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Social media use is becoming common in medical practice. Although primarily used in this context to connect physicians, social media allows users share information, to create an online profile, to learn and keep knowledge up to date, to facilitate virtual attendance at medical conferences, and to measure impact within a field. However, shared content should be considered permanent and beyond the control of its author, and typical boundaries, such as the patient-physician interaction, become blurred, putting both parties at risk. The European Association of Urology brought together a committee of stakeholders to create guidance on the good practice and standards of use of social media. These encompass guidance about defining an online profile; managing accounts; protecting the reputations of yourself and your organization; protecting patient confidentiality; and creating honest, responsible content that reflects your standing as a physician and your membership within this profession. © 2014 European Association of Urology.

Background: Little is known regarding functional outcomes after robot-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC) and intracorporeal neobladder (ICNB) reconstruction., Objective: To report on urinary continence (UC) and erectile function (EF) at 12 mo after RARC and ICNB reconstruction and investigate predictors of these outcomes., Design, Setting, and Participants: We used data from a multi-institutional database of patients who underwent RARC and ICNB reconstruction for bladder cancer., Surgical Procedure: The cystoprostatectomy sensu stricto followed the conventional steps. ICNB reconstruction was performed at the physician's discretion according to the Studer/Wiklund, S pouch, Gaston, vescica ileale Padovana, or Hautmann technique. The techniques are detailed in the video accompanying the article., Measurements: The outcomes measured were UC and EF at 12 mo., Results and Limitations: A total of 732 male patients were identified with a median age at diagnosis of 64 yr (interquartile range 58-70). The ICNB reconstruction technique was Studer/Wiklund in 74%, S pouch in 1.5%, Gaston in 19%, vescica ileale Padovana in 1.5%, and Hautmann in 4% of cases. The 12-mo UC rate was 86% for daytime and 66% for nighttime continence, including patients who reported the use of a safety pad (20% and 32%, respectively). The 12-mo EF rate was 55%, including men who reported potency with the aid of phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (24%). After adjusting for potential confounders, neobladder type was not associated with UC. Unilateral nerve-sparing (odds ratio [OR] 3.85, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.88-7.85; p < 0.001) and bilateral nerve-sparing (OR 6.25, 95% CI 3.55-11.0; p < 0.001), were positively associated with EF, whereas age (OR 0.93, 95% CI 0.91-0.95; p < 0.001) and an American Society of Anesthesiologists score of 3 (OR 0.46, 95% CI 0.25-0.89; p < 0.02) were inversely associated with EF., Conclusions: RARC and ICNB reconstruction are generally associated with good functional outcomes in terms of UC. EF is highly affected by the degree of nerve preservation, age, and comorbidities., Patient Summary: We investigated functional outcomes after robot-assisted removal of the bladder in terms of urinary continence and erectile function. We found that, in general, patients have relatively good functional outcomes at 12 months after surgery., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Context: Differences in recovery, oncological, and quality of life (QoL) outcomes between open radical cystectomy (ORC) and robot-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC) for patients with bladder cancer are unclear., Objective: This review aims to compare these outcomes within randomized trials of ORC and RARC in this context. The primary outcome was the rate of 90-d perioperative events. The secondary outcomes included operative, pathological, survival, and health-related QoL (HRQoL) measures., Evidence Acquisition: Systematic literature searches of MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, and clinicaltrials.gov were performed up to May 31, 2022., Evidence Synthesis: Eight trials, reporting 1024 participants, were included. RARC was associated with a shorter hospital length of stay (LOS; mean difference [MD] 0.21, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.03-0.39, p = 0.02) than and similar complication rates to ORC. ORC was associated with higher thromboembolic events (odds ratio [OR] 1.84, 95% CI 1.02-3.31, p = 0.04). ORC was associated with more blood loss (MD 322 ml, 95% CI 193-450, p < 0.001) and transfusions (OR 2.35, 95% CI 1.65-3.36, p < 0.001), but shorter operative time (MD 76 min, 95% CI 39-112, p < 0.001) than RARC. No differences in lymph node yield (MD 1.07, 95% CI -1.73 to 3.86, p = 0.5) or positive surgical margin rates (OR 0.95, 95% CI 0.54-1.67, p = 0.9) were present. RARC was associated with better physical functioning or well-being (standardized MD 0.47, 95% CI 0.29-0.65, p < 0.001) and role functioning (MD 8.8, 95% CI 2.4-15.1, p = 0.007), but no improvement in overall HRQoL. No differences in progression-free survival or overall survival were seen. Limitations may include a lack of generalization given trial patients., Conclusions: RARC offers various perioperative benefits over ORC. It may be more suitable in patients wishing to avoid blood transfusion, those wanting a shorter LOS, or those at a high risk of thromboembolic events., Patient Summary: This study compares robot-assisted keyhole surgery with open surgery for bladder cancer. The robot-assisted approach offered less blood loss, shorter hospital stays, and fewer blood clots. No other differences were seen., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Context: Social media (SoMe) has transformed communication among health care professionals by enabling rapid and global information exchange. Yet, the novelty of SoMe and concerns about potential risks continue to be barriers to adoption., Objective: To encourage appropriate professional use of SoMe by physicians in concordance with best practices and to update practical guidelines for effective and professional use of these communication technologies., Evidence Aquisition: The European Association of Urology (EAU; @Uroweb) brought together a committee of SoMe stakeholders in the urology field. PubMed and the grey literature were searched to identify SoMe position papers by other medical societies and organizations., Evidence Synthesis: Updated practical guidelines for effective and professional use of SoMe communication technologies. A core of 10 practical recommendations for the responsible, ethical, and constructive use of SoMe communication technologies was articulated. The guidelines are limited by their inherent subjective nature and lack of robust evidence supporting their utility., Conclusions: SoMe is reshaping the way the urological care providers communicate; however, appropriate engagement requires courtesy, professionalism, and honesty. Adherence to guidelines will help users harness the benefits of SoMe in a safe and effective manner., Patient Summary: Social media has transformed communication among health care professionals. This narrative review article provides an update of practical guidelines for effective and professional use of these communication technologies., (Copyright © 2018 European Association of Urology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Recurrence following radical cystectomy often occurs early, with >80% of recurrences occurring within the first 2 yr. Debate remains as to whether robot-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC) negatively impacts early recurrence patterns because of inadequate resection or pneumoperitoneum. We report early recurrence patterns among 717 patients who underwent RARC with intracorporeal urinary diversion at nine different institutions with a minimum follow-up of 12 mo. Clinical, pathologic, radiologic, and survival data at the latest follow-up were collected. Recurrence-free survival (RFS) estimates were generated using the Kaplan-Meier method, and Cox regression models were built to assess variables associated with recurrence. RFS at 3, 12, and 24 mo was 95.9%, 80.2%, and 74.6% respectively. Distant recurrences most frequently occurred in the bones, lungs, and liver, and pelvic lymph nodes were the commonest site of local recurrence. We identified five patients (0.7%) with peritoneal carcinomatosis and two patients (0.3%) with metastasis at the port site (wound site). We conclude that unusual recurrence patterns were not identified in this multi-institutional series and that recurrence patterns appear similar to those in open radical cystectomy series., Patient Summary: In this multi-institutional study, bladder cancer recurrences following robotic surgery are described. Early recurrence rates and locations appear to be similar to those for open radical cystectomy series., (Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Context: Radical cystectomy (RC) is associated with frequent morbidity and prolonged length of stay (LOS) irrespective of surgical approach. Increasing evidence from colorectal surgery indicates that minimally invasive surgery and enhanced recovery programmes (ERPs) can reduce surgical morbidity and LOS. ERPs are now recognised as an important component of surgical management for RC. However, there is comparatively little evidence for ERPs after robot-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC). Due to the multimodal nature of ERPs, they are not easily validated through randomised controlled trials., Objective: To provide a European Association of Urology (EAU) Robotic Urology Section (ERUS) policy on ERPs to guide standardised perioperative management of RARC patients., Evidence Acquisition: The guidance was formulated in four phases: (1) systematic literature review of evidence for ERPs in robotic, laparoscopic, and open RC; (2) an online questionnaire survey formulated and sent to ERUS Scientific Working Group members; (3) achievement of consensus from an expert panel using the Delphi process; and (4) a standardised reporting template to audit compliance and outcome designed and approved by the committee., Evidence Synthesis: Consensus was reached in multiple areas of an ERP for RARC. The key principles include patient education, optimisation of nutrition, RARC approach, standardised anaesthetic, analgesic, and antiemetic regimens, and early mobilisation., Conclusions: This consensus represents the views of an expert panel established to advise ERUS on ERPs for RARC. The ERUS Scientific Working Group recognises the role of ERPs and endorses them as standardised perioperative care for patients undergoing RARC. ERPs in robotic surgery will continue to evolve with technological and pharmaceutical advances and increasing understanding of the role of surgery-specific ERPs., Patient Summary: There is currently a lack of high-level evidence exploring the benefits of enhanced recovery programmes (ERPs) in patients undergoing robot-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC). We reported a consensus view on a standardised ERP specific to patients undergoing RARC. It was formulated by experts from high-volume RARC hospitals in Europe, combining current evidence for ERPs with experts' knowledge of perioperative care for robotic surgery., (Copyright © 2016 European Association of Urology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)