Search

Background: Complicated choledocholithiasis cannot always be managed by standard surgical, radiologic or endoscopic methods. One additional approach is to use percutaneous techniques developed by endourologists to treat renal calculi. In this report, we present our experience over the past 10 years with this novel approach.Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of all patients who underwent percutaneous, endoscopic treatment of biliary calculi at our institution between January 1997 and August 2007. Primary outcomes of interest were symptom- and stone-free rates, length of stay in hospital and complications.Results: Nineteen patients underwent 21 percutaneous treatments for biliary calculi. All were dependent on external drainage for symptom control. The primary indications for treatment were cholangitis, retained stone, biliary colic and jaundice. Seventeen patients (89.5%) had failed prior endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) or open attempts at treatment. The 2 remaining patients (10.5%) were deemed unfit for a general anesthetic. Patients had experienced a mean of 1.8 (standard deviation [SD] 1.0) prior failed attempts at stone removal. We used several treatment modalities, including holmium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet laser (61.9%), electrohydraulic lithotripter (19.0%), ultrasound (9.5%), basket extraction (9.5%) and balloon dilatation of the ampulla (19.0%). Overall, treatment led to successful removal of the biliary drainage tube in 94.7% of patients and 76.2% were stone-free. We performed cholangiograms an average of 21.8 (SD 13.7) days after treatment. The average length of stay in hospital was 1.9 (SD 1.1) days. One patient experienced a perioperative acute coronary syndrome and another experienced prolonged biliary drainage. Both had successful endoscopic treatment of their calculi. There were no cases of treatment-related sepsis, and we observed no other complications.Conclusion: Biliary calculi may be successfully treated using standard endourologic methods with high stone-free rates. This technique is generally well-tolerated even among high-risk patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Inquiry of microbiota involvement in kidney stone disease (KSD) has largely focussed on potential oxalate handling abilities by gut bacteria and the increased association with antibiotic exposure. By systematically comparing the gut, urinary, and oral microbiota of 83 stone formers (SF) and 30 healthy controls (HC), we provide a unified assessment of the bacterial contribution to KSD., Results: Amplicon and shotgun metagenomic sequencing approaches were consistent in identifying multi-site microbiota disturbances in SF relative to HC. Biomarker taxa, reduced taxonomic and functional diversity, functional replacement of core bioenergetic pathways with virulence-associated gene markers, and community network collapse defined SF, but differences between cohorts did not extend to oxalate metabolism., Conclusions: We conclude that multi-site microbiota alteration is a hallmark of SF, and KSD treatment should consider microbial functional restoration and the avoidance of aberrant modulators such as poor diet and antibiotics where applicable to prevent stone recurrence. Video Abstract., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Ureteral stents are commonly used to prevent urinary obstruction but can become colonized by bacteria and encrusted, leading to clinical complications. Despite recent discovery and characterization of the healthy urinary microbiota, stent-associated bacteria and their impact on encrustation are largely underexplored. We profile the microbiota of patients with typical short-term stents, as well as over 30 atypical cases (all with paired mid-stream urine) from 241 patients. Indwelling time, age, and various patient comorbidities correlate with alterations to the stent microbiota composition, whereas antibiotic exposure, urinary tract infection (UTI), and stent placement method do not. The stent microbiota most likely originates from adhesion of resident urinary microbes but subsequently diverges to a distinct, reproducible population, thereby negating the urine as a biomarker for stent encrustation or microbiota. Urological practice should reconsider standalone prophylactic antibiotics in favor of tailored therapies based on patient comorbidities in efforts to minimize bacterial burden, encrustation, and complications of ureteral stents., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2020 The Author(s).)

Introduction: Following the introduction of shock wave lithotripsy (SWL), ureteroscopy (URS), and percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL), the subspecialty of endourology was born in the late 1970s. The purpose of this study was to report milestones in Canadian endourology, highlighting Canada's contributions to the field., Methods: A review of the literature was performed from the late 1970s to the present. The literature review included bibliographic and digital resources. Additionally, records and recollections by various individuals were used, including some who were directly involved., Results: Endourology was born in Canada when SWL, URS, and PCNL emerged as minimally invasive treatment options for stones in the early to mid-1980s. According to our research, the first PCNL was performed at the University of Toronto in 1981. Dr. Joachim Burhenne, a Harvard-trained radiologist from Germany, first used extracorporeal SWL in Canada at the University of British Columbia (UBC) for the treatment of biliary stones. Treatment for urinary tract stones followed at UBC and Dalhousie University. The first worldwide use of the holmium laser for lithotripsy of urinary tract calculi took place at the University of Western Ontario. Other endourology milestones in Canada include the formation of the Canadian Endourology Group and the emergence of the Endourological Society-accredited fellowship programs at the University of Toronto and Western University in the 1990s. Canada hosted the 21 st and 35 th World Congress of Endourology and Shock Wave Lithotripsy annual meeting in Montreal and Vancouver, respectively., Conclusions: Canadian urologists have led many advances in SWL, URS, and PCNL over the past four decades and, for a relatively small community, have made significant contributions to the field. Through the training of the next generation of endourologists at Canadian institutions, the future of endourology in Canada is bright.

Introduction: Over time, the incidence of nephrolithiasis has risen significantly, and patient populations have become increasingly complex. Our study aimed to determine the impact of changes in patient demographics on percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) outcomes., Methods: A retrospective analysis of a prospectively collected database was carried out from 1990-2015. Patient demographics, comorbidities, stone and procedure characteristics were analyzed. Multivariate logistic regression was used to evaluate differences in operative duration, complications, stone-free rate, and length of stay., Results: A total of 2486 patients with a mean age of 54±15 years, body mass index (BMI) of 31±8, and stone surface area of 895±602 mm 2 were analyzed; 47% of patients had comorbidities, including hypertension (22%), diabetes mellitus (14%), and cardiac disease (13%). Complication rate was 19%, including a 2% rate of major complications (Clavien grade III-V). There was a statistically significant increase in patient age, BMI, and comorbidities over time, which was correlated with an increased complication rate (odds ratio [OR] 1.15; p=0.010). The overall transfusion rate was 1.0% and remained stable (p=0.131). With time, both OR duration (mean Δ 16 minutes; p<0.001) and hospital length of stay (mean Δ 2.4 days; p<0.001) decreased significantly. Stone-free rate of 1873 patients with available three-month followup was 87% and decreased significantly over time (OR 1.09; p<0.001), but was correlated with an increased use of computed tomography (CT) scans for followup imaging., Conclusions: Despite an increasingly complex patient population, PCNL remains a safe and effective procedure with a high stone-free rate and low risk of complications.

OBJECTIVE To compare perioperative characteristics of dogs with cystic calculi treated via open versus laparoscopic-assisted cystotomy (LAC). DESIGN Retrospective case series. ANIMALS 89 client-owned dogs that underwent open cystotomy (n = 39) or LAC (50). PROCEDURES Medical records of dogs that underwent cystotomy between 2011 and 2015 were reviewed. History, signalment, surgery date, results of physical examination, results of preoperative diagnostic testing, details of surgical treatment, duration of surgery, perioperative complications, treatment costs, and duration of hospitalization were recorded. RESULTS 5 of 50 (10%) dogs required conversion from LAC to open cystotomy (OC). There was no significant difference between the LAC (1/50) and OC (2/39) groups with regard to percentage of patients with incomplete removal of calculi. Duration of surgery was not significantly different between the LAC (median, 80 min; range, 35 to 145 min) and OC (median, 70 min; range, 45 to 120 min) groups. Postoperative duration of hospitalization was significantly shorter for dogs that underwent LAC (median, 24 hours; range, 12 to 48 hours) versus OC (median, 26 hours; range, 12 to 63 hours). Surgical and total procedural costs were significantly higher for patients undergoing LAC. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Results suggested that LAC may be an acceptable minimally invasive technique for treatment of cystic calculi in dogs. Surgery times were similar to those for dogs undergoing OC; however, surgical and total procedural costs were higher. Further investigation is suggested to determine which patients may benefit from LAC versus traditional OC.

Ureteral stents are commonly used following urological procedures to maintain ureteral patency. However, alongside the benefits of the device, indwelling stents frequently cause significant patient discomfort (pain, urgency, frequency) and can become encrusted and infected. The importance of these sequelae is that they are not only bothersome to the patient but can lead to significant morbidity, urinary retention, ureteral damage, recurrent infections, pyelonephritis and sepsis. When these problems occur, stent removal or replacement alongside antibiotic, analgesic and/or other symptom-modifying therapies are essential to successfully treat the patient. In an attempt to prevent such morbidity, numerous approaches have been investigated over the past several decades to modify the stent itself, thereby affecting changes locally within the urinary tract without significant systemic therapy. These strategies include changes to device design, polymeric composition, drug-elution and surface coatings. Of these, drug-elution and surface coatings are the most studied and display the most promise for advancing ureteral stent use and efficacy. This article reviews these two strategies in detail to determine their clinical potential and guide future research in the area.

The last 3 decades have witnessed great improvements in the technology and clinical applications of many minimally invasive procedures in the urological field. Flexible ureteroscopy (fURS) has advanced considerably to become a widely utilized diagnostic and therapeutic tool for multiple upper urinary tract pathologies. The most common indication for fURS is the treatment of upper urinary tract stones with the aid of Holmium:Yttrium Aluminium Garnet (YAG) laser lithotripsy. Advancements in endoscope technologies and operative techniques have lead to a broader application of fURS in the management of urolithiasis to include larger and more complex stones. fURS has proved to be an effective and safe procedure with few contraindications. Continued progression in fURS may increase its clinical applicability and supplant other procedures as the first line treatment option for urolithiasis.

Background: Efficacy and safety of percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) have been demonstrated in obese individuals. Yet, there is a paucity of data on the outcomes of PCNL in morbidly obese patients (body mass index [BMI] >40)., Methods: Perioperative and stone-related outcomes following PCNL in morbidly obese patients was assessed using a prospective database administered by the Clinical Research Office of the Endourological Society (CROES). A multidimensional match of 97 morbidly obese patients with those of normal weight was created using propensity score matching. Student's t-test and Chi-square tests were used to assess for differences between the groups., Results: In total, 97 patients with a BMI >40 kg/m(2) were matched by stone characteristics with 97 patients of normal weight. The morbidly obese population demonstrated higher rates of diabetes mellitus (43% vs. 6%, p < 0.001) and cardiovascular disease (56% vs. 18%, (p < 0.001). Access was achieved more frequently by radiologists in the morbidly obese group (19% vs. 6%, p = 0.016). Mean operative duration was longer in the morbidly obese group (112 ± 56 min vs. 86 ± 43.5 min, p < 0.001). Stone-free rates were lower in the morbidly obese group (66% vs. 77%, p = 0.071). There was no significant difference in length of hospital stay or transfusion rate. Morbidly obese patients were significantly more likely to experience a postoperative complication (22% vs. 6%, p = 0.004)., Interpretation: PCNL in morbidly obese patients is associated with longer operative duration, higher rates of re-intervention and an increased risk of perioperative complications. With this knowledge, urologists should seek to develop strategies to optimize the perioperative management of such patients.

Accurate reporting of complications is an essential component to critical appraisal and innovation in surgery and specifically with percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL). We review the evolution of complication reporting for PCNL and suggest future directions for innovation. A selective review was carried out using Pubmed. Key search terms and their combinations included percutaneous, anatrophic, nephrolithotomy, PCNL, complications, Clavien, Martin score, bleeding, bowel injury, perforation, fever, sepsis. The references from relevant papers and reviews as well as AUA and EAU guidelines were also scanned for inclusion. PCNL has become the procedure of choice for large renal stones owing to decreased morbidity over alternative procedures. Both common and rare complications have been described in large case series, small randomized controlled trials, and case reports in an unstandardized form. Although these reports have provided an informative starting point, a standardized complication reporting methodology is necessary to enable appropriate comparisons between institutions, time periods, or innovations in technique. The Clavien-Dindo grading system has become widely accepted in urology and has facilitated the study of PCNL complications. Future research should focus on adaptions of this system to render it more comprehensive and applicable to PCNL.

Percutaneous approaches to upper tract urothelial cancers have been performed in patients unsuitable for radical nephroureterectomy. We present the case of an 82-year-old man with significant comorbidities including dependency on a cardiac pacemaker. Without deactivating the pacemaker, we used bipolar cautery to percutaneously resect a large upper tract urothelial tumor in the renal pelvis. Bipolar cautery is a suitable method of percutaneous or transurethral resection in patients who are pacemaker dependent.

Ureteral stents are used in a variety of urological diseases and procedures. The majority of patients with indwelling ureteral stents experience bothersome symptoms and are at increased risk for urinary tract infection. Stent encrustation and the associated complications can also result in significant patient morbidity. The development of new stent designs using novel biomaterials, stent coatings and drug-eluting technologies are being applied to reduce the disadvantageous features of ureteral stents.

SELDI-TOF-MS is a highly sensitive protein-analysis tool capable of detecting minute protein profile differences between biological samples. As proteins have been associated with urinary tract calculi, protein-based urinalysis may offer insights into their diagnosis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate SELDI-TOF-MS as a potential method for identifying urinary biomarkers of urolithiasis. Midstream sterile urine samples were obtained from 25 male patients with a confirmed diagnosis of urolithiasis (test group) and 25 male subjects with no known history of the disease (controls). Urinary levels of oxalate, total protein, albumin, and osteopontin were determined. Protein profiles were generated using SELDI-TOF-MS.SELDI-TOF-MS profiling revealed a relationship between protein peak intensities at 67 and 24 kDa that differed between the two groups. The ratio of p67:p24 was found to be less than 1.0 in all of the control samples (mean 0.26), while 18 out of 25 (72%) of the test group samples displayed a ratio greater than 1.0 (total group mean 4.75, P<0.001). Albumin, total protein, and oxalate levels were higher in the test group than the controls. Although SELDI-TOF-MS is not yet in widespread use in hospital and diagnostic laboratories, this system represents a promising new method for rapidly identifying patients with urolithiasis., (Copyright 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.)

In 12 years, extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy has replaced other treatment techniques for most surgical calculi in the upper urinary tract. Worldwide clinical series have documented its efficacy. Technological advances and modifications have significantly expanded the clinical applications of this technique.