66 results on '"Watts, Kara"'
Search Results
2. Incidental Duplicate Vas Deferens Discovered During Inguinal Hernia Repair With Incarcerated Bladder.
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Jindani R, Kassam F, Loloi J, Watts K, and Smith V
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Duplication of the vas deferens is a rare congenital anomaly that has been encountered during inguinal hernia repair, orchidopexy, varicocelectomy, vasectomy, and radical prostatectomy. Identification of the duplicated vas deferens is crucial intraoperatively to avoid iatrogenic injury to the structure and the risks that come with failure to correctly distinguish the structure. We report a case of duplicated vas deferens and incarcerated urinary bladder during a laparoscopic converted to open left direct inguinal hernia repair., Competing Interests: Human subjects: Consent was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work., (Copyright © 2024, Jindani et al.)
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- 2024
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3. Stockholm3 in a Multiethnic Cohort for Prostate Cancer Detection (SEPTA): A Prospective Multicentered Trial.
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Vigneswaran HT, Eklund M, Discacciati A, Nordström T, Hubbard RA, Perlis N, Abern MR, Moreira DM, Eggener S, Yonover P, Chow AK, Watts K, Liss MA, Thoreson GR, Abreu AL, Sonn GA, Palsdottir T, Plym A, Wiklund F, Grönberg H, and Murphy AB
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Purpose: Asian, Black, and Hispanic men are underrepresented in prostate cancer (PCa) clinical trials. Few novel prostate cancer biomarkers have been validated in diverse cohorts. We aimed to determine if Stockholm3 can improve prostate cancer detection in a diverse cohort., Methods: An observational prospective multicentered (17 sites) clinical trial (2019-2023), supplemented by prospectively recruited participants (2008-2020) in a urology clinic setting included men with suspicion of PCa and underwent prostate biopsy. Before biopsy, sample was collected for measurement of the Stockholm3 risk score. Parameters include prostate-specific antigen (PSA), free PSA, KLK2, GDF15, PSP94, germline risk (single-nucleotide polymorphisms), age, family history, and previous negative biopsy. The primary endpoint was detection of International Society of Urological Pathology (ISUP) Grade ≥2 cancer (clinically significant PCa, csPC). The two primary aims were to (1) demonstrate noninferior sensitivity (0.8 lower bound 95% CI noninferiority margin) in detecting csPC using Stockholm3 compared with PSA (relative sensitivity) and (2) demonstrate superior specificity by reducing biopsies with benign results or low-grade cancers (relative specificity)., Results: A total of 2,129 biopsied participants were included: Asian (16%, 350), Black or African American (Black; 24%, 505), Hispanic or Latino and White (Hispanic; 14%, 305), and non-Hispanic or non-Latino and White (White; 46%, 969). Overall, Stockholm3 showed noninferior sensitivity compared with PSA ≥4 ng/mL (relative sensitivity: 0.95 [95% CI, 0.92 to 0.99]) and nearly three times higher specificity (relative specificity: 2.91 [95% CI, 2.63 to 3.22]). Results were consistent across racial and ethnic subgroups: noninferior sensitivity (0.91-0.98) and superior specificity (2.51-4.70). Compared with PSA, Stockholm3 could reduce benign and ISUP 1 biopsies by 45% overall and between 42% and 52% across racial and ethnic subgroups., Conclusion: In a substantially diverse population, Stockholm3 significantly reduces unnecessary prostate biopsies while maintaining a similar sensitivity to PSA in detecting csPC.
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- 2024
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4. Association of Unmet Social Needs With Missed In-Person Urology Clinic Appointments.
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Patel RD, Pak SY, Abramson M, Watts KL, Small A, and Abraham N
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- Humans, Male, Female, Retrospective Studies, Middle Aged, Aged, Adult, Urology statistics & numerical data, Ambulatory Care Facilities statistics & numerical data, United States, Social Determinants of Health, No-Show Patients statistics & numerical data, Appointments and Schedules
- Abstract
Introduction: Social determinants of health (SDH) are nonbiologic influencers of disease and health care disparities. This study focused on understanding the association between SDH and urology clinic "no-show" visits within a diverse urban population., Methods: We retrospectively identified patients scheduled for urology clinic visits from October 2015 to June 2022 who completed a 10-question social needs screener. For each patient, demographic variables, and number of missed clinic appointments were abstracted. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to determine the association of unmet social needs and no-shows., Results: Of 5761 unique patients seen in clinic, 5293 completed a social needs screener. Respondents were most commonly male (62.8%), Hispanic (50.3%), English-speaking (75.5%), and insured by Medicare (46.0%). Overall, 8.2%, 4.6%, and 6.1% reported 1, 2, and 3+ unmet social needs, respectively. Most patients (61.7%) had 0 no-shows; 38.3% had 1+ no-shows. Between the 0 and 1+ no-show groups, we found significant differences with respect to gender ( P =.05), race/ethnicity ( P = .002), preferred language ( P = .006), insurance payer ( P < .001), SDH status ( P = .003), and total number of unmet social needs ( P = .006). On multivariable analysis, patients concerned about housing quality (odds ratio [OR] = 1.50, P = .002), legal help (OR = 1.53, P = .009), and with 3+ unmet social needs (OR = 1.39, P = .006) were more likely to have 1+ no-shows., Conclusions: Unmet social needs were associated with increased no-show urology clinic visits. Routine social needs screening could identify at-risk patients who would benefit from services. This may be particularly pertinent for patients with urgent diagnoses or those requiring frequent office visits where missing appointments could impact morbidity and mortality.
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- 2024
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5. Biparametric versus multiparametric MRI for the detection of clinically significant prostate cancer in a diverse, multiethnic population.
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Abramson M, DeMasi M, Zhu D, Hines L, Lin W, Kanmaniraja D, Chernyak V, Agalliu I, and Watts KL
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- Humans, Male, Retrospective Studies, Middle Aged, Aged, Ethnicity, Magnetic Resonance Imaging methods, Prostatic Neoplasms diagnostic imaging, Prostatic Neoplasms pathology, Multiparametric Magnetic Resonance Imaging methods, Image-Guided Biopsy
- Abstract
Purpose: There is not yet satisfactory performance data comparing multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) versus biparametric MRI (bpMRI) for detecting prostate cancer (PCa), particularly in high-risk populations. We compared both protocols for detecting overall PCa and clinically significant PCa (CS-PCa; defined as Grade Group ≥ 2) in a multiethnic urban population., Methods: We retrospectively reviewed electronic medical record data from men who underwent image-guided fusion prostate biopsy (FB) between 2016 and 2021 at our institution. Patient characteristics, Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System (PI-RADS) scores, and FB outcomes were analyzed based on MRI protocol. Multivariate mixed-effects logistic regression models were used to examine associations of bpMRI versus mpMRI for detecting overall PCa and CS-PCa in targeted lesions, among all patients and stratified by race/ethnicity., Results: Overall, 566 men (44.0% Non-Hispanic Black [NHB]; 27.0% Hispanic) with 975 PI-RADS 3-5 lesions on MRI underwent FB. Of these, 312 (55%) men with 497 lesions underwent mpMRI and 254 (45%) men with 478 lesions underwent bpMRI. On multivariate analyses among all men, the odds of detecting overall PCa (OR = 1.18, 95% CI: 1.05-3.11, p = 0.031) and CS-PCa (OR = 2.15, 95% CI: 1.16-4.00, p = 0.014) on FB were higher for lesions identified on bpMRI than mpMRI. When stratified by race/ethnicity, the odds of detecting overall PCa (OR = 1.86; p = 0.15) and CS-PCa (OR = 2.20; p = 0.06) were not statistically different between lesions detected on bpMRI or mpMRI., Conclusion: BpMRI has similar diagnostic performance to mpMRI in detecting overall and CS-PCa within a racially/ethnically diverse population. BpMRI can be utilized for evaluating suspected CS-PCa among NHB and Hispanic men., (© 2024. The Author(s).)
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- 2024
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6. Randomized trials of PSA screening.
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Dave P, Carlsson SV, and Watts K
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Background: The role of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing in prostate cancer (PCa) screening has evolved over recent decades with multiple randomized controlled trials (RCTs) spurring guideline changes. At present, controversy exists due to the indolent nature of many prostate cancers and associated risks of overdiagnosis and overtreatment. This review examines major RCTs evaluating PSA screening to inform clinical practices., Methods and Materials: We summarize findings from primary RCTs investigating PSA screening's impact on PCa mortality and incidence: the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial, the European Randomized Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer (ERSPC), and the Cluster Randomized Trial of PSA Testing for Prostate Cancer (CAP)., Results: The PLCO Trial randomized men to annual PSA and DRE screening or usual care, reporting no significant difference in PCa mortality between groups at 17 years (RR 0.93, [95% CI: 0.81-1.08]), yet significantly increased detection and concomitant decreased detection in Gleason 6 (RR 1.17, [95% CI: 1.11-1.23]) and 8-10 disease (RR 0.89, [95% CI: 0.80-0.99]) in the screening group, respectively. The ESPRC Trial randomized men across seven European countries to PSA screening every 2-4 years or usual care, noting a 20% reduction in PCa mortality at 9 years (RR 0.81, [95% CI: 0.65-0.98]) and significant decrease in metastatic disease at 12 years (RR 0.70, [95% CI: 0.60-0.82]). The CAP Trial assessed a single PSA screening test's impact on PCa mortality yielding no significant difference in PCa mortality at 10 years (RR 0.96, [95% CI: 0.85-1.08]). Limitations amongst studies included high contamination between study arms and low compliance with study protocols., Conclusions: While the CAP and initial PLCO trials showed no significant reduction in PCa mortality, the ERSPC demonstrated a 21% reduction at 13 years, with further benefits at extended follow-up. Differences in outcomes are attributed to variations in trial design, contamination, adherence rates, and PSA thresholds. Future studies are needed focus on optimizing screening intervals, targeting high-risk populations, and incorporating non-invasive diagnostic tools to improve screening efficacy and reduce associated harms., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)
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- 2024
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7. Performance of cognitive vs. image-guided fusion biopsy for detection of overall and clinically significant prostate cancer in a multiethnic population.
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Ho K, Zhu D, Gupta K, Loloi J, Abramson M, Watts K, Agalliu I, and Sankin A
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- Male, Humans, Retrospective Studies, Cross-Sectional Studies, Image-Guided Biopsy methods, Magnetic Resonance Imaging methods, Cognition, Ultrasonography, Interventional methods, Prostatic Neoplasms diagnostic imaging, Prostatic Neoplasms pathology
- Abstract
Purpose: Transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy remains the most used method for the detection of prostate cancer. We recently reported that detection of clinically significant prostate cancer (cs-CaP) using image-guided fusion biopsies (IGFB) varied by race/ethnicity, which calls for further comparison between cognitive fusion biopsy (CFB) and IGFB among non-Hispanic black and Hispanic populations. Therefore, the aim of our study is to compare the rates of detection of cs-CaP and overall CaP by CFB and IGFB in a multiethnic community., Material and Methods: We performed a retrospective, cross-sectional review of men who underwent MRI-transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy at our diverse, urban academic medical center. Agreement and discordance between fusion biopsies and systematic biopsies for detection of cs-CaP and overall CaP were determined using Kappa statistics. Univariate and multivariate mixed-effects logistic regression models were used to find associations between fusion modalities and prostate cancer detection., Results: In total, 710 men underwent fusion prostate biopsies between December 2015 and June 2021. Upon univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis, there was no significant association between IGFB vs. CFB and risk of overall CaP (OR = 0.66, 95% CI: 0.36-1.21, P = 0.18) or cs-CaP (OR = 0.57, 95% CI: 0.30-1.08, P = 0.09). We found moderate agreement between fusion and systematic biopsies for both CFB (κ = 0.56) and IGFB (κ = 0.52) in cs-CaP., Conclusions: CFB and IGFB offer similar detection rates of cs-CaP in a multiethnic population. CFB represents an effective and accessible means of accurately diagnosing prostate cancer., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None of the named authors have any conflicts of interests, financial or otherwise, to declare., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)
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- 2024
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8. Electronic Health Record Usage Patterns Across Surgical Subspecialties.
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Tang K, Labagnara K, Babar M, Loloi J, Watts KL, Jariwala S, and Abraham N
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- Humans, Male, Female, Time Factors, Workload, Health Facilities, Electronic Health Records, Surgeons
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Objectives: This study aimed to utilize metrics from physician action logs to analyze surgeon clinical, volume, electronic health record (EHR) efficiency, EHR proficiency, and workload outside scheduled time as impacted by physician characteristics such as years of experience, gender, subspecialty, academic title, and administrative title., Methods: We selected 30 metrics from Epic Signal, an analytic tool in Epic that extracts metrics related to clinician documentation. Metrics measuring appointments, messages, and scheduled hours per day were used as a correlate for volume. EHR efficiency, and proficiency were measured by scores built into Epic Signal. Metrics measuring time spent in the EHR outside working hours were used as a correlate for documentation burden. We analyzed these metrics among surgeons at our institution across 4 months and correlated them with physician characteristics., Results: Analysis of 133 surgeons showed that, when stratified by gender, female surgeons had significantly higher EHR metrics for time per day, time per appointment, and documentation burden, and significantly lower EHR metrics for efficiency when compared to male surgeons. When stratified by experience, surgeons with 0 to 5 years of experience had significantly lower EHR metrics for volume, time per day, efficiency, and proficiency when compared to surgeons with 6 to 10 and more than 10 years of experience. On multivariate analysis, having over 10 years of experience was an independent predictor of more appointments per day, greater proficiency, and spending less time per completed message. Female gender was an independent predictor of spending more time in notes per appointment and time spent in the EHR outside working hours., Conclusion: The burden associated with volume, proficiency, efficiency, and workload outside scheduled time related to EHR use varies by gender and years of experience in our cohort of surgeons. Evaluation of physician action logs could help identify those at higher risk of burnout due to burdensome medical documentation., Competing Interests: None declared., (Thieme. All rights reserved.)
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- 2024
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9. Implementation of a shared research database to increase medical student awareness and involvement in urology research A pilot study.
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Babar M, Loloi J, Labagnara K, Watts KL, and Laudano M
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Introduction: We aimed to assess the effect of a shared institutional research database on medical students' scholarly work, perceived research competency, and self-reported satisfaction., Methods: An institutional inventory database was created on Google Sheets with a listing of available mentors and a description of their ongoing research projects. The inventory database was shared with interested students and faculty. Students who agreed to participate were surveyed pre- and post-inventory. Survey questions assessed student demographics, prior research experience, and their perception of research competency and satisfaction. The number of presentations, publications, and articles pre- and post-inventory were also abstracted. Survey responses were compared using the Mann-Whitney U test., Results: A total of 20 students were surveyed pre-inventory and at a median followup of six months (5-7) post-inventory. There was a significant increase in scholarly presentations and publications post-inventory (p<0.05 for all). Furthermore, post-inventory, students reported feeling more confident in establishing an academic career, finding good mentors, managing their relationship with their mentor, managing professional challenges, and effectively showcasing themselves professionally and describing their research (p<0.05 for all). More than 65% of students agreed or strongly agreed that the database was easy to use, accessible, transparent, and would like a similar database created for other specialty departments., Conclusions: After performing mentorship-guided research through an institutional research database, medical students felt more confident in their ability to perform research and produced more scholarly work. Therefore, we recommend a research database be created across all institutional departments to foster interest in conducting research.
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- 2024
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10. A Green Prescription: Integrating Environmental Sustainability in Urology Guidelines.
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Herrmann A, van Veen FEE, Blok BFM, and Watts KL
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- Humans, Prescriptions, Societies, Medical, Urology
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Against the background of the climate crisis, there is an urgent need to include environmental sustainability recommendations in clinical practice guidelines. We highlight five domains for which suitable recommendations could help in mitigating the environmental impact of urology practice. PATIENT SUMMARY: Climate change is an urgent issue that requires global action. Guidelines published by urological societies should include recommendations for minimizing the impact of urology practice on the environment., (Copyright © 2023 European Association of Urology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)
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- 2023
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11. Transplant Ureter Inguinal Herniation Treated by Robotic Inguinal Hernia Repair.
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Lima DL, Viscarret V, Nogueira R, Watts K, and Malcher F
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- Male, Animals, Humans, Middle Aged, Pelvis, Kidney, Fireflies, Hernia, Inguinal surgery, Ureter diagnostic imaging, Robotic Surgical Procedures adverse effects
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Introduction: We report the case of a transplanted ureter obstructed by an inguinal herniation treated by a robotic-assisted approach., Case Report: This is a case of a 63-year-old male who had a kidney transplant with a graft on the left pelvis in September 2014, and presented to the clinic for evaluation of bilateral inguinal hernia. On physical examination he had bilateral palpable inguinal hernias, with the right one larger and only partially reducible. Computed tomography scan showed portion of urinary bladder and transplant ureter in the left inguinal hernia and mild hydroureteronephrosis in the transplanted kidney. Patient underwent catheterization of the transplant ureter where indocyanine green was injected for proper transplant ureter identification with the Firefly filter and robotic assisted hernia repair. Surgery was uneventful and patient was discharged home the same day with no further complications., Conclusion: The robotic approach using the Firefly filter was shown to be safe during the dissection to avoid injury to the transplant ureter., Competing Interests: Conflict of interests: FM discloses consulting fees from Intuitive and BD & Medtronic, outside the submitted work. DLL, KW, RN, and VV have no conflict of interests., (© 2023 by SLS, Society of Laparoscopic & Robotic Surgeons.)
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- 2023
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12. Predictors of Timely and Delayed Urological Evaluation Following Referral for Elevated Prostate-specific Antigen in a Diverse, Urban, High-risk Population.
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Patel RD, Zhu M, Dave P, Agalliu I, Trinh QD, and Watts KL
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- Male, Humans, Prostate-Specific Antigen, Retrospective Studies, Referral and Consultation, Prostatic Neoplasms diagnosis, Urology
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Introduction: This study aimed to evaluate predictors of timely urological evaluation among men referred for initial elevated PSA in a diverse, high-risk, urban community., Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of all men aged 50+ referred to urology within our healthcare network between January 2018 and December 2021 for initial elevated PSA. Time to initial urological evaluation was categorized as timely (within 4 months of referral), late (after 4 months), or absent (no urology evaluation). Demographic and clinical variables were abstracted. A multivariable multinomial logistic regression model was conducted to identify predictors of timely vs late vs absent urological evaluation controlling for age, referral year, household income, distance to care, and PSA at referral., Results: A total of 1,335 men met inclusion criteria; 589 (44.1%), 210 (15.7%), and 536 (40.1%) had timely, late, and absent urological evaluation, respectively. The majority were non-Hispanic Black (46.7%), English-speaking (84.0%), and married (54.6%). Median time to initial urological evaluation differed significantly between timely and late groups (16 vs 210 days, P < .001). Multivariable logistic regression revealed the following to be significant predictors of timely urological evaluation: non-Hispanic Black (OR=1.59, P = .03), Hispanic (OR=2.07, P = .001), Spanish-speaking (OR=1.44, P = .03), or former-smokers (OR=1.31, P = .04)., Conclusions: In our diverse community, men who are non-Hispanic White or English-speaking have a decreased odds of timely urological evaluation after a referral for elevated PSA in our diverse patient population. Our study underscores cohorts that may benefit from implementation of institutional safeguards such as patient navigation systems to facilitate and ensure appropriate follow-up upon referral for elevated PSA.
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- 2023
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13. Should Men Eat More Plants? A Systematic Review of the Literature on the Effect of Plant-Forward Diets on Men's Health.
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Feiertag N, Tawfik MM, Loloi J, Patel RD, Green B, Zhu M, Klyde D, Small AC, and Watts KL
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- Male, Humans, Men's Health, Cross-Sectional Studies, Diet, Erectile Dysfunction etiology, Erectile Dysfunction prevention & control, Prostatic Hyperplasia therapy, Prostatic Neoplasms
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Objective: To perform a systematic review of the literature on plant-based and plant-forward diets and the prevention/treatment of the following common men's health conditions: prostate cancer (PCa), erectile dysfunction (ED), and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)., Methods: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses system criteria were utilized to search PubMed and Medline databases for the following search terms: "Diet (Mesh)" OR "Diet Therapy (Mesh)" AND "Prostatic Hyperplasia (Mesh)" OR "Prostatic Neoplasm (Mesh)" OR "Erectile Dysfunction (Mesh)." Articles in English published from 1989 to 2022 using human participants were analyzed, data summarized, and assessed for bias., Results: Studies reporting on plant-based or vegetable-forward diets (Mediterranean) as an intervention were included. Cohort and cross-sectional studies using food frequency questionnaires or diet classification indices to quantify plant-based food intake patterns were included in the study. Ultimately, 12 PCa articles, 4 BPH articles, 6 ED articles, and 2 articles related to both BPH and ED were reviewed. Overall, the literature suggests plant-forward diets confer a protective effect on the men's health conditions reviewed., Conclusions: Evaluation of the literature on the impact of plant-forward diets on urologic conditions includes a heterogenous range of dietary patterns and study designs. The greatest amount of research has evaluated the application of plant-forward diets for PCa. While there is currently a lack of high-quality evidence for the use of plant-forward diets as prevention and/or treatment for PCa, ED, or BPH, reported outcomes suggest a consistent small beneficial impact alongside well-established benefits for common chronic conditions., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)
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- 2023
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14. Low risk is low risk, regardless of race or ethnicity: Outcomes of prostate cancer active surveillance and factors associated with reclassification in a racially diverse cohort.
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Labagnara K, Zhu D, Loloi J, Shreck E, Abeshouse M, Watts KL, Sankin A, Aboumohamed AA, and Kovac E
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- Male, Humans, Ethnicity, Watchful Waiting methods, Neoplasm Grading, Risk Factors, Prostate-Specific Antigen, Prostatic Neoplasms pathology
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Introduction: Active surveillance (AS) is the standard for very low- and low-risk prostate cancer. Although risk factors for pathologic reclassification while on AS have been identified, results are mixed for non-Hispanic Black (NHB) and Hispanic ethnicity. We aim to further explore how race and ethnicity may be affecting AS participation and outcomes in a primarily urban, diverse, and vulnerable population., Materials and Methods: Patients eligible for AS from 2005-2020 were reviewed. Demographics, race/ethnicity, prostate specific antigen (PSA), prostate volume, and pathologic characteristics were analyzed between patients enrolled in AS and those that underwent immediate therapy. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to compare biochemical recurrence (BCR) rates. Cox proportional hazards models were used to develop prediction models for clinical reclassification., Results: A total of 471 men were eligible for AS. Of those, 188 (39.9%) enrolled in AS while 283 (60.1%) underwent immediate radical therapy. No significant differences were found in racial/ethnic composition between the AS and immediate treatment groups. In our AS cohort, 79 (42.0%) experienced clinical reclassification and underwent deferred treatment. BCR rates were similar between treatment groups. Race/ethnicity were not found to be predictors of clinical reclassification, while metrics at diagnostic biopsy such as elevated PSA, higher PSA density, and lower prostate volume increased reclassification odds., Conclusions: In our diverse population, NHB race and Hispanic ethnicity were not significant predictors of adverse reclassification while on AS. Our findings support utilizing other metrics taken at initial biopsy to identify high-risk patients such as PSA, prostate volume, and PSA density., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest None of the authors have relevant conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise, to declare., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)
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- 2023
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15. Urine Cytology Rarely Escalates Clinical Management in the Surveillance of Non-muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer.
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Feiertag N, Barry E, Abramson M, Park JY, Kovac E, Aboumohamed A, Watts K, and Sankin A
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- Humans, Retrospective Studies, Neoplasm Recurrence, Local pathology, Cytodiagnosis, Cystoscopy methods, Neoplasm Invasiveness pathology, Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Neoplasms, Urinary Bladder Neoplasms diagnosis, Urinary Bladder Neoplasms therapy, Urinary Bladder Neoplasms pathology
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Introduction: The use of urine cytology in the surveillance of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) is widely variable in clinical practice. We studied the impact of surveillance urine cytology on clinical decision making during NMIBC surveillance., Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted on patients surveilled for clinical NMIBC from 2013 to 2020 with at least one follow-up cytology result after diagnosis. Patients were classified into risk categories according to American Urological Association (AUA) NMIBC guidelines. Data were obtained regarding tumor recurrence pathology and the frequency and findings of surveillance cystoscopies and urine cytologies. Positive (suspicious, malignant) and negative (atypical or negative for malignant cells) cytology results were correlated with cystoscopy and pathology findings when obtained within 3 months of the cytology specimen to determine if cytology impacted plan of care., Results: Two hundred fourteen patients with NMIBC were followed for a median of 34 months, with 1045 urine cytologies collectively obtained over the surveillance period. There were no positive urine cytologies among patients with low-risk NMIBC; therefore, cytology did not change management in this cohort. The potential for cytology to escalate management for patients of any risk group (ie, positive cytology in the absence of positive cystoscopy or pathology findings) occurred in 30 (2.9%) cases. However, clinical decision making was only altered in 4 cases (0.4% of all cytologies)., Conclusions: Less than 1% of urine cytology specimens collected during NMIBC surveillance impacted clinical management, none of whom had low-risk disease. The use of urine cytology for surveillance of low-risk NMIBC should continue to be strongly discouraged, as it did not change management in any such cases., Competing Interests: Disclosure Alex Sankin, MD – Ambu Inc., advisory role., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)
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- 2023
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16. Management of large kidney stones in the geriatric population.
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Schulz AE, Green BW, Gupta K, Patel RD, Loloi J, Raskolnikov D, Watts KL, and Small AC
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- Humans, Aged, Prospective Studies, Ureteroscopy methods, Treatment Outcome, Kidney Calculi surgery, Lithotripsy, Nephrolithotomy, Percutaneous
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Purpose: The aim of this review is to highlight the unique factors that predispose geriatric patients to nephrolithiasis and to compare the utility and efficacy of surgical techniques in this specific patient population., Methods: PubMed and EMBASE databases were reviewed, and studies were organized according to surgical treatments., Results: Few prospective studies exist comparing kidney stone removal in the elderly to younger cohorts. In addition, various age cut-offs were used to determine who was considered elderly. Most studies which analyzed Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy (PCNL) found a slightly higher rate of minor complications but comparable stone free rate and operative time. For ureteroscopy (URS) and extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (ESWL), there were minimal complications observed and no difference in clinical success in the elderly. All surgical techniques were presumed to be safe in the elderly and most found no difference in stone-free rates., Conclusions: Unique attributes of the geriatric population contribute to stone formation and must be considered when determining appropriate management modalities. This review provides an overview of the utility and efficacy of PCNL, URS and ESWL in the elderly, as well as a porposed algorithm for management in this population., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)
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- 2023
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17. Implementation and Usability of an Electronic Medical Record-based Ureteral Stent Tracker.
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Gupta K, Feiertag N, Jacobs D, Abramson M, Alaimo A, Harris A, Small AC, and Watts K
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- Humans, Device Removal methods, Stents adverse effects, Surveys and Questionnaires, Electronic Health Records, Ureter surgery
- Abstract
Objective: To design and implement a simple electronic medical record-based ureteral stent tracker. To assess its impact on stent dwell time and stent-related complications., Methods: Patients with stents placed 12 months before and 6 months after stent tracker implementation were identified at 3 urban hospitals. Those with stents-on-strings and intentional chronic indwelling stents (greater than 90 days) were excluded. Patient demographics, stent characteristics (eg, indication, string, dwell time), and clinical outcomes (eg, positive urine cultures, complications) were reviewed and compared between pre- and posttracker cohorts. A 12-question usability survey was administered to surgical nurses to assess usability., Results: A total of 323 stents (173 pre- and 150 posttracker) were placed in 217 patients. The prestent tracker cohort had a longer mean dwell time (pre: 40.9 ± 59.1 days vs post: 28.8 ± 22.0 days, P = .02) and a higher retention rate >90 days (pre: 8.1% [14/173] vs post: 1.3% [2/150], P = .005). The 2 cohorts had no significant differences in positive urine culture rates, patient phone calls to providers, stent-related emergency department visits, or hospitalizations. The usability survey showed that 86.4% of surgical nurses found the tracker to be user-friendly and 95.5% reported that it added less than 1 minute of work per procedure., Conclusion: Implementation of an electronic medical record-based ureteral stent tracker decreased average stent dwell time and frequency of retained stents. Surgical nurses reported the tracker to be user-friendly and convenient. Stent trackers can improve the efficiency of postoperative removal of indwelling ureteral stents., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2023
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18. Assessment of Patient Understanding Prior to Urological Procedures.
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Schulz AE, Dave P, Clearwater W, Liu J, Kase J, Watts K, and Abraham N
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- Male, Humans, Female, Middle Aged, Aged, Prostate, Urologic Surgical Procedures methods, Cystectomy
- Abstract
Objective: To evaluate patient understanding of risks, benefits, and alternatives (R/B/A) prior to urological procedures using the teachback method., Methods: Using a preprocedural phone interview, patients recalled general knowledge and R/B/A of a scheduled procedure. A scoring system compared patient responses to a standardized R/B/A list to analyze the level of understanding, graded as incomplete (<25%), partial (25-75%), or complete (>75%). Following the interview, additional education was provided if understanding was inadequate, and patients were queried regarding their satisfaction., Results: Patients (n = 99) comprised 46% women; 32% Spanish speaking; Mean age was 64 ± 10.9 years. Procedures included were: intravesical botulinum toxin injection (24), mid-urethral sling (9), colpocleisis (4), prostate biopsy (24), ureteroscopy (16), transurethral resection prostate (11), transurethral resection bladder tumor (11). Across all procedures, the average percent of risks identified was 12%, benefits 63%, and alternatives 35%. No patients had complete understanding, but most had partial (73.7%). Patients had significantly higher level of understanding if they were female (P = 0.02), underwent the same procedure previously (P < 0.01) or any surgery within a year (P = 0.02), and were undergoing an in-office procedures (P = 0.03). After the teachback interview, most patients (90%) were satisfied with their understanding., Conclusion: In our cohort, patient understanding was alarmingly incomplete and there was substantial benefit in pre-procedural interviews. Our findings highlight the need for improvement in patient education prior to surgery and offers a potential solution using a teachback-based telephone interview., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2023
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19. Imaging After Ureteroscopy: Practice Patterns, Patient Adherence and Impact on Subsequent Management in an Urban Academic Hospital System.
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Gupta K, Feiertag N, Gottlieb J, Kase J, Zhu D, Green B, Small A, and Watts K
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- Humans, Ureteroscopy methods, Treatment Outcome, Retrospective Studies, Patient Compliance, Hospitals, Kidney Calculi diagnostic imaging, Kidney Calculi surgery, Hydronephrosis
- Abstract
Objective: To evaluate practice patterns of post-ureteroscopy (URS) imaging, to assess predictors of imaging order, type and completion, and to analyze impact on patient management., Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of patients who underwent URS for nephrolithiasis at a single institution between May, 2020 to May, 2021. Patient demographic, clinical and operative characteristics were reviewed, and surgeons' years in practice. Post-URS imaging studies less than 6 months post-operative were reviewed. Changes in patient management were defined as additional imaging tests ordered or subsequent unplanned surgery. Patient, provider and surgical variables were compared between those who had imaging ordered and those who did not., Results: A total of 289 patients underwent URS. About 234 (81.0%) had post-operative imaging ordered; 147 (62.8%) completed them. Baseline demographics, stone and surgical variables were similar among those who did and did not have imaging ordered and among patients who completed imaging and did not. Pre-operative hydronephrosis was associated with ordering of post-operative imaging (OR = 4.08, P = .01). Urologists in practice less than 5 years were more likely to order post-operative imaging compared to those in practice for more than 5 years (<5: 90.6%, 15+: 53.7%; P <.001). Management changed for 52 of 147 (35.4%) patients who completed imaging; additional imaging was ordered for 38 patients (25.9%) and a second, unplanned surgery was performed for 14 (9.5%)., Conclusion: The main predictive factor of ordering post-URS imaging was surgeons' time in practice and pre-operative hydronephrosis. Post-operative imaging changed management in 35.4% of patients. We recommend the development of guidelines encouraging routine imaging for patients following ureteroscopy., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2023
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20. Should We Correct the Use of Race in Urological Risk Calculators?
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Kessler L, Watts K, and Abraham N
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- 2023
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21. Optimizing pain management following kidney stone surgery: can we avoid narcotics?
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Demasi M, Segall M, Mengotto A, Cuartas P, Feiertag N, Loloi J, Ahn J, Kim M, Laudano M, Stern J, and Watts K
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- Humans, Pain Management methods, Ketorolac therapeutic use, Narcotics therapeutic use, Pain, Postoperative drug therapy, Analgesics, Opioid therapeutic use, Constipation, Analgesics, Non-Narcotic therapeutic use, Kidney Calculi surgery, Kidney Calculi drug therapy
- Abstract
Introduction: Opioids are often used to manage postoperative pain. Non-narcotic alternatives have increasingly been used to reduce opioid usage. We conducted an open-label randomized non-inferiority clinical trial to compare non-opioid to opioid therapy for pain management after nephrolithiasis surgery., Methods: Patients undergoing elective ureteroscopy or percutaneous nephrolithotomy between July 2018 and May 2021 were randomized to receive ketorolac (non-opioid) or oxycodone-acetaminophen (opioid). Each patient was surveyed one week postoperatively to assess pain outcomes. Patient demographics, surgical variables, number of pills used, constipation, and adverse events were also assessed. We evaluated whether non-opioid analgesia was non-inferior to opioid analgesia for postoperative pain, assuming a non-inferiority margin of 1.3 in pain score between groups., Results: Analyses were based on 90 patients with postoperative pain data: 44 in the ketorolac group and 46 in the oxycodone-acetaminophen group. The groups were similar regarding demographics, type of surgery, ureteral stent placement, and stone burden. Non-inferiority of non-opioids compared to opioids was demonstrated for all outcomes. At follow-up, the average pain scores were 3.20 ± 1.94 (SD) in the non-opioid group and 4.17 ± 1.84 in the opioid group (difference = - 0.96; 95% CI: - 1.76, - 0.17, p = 0.018). The mean proportions of unused pills were similar between groups (p = 0.47) as were rates of constipation (p = 0.32)., Conclusions: Non-opioid analgesia was non-inferior to opioid analgesia in pain management after kidney stone surgery. This trial contributes to the evidence that non-opioid analgesics should be considered an effective option for pain management following non-invasive urologic procedures., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)
- Published
- 2022
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22. Financial Toxicity of Nephrolithiasis: The First Assessment of the Economic Stresses of Kidney Stone Treatment.
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Green BW, Labagnara K, Feiertag N, Gupta K, Donnelly J, Watts KL, Crivelli JJ, Assimos DG, and Small AC
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- Humans, Cross-Sectional Studies, Health Expenditures, Surveys and Questionnaires, Cost of Illness, Financial Stress, Kidney Calculi therapy
- Abstract
Objective: To investigate the financial toxicity (FT) related to kidney stone treatment., Methods: We performed a cross-sectional cohort study with multi-institutional in-person and online cohorts of stone formers. Participants were surveyed using the validated COST tool (COmprehensive Score for financial Toxicity). The maximum score is 44 and lower scores indicate increased FT. "Moderate FT" was defined by COST scores between 25 and 14 points and "severe FT" for scores <14. Descriptive statistics, X
2 tests, T tests, Spearman correlation, and logistic regression were performed using SPSS v28., Results: Two hundred and forty-one participants were surveyed, including 126 in-person participants and 115 online. A total of 60% of participants reported at least moderate FT (COST score <26) and 26% reported severe FT (COST score <14). Patients who reported moderate to severe FT were younger than those with low FT by a median difference of 8 years (95%CI = 4, 12). There was a significant correlation between out-of-pocket expense and COST scores, such that as out-of-pocket expenses increased, COST scores decreased, (Spearman's rho =-0.406, P = <.001). Participants with moderate to severe FT tended to miss more workdays (P = .002), and their caretakers tended to miss more workdays (P = .007) due to their stone disease., Conclusion: Most participants reported moderate to severe FT. As prior studies have shown that patients with "moderate FT" employ cost-coping strategies (i.e., medication rationing) and those with "severe FT" have worse health outcomes, urologists need to be sensitive to the financial burdens of treatment experienced by such patients undergoing kidney stone treatment., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)- Published
- 2022
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23. Accuracy of prostate cancer screening recommendations for high-risk populations on YouTube and TikTok.
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Abramson M, Feiertag N, Javidi D, Babar M, Loeb S, and Watts K
- Abstract
Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate content quality and racial/ethnic representation, particularly of high-risk cohorts, of prostate cancer screening videos on YouTube (YT) and TikTok (TK)., Materials and Methods: The top 50 videos populated for the search term 'prostate cancer screening' on YT and TK that met inclusion criteria were retrieved in a cache-cleared browser. Three reviewers analysed all videos using validated criteria for the quality of consumer health information (DISCERN and Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool [PEMAT]). High quality was defined as follows: DISCERN ≥ 4, PEMAT understandability ≥75% and PEMAT actionability ≥75%. A 5-point Likert scale was used to demonstrate the level of misinformation compared to American Urological Association and National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines. Perceived race and ethnicity of people in the videos were assessed by consensus approach., Results: TK videos were shorter (median 3.7 vs. 0.5 min, p < 0.001) and had more views per month (5437.5 vs. 19.3, p = 0.03) than YT videos. Perceived Black and Hispanic representation was present in 10% and 6% of YT videos and 20% and 12% of TK videos, respectively. High-risk racial/ethnic groups were explicitly discussed in 46% of YT videos and 8% of TK videos. A total of 98% of YT videos and 100% of TK videos had low- to moderate-quality consumer health information, and 88% of YT videos and 100% of TK videos had moderate to high levels of misinformation based on screening guidelines., Conclusions: YT and TK videos about prostate cancer screening are widely viewed but do not provide quality consumer health information. Black and Hispanic men remain under-represented on both platforms, and high-risk racial groups were not discussed in most videos despite the importance for screening criteria. The low understandability and actionability, significant misinformation and lack of diversity in online videos support the need for higher quality videos with adequate attention to high-risk ethnic cohorts., (© 2022 The Authors. BJUI Compass published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of BJU International Company.)
- Published
- 2022
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24. AUTHOR REPLY.
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Patel RD, Loloi J, and Watts KL
- Published
- 2022
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25. Gender Bias in YouTube Videos Describing Common Urology Conditions.
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Patel RD, Dave P, Loloi J, Freeman S, Feiertag N, Babar M, and Watts KL
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- Female, Male, Humans, Sexism, Video Recording, Prostatic Hyperplasia, Social Media, Urology, Pelvic Organ Prolapse, Urinary Bladder, Overactive
- Abstract
Objective: To study implicit and explicit gender biases in YouTube videos describing common urologic conditions based on language patterns, speaker gender, and speaker profession., Methods: Using a Boolean search, the top 30 videos for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), kidney stones, urinary tract infections (UTIs), overactive bladder (OAB), erectile dysfunction (ED), and pelvic organ prolapse (POP) were retrieved. Using the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count program (LIWC) software, video transcripts were analyzed for 16 word categories and compared by speaker gender and urology topic to assess for bias., Results: OAB and POP had the least view counts and subscribers; kidney stone and ED videos had the most. Student education channels were more likely to feature male than female speakers (19 male vs. 6 female, P=0.01). A significant difference was noted between speaker gender in BPH (25 male vs. 4 female, P<0.001), OAB (4 male vs. 22 female, P<0.001), and POP (6 male vs. 23 female, P<0.001) videos. When examining linguistic patterns with the LIWC program, female speakers were more likely to mention personal concerns and use tentative words when speaking alone compared to males., Conclusions: Gender bias exists in YouTube videos concerning common urologic conditions. We must be mindful of how information is distributed in order to minimize the perpetuation of gender stereotypes that are common in medicine. Awareness of these patterns and biases should encourage Urologists to proactively consider how they present themselves and how they reference the conditions they present in social media outlets., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2022
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26. Evaluating the association between food insecurity and risk of nephrolithiasis: an analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
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Green BW, Labagnara K, Macdonald E, Feiertag N, Zhu M, Gupta K, Mohan C, Watts KL, Rai A, and Small AC
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- Humans, United States epidemiology, Nutrition Surveys, Poverty, Food Insecurity, Food Supply, Kidney Calculi epidemiology
- Abstract
Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between self-reported food security and kidney stone formation., Methods: Data were collected from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), a database representative of the United States population. Food security status was assessed using the US Household Food Security Survey Module: Six-Item Short Form. Characteristics of patients were compared using the Chi-square test and the student t-test. Multivariate logistic regression was performed using a multi-model approach., Results: We analyzed 6,800 NHANES survey respondents. 37.2% of respondents were categorized as having "low food security" (scores 2-4) and 24.0% having "very low food security" (scores 5-6). 8.4% of respondents had a history of kidney stones. We found that people with very low food security had a 42% increased likelihood of developing kidney stones compared to those with high or marginal food security, after controlling for race, age, and comorbidities (OR 1.42; 95% CI 1.01-1.99). Between the different food security groups, no significant differences were observed in age, race/ethnicity, body mass index, gout history, osteoporosis history, or coronary artery disease history. Lower food security was associated with slightly younger age (< 1 year difference, p = 0.001), higher poverty-income ratio (p = 0.001), and many comorbidities, including kidney stones (p = 0.007)., Conclusion: Our study provides evidence for an association between food access and the risk of kidney stone disease. Given these findings, food insecurity should be investigated as a modifiable risk factor for the development of kidney stone disease., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)
- Published
- 2022
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27. Search Trends Signal Increased Vasectomy Interest in States with Sparsity of Urologists after Overrule of Roe vs. Wade.
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Patel RD, Loloi J, Labagnara K, and Watts KL
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- Humans, Male, Practice Patterns, Physicians', United States, Urologists, Vasectomy
- Published
- 2022
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28. Case - Testicular thigh pouches for severe Fournier's gangrene: A how-to guide.
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Loloi J, Gottlieb J, MacDonald SM, Aboumohamed A, Ricci JA, Laudano M, and Watts K
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- 2022
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29. Diagnosis and Treatment of a Mixed Epithelial Stromal Tumor of the Seminal Vesicle: A Systematic Review.
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Babar M, Matloubieh J, Macdonald E, Cheng J, Aboumohamed A, and Watts K
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- Humans, Male, Neoplasm Recurrence, Local pathology, Pelvis pathology, Seminal Vesicles pathology, Seminal Vesicles surgery, Cystadenoma diagnosis, Cystadenoma surgery, Genital Neoplasms, Male diagnosis, Genital Neoplasms, Male surgery
- Abstract
Objective: To perform a systematic review of mixed epithelial stromal tumor of the seminal vesicle (SV) to characterize the diagnosis and treatment of this rare condition., Methods: "Seminal vesicle mixed epithelial stromal tumor" OR "seminal vesicle cystadenoma" were searched on PubMed/MEDLINE for relevant articles through 6 September 2021. Articles were eligible if they were in English, accessible via our university library services, and if the abstract was concordant with the content of the publication. Reference lists of included articles were reviewed to identify additional relevant articles., Results: In total, 66 articles were identified, of which 34 (N = 36 patients) were included. The most common presenting symptoms were lower urinary tract symptoms (33%, 12/36), dysuria (22%, 8/36), lower abdominal pain (17%, 6/36), and hematuria (17%, 6/36). However, there were eight cases (23%, 8/36) of asymptomatic incidental SV tumors. A biopsy was performed in 47% of cases (17/36), of which 53% (9/17) showed benign findings, 29% (5/17) were inconclusive, and 18% (3/17) SV cystadenoma. Surgical resection was performed using open (57%, 20/35), laparoscopic (26%, 9/35), or robotic (17%, 6/35) techniques. The majority (94%, 34/36) of the SV tumors were low-grade. Long-term follow-up was reported for 15 patients in which two patients (13%, 2/15) had tumor recurrence., Conclusion: High rate of inconclusive biopsy of SV tumors suggests that routine biopsy is of questionable utility. Surgical excision frequently relieves symptoms and confirms accurate pathologic diagnosis. After tumor removal, patients should be surveilled with cross-sectional imaging of the pelvis given the possibility of tumor recurrence., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2022
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30. Analysis of Twitter Engagement in a Progressively More Competitive Urology Match: A Mixed Methods Study.
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Macdonald EJ, Gaines JM, Taubenfeld E, Labagnara K, Huang A, Winer A, Teper E, Abraham N, and Watts K
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- Humans, Pandemics, COVID-19 epidemiology, Internship and Residency, Social Media, Urology
- Abstract
Objective: To analyze Twitter engagement in response to the urology match during the COVID-19 pandemic., Methods: Tweets containing the hashtags "#uromatch" or "#AUAmatch" during the 2021 and 2022 Match Week were reviewed. Date, author type and number of followers, general content, and engagement with each Tweet was collected. Differences in engagement between author type and content were analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis H test. Tweet characteristics were compared between the 2021 and 2022 Match Cycles using the Chi-Square test., Results: There were 656 Tweets in total, with 272 (43.5%) from 2021 and 353 (56.5%) from 2022. Medical students' and residency programs' posts received significantly more Tweet engagement than those by residents/fellows, attendings, or the AUA (P <.05). Tweets focusing on announcing a new residency class and personal announcements of match results received significantly more engagements than other content categories (P <.05). In 2022, there was a significantly higher percentage of Tweets about advice for unmatched applicants (2.2 vs 12.5; P <.001), match statistics (0.4 vs 2.9; P = .028) and focus on underrepresented groups in urology (0.7 vs 3.4; P = .029)., Conclusion: The Twitter response to the urology match between 2021 and 2022 mirrored the increase in competitiveness, with greater participation and an increasing focus on the difficulty of matching. During Match Week, Twitter is a readily available source of information for programs, matched students, and unmatched students alike. As we continue to embrace virtual platforms, we believe that Twitter will remain a major source of match-related information and can be an instrumental tool for broader networking in our field., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2022
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31. Comparison of Patient Satisfaction and Safety Outcomes for Postoperative Telemedicine vs Face-to-Face Visits in Urology: Results of the Randomized Evaluation and Metrics Observing Telemedicine Efficacy (REMOTE) Trial.
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Babar M, Zhu D, Loloi J, Laudano M, Ohmann E, Abraham N, Small AC, and Watts KL
- Abstract
Introduction: There is a need to better understand the role of postoperative care via telemedicine (TM). We evaluated patient satisfaction and outcomes of postoperative face-to-face (F2F) versus TM visits for adult ambulatory urological surgeries in an urban academic center. Methods:This was a prospective, randomized controlled trial. At surgery, patients undergoing ambulatory endoscopic procedures or open surgery were randomized 1:1 to a postoperative F2F or TM visit. After the visit, a telephone survey assessing satisfaction was administered. Primary outcome was patient satisfaction; secondary outcomes were time and cost savings, and 30-day safety outcomes. Results:A total of 197 patients were approached; 165 (83%) consented and were randomized-76 (45%) to F2F and 89 (54%) to TM cohorts. There were no significant differences in baseline demographics between the cohorts. Both cohorts were equally satisfied with their postoperative visit (F2F 98.6% vs TM 94.1%, p=0.28) and found their visit to be an acceptable form of health care (F2F 100% vs TM 92.7%, p=0.06). The TM cohort saved a significant amount of time (TM 66.2% spent <15 minutes vs F2F 43.1% spent 1-2 hours, p <0.0001) and money (44.1% TM saved $5-$25 vs 43.1% F2F spent $5-$25, p=0.041) associated with travel. There were no significant differences in 30-day safety outcomes between the cohorts. Conclusions:TM for postoperative visits after ambulatory adult urological surgery saves patients time and money without compromising satisfaction or safety. TM should be offered as an alternative to F2F for routine postoperative care for certain ambulatory urological surgeries.
- Published
- 2022
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32. Evaluating perceptions and usage of natural remedies, herbal medicine, and dietary supplements for kidney stones among a diverse, international, urban patient population.
- Author
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Green B, Feiertag N, Watts KL, and Small AC
- Subjects
- Cross-Sectional Studies, Dietary Supplements, Humans, Urban Population, Herbal Medicine, Kidney Calculi epidemiology, Kidney Calculi therapy
- Abstract
Our goal was to assess the use and perceptions of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for kidney stones among a diverse, urban population. This was a cross-sectional study of patients treated for kidney stones in the Bronx, NY. We assessed demographic information, personal history of kidney stones, as well as knowledge and use of CAM for kidney stones. Patient demographics and responses were analyzed using chi-squared, t tests, and binomial logistic regression. 113 patients were surveyed. 90% identified as non-white, of whom 58% indicated Hispanic, 46% Latinx, and 23% Black. 56% of patients were born outside the United States. 56% of patients had heard of CAM for kidney stones and 44% had used CAM for kidney stones. The most common CAM were fruits (N = 42, 84%). Recurrent stone formers were more likely than first-time stone formers to have heard of CAM (68 vs 44% p = 0.013) and to have used CAM (56 vs 30%, p = 0.008). Those identifying as Hispanic were more likely to have both heard of and tried CAM for kidney stones (p = 0.036 and 0.022, respectively) compared to non-Hispanic patients. CAM are commonly used among our diverse, urban patient population. While some remedies are high in citrate and alkali (i.e., lemon, cranberry), others are high in oxalate (i.e., beets) and could potentially contribute to stone formation. These findings underpin the importance that medical providers educate themselves on the CAM used in their specific patient populations and discussing use with patients. Providers should aim to identify and reconcile therapeutics that oppose goals of treatment., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)
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- 2022
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33. Association of Obesity and Diabetes With Prostate Cancer Risk Groups in a Multiethnic Population.
- Author
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Zhu D, Toker M, Shyr W, Fram E, Watts KL, and Agalliu I
- Subjects
- Aged, Body Mass Index, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Obesity complications, Obesity epidemiology, Prostate, Prostatectomy methods, Risk Factors, Diabetes Mellitus epidemiology, Diabetes Mellitus surgery, Prostatic Neoplasms epidemiology, Prostatic Neoplasms etiology, Prostatic Neoplasms surgery
- Abstract
Introduction: Obesity and diabetes mellitus (DM) have been associated with prostate cancer (PCa) risk, but data examining their combined effects on aggressive PCa are sparse, particularly among non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic men. We investigated the associations of obesity and DM in relation to National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) PCa risk groups in a racially-diverse patient population., Patients and Methods: We abstracted demographic and clinical data from men who underwent radical prostatectomy at our institution between 2005 and 2019. Patients were classified into three NCCN PCa risk-groups: low, intermediate and high-risk. Logistic regression models were used to examine the independent and combined associations of body mass index (BMI)/obesity and DM with risks of intermediate and high-risk PCa, adjusting for age and race/ethnicity., Results: A total of 1303 men with PCa (average age 60 ± 6.9 years) were analyzed. The majority were non-Hispanic Black (N = 493, 38%) or Hispanic (N = 407, 31%). The prevalence of obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m
2 ) and DM was 29.3% (N = 382) and 28.3% (N = 369), respectively. In multivariate analyses, obesity was independently associated with an odds ratio (OR) = 2.21 of high-risk PCa (95% CI: 1.28-3.81), while DM was associated with an OR = 1.49 (95% CI: 1.05-2.11) of intermediate-risk PCa. Compared to non-obese men without diabetes, men with BMI ≥ 30 and DM had increased risks of both intermediate (OR = 1.93; 95% CI 1.12-3.43) and high-risk PCa (OR = 2.40; 95% CI 1.22-4.73). Interestingly, most of the association of high-risk PCa was driven by obesity., Conclusion: In this multiethnic population both obesity and DM were independently associated with intermediate- and high-risk PCa; however, most of the association for high-risk cancer was driven by obesity. Our results corroborate findings that obesity increases the risk of aggressive PCa; however, results regarding DM need to be confirmed in other large multiethnic populations., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier Inc.)- Published
- 2022
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34. Language Differences in Letters of Recommendation Based On Gender of Letter Writer.
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Sidhu A, Dave P, Freeman S, Abraham N, and Watts K
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- Humans, Personnel Selection, School Admission Criteria, Internship and Residency, Language
- Published
- 2022
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35. Cross-sectional and comparative analysis of videos on erectile dysfunction treatment on YouTube and TikTok.
- Author
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Babar M, Loloi J, Patel RD, Singh S, Azhar U, Maria P, Small A, and Watts K
- Subjects
- Cross-Sectional Studies, Humans, Information Dissemination, Male, Phosphodiesterase 5 Inhibitors, Video Recording, Erectile Dysfunction therapy, Social Media
- Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of information regarding erectile dysfunction (ED) treatment on YouTube and TikTok. The term "erectile dysfunction" was searched on YouTube and TikTok in July 2021. The first 50 videos on each platform that met inclusion were included. Videos were sorted as reliable or unreliable based on accuracy of video content. Quality of information was evaluated using Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool (PEMAT) and 5-point modified DISCERN. TikTok videos were shorter (0.4 minutes vs. 5.2 minutes, p < 0.001) and had more likes (2294 vs. 1000, p = 0.005), views per month (17,281 vs. 3521, p < 0.001) and subscribers/followers (97,500 vs. 23,000, p = 0.016) than YouTube videos. TikTok videos were less reliable than YouTube videos (TikTok 5/50 [10%] vs. YouTube 21/50 [42%], p < 0.001). YouTube mentioned more about phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (32% vs. 10%, p = 0.007), while TikTok mentioned more about alternative supplements (36% vs. 4%, p < 0.001). YouTube had a higher DISCERN (1.99 vs. 0.98, p < 0.001) and PEMAT actionability scores (64.2% vs. 54.0%, p = 0.039) when compared to TikTok. YouTube videos were of higher quality than TikTok videos. Nevertheless, YouTube had a considerable amount of unreliable information. We recommend a collaborative effort from the medical community to improve information regarding ED treatment on YouTube and TikTok., (© 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)
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- 2022
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36. National Trends and Prescription Patterns in Opiate Analgesia for Urolithiasis Presenting to Emergency Departments: Analysis of the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, 2006-2018.
- Author
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Zhu D, Macdonald EJ, Lesko RP, and Watts KL
- Subjects
- Analgesics, Opioid therapeutic use, Emergency Service, Hospital, Health Care Surveys, Hospitals, Humans, Pain, Practice Patterns, Physicians', Prescriptions, United States, Analgesia, Opiate Alkaloids, Urolithiasis drug therapy
- Abstract
Objective: To analyze the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS) database to determine geographic and temporal trends, as well as variables associated with the likelihood of receiving an opioid prescription for urolithiasis in United States (US) emergency departments (EDs)., Materials and Methods: All ED visits for urolithiasis between 2006 and 2018 in the NHAMCS database were analyzed. Age, race/ethnicity, insurance status, ED provider credentials, geographic region, and urban vs rural hospital status were extracted. Linear regression was used to examine overall/regional trends in opioid prescriptions over time. Logistic regression was used to estimate factors associated with higher odds of receiving opioids., Results: Fourteen million visits were analyzed, of which, 79.1% (11.0 million) received an opioid prescription. From 2014 to 2018 there was a decline of 3.65%/year of the proportion of visits receiving an opioid prescription (R
2 = 0.86, P = .008). Non-Hispanic Black race was associated with a lower chance of receiving opioid prescription (OR = 0.57, P = .02) compared to Non-Hispanic Whites (NHW). Midwestern hospitals had higher odds of opioid prescription compared to the Northeast (OR = 2.05, P = .006). Rural hospitals had lower odds of opioid prescription compared to urban hospitals (OR = 0.62, P = .02)., Conclusion: Opioid prescriptions for patients presenting with urolithiasis to the ED have steadily declined from 2014 to 2018, except in the Midwest. NHW race, Midwest region, and urban EDs increase the likelihood of receiving opioids. Continued efforts encouraging non-opioid alternatives for urolithiasis are essential, specifically in Midwestern EDs, to mitigate the ongoing opioid epidemic in the US., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)- Published
- 2022
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37. The impact of surgical downgrading on prostate cancer recurrence: systematic review and analysis of a multiethnic population.
- Author
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Zhu D, Shyr W, Toker M, Fram E, Cheng J, Kovac EZ, Agalliu I, Aboumohamed A, and Watts KL
- Subjects
- Humans, Male, Neoplasm Grading, Prostate pathology, Prostate-Specific Antigen, Prostatectomy, Retrospective Studies, Neoplasm Recurrence, Local pathology, Prostatic Neoplasms pathology
- Abstract
Objective: To perform a systematic review and a retrospective cohort analysis evaluating the rates of surgical downgrading of prostate cancer (PCa) from biopsy (PBx) to radical prostatectomy (RP), and their association with biochemical recurrence (BCR) in a multiethnic population., Methods: A systematic review of PubMed and other databases was performed. We included retrospective studies evaluating the relationship between surgical downgrading and BCR-free survival. Data regarding Gleason score (GL) downgrading were abstracted from the articles and categorized as follows: GL8-10 to GL7, GL7 to GL6, and GL 7(4 + 3) to GL7(3 + 4). We also performed a retrospective cohort review of patients who underwent RP at our institution from 2005 through 2020. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox proportional hazards models were used to compare BCR among downgraded versus non-downgraded men., Results: Systematic review yielded 137 abstracts; of these, 36 full-texts were reviewed, 8 of which were included in our systematic review. Despite substantial variability, all showed that GL at RP is one of the most important factors of BCR-free survival. A total of 1,484 men with PCa were analyzed from our institution. On multivariate analysis, GL7 to GL6 downgrading (HR = 0.50, p = 0.022) and GL8-10 to GL7 downgrading (HR = 0.42, p = 0.011) were associated with reduced risk of BCR when compared to men with GL7 and GL8-10 concordance, respectively. However, GL7(4 + 3) to GL7(3 + 4) downgrading was not significantly associated with reduced BCR (HR = 0.56, p = 0.12), when compared to GL7(4 + 3) concordance, although HR was similar., Conclusion: Surgical downgrading at RP was associated with a reduced risk of BCR compared to GL concordant disease, and these findings have been validated within our multiethnic population. Pathologic downgrading at the time of RP may be a more useful predictor of subsequent BCR in comparison to that associated with GL concordant pathology., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)
- Published
- 2022
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38. Patient Satisfaction with Telephone Versus Video-Televisits: A Cross-Sectional Survey of an Urban, Multiethnic Population.
- Author
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Allen AZ, Zhu D, Shin C, Glassman DT, Abraham N, and Watts KL
- Subjects
- Adolescent, Adult, Black or African American statistics & numerical data, Aged, Asian statistics & numerical data, Clinical Laboratory Techniques, Communication Barriers, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Hispanic or Latino statistics & numerical data, Humans, Institutional Practice statistics & numerical data, Language, Male, Middle Aged, Patient Satisfaction ethnology, Retrospective Studies, SARS-CoV-2, Sex Factors, Smoking, Surveys and Questionnaires, Transportation, Urban Population statistics & numerical data, White People statistics & numerical data, Young Adult, COVID-19 prevention & control, Patient Satisfaction statistics & numerical data, Telemedicine methods, Telephone, Urology statistics & numerical data, Videoconferencing
- Abstract
Objective: To examine differences between telephone and video-televisits and identify whether visit modality is associated with satisfaction in an urban, academic general urology practice., Methods: A cross sectional analysis of patients who completed a televisit at our urology practice (summer 2020) was performed. A Likert-based satisfaction telephone survey was offered to patients within 7 days of their televisit. Patient demographics, televisit modality (telephone vs video), and outcomes of the visit (eg follow-up visit scheduled, orders placed) were retrospectively abstracted from each chart and compared between the telephone and video cohorts. Multivariate regression analysis was used to evaluate variables associated with satisfaction while controlling for potential confounders., Results: A total of 269 patients were analyzed. 73% (196/269) completed a telephone televisit. Compared to the video cohort, the telephone cohort was slightly older (mean 58.8 years vs. 54.2 years, P = .03). There were no significant differences in the frequency of orders placed for medication changes, labs, imaging, or for in-person follow-up visits within 30 days between cohorts. Survey results showed overall 84.7% patients were satisfied, and there was no significant difference between the telephone and video cohorts. Visit type was not associated with satisfaction on multivariable analyses, while use of an interpreter [OR:8.13 (1.00-65.94); P = .05], labs ordered [OR:2.74 (1.12-6.70); P = .03] and female patient gender [OR:2.28 (1.03-5.03); P = .04] were significantly associated with satisfaction., Conclusion: Overall, most patients were satisfied with their televisit. Additionally, telephone- and video-televisits were similar regarding patient opinions, patient characteristics, and visit outcome. Efforts to increase access and coverage of telehealth, particularly telephone-televisits, should continue past the COVID-19 pandemic., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2021
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39. Native kidney small renal masses in patients with kidney transplants: Does chronic immunosuppression affect tumor biology?
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Bernstein AP, Davuluri M, DeMasi M, Sankin A, Watts K, Aboumohamed A, Stern JM, Rocca J, Greenstein S, Graham JA, Ajaimy M, Liriano-Ward L, Sarungbam J, and Kovac E
- Abstract
Introduction: We compared clinicopathological characteristics and outcomes of radical nephrectomy (RN) for small renal masses (SRM) in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) before or after transplant at a high-volume urologic and transplant center., Methods: We performed a retrospective review of patients with ESRD (glomerular filtration rate [GFR] <15 mL/min) who underwent RN for suspected malignant SRM from 2000-2018. Group 1 consisted of patients who underwent RN after transplant; group 2 underwent RN prior to transplant, and group 3 underwent RN without subsequent transplant. Dominant tumor size and histopathological characteristics, recurrence, and survival outcomes were compared between groups. Chi-squared and Mann-Whitney U tests were used to compare categorical and continuous baseline and histopathologic characteristics, respectively. Univariate analysis and log rank test were used to compare RCC recurrence rates., Results: We identified 34 nephrectomies in group 1, 27 nephrectomies in group 2, and 70 nephrectomies in group 3. Median time from transplant to SRM radiological diagnosis in group 1 was 87 months, and three months from diagnosis to nephrectomy for all groups. There were no statistically significant differences between pathological dominant mass size, histological subtype breakdown, grade, or stage between the groups. Rates of benign histology were similar between the groups. Univariate analysis did not reveal a statistically significant difference in recurrence-free survival between the groups (p=0.9)., Conclusions: Patients undergoing nephrectomy before or after transplant for SRM have similar indolent clinicopathological characteristics and low recurrence rates. Our results suggest that chronic immunosuppression does not adversely affect SRM biology.
- Published
- 2021
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40. A Comparison of Image-Guided Targeted Prostate Biopsy Outcomes by PI-RADS® Score and Ethnicity in a Diverse, Multiethnic Population.
- Author
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Hines L, Zhu D, DeMasi M, Babar M, Chernyak V, Kovac EZ, Aboumohamed A, Sankin A, Agalliu I, and Watts KL
- Subjects
- Black or African American statistics & numerical data, Aged, Hispanic or Latino statistics & numerical data, Humans, Image-Guided Biopsy methods, Image-Guided Biopsy statistics & numerical data, Male, Middle Aged, Neoplasm Grading, Prostate diagnostic imaging, Prostatic Neoplasms diagnosis, Retrospective Studies, Risk Assessment statistics & numerical data, White People statistics & numerical data, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Interventional statistics & numerical data, Prostate pathology, Prostatic Neoplasms epidemiology
- Abstract
Purpose: NonHispanic Black (NHB) and Hispanic/Afro-Caribbean men have the highest risk of prostate cancer (PCa) compared to nonHispanic White (NHW) men. However, ethnicity-specific outcomes of targeted fusion biopsy (FB) for the detection of PCa are poorly characterized. We compared the outcomes of FB by Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System (PI-RADS®) score and race/ethnicity among a diverse population., Materials and Methods: We evaluated all men who underwent image-guided FB for suspicious lesions on prostate magnetic resonance imaging (≥PI-RADS 3) over a 2-year period. We examined associations of race/ethnicity and PI-RADS score with risk of PCa or clinically significant PCa (cs-PCa, Gleason Group ≥2) on FB using mixed-effects logistic regression models., Results: A total of 410 men with 658 lesions were analyzed, with 201 (49.0%) identified as NHB and 125 (30.5%) identified as Hispanic. NHB men had a twofold increase in the odds of detecting cs-PCa (OR=2.7, p=0.045), while Hispanic men had similar odds of detecting cs-PCa compared to NHW men. With regard to all PCa, NHB men had a similar increase in the odds of detecting all PCa (OR=2.4, p=0.050), which was borderline statistically significant compared to NHW men on FB. When we excluded men on active surveillance, NHB men had even stronger associations with detection of cs-PCa (OR=3.10, p=0.047) or all PCa (OR=2.77, p=0.032) compared to NHW men., Conclusions: NHB men have higher odds for overall PCa and cs-PCa on FB compared to NHW men. Further work may clarify differences per PI-RADS score. Clinicians should interpret prostate magnetic resonance imaging lesions with more caution in NHB men.
- Published
- 2021
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41. Patient satisfaction and savings, and clinical outcomes of televisits in female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery at an urban academic center.
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Shin C, Allen AZ, Zhu D, Tellechea L, Watts KL, and Abraham NE
- Subjects
- Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Humans, Telephone, Gynecologic Surgical Procedures, Patient Satisfaction, Plastic Surgery Procedures, Telemedicine
- Abstract
Aim: To evaluate patient satisfaction and savings, and compare visit outcomes based on chief complaint (CC) of women presenting for a televisit to a female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery (FPMRS) clinic at an urban academic center., Methods: A cross-sectional study of women completing a televisit with an FPMRS specialist at our institution from June 19, 2020 to July 17, 2020 was conducted. A telephone questionnaire was administered to patients to assess satisfaction and savings (travel costs/time avoided). Electronic medical records were reviewed to collect patient demographics and comorbidities, CC, and televisit outcomes (e.g., face-to-face (F2F) exam scheduled, orders placed). Logistic regression was used to analyze predictors of satisfaction and need for F2F follow-up., Results: One hundred eighty-seven of 290 (64.5%) women called completed the survey, of whom 168 (89.8%) were satisfied with their televisit. Eighty-eight (48.1%) saved at least an hour and 54 (28.9%) saved more than $25 on transportation. There were no significant associations between patient characteristics, CC, or televisit outcomes and satisfaction. Ninety-nine (52.9%) televisits resulted in F2F follow-up, with CC of prolapse (odds ratio [OR] = 4.2 (1.7-10.3); p = 0.002), new patient (OR = 2.2 (1.2-4.2); p = 0.01), and Hispanic ethnicity (OR = 3.9 (1.2-13.6); p=.03) as significant predictors., Conclusion: Most patients were satisfied with FPMRS televisits at our urban academic center. Televisits resulted in patient travel time and cost savings. Women presenting with prolapse and for new patient visits would likely benefit from initial F2F visits instead of televisits. Televisits are an important mode of health care and in some cases can replace F2F visits., (© 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)
- Published
- 2021
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42. Implementation of the telephone montreal cognitive assessment in a telemedicine based pre-admission testing clinic during COVID-19.
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Yu NC, Zhu D, Watts KL, Abraham N, and Choice C
- Abstract
Introduction: Postoperative delirium (POD) affects 10-70% of patients 60 years or older and has been linked to increasing length of hospitalization, mortality, and morbidity. Pre-existing cognitive impairment is a predictor of POD. COVID-19 restricted use of in-person cognitive screens. The Telephone Montreal Cognitive Assessment (T-MoCA) can screen for cognitive dysfunction remotely. We evaluated the feasibility of administering T-MoCA in a multiethnic population during pre-operative testing televisits., Methods: Patients scheduled for surgery between July 2020 and August 2020 were asked to participate in the T-MoCA at the end of their preadmission testing (PAT) televisit. A retrospective chart review was conducted to collect patient comorbidities and demographics. Patients were stratified by negative (T-MoCA≥19) or positive (T-MoCA<19) for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and compared using 2-tailed χ
2 -tests. Univariate logistic regression was used to identify associations between patient characteristics and positive T-MoCA result., Results: Fifty out of 65 (77%) patients who consented to the T-MoCA completed the test. The average time to complete the assessment was 10.5 mins. Twenty two (44%) had a negative score and 28 (56%) had a positive score. Patients who had a positive T-MoCA were older (70.04±7.61 yrs) compared to those with a negative T-MoCA (67.68±4.69 yrs, p=0.007), although the distribution of patients above and below age 65 was not different (p=0.243). The two groups did not vary by gender, race/ethnicity, obesity, surgery type, or medical co-morbidities. When we examined our population for predictors of a positive T-MoCA, we found a trend toward men being less likely to score positive on T-MoCA (OR=0.33, 95% CI: 0.10-1.10, p=0.07) compared to women; and that patients with Hispanic race/ethnicity were more likely to test positive on the T-MoCA (OR=4.13, 95% CI: 0.84-20.28, p=0.08) compared to Non-Hispanic Whites., Conclusions: Implementation of the T-MoCA in a telemedicine-based PAT setting is feasible. In our cohort, most people who consented to the assessment completed it, and more than half scored positively, which may have important implications on the surgical plan and post-operative recovery. There may be limitations in using T-MoCA in certain populations, such as non-English preferred language, hearing difficulties, lack of focus, and use of external aids, which would need to be explored in a larger sample size., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise, to declare., (© 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)- Published
- 2021
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43. Interprofessional Consultations (eConsults) in Urology.
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Patel M, Gadzinski AJ, Bell AM, Watts K, Steppe E, Odisho AY, Yang CC, and Ellimoottil C
- Abstract
Introduction: An interprofessional consultation (eConsult) is an asynchronous form of telehealth whereby a primary care provider requests electronic consultation with a specialist in place of an in-person consultation. While eConsults have been successfully implemented in many medical specialties, their use in the practice of urology is relatively unknown., Methods: We included data from four academic institutions: University of Michigan, University of California -San Francisco, University of Washington, and Montefiore Medical Center. We included every urological eConsult performed at each institution from the launch of their respective programs through August 2019. We considered an eConsult "converted" when the participating urologist recommended a full in-person evaluation. We report eConsult conversion rate, response time, completion time, and diagnosis categories., Results: A total of 462 urological eConsults were requested. Of these, 36% were converted to a traditional in-person visit. Among resolved eConsults, with data on provider response time available (n=119),53.8% of eConsults were addressed in less than 1 day; 28.6% in 1 day; 8.4% in 2 days; 3.4% in 3 days; 3.4% in 4 days; 1.7% in 5 days; and 0.8% in ≥6 days. Among resolved eConsults, with data on provider completion time available (n=283), 50.2% were completed in 1-10 minutes; 46.7% in 11-20 minutes; 2.8% in 21-30 minutes; and less than 1% in ≥31 minutes., Discussion: Our study suggests that eConsults are an effective avenue for urologists to provide recommendations for many common non-surgical urological conditions and thus avoid a traditional in-person for low-complexity situations. Further investigation into the impact of eConsults on healthcare costs and access to urological care are necessary., Competing Interests: DECLARATION OF CONFLICTING INTERESTS: The Authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.
- Published
- 2021
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44. Gender Bias in Medicine: Does It Exist at AUA Plenary Sessions?
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Davuluri M, Barry E, Loeb S, and Watts K
- Subjects
- Female, Humans, Retrospective Studies, Societies, Medical organization & administration, United States, Urology organization & administration, Congresses as Topic statistics & numerical data, Sexism statistics & numerical data, Societies, Medical statistics & numerical data, Urology statistics & numerical data
- Abstract
Objective: To determine if gender bias exists at the plenary sessions of the American Urological Association (AUA) annual conference by evaluating variations in the use of a professional title (PT) during speaker introductions at these sessions., Methods: We retrospectively reviewed video archives of all plenary sessions from the AUA annual conferences from 2017 to 2019. Videos that included both plenary introducer and speaker were included for analysis. The following data were collected: conference year, gender, and academic rank of "introducer" and of "speaker," and use of PT (ie, doctor) during speaker introduction. Variations in use of PT for introductions of speakers based on gender of introducer and of speaker were analyzed by chi-square tests., Results: Four hundred and fourteen videos were reviewed; 195 (47%) with a composite 622 introducer/speaker pairs were reviewed and analyzed. Only 8.7% of introducers and 14.6% of speakers were female (Table 1). Overall, there was no difference in the use of PT for introductions of female vs male speakers (61.5% vs 60.8%, P = 0.90). However, male speakers were more likely to be introduced as doctor when introduced by a female vs a male (75.60% vs 59.60%, P = 0.04). Female speakers were equally likely to be introduced as doctor regardless of introducer gender., Conclusion: Men represented the majority of presenters and speakers in the plenary session at AUA meetings. However, there is not a significant difference in the use of PT for AUA plenary speaker introductions based on gender., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2021
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45. Using CT-guided stereotactic prostate radiation therapy (CT-SPRT) to assess sustained murine prostate ablation.
- Author
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Zahalka AH, Brodin NP, Maryanovich M, Wang X, Watts KL, Pinho S, Guha C, and Frenette PS
- Subjects
- Animals, Cell Proliferation, Contrast Media administration & dosage, Disease Management, Humans, Male, Mice, Prostatic Neoplasms etiology, Prostatic Neoplasms metabolism, Testosterone metabolism, Disease Models, Animal, Prostatic Neoplasms diagnosis, Prostatic Neoplasms therapy, Radiosurgery methods, Radiotherapy, Image-Guided methods, Tomography, X-Ray Computed methods
- Abstract
The prostate is a hormone-responsive organ where testicular androgens drive the proliferation and survival of prostatic cells, ensuring the development and functioning of this gland throughout life. Androgen deprivation therapy leads to apoptosis of prostatic cells and organ regression, and is a cornerstone of prostate cancer and benign prostatic hypertrophy treatment. For several decades, androgen deprivation has been used as an adjuvant to external beam radiotherapy, however, emerging data suggests that the low rates of epithelial proliferation in the castrated prostate imparts radio-resistance. As proliferating cells exhibit increased sensitivity to radiation, we hypothesized that short bursts of synchronized epithelial proliferation, which can be achieved by exogeneous testosterone supplementation prior to targeted high-dose radiation, would maximize sustained prostate ablation, while minimizing damage to surrounding tissues. To test this hypothesis, we designed a novel computed-tomography (CT)-guided stereotactic prostate radiation therapy (CT-SPRT) technique to deliver a single high-dose 25 Gy fraction of X-ray radiation. Sustained prostatic cell ablation was assessed post CT-SPRT by measuring prostate weight, epithelial cell number, and relative contributions of luminal and basal epithelial populations in control and testosterone-pretreated glands. CT-SPRT was safely delivered with no observed damage to surrounding rectal and bladder tissues. Importantly, castrated mice that received a pulse of testosterone to induce synchronous cell proliferation prior to CT-SPRT exhibited significant sustained gland ablation compared to control mice. These results provide new insights in stereotactic radiotherapy sensitivity to maximize prostatic cell ablation and improve our understanding of prostate gland regeneration that can potentially lead to improved non-invasive therapies for benign prostatic hypertrophy and prostate cancer.
- Published
- 2021
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46. Methodology for triage of urologic surgical cases in the setting of a pandemic.
- Author
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Aboumohamed A, Gottlieb J, DeMasi M, Barry E, Sankin A, and Watts K
- Subjects
- Adult, Child, Female, Humans, Male, New York City epidemiology, COVID-19, Triage methods, Urologic Surgical Procedures
- Abstract
Background: The first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 forced our healthcare system in the Bronx, New York to cancel nearly all scheduled surgeries. We developed a framework for prioritizing postponed urologic surgeries that was utilized once cases were permitted to be rescheduled. As many parts of our country experience first and second waves of this pandemic, our framework may serve as a resource for other centers experiencing restrictions on the scheduling of elective urologic surgeries., Methods: As the COVID-19 pandemic started and peaked in New York, almost all of our scheduled urologic surgeries were cancelled. Each Urologist was asked to rank his/her cancelled surgeries by priority (Level 1-least urgent; Level 2-moderately urgent; Level 3-most urgent). A committee of Urologists assigned a subclass to Level 3 and 2 cases (3a-least urgent; 3b-moderately urgent; 3c-most urgent; 2a-lower priority; 2b-higher priority). The committee then reviewed cases by urgency to derive a final priority ranking., Results: A total of 478 total urologic surgeries were canceled and categorized: 250 Level 1, 130 Level 2, 98 Level 3 (73 adult, 25 pediatric). Level 3c involved renal cell carcinoma ≥ T2b, high-grade bladder urothelial carcinoma, adrenal mass/cancer > 6 cm, testicular cancer requiring radical orchiectomy, and penile cancer. Level 3b involved T2a renal masses requiring nephrectomy, while high-risk prostate cancer and symptomatic nephrolithiasis were classified as 3a. Level 2 included testicular cancer requiring retroperitoneal lymph node dissection and complicated benign prostatic hyperplasia. Surgeries for urologic reconstruction, non-complicated nephrolithiasis, erectile dysfunction, and urinary incontinence were considered Level 1., Conclusions: Our disease-specific approach to surgical rescheduling offers appropriate guidance for triaging urologic surgeries. Our system can provide guidance to other institutions as COVID-19 cases surge in different regions and with the growing second wave.
- Published
- 2021
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47. Mandated Opioid Online Training Course-Does it Impact Opioid Prescription Patterns for Outpatient Endoscopic Urological Surgeries?
- Author
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Davuluri M, Bernstein A, Fram E, and Watts KL
- Abstract
Introduction: Opioid addiction is a rising public health crisis. We evaluated if a New York State-mandated online opioid awareness course impacted our urology opioid prescription practices for outpatient endoscopic surgeries., Methods: We completed a retrospective review of all ambulatory endoscopic cases identified by CPT codes for all adult urology faculty between February 2016 and January 2018. Patients were divided into 2 cohorts, ie pre-mandated and post-mandated training. Patient demographics, procedure details, psychiatric history and postoperative pain prescriptions were collected. Changes in opioid prescription practices prior to and after the mandated online course were reviewed. Chi-square and linear regression analyses were performed., Results: A total of 356 cases were analyzed. After the training course, overall frequency of department opioid prescriptions did not change significantly (47.9% vs 47.5%, p=0.95). However, the percentage of patients receiving an oxycodone/acetaminophen prescription decreased from 90.2% to 63.0% (p <0.001) and the average number of tablets prescribed decreased (8.6 vs 16.9, p <0.001). On multivariate analysis, placement of a ureteral stent, older patient age and higher body mass index were predictors of an opioid prescription. In those patients who had a stent placed, nonopioid prescriptions increased from 42% to 88% (p <0.001)., Conclusions: Overall, the New York State-mandated education session did impact opioid prescription practices for outpatient urological endoscopic surgery at our institution. The largest impact was seen within patients undergoing procedures requiring stent placement, with a decrease in total number of oxycodone/acetaminophen prescriptions and number of tablets prescribed per prescription. These data begin to demonstrate effective interventions that may impact physician practice patterns within opioid research.
- Published
- 2021
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48. Variations in Perioperative Antibiotic Prescriptions Among Academic Urologists After Ambulatory Endoscopic Urologic Surgery: Impact on Infection Rates and Validation of 2019 Best Practice Statement.
- Author
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Davuluri M, Bernstein AP, Fram E, and Watts KL
- Subjects
- Academic Medical Centers standards, Academic Medical Centers statistics & numerical data, Aged, Ambulatory Surgical Procedures methods, Anti-Bacterial Agents therapeutic use, Antibiotic Prophylaxis standards, Drug Prescriptions standards, Drug Prescriptions statistics & numerical data, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Postoperative Complications microbiology, Practice Guidelines as Topic, Practice Patterns, Physicians' standards, Practice Patterns, Physicians' statistics & numerical data, Retrospective Studies, Urinary Tract Infections microbiology, Urologic Surgical Procedures methods, Urologists standards, Urologists statistics & numerical data, Ambulatory Surgical Procedures adverse effects, Antibiotic Prophylaxis statistics & numerical data, Endoscopy adverse effects, Postoperative Complications prevention & control, Urinary Tract Infections prevention & control, Urologic Surgical Procedures adverse effects
- Abstract
Objective: To evaluate adherence to the American Urologic Association (AUA) best practice statement guidelines regarding antibiotic duration in the perioperative setting for endoscopic urologic surgery. We assessed concordance to these guidelines among adult urologists at a single academic institution and its correlation with postoperative positive urine cultures as it relates to the revised 2019 best practice statement., Methods: We performed a retrospective review of all adult endoscopic ambulatory urologic surgeries performed over an 18-month period by urologists at our institution. Patient demographics, pre- and postoperative urine cultures, operative details, stent or foley use, and antibiotic prescriptions were reviewed. Chi-squared and linear regression analyses were done., Results: Three hundred thirty patients were included for analysis. Sixty-two percent of patients were prescribed postoperative antibiotics, for an average of 4 days. Trimethoprim/Sulfamethoxazole and fluroquinolones were most often prescribed (43% and 38%, respectively). Intraoperative stent placement, positive urine culture within 30 days prior to surgery, and a positive urine culture within 1 year prior to surgery predicted antibiotic prescription. No significant differences were seen in rates of positive postoperative urine culture rates between cohorts that received antibiotics postoperatively vs those who did not., Conclusions: At our academic institution, we observed poor concordance with the AUA best practice statement for perioperative antibiotic prescription after ambulatory endoscopic urologic surgery. Rates of positive postoperative cultures were low and not associated with receipt or duration of antibiotic prescription at the time of surgery, supporting minimal use of antibiotics for most endoscopic cases., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2020
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49. "Virtually Perfect" for Some but Perhaps Not for All: Launching Telemedicine in the Bronx during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
- Author
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Watts KL and Abraham N
- Subjects
- Betacoronavirus, COVID-19, Delivery of Health Care, Healthcare Disparities, Humans, New York City epidemiology, SARS-CoV-2, Urology methods, Coronavirus Infections, Pandemics, Pneumonia, Viral, Telemedicine, Urologic Diseases
- Published
- 2020
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50. Use of beta-blocker types and risk of incident prostate cancer in a multiethnic population.
- Author
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Zahalka AH, Fram E, Lin W, Mohn L, Frenette PS, Agalliu I, and Watts KL
- Subjects
- Aged, Atenolol therapeutic use, Carvedilol therapeutic use, Humans, Image-Guided Biopsy statistics & numerical data, Incidence, Male, Metoprolol therapeutic use, Middle Aged, Prostate pathology, Prostatic Neoplasms diagnosis, Prostatic Neoplasms pathology, Prostatic Neoplasms prevention & control, Protective Factors, Retrospective Studies, Risk Assessment statistics & numerical data, Time Factors, Ultrasonography, Interventional, Adrenergic beta-Antagonists therapeutic use, Prostatic Neoplasms epidemiology
- Abstract
Purpose: Increased adrenergic innervation is observed in prostate cancer (CaP) and is associated with aggressive disease. Emerging evidence suggests that beta-adrenergic blockade inhibits CaP progression. However, the association between type of beta-blocker use and risk of incident CaP on initial prostate biopsy has not been investigated in multiethnic populations., Materials and Methods: A retrospective study of racially/ethnically diverse men (64% African-American and Hispanic), who underwent initial prostate biopsy between 2006 and 2016 in a large healthcare system was performed. Oral use of beta-blocker type was assessed by reviewing active prescriptions within the 5-year period preceding initial biopsy. Patient demographics and clinical factors were collected., Results: Of 4,607 men who underwent initial prostate biopsy, 4,516 met criteria and 2,128 had a biopsy positive for CaP; 20% high-risk, 41% intermediate-risk, and 39% low or very-low risk (National Comprehensive Cancer Network classification). Overall, 15% of patients were taking a beta-blocker prior to initial biopsy, with Metoprolol, Atenolol, and Carvedilol accounting for the majority. Of beta-blocker types, Atenolol alone was associated with a 38% reduction in odds of incident CaP (P= 0.01), with a 40% and 54% reduction in risks of National Comprehensive Cancer Network intermediate and high-risk CaP (P = 0.03 and P = 0.03, respectively) compared to men not taking a beta-blocker. Furthermore, longer duration of Atenolol use (3-5 years) was associated with a 54% and 72% reduction in intermediate and high-risk disease, (P = 0.03 and P = 0.03, respectively)., Conclusions: Among beta blocker types, long-term Atenolol use is associated with a significant reduction in incident CaP risk on initial prostate biopsy for clinically-significant intermediate and high-risk disease compared to men not taking a beta-blocker., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2020
- Full Text
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