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OBJECTIVES: Nephron sparing surgery (NSS) is now considered the standard of care in the treatment of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in stage T1. We retrospectively evaluated our results related to the use of NSS in over twenty years of clinical practice. METHOODS: We reviewed our database relating to the use of NSS in the last twenty years of clinical practice, from 1988 to July 2012, in 549 patients. The pre- and post-operative parameters recorded are the evaluation of the site and size of the renal lesion obtained from radiological investigations, the need for clamping the renal pedicle, open or laparoscopic surgical approach, blood loss, histology and intra- and postoperative complications. We also evaluated the parameters related to renal function before and after surgery. RESULTS: The mean follow-up was 95 months (7.6 years). The average diameter of the lesion at CT abdomen was 4.8 cm (1-8 cm). The warm ischemia was required in 317 patients, cold in 18 patients, no need for ischemia in 214 patients. The total duration of surgery was 122.56 ± 52.76 min. 15 procedures were performed laparoscopically. Ischemia time: 3'-25'; bleeding: 50-1000 cc. The lesion was benign in 115 of the 549 patients enrolled; it was a RCC in the remaining cases except for three, which were papillary carcinomas. At 5 years, the cancer free survival rate was 97.5%. CONCLUSIONS: Our data show that the implementation of NSS offers long-term benefits in terms of functional results and a good cancer control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study has been to evaluate our results in the treatment of urethral stenosis through several surgical approaches of urethroplasty: the one-stage procedure by direct end-to-end anastomosis, the free dorsal onlay graft urethroplasty using buccal mucosa, and the two-stage urethroplasty. METHODS: Between February 2009 and January 2012, 53patients were enrolled and analyzed for different types of urethral reconstruction. RESULTS: The procedures included direct end-to-end anastomosis in 26 patients (49%), 18 (34%) underwent a two-stage urethroplasty (Johansen's), in 9 a free dorsal onlay buccal mucosa urethroplasty was performed. At a mean follow-up of 17 months, we had an overall success rate of 95%. When stratified on the basis of the procedure performed, in the direct end-to-end anastomosis 98% of patients had no evidence of recurrent stricture, 96% of success rate was reached in the onlay buccal mucosa urethroplasty, and 91% in the two-stage procedure. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with urethral strictures, urethroplasty has to be preferred with respect to urethrotomy, which is the cause of a high percentage of recurrence, and holds the risk of compromising the success of further surgical procedures of urethroplasty. Differently, several techniques of urethroplasty offer a high percentage of success rate until 95%, as showed by our results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION. Overactive Bladder (OAB) and Urge Urinary Incontinence (UUI) are both debilitating and bothersome conditions. OAB negatively impact on women's quality of life affecting their own ability and personal relationships. Our aim has been to evaluate how OAB and UUI affect women's sexual function and the possible role of antimuscarinic drugs in improving their sexual condition. MATERIALS AND METHODS. From January 2009 to May 2010, 58 women diagnosed with OAB filled in the self-administered questionnaires: Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), the short form of Urogenital Distress Inventory (UDI-6) and the Incontinence Impact Questionnaire (IIQ-7). 33 of them (57%) reported a FSFI score<26,55 and were treated with Solifenacin 5mg. they were re-evaluated with the same questionnaires after three months of therapy. RESULTS. The mean FSFI score of 33 patients affected by Female Sexual Disfunction (FSD) was 21,8 (range: 18,6-25,7). The six domains designed to address different aspects of female sexual dysfunctions, sexual desire, satisfaction, orgasm, arousal, lubrication and related pain symptoms, were altered in 48, 33, 21, 15, 12 and 8% of the patients respectively. In 70% of the patients, FSFI score improved of a mean of 5,4 after three months of therapy; UDI-6 and IIQ-7 decreased from 56,3 and 59,9 to 47,6 and 50,2, respectively. Considering women with UUI + OAB or OAB alone, we reported a significant improvement of urinary symptoms and women sexual condition after three months of therapy. CONCLUSION. OAB syndrome was found to cause greater deterioration in women sexual function. Antimuscarinic drugs are the mainstay of pharmacologic treatment of OAB able to improve urinary symptoms, enhance quality of life and female sexual condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]