a 15-question survey form. Data was analysed and compared using SPSS 20., Results: Of the 345 subjects, 174(50.4%) were medical students and 171(49.6%) were in the control group. The mean age of the medical students was 21.51±2.02 years and that of the control group was 22.04±1.45 years (p=0.435). The awereness about testicular self examination was among 91(52.3%) medical students and 32(23%) controls (p<0.01). There was no significant difference between the groups in terms of individuals performing testicular self examination (p=0.069). The level of awareness and the practice of performing testicular self examination increased from the first to the last year of medical studies (p<0.01)., Conclusion: The rate of awareness and performing testicular self examination was low in the general population. However, the rates significantly increased in medical students from the first to the final year.

Aims: To evaluate the effect of pre-RIRS ESWL on the efficiency and safety of RIRS in the treatment of proximal ureter stones., Methods: The patients in the study population were divided into two groups. Group-1 was composed of patients who had undergone ESWL for proximal ureter stones before RIRS and Group-2 was composed of patients who directly underwent RIRS without any prior ESWL. The clinical and demographic properties of the patients were analysed in the RIRSearch database. The operative outcomes, peroperative complications, postoperative complications, hospitalisation time and stone-free rates were compared between the groups., Results: There were 56 patients in Group 1 and 95 patients in Group 2. The demographic and clinical properties were similar between the groups. The stone-free rates, peroperative complications and postoperative complications were also similar between the groups; however, the fluoroscopy time was significantly higher in Group 1 (P = .043). The cut-off duration of 10 weeks between ESWL and RIRS had reasonable/favourable discriminating ability, with a 51% sensitivity and 88% specificity rate for stone-free status., Conclusion: Performing ESWL on the proximal ureter stones before RIRS did not change the efficacy and safety of RIRS. The time between the patient's last ESWL session and RIRS had a predictive value for stone-free status, but did not have any effect on complications., (© 2021 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Purpose: It has been shown that the Copper and Zinc contribute to the structure of the antioxidant enzymes. In addition NRF-2 and KEAP-1 complex have powerful effect on the intracellular organization of the antioxidants. We evaluated the relation of Copper, Zinc, NRF-2 and KEAP-1 complex regarding to the oxidative stress with tumor stage - grade in patients with bladder cancer., Materials and Methods: A total of 52 patients (32 bladder cancer and 20 control group) were included to the study. The demographic properties of groups were identical. Serum NRF-2, KEAP-1, Cu and Zn levels were compared by ELISA method between the groups and tissue NRF-2, KEAP-1, Cu and Zn levels were evaluated also by ELISA method at cancer patients.

The sphenoid sinus is located in the center of the cranial base and is surrounded by numerous neurovascular structures. The aim of this study was to determine sphenoid sinus types and subtypes, dimensions of the sinus and cranium, and the relations of these to age and gender.Computed tomography data was obtained from 144 patients to determine right sphenoidal volume (sphVOLR), left sphenoidal volume (sphVOLL), total sphenoidal volume (sphVOLT), anteroposterior length of the sphenoid sinus (sphAP), laterolateral length of the sphenoid sinus (sphLL), head circumference (crHC), fronto-occipital length (crFO), and biparietal length (crBP), with OSIRIX software. The patients' ages ranged between 9 and 83 years (mean age 38 ± 15.5 years). The study included 89 males (mean age 39 ± 15.5 years) and 55 females (mean age 38 ± 15.6 years).Conchal (1.4%), presellar (8.3%), sellar (23.6%), and postsellar (66.7%) type sphenoid sinuses were determined based on the extension of pneumatization around the sella turcica. Each type of sphenoid sinus was classified into the following 5 types based on the direction of pneumatization: body, full lateral, pterygoid, lesser wing, and greater wing subtypes. Mean sphAP was determined as 29.72 mm and mean sphLL as 37.73 mm. In 5 patients only (3.4%), the sphenoid sinus was not divided into right and left by the intersphenoidal septum.The variations in the extensions of pneumatization of the sphenoid sinus and its dimensions might be used to estimate the selection of a surgical approach to lesions bordering the sinus.

Urethral stricture is a common disease with high recurrence rate. Several manipulations were defined to prevent the recurrence but the results were disappointing. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of triamcinolone and mitomycin-C on urethral stricture formation and their effect on inhibition of urethral fibrosis. A total of 24 New Zealand rabbits were divided into 3 groups. Urethras of rabbits were traumatized with pediatric resectoscope. Resection area was irrigated with 10mL saline, swapped with a cotton wool soaked with 0.5mg/mL MMC and injected by 40mg triamcinolone in groups 1, 2 and 3 respectively. Retrograde urethrogram was performed at 28th day of procedure and the urethra was removed for histopathologic evaluation. There were significant differences in urethral diameters and in lumen reduction rate between the control and study groups (p<0.001). Compared to control group, all treatment groups showed mild fibrosis, less collagen bundle irregularity, and lower numbers of fibroblasts (p=0.003). The Tunnel assay showed that the number of apoptotic cells in the submucosal connective tissue was quantitatively higher in control groups (p=0.034). In the view of efficacy and safety, MMC and triamcinolone have the potential to replace the use of stents, clean intermittent catheterization, or long term catheters following internal urethrotomy. There were no statistically significant differences between two agents in terms of preventing urethral stricture formation in the present study. Mitomycin C and triamcinolone decreased the recurrence rates of urethral stricture., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: None declared., (Copyright® by the International Brazilian Journal of Urology.)

The orbital aperture is the entrance to the orbit in which most important visual structures such as the eyeball and the optic nerve are found. It is vital not only for the visual system but also for the evaluation and recognition of the face. Eyeball volume is essential for diagnosing microphthalmos or buphthalmos in several eye disorders. Knowing the length of the optic nerve is necessary in selecting the right instruments for enucleation. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate eyeball volume, orbital aperture, and optic nerve dimensions for a morphological description in a Turkish population sample according to gender and body side.Paranasal sinus computed tomography (CT) scans of 198 individuals (83 females, 115 males) aged between 5 and 74 years were evaluated retrospectively. The dimensions of orbital aperture, axial length and volume of eyeball, and diameter and length of the intraorbital part of the optic nerve were measured. Computed tomography examinations were performed on an Activion 16 CT Scanner (Toshiba Medical Systems, 2008 Japan). The CT measurements were calculated by using OsiriX software on a personal computer. All parameters were evaluated according to gender and right/left sides. A statistically significant difference between genders was found with respect to axial length of eyeball, optic nerve diameter, dimensions of orbital aperture on both sides, and right optic nerve length. Furthermore, certain statistically significant side differences were also found. There were statistically significant correlations between age and the axial length of the eyeball, optic nerve diameter, and the transverse length of the orbital aperture on both sides for the whole study group.In this study we determined certain morphometric parameters of the orbit. These outcomes may be helpful in developing a database to determine normal orbit values for the Turkish population so that quantitative assessment of orbital disease and orbital deformities will be evaluated both for preoperative planning and for assessing postoperative outcomes.

Objective: Sexual dysfunction and restless legs syndrome (RLS) have similar pathophysiological properties. This study evaluated the presence of erectile dysfunction (ED) and premature ejaculation (PE) in patients with RLS., Materials and Methods: Fifty patients in the RLS group and 50 in the control group were included in the study. The International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group rating scale, the five-item International Index of Erectile Function and the Premature Ejaculation Diagnostic Tool were used to define the RLS and erectile function of both the study and control groups. A stopwatch technique was used to evaluate the intravaginal ejaculatory latency time of patients in the study., Results: The mean age of patients in the RLS and control groups was 53.5 ± 9.9 and 53.2 ± 8.8 years, respectively (p = 0.527). None of the patients in either group had diabetes mellitus. There was no difference between the groups in terms of history of hypertension, body mass index and total testosterone level. There were 27 patients (54%) in the RLS group and 17 patients (34%) in the control group with PE (p = 0.008). There were 26 patients (52%) with ED in the RLS group and 17 (34%) in the control group (p = 0.069). The prevalence of moderate and severe ED was significantly higher in the RLS group (p = 0.045)., Conclusions: PE was more prevalent in RLS than in control patients. On the other hand, the rate of ED did not differ between the groups. In addition to receiving a neurological evaluation, RLS patients must be evaluated for sexual function.

Background: Laparoscopic simple nephrectomy is the standard procedure for the removal of non-functioning benign kidney. It can be performed transperitoneally or retroperitoneally. There are several studies comparing the results of transperitoneally or retroperitoneally laparoscopic nephrectomy but there are limited numbers of study comparing results of laparoscopic transperitoneal simple nephrectomy in non-inflammatory and inflammatory non-functioning kidneys. The aim of this study was to compare the results of laparoscopic transperitoneal simple nephrectomy in non-inflammatory and inflammatory non-functioning kidneys., Results: We retrospectively reviewed the records of patients who underwent laparoscopic nephrectomy for various inflammatory and non-inflammatory renal conditions at our institution from May 2012 to October 2015. We divided the patients in two groups. Group 2 involved the kidneys with stone disease and/or hydronephrosis, patients with previous renal surgery and patients with the history of recurrent infections. Group 1 involved the patients who had non-functioning kidney without these properties. All the surgeries were performed by transperitoneal approach and peroperative blood loss, operation time, hospitalization time, postoperative creatinine changes and haemoglobin drop were compared between groups. There were 22 patients with inflammatory and 27 patients with non-inflammatory non-functioning kidney. Operation time, peroperative blood loss, hospitalization time, postoperative haemoglobin drop and creatinine difference were not statistically different between groups. Surgical side and the presence of previous surgery did not affect the surgical results of inflammatory and non-inflammatory kidney nephrectomy. The only difference was postoperative fever which was more frequent after the nephrectomy of inflammatory kidney., Conclusions: On the basis of our experience, surgical results of transperitoneal laparoscopic simple nephrectomy did not differ between inflammatory and non-inflammatory kidneys. Surgical times were higher in inflammatory group even if the difference was not significant.

Objective: Testicular torsion is an emergency condition that causes testicular injury. Any treatment opportunity reducing the destructive effect of testicular torsion is important for the future life of patients. In this experimental study we investigated the protective effect of mannitol on ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury in a rat testes torsion model., Method: In total, 32 male Sprague Dawley rats were included. Four experimental groups included eight rats each. Group A was a sham group in which the right testis was brought out through a scrotal incision and then replaced in the scrotum without torsion. In Group B, the right testis was torsioned, by rotating 720° clockwise and fixed to the scrotum with no treatment. In Group C, the same testicular torsion process was performed with saline infusion just after testicular torsion. In group D, mannitol infusion was used just after testicular torsion. Testicles were detorsioned after 3 h and left inside for more than 2 h before orchiectomy. Histopathological, immunohistochemical, and biochemical analyses were performed., Results: Testicular architecture was disturbed significantly in the torsion groups without mannitol infusion. However, testicular tissue structure was significantly better in the mannitol-treated group, demonstrating a protective effect. Similar findings were also shown for the proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) index and antioxidant activity; both were higher in the mannitol group than in the no-treatment and saline groups (p < 0.01). The apoptotic index was also significantly lower in the mannitol-treated group compared with the no treatment and saline groups (p < 0.01)., Conclusions: The seminiferous tubule structure in testicular torsion without mannitol treatment was significantly disturbed, whereas the structural disruption was considerably less in the mannitol group. Mannitol treatment also decreased reactive oxygen radical levels significantly and was able to decrease apoptosis. These results were consistent with other organ model studies that evaluated the protective effects of mannitol treatment in I/R injury. Mannitol infusion had a protective effect against I/R injury in testicular torsion in rats. This experimental study may guide clinicians to evaluate the effectiveness of mannitol in human testicular torsion., (Copyright © 2016 Journal of Pediatric Urology Company. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Testicular torsion is an emergency condition in which spermatogenesis may be irreversibly damaged. There have been controversial results about the effect of testicular torsion on steroidogenesis. We aimed at investigating the effect of testicular torsion on steroidogenesis., Material and Methods: A total of 40 adult male rats were divided into 4 groups. Left testicles were removed in all groups. Right testicles were torsioned and remained in the torsion position for 1, 3 and 5 h in study groups, whereas no torsion was performed in control. Serum luteinizing hormone (LH) and total testosterone (TT) levels were measured on the 3rd and 30th days of surgery and orchiectomy was performed on the 30th day of testicular torsion for histopathological evaluation., Results: TT levels of study groups were significantly lower than that of the control group on the 3rd day of torsion. LH of study groups was higher than that of the control group, but the difference was significant only in the 5 h-torsion group. The total number of Leydig cells increased in 1- and 3-h groups, whereas it decreased in the 5-hour group., Conclusion: Testosterone production and Leydig cell functions significantly decreased after 5 h torsion in the rat model. The duration of torsion less than 5 h yielded partial dysfunction on steroidogenesis., (© 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Increased oxidative damage has been suggested to play an important role in the spermatogenesis and sperm function changes in patients with varicocele. However, changes in levels of nitric oxide (NO), asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), malondialdehyde (MDA), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu) in blood and seminal plasma, and semen quality, are unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the NO, ADMA, Fe, Cu, Zn and MDA levels from seminal plasma and peripheral and spermatic vein blood samples of patients with varicocele before and after varicocelectomy. In this before and after comparative study, 29 consecutive patients attending a training hospital in Tekirdag, Turkey, were recruited. MDA and NO levels were determined by spectrophotometric methods. The levels of ADMA were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method. Trace element level was determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometric method. The levels of MDA in the seminal plasma and peripheral and spermatic vein samples were observed to decrease significantly in the comparison of before and after phases of the study group (p = 0.022, p = 0.001 and p = 0.034, respectively). Also, the levels of NO in the seminal plasma and spermatic vein samples decreased significantly in the comparison of before and after phases of the study group (p = 0.025 and p = 0.001, respectively), while the levels of ADMA in seminal plasma and spermatic vein samples increased significantly in the comparison of before and after phases of the study group (p = 0.003 and p = 0.001, respectively). There were no significant differences in the levels of trace elements and sperm count (p > 0.05). Oxidative stress is significantly higher in the spermatic vein and seminal plasma samples of patients with varicocele before varicocelectomy. In conclusion, these events may be evaluated accordingly for the potentially beneficial treatment methods.

Purpose: We aimed to investigate the incidence of spina bifida occulta (SBO) in patients with nocturnal enuresis (NE) and its effect on the success of behavioral interventions. We also aimed to identify predictive factors related to success of behavioral interventions., Methods: A total of 163 patients with NE and 160 patients without NE were enrolled to study. Urinalysis, urine culture, biochemical evaluation, plain radiography and urinary system ultrasonography were performed before treatment. Patients with NE received behavioral interventions for 3 months. Response to behavioral interventions was analyzed according to the presence and absence of SBO. Possible predictive factors for treatment success were also evaluated., Results: Spina bifida occulta was detected in 47 (28.8 %) children at NE group and 24 (15.0 %) at control group (p = 0.138). Non-monosymptomatic NE was more prevalent in patients with SBO (p < 0.001), and response to the treatment was significantly lower (p = 0.037). Presence of SBO (OR 8.8, 95 % CI 3.1-25.6), NE severity (OR 7.2, 95 % CI 2.4-21.7) and NE frequency on 3-day voiding diary (OR 9.4, 95 % CI 3.7-24.3) were significantly related to the success., Conclusions: The presence of SBO, severe NE and higher frequency of NE in voiding diary affect the response to behavioral interventions. Other treatment options such as medical treatment or enuresis alarm may be recommended for those patients.

In rhinoplasties, a spreader flap is a widely used alternative to dorsal reconstruction with spreader grafts; however, it has a limited ability to provide sufficient nasal dorsal width. The upper lateral cartilage (ULC) thickness is four times thinner than a spreader graft. This report presents an accordion suture technique for the ULC that involves simple sutures which fix each ULC (3 times folded) to the septum. We performed this technique in 64 primary rhinoplasties, and the patients were followed up for approximately 18 months. The patients completed a questionnaire 12 months postoperatively, and reported marked satisfaction with the aesthetics and function. Furthermore, rhinomanometric analysis showed that nasal airway resistance (NAR) decreased significantly in the postoperative period., (Copyright © 2015 European Association for Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Nocturia is the most bothersome lower urinary tract symptom. It has a multifactorial etiology. It had been thought nocturia was a nonspecific symptom of lower urinary system dysfunction, but it has been determined that many diseases, related to different organ systems, might be reasons for this nonspecific symptom. Along with the importance of systemic diseases that cause nocturia, the symptom itself has adverse effects on patients' health and quality of life. There are several studies reporting a direct relationship between nocturia and depression, cognitive dysfunction, mood disturbances, falls, and fractures. For this reason, it is important to treat nocturia both to increase quality of life and to decrease related complications. Treatment opportunities have been under investigation for 20 years. Most of the studies in the literature have reported the results of single-drug medication on nocturia, which may be insufficient for a situation that has such a multifactorial etiology. In this review, we evaluated the success of different treatment combinations on nocturia.

Vesicouterine fistula (VUF) is a rare type of genitourinary fistula. Lower-segment cesarean section is the leading cause of VUF. Patients mostly present with the classical triad of menouria, amenorrhea, and urinary incontinence, with the history of a previous cesarean section. Conservative management with catheterization and open, laparoscopic, and robotic surgeries are the prescribed treatment options. We present the case of a 35-year-old woman who presented with cyclical menouria and urinary incontinence. After diagnosis of VUF by cystoscopy, the laparoscopic approach was chosen. During the procedure, we used anterior abdominal wall peritoneum and adjacent adipose tissue interposition for the first time, instead of omental interposition, because of the unavailability of omentum. The postoperative period was uneventful, and the procedure was successful. In conclusion, the laparoscopic approach is feasible and the anterior abdominal wall peritoneal flap can be used instead of omentum for tissue interposition when the omentum is not available.

Introduction and Hypothesis: Nocturia and nocturnal enuresis (NE) share similar aetiopathological factors, and may represent two different situations involving the same underlying issue. In this study, we tried to evaluate the relation between NE of childhood and nocturia of young adulthood., Methods: A total of 577 female university students aged 17-24 years were included in the survey. A face-to-face questionnaire was administered concerning present nocturia and past NE history. A non-validated questionnaire, created by the authors, was used to evaluate the presence and the frequency of childhood NE and present nocturia. All participant data were checked by telephone contact with their parents., Results: The overall prevalence rates of nocturia and history of nocturnal enuresis in the study population were 8.6 % and 15 % respectively. Sixteen per cent of nocturics and 15 % of non-nocturics had a history of childhood NE (p = 0.837). The childhood NE was graded as severe or infrequent. The presence of nocturia was compared between participants with severe NE and infrequent NE, and no significant difference was observed (11.1 % vs 7.8 %, p = 0.713). Nocturia frequency was compared with the history of childhood NE and we found that as the nocturia frequency increased, the rate of childhood NE also increased., Conclusions: There was no relation between young adulthood nocturia and childhood NE in our study population, but as the severity of nocturia increased, the relation between nocturia and NE became more relevant.

Purpose: Uroflowmetry is frequently used and simple urodynamic test, but it may be affected by various factors. Voiding position is one of the factors that can change the results. We tried to compare the uroflowmetric parameters in sitting and standing positions during urination., Material and Methods: A total of 198 patients were enrolled to the study. All patients underwent an uroflowmetry in standing and sitting position at late afternoon (2-4 PM) of two corresponding days with a gravimetric uroflowmeter (Uroscan, Aymed, Turkey). A transabdominal ultrasonography was used to evaluate post voiding residue (PVR). All uroflowmetric parameters and PVR were compared with paired t test or Wilcoxon signed rank test., Results: The median age of study population was 58.0 (36-69) years. There was no statistically significant difference at voided volume of patients in standing and sitting position as it was 271.5 ± 81.8 mL and 274.8 ± 82.4 mL, respectively (P = .505). Mean maximum flow rate (Qmax) during urination at standing position was 15.3 ± 6.7 mL/s while it was 15.0 ± 7.0 mL/s at sitting position (P = .29). Mean average flow rate in standing position was 8.60 ± 4.0 mL/s and 8.25 ± 3.8 mL/s in sitting position (P = .054). There was a statistically significant difference between the median post-voiding residues in standing and sitting urination which was 29.5 (0-257) mL in standing and 47.5 (2-209) mL in sitting position (P < .0001). Other uroflowmetric parameters (time to maximum flow and voiding time) was not statistically different between groups., Conclusion: There are no clinically important uroflowmetric differences between voiding in sitting and standing positions so voiding position may be left to personal preferences during uroflowmetric evaluation.

Purpose: To evaluate the different anatomical properties and determine the risk of visceral organ injury in supine, prone, and prone-flex positions., Materials and Methods: A total of 30 patients with renal stones >2 cm were included. A dose reduced abdominopelvic tomography in a supine, prone, and 30° prone-flex position was performed. The access tract length, subcutaneous tissue length, nearest organ distance, maximum access angle, access field, and the degree of renal displacement were measured in axial and coronal images. The parameters were analyzed by the paired t-test and Wilcoxon signed test according to normalcy analysis., Results: The mean tract lengths and the subcutaneous fat tissue lengths in the lower, middle, and upper poles of kidney were significantly longer in the supine position. The significance of access tract lengths had disappeared when we subtracted the subcutaneous fat tissue length from the whole tract length, exhibiting that the main determinant of tract length was subcutaneous tissue thickness. The maximum access angles were 96.7±22.0°, 94.2±23.6°, and 89.1±23.9° in the supine, prone, and prone-flex position, respectively (p>0.05). The access field was shorter in the supine (80.8±13.3 mm) than prone (86.3±15.0 mm) and prone-flex (86.7±18.4 mm) position (p<0.001). The nearest organ distance to access tract was similar between the supine and prone position in every pole of kidney., Conclusions: The anatomical changes related to supine positioning does not increase the risk of percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) complications. Although supine PCNL may have some benefits over prone PCNL, there will also be some technical difficulties related to the surgeon's manipulations, which are related with the longer access tract and more limited access field.