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Purpose The assistance of robotic systems raises the concern of whether there is an improved learning in robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) compared to open retropubic radical prostatectomy (ORP). Methods We retrospectively analyzed data from 1438 patients who underwent ORP (n = 735) or RARP (n = 703). For each procedure, the level of experience of three different surgeons was summarized. Perioperative and pathological parameters reflecting surgical performance were compared between both learning curves. RARP data were influenced by new introduction of the robotic system. Results The median patient age at surgery was 66 years (IQR 42–80). Patients in the RARP group were younger (p p p = 0.03) than inexperienced ORP surgeons. After 100 procedures, RARP and ORP surgeons had the same pT2-PSM rate (8% vs. 8%; p = 0.8) and lymph node yield (15.4 ± 5.4 vs. 15.4 ± 5.1; p = 1.0). In multivariate analysis for ORP, surgical inexperience (≤ 100 cases) was an independent predictor of a longer operating time (OR 9.0; p p p p = 0.004), higher pT2-PSM rate (OR 1.6; p = 0.03), and lower lymph node yield (OR 0.6; p = 0.001). Conclusions Surgical experience has a relevant impact on perioperative and pathological parameters RARP has a higher initial pT2-PSM rate and lower lymph node yield than ORP. This is relevant for patient selection for novice teaching in RARP.

Das Empowerment von Patienten umfasst Masnahmen, die ihre Autonomie und Selbstbestimmung in der Arzt-Patienten-Beziehung fordern. Ziel ist neben einer gelungenen medizinischen Therapie die langfristige Zufriedenheit mit der Behandlung und die bestmogliche Lebensqualitat fur die Betroffenen und ihr soziales Umfeld. Verschiedene Initiativen und Projekte aus der deutschen Urologie arbeiten bereits sehr engagiert am Empowerment fur unsere Patienten. Die Entscheidungshilfe Prostatakrebs und die deutschsprachige Entscheidungshilfe fur das fortgeschrittene Harnblasenkarzinom und die Wahl der Harnableitung werden unter dem Dach der PatientenAkademie der Deutschen Urologen umgesetzt. Mit mittlerweile uber 12.000 Nutzern ist die Entscheidungshilfe Prostatakrebs sehr gut in der urologischen Versorgung in Deutschland etabliert. Die randomisierte Evaluationsstudie mit geplanten 1200 Teilnehmern steht kurz vor dem erfolgreichen Abschluss der Rekrutierung. Ein weiteres Projekt aus der deutschen Urologie stellt das Projekt „antiCoagulation Help App for SurgERy“ (CHASER) dar. Ziel ist es, eine Smartphone-basierte Entscheidungshilfe zum perioperativen Management von Patienten mit antithrombotischer Therapie zu entwickeln. Auch Online-Selbsthilfeangebote konnen zum Empowerment beitragen und wurden fur Prostatakarzinompatienten systematisch analysiert. Eine grose randomisierte Studie zu dieser Thematik befindet sich aktuell in Vorbereitung. Die voranschreitende Digitalisierung kann uns also bei der individuellen Information unserer Patienten sinnvoll unterstutzen. Die urologische Fachgesellschaft und ihre PatientenAkademie sind hierfur bereits seit vielen Jahren engagiert.

Purpose Treatment of post-prostatectomy urinary incontinence (UI) and erectile dysfunction (ED) increases quality of life (QoL). Aim of our study was to evaluate the utilisation of care among patients with post-prostatectomy UI and ED in Germany. Methods The HAROW study documented treatment of patients with localised prostate cancer (≤ T2c) in Germany. 1260 patients underwent radical prostatectomy (RP). Patients answered validated questionnaires after a median follow-up of 6.3 years. Response rate was 76.8%. Results Median age at RP was 65 (IQR 60–69) years. 14% (134/936) used more than one pad per day for UI. 25% (26/104, 30 missing) of UI patients underwent surgery to improve continence. Of patients without surgery, 41% (31/75) reported a moderate-to-severe issue concerning their incontinence with worse mental health and QoL. 81% (755/936) patients were unable to have an erection firm enough for sexual intercourse. Of all ED patients, 40% (319/793) used ED treatment regularly or tried it at least once. 49% (243/499) of patients with interest in sex never tried ED treatment. In multivariate analysis, patients not using ED treatments were older (≥ 70 years OR 4.1), and more often had preoperative ED (OR 2.3) and less interest in sex (OR 2.2). Nevertheless, 30% (73/240) of these patients had moderate-to-severe issues with their ED reporting worse mental health and QoL. Conclusion Almost half of the patients without post-prostatectomy UI and ED treatment reported moderate-to-severe issues with a significant decrease in QoL. This indicates an insufficient utilisation of care in Germany.

Different patients want to take different roles in the treatment decision-making process; these roles can be classified as passive, collaborative, and active. The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between decision-making preferences among patients with prostate cancer and personal, disease-related, and structural factors. In four survey studies, we asked 7169 prostate cancer patients about their decision-making preferences using the Control Preferences Scale (CPS) and collected clinical, psychological, and quality-of-life measures. Most patients (62.2%) preferred collaborative decision-making, while 2322 (32.4%) preferred an active role, and only 391 (5.5%) preferred a passive role. Age (p p p = 0.018), treatment status (p p p = 0.001), and quality of life (p

Nephron-sparing surgery (NSS) is the treatment of choice for T1 renal tumors. This study compared the implementation of NSS in the United States and Germany. Data were derived from the National Inpatient Sample and from the Nationwide German Hospital Billing Database. All cases of NSS and radical nephrectomy from 2006 to 2014 were analyzed. To assess tumor stage distribution, data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database (United States) and from German cancer registries were used. The study identified 74,663 cases in the United States and 130,051 cases in Germany. The proportion of NSS for T1 tumors increased from 30.6 to 57% in the United States compared with 38.5 to 72.9% (estimation) in Germany (p

Retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND) is a standard treatment in the management of metastatic testicular cancer. Due to modified treatment algorithms, it is becoming less frequent.We analyzed data from the nationwide German hospital billing database covering 2006-2015. Cases with a testicular cancer diagnosis combined with RPLND were included. We assessed the length of hospital stay (LOS), blood transfusion, and in-hospital mortality stratified for surgical approach, hospital characteristics, and annual caseload. Annual hospital caseload categories were defined as low ( 4), medium (4-10), and high ( 10). We supplemented tumor incidence and staging data from the German cancer registry (60% of population).4926 cases were included with decreasing annual caseload numbers from 623 in 2006 to 382 in 2015. The incidence of testicular cancer and higher tumor stages remained stable. High-volume hospitals performed 19.4%, medium-volume hospitals 43.7%, and low-volume hospitals 36.8% RPLNDs. Low- abd medium-volume hospitals declined, while high-volume hospitals (n = 5) maintained their annual caseload. Overall in-hospital mortality was 0.47%. Blood transfusion rates were higher in high-volume centers assumedly due to selection of more complex cases. However, high-volume hospitals showed a shorter LOS with 10.5 vs. 11.2 (medium volume), and 12.7 days (low volume).Total numbers of RPLND have declined from 2006 to 2015, while tumor incidences and stages remained fairly stable. Constant reduction of indication in guidelines contributes to this finding. High-volume hospitals achieve shorter hospital stays in spite of assumedly more complex and extensive cases. There is a modest trend towards unregulated centralization.

Background Penile cancer is a rare disease and surgical treatment often entails a significant impact on quality of life. The aim of this study was to analyze trends in surgical treatment patterns in Germany. Methods We analyzed data from the nationwide German hospital billing database and the German cancer registry from 2006 to 2016. All penile cancer cases with penile surgery or lymph node dissection (LND) were included. We also analyzed the distribution of cases, extent of surgery, and length of hospital stay, stratified for annual caseload. The geographical distribution of centers for 2016 was presented. Results During the investigated timespan, tumor incidences increased from 748 to 971 (p = 0.001). We identified 11,353 penile surgery cases, increasing from 886 to 1196 (p < 0.001), and 5173 cases of LND, increasing from 332 to 590 (p < 0.001). Cases of partial amputation increased from 45.8 to 53.8% (p < 0.001), while total amputation remained stable at 11.2%. Caseload in high-volume hospitals increased from 9.0 to 18.8% for penile surgery (p < 0.001) and from 0 to 13.1% for LND (p < 0.001). The increase in LND caseload was caused by an increase in inguinal LND, from 297 to 505 (p < 0.001), with increasing sentinel LND, from 14.2 to 21.9% (p = 0.098). The assessment of geographical distribution of cases in Germany revealed extensive areas without sufficient coverage by experienced centers. Conclusions We saw consistent increases in penile surgery and LND, with a growing number of cases in high-volume hospitals, and, accordingly, an increase in tumor incidence. The increasing use of inguinal LND and organ-preserving surgery reflect the adaptation of current guidelines; however, geographical distribution of experienced centers could be improved.

To compare long-term functional outcomes after robotic vs. retropubic RP for patients with localized prostate cancer in routine care. “HAROW” was a large German noninterventional health services research study that prospectively evaluated the treatment of patients with localized prostate cancer (≤ T2c). We sent validated questionnaires to 1260 patients who underwent RP to evaluate long-term outcomes. After a median follow-up of 6.3 [interquartile range (IQR) 4.8–7.6] years, 42 (3%) patients had died. The return rate of the questionnaire was 76.8% (936/1218). The approach was robotic in 404 and retropubic in 532 patients. In the multivariate analysis, lack of postoperative radiotherapy [odds ratio (OR) 3.1], younger patient age (

Background Vascular-targeted photodynamic therapy (VTP) is an approved treatment option for unilateral low-risk prostate cancer (PCa). Objective Herein, we report our initial experience of patients treated by VTP. We compared short-term functional and oncological outcomes with those of a consecutive cohort of patients undergoing radical prostatectomy (RP) for unilateral low-risk PCa. Design, setting, and participants Patients with unilateral low-risk PCa undergoing VTP (n = 41) and RP (n = 49) were evaluated in a real-world setting. Outcome measurements and statistical analysis Oncological outcome after VTP was measured by magnetic resonance imaging–based rebiopsy at 12 and 24 mo. Functional outcome after 1 yr was investigated by International Index of Erectile Function 5 and International Prostate Symptom Score questionnaires. Continence was evaluated by pad use. Results and limitations In 12- and 24-mo control biopsy (n = 22) after VTP, 45% of VTP patients showed no evidence of PCa. Both low- and intermediate-risk PCa were detected in 27% of patients. None of the RP patients had a PCa recurrence. Of VTP and RP patients, 71% and 30%, respectively, preserved erectile function. Of VTP patients, 88% had no bladder outlet obstruction. Of RP patients, 96% and 4% used zero to one and two or more pads per day, respectively. Data acquisition was performed outside of a clinical trial. The short-term follow-up and the small number of rebiopsied patients have to be considered. Conclusions VTP is a promising treatment option in unilateral low-risk PCa presenting a lower complication profile than RP in a real-world setting. However, recurrence and progression after VTP are common in this low-risk PCa cohort, and have to be discussed critically with patients who wish VTP instead of active surveillance. Therefore, a rigorous surveillance strategy with multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging and control biopsy is required. Patient summary Vascular-targeted photodynamic therapy (VTP) is a promising therapy option in patients with unilateral low-risk prostate cancer. However, tumour recurrence has to be taken into account. Noninferiority of VTP to standard curative treatment options still has to be confirmed.

Our aim was to assess and compare trends of urinary diversion (UD) for patients receiving radical cystectomy for the treatment of bladder cancer in the US and Germany, and to investigate decisive predictors for the choice of UD. We analyzed the nationwide German hospital billing database and the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) from 2006 to 2014. Cases with a bladder cancer diagnosis combined with RC were included, and trends in the choice of UD, transfusion rates, length of stay, and mortality were assessed. From 2006 to 2014, the total number of RCs recorded within the NIS were 17,711, with a varying annual caseload of 1666–2009, while RC numbers increased from 5627 to 7390 in Germany (p

To investigate the usage and perceived usefulness of new media for educating urology residents in Canada and Germany.We designed an 11-item online survey to assess the use and perceived usefulness of new media for education. We performed a comparative analysis.The survey was distributed via e-mail to 143 Canadian and 721 German urology residents.The survey included 58 urology residents from Canada and 170 from Germany.A total of 58 residents from Canada (41% response rate) and 170 from Germany (24% response rate) responded to this survey. Residents spent 45% of their education time on new media. The Internet was used by 91% (n = 208) of the residents for professional education purposes, with a median time of 270 minutes (interquartile range [IQR]: 114-540) per month. Apps were used by 54% (n = 118) of the residents, with a median time of 101 minutes (IQR: 45-293) per month. A total of 23% (n = 47) of the residents used social media (SoMe) for education, with a median time of 90 minutes (IQR: 53-80) per month. In all, 100% (n = 228) rated the Internet, 76% (n = 173) apps, and 43% (n = 97) SoMe as being useful for professional education purposes. A total of 90% (n = 205) watched medical videos for education, and 89% (n = 203) of these videos were on surgical procedures. Canadian urology residents used more new media sources for professional education than did the Germans (58% vs. 41%, p0.001). The time spent for education on new media was higher among Canadian residents for the Internet (p0.001), apps (p0.001), and SoMe (p = 0.033). Canadian residents reported more privacy concerns (p0.001).New media play a dominant role in the education of urology residents. The primary source for personal education in urology is the Internet. Future studies and technological developments should investigate and improve new media tools to optimize education during residency.

Numerous studies have compared the outcomes of open and robot-assisted radical prostatectomy but to our knowledge only 1 study has focused on patient satisfaction and regret. We evaluated intermediate term decision regret after open and robot-assisted radical prostatectomy.The HAROW (Hormonal Therapy, Active Surveillance, Radiation, Operation, Watchful Waiting) study analyzed localized prostate cancer treatments (T2c N0 M0 or less) in Germany from 2008 to 2013. We collected intermediate term followup data on 1,260 patients after retropubic open or robot-assisted radical prostatectomy.The response rate was 76.8% (936 of 1,218 cases). A total of 404 patients underwent robot-assisted radical prostatectomy and 532 underwent open radical prostatectomy. Patients treated with the robot-assisted procedure showed more self-determined behavior. They reported an active role in surgical decision making and the surgical approach (robot-assisted radical vs open prostatectomy 39% vs 24% and 52% vs 18%, respectively, each p0.001). Patients treated with the robot-assisted procedure more often participated actively in selecting the treating hospital (25% vs 11%), used the Internet often (87% vs 72%) and traveled an increased distance (63 vs 42 km, all p0.001). Overall decision regret was low with a mean ± SD score of 14 ± 19 on a scale of 0-no regret to 100-high regret. Multivariate analysis showed that erectile function (OR 3.2), urinary continence (OR 1.8), freedom from recurrence (OR 1.6), an active decision making role (OR 2.2) and shorter followup (OR 0.9 per year) predicted low decision regret (score less than 15).Intermediate term functional and oncologic outcomes as well as autonomous decision making and followup time influenced decision regret after radical prostatectomy. The surgical approach was not associated with intermediate term decision regret.

Background: Radical cystectomy (RC) still poses a significant risk for mortality and morbidity. Objectives: We compared in-hospital outcomes after RC in the United States and ­Germany using population-based data. Methods: We compared data from the US Nationwide Inpatient Sample to the German hospital billing database. Mortality and transfusion during hospital stay and length of stay (LOS) were evaluated. Results: In all, 17,711 (the United States) and 60,447 (­Germany) cases were included. The share of robot-assisted RC increased to 20.5% in the United States vs. 2.3% in Germany (p < 0.001). In-hospital mortality was 1.9% (the United States) vs. 4.6% (Germany), transfusion rates were 34.2% (the United States) vs. 58.7% (Germany), and LOS was 10.7 (the United States) vs. 25.1 days (Germany; all p < 0.001). On multivariate analysis, higher patient age and lower annual hospital caseload were associated with increased mortality and longer LOS. Minimal-invasive surgery was associated with less blood transfusion and shorter LOS in the United States vs. hospital caseload and choice of urinary diversion in Germany. Conclusions: Healthcare systems might exert a relevant impact on outcomes of oncologic surgery. Increased in-hospital mortality rates in Germany seem to be partly explained by much longer LOS compared to those in the United States. Annual caseload seems to be influential on in-hospital outcomes raising the question of centralization of RC.

Fur Gesundheitsfragen ist das Internet eine wichtige Informationsquelle und insbesondere Fachgesellschaften sollten hierbei verlassliche Inhalte anbieten. Mit dem „Urologenportal“ engagieren sich die Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Urologie e. V. und der Berufsverband der Deutschen Urologen e. V. bereits seit 2001. Aktuell wird ein umfassender Relaunch vorbereitet. Um hierbei moglichst gut auf die Bedurfnisse der Nutzer eingehen zu konnen, fuhrten wir eine Nutzerbefragung durch. Uber ein Pop-up auf der Seite www.urologenportal.de luden wir die Nutzer zu einer Online-Umfrage mit 26 Fragen ein. Fur die Beurteilung der Webseite nutzten wir einen validierten Fragebogen. Die Datenerhebung erfolgte anonymisiert. Von Februar bis September 2015 erhielten wir n = 200 vollstandige Datensatze. Das mediane Alter der Teilnehmer lag bei 57 (Spannweite 17–89) Jahren. 78 % der Nutzer waren mannlich. Die Nutzer bewerteten Relevanz und Verstandlichkeit der Informationen sehr positiv. Kritischer wurden Layout und Aufbau gesehen. 73 % der Nutzer waren selbst betroffen, wobei sich hiervon nur die Halfte in urologischer Behandlung befand. Bei 54 % der Befragten musste zum Befragungszeitpunkt eine gesundheitsbezogene Entscheidung getroffen werden. Bei 54 % dieser Teilnehmer konnte die Informationssuche auf der Webseite bei der Entscheidung helfen und 20 % veranderten als Konsequenz ihre Entscheidung. Die drei haufigsten urologischen Themen, uber die sich Nutzer der Webseite informieren, sind Beschneidung/Phimose (33 %), Prostatavergroserung (19 %) und Erektionsstorungen (18 %). Bereits jetzt steht mit dem „Urologenportal“ eine gemeinsame Internetprasenz aller deutschen Urologen zur Verfugung, die relevante Informationen verstandlich vermittelt. Die laufende Uberarbeitung sollte sich insbesondere auf die Struktur und das Layout fokussieren.

Hintergrund und Fragestellung Die Therapieentscheidung beim lokalisierten Prostatakarzinom ist anspruchsvoll. Entscheidungshilfen fur Patienten konnen die arztliche Beratung unterstutzen, aber bislang ist nichts uber ihre Akzeptanz in der deutschen Urologie bekannt. Zum Vergleich liegt eine aktuelle Umfrage unter US-amerikanischen Urologen und Strahlentherapeuten vor.

Objectives: We compared the transperineal MRI/ultrasound-fusion biopsy (fusPbx) to transrectal systematic biopsy (sysPbx) in patients with previously negative biopsy and investigated the prediction of tumour aggressiveness with regard to radical prostatectomy (RP) specimen. Material and Methods: A total of 710 patients underwent multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI), which was evaluated in accordance with Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System (PI-RADS). The maximum PI-RADS (maxPI-RADS) was defined as the highest PI-RADS of all lesions detected in mpMRI. In case of proven prostate cancer (PCa) and performed RP, tumour grading of the biopsy specimen was compared to that of the RP. Significant PCa (csPCa) was defined according to Epstein criteria. Results: Overall, scPCa was detected in 40% of patients. The detection rate of scPCa was 33% for fusPbx and 25% for sysPbx alone (p < 0.005). Patients with a maxPI-RADS ≥3 and a prostate specific antigen (PSA)-density ≥0.2 ng/mL2 harboured more csPCa than those with a PSA-density < 0.2 ng/mL2 (41% [33/81] vs. 20% [48/248]; p < 0.001). Compared to the RP specimen (n = 140), the concordance of tumour grading was 48% (γ = 0.57), 36% (γ = 0.31) and 54% (γ = 0.6) in fusPbx, sysPbx and comPbx, respectively. Conclusions: The combination of fusPbx and sysPbx outperforms both biopsy modalities in patients with re-biopsy. Additionally, the PSA-density may represent a predictor for csPCa in patients with maxPI-RADS ≥3.

Introduction: Targeted biopsy of tumour-suspicious lesions detected in multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) plays an increasing role in the active surveillance (AS) of patients with low-risk prostate cancer (PCa). The aim of this study was to compare MRI/ultrasound-fusion biopsy (fusPbx) with systematic biopsy (sysPbx) in patients undergoing biopsy for AS. Methods: Patients undergoing mpMRI and transperineal fusPbx combined with transrectal sysPbx (comPbx) as surveillance biopsy were investigated. The detection of Gleason score upgrading and reclassification according to Prostate Cancer Research International Active Surveillance criteria were evaluated. Results: Eighty-three patients were enrolled. PCa upgrading was detected in 39% by fusPbx and in 37% by sysPbx (p = 1.0). The percentage of patients who were reclassified in fusPbx and sysPbx (p = 0.45) were 64 and 59% respectively. ComPbx detected more frequently tumour upgrading than fusPbx (71 vs. 64%, p = 0.016) and sysPbx (71 vs. 59%, p < 0.001) and more patients had to be reclassified after comPbx than after fusPbx or sysPbx alone. Conclusions: The combination of fusPbx and sysPbx outperforms both modalities alone with regard to the detection of upgrading and reclassification in patients under AS. Because a high missing rate of significant PCa still exists in both biopsy modalities, a combination of fusPbx and sysPbx should be recommended in these patients.

Objectives To quantify public and academic interest in the urological field using a novel new media-based methodology. Methods We systematically measured public and academic interest in 56 urological keywords and combined in nine subspecialties. Public interest was quantified as video views on YouTube. Academic interest was quantified as article citations using Microsoft Academic Search. The public-to-academic interest ratio was calculated for a comparison of subspecialties as well as for diseases and treatments. Results For the selected 56 urological keywords, we found 226 617 591 video views on YouTube and 2 146 287 citations in the academic literature. The public-to-academic interest ratio was highest for the subspecialties robotic urology (ratio 6.3) and andrological urology (ratio 4.6). Prostate cancer was the central urological disease combining both a high public (20% of all video views) and academic interest (26% of all citations, ratio 0.8). Further diseases/treatments of high public interest were premature ejaculation (ratio 54.4), testicular cancer (ratio 11.4), erectile dysfunction (ratio 5.5) and kidney transplant (ratio 3.7). Urological treatments had a higher public-to-academic interest ratio (median ratio 0.25) than diseases (median ratio 0.05; P = 0.029). Conclusions A quantification of academic and public interest in the urological field is feasible using a novel new media-based methodology. We found several mismatches in public versus academic interest in urological diseases and treatments, which has implications for research strategies, conference planning and patient information projects. Regular re-assessments of the public and academic interest landscape can contribute to detecting and proving trends in the field of urology.

The Internet is an important source of health information with relevant impact on the physician-patient relationship. The German urological associations host one of the most comprehensive platforms for patient information on urological diseases. The aim of the study was to characterise its users and their specific needs. We invited users of the website www.urologenportal.de via pop-up to complete a 26-item online survey to evaluate health-related behaviour, distress and decision-making preferences. We received n = 551 complete responses. The most frequently requested topics were from the field of andrology (45.4%, n = 250). Of these, the most popular topics were circumcision (28.9%, n = 159) and erectile dysfunction (18.1%; n = 100). Overall, 216 users (39.2%) searched for information prior to their first doctor's appointment, and 89.3% (n = 492) preferred autonomous or shared decision-making. Users seeking information on circumcision were less frequently under urological treatment (p < .001), and more self-determined regarding healthcare decisions (p = .01). Circumcision was the only information on the website, which received relevant critical comments. Andrology was the most frequently requested urological topic. The vast majority of patients wanted to take self-determined healthcare decisions and searched for information prior to a doctor's appointment. This might have an impact on the physician-patient relationship and causes a high demand for good-quality health information websites.

Outcomes of radical prostatectomy are prone to publication bias, because most of the data originated from highly specialized centers. We assessed in-hospital outcomes of all radical prostatectomies in Germany from 2006 to 2013 focusing on caseload volume, surgical approach, and certification status. We analyzed the nationwide German hospital billing data covering 221,331 radical prostatectomies from 2006 to 2013. Outcomes were in-hospital mortality, surgical revision, and transfusion rates and the length of stay. Multivariate models described the impact of these factors. The yearly number of radical prostatectomies declined from 28,374 to 21,850. While shares of all other approaches decreased, shares for robot-assisted prostatectomy increased from 0.6 to 25.2%. Hospitals with ≥100 cases a year reported lower in-hospital mortality with 0.08 versus 0.17% for hospitals with

To assess trends in the distribution of patients for radical prostatectomy in Germany from 2006 to 2013 and the impact of robotic surgery on annual caseloads. We hypothesized that the advent of robotics and the establishment of certified prostate cancer centers caused centralization in the German radical prostatectomy market.Using remote data processing we analyzed the nationwide German billing data from 2006 to 2013. We supplemented this database with additional hospital characteristics like the prostate cancer center certification status. Inclusion criteria were a prostate cancer diagnosis combined with radical prostatectomy. Hospitals with certification or a surgical robot in 2009 were defined as 'early' group. Linear covariant-analytic models were applied to describe trends over time.Annual radical prostatectomy numbers declined from 28 374 (2006) to 21 850 (2013). High-volume hospitals (⩾100 cases) decreased from 87 (22.0%) in 2006 to 43 (10.4%) in 2013. Low-volume hospitals (50 cases) increased from 193 (48.7%) to 280 (67.4%). Mean radical prostatectomy caseloads of hospitals with early vs without certification declined from 155 to 130 vs 77 to 39 (P=0.021 for trend comparison). Early robotic hospitals maintained their volume200 cases per year contrary to the overall trend (P0.001 for trend comparison). A multivariate model for caseload numbers of 2013 indicated a robotic system to be the most important factor for higher caseloads (multiplication factor 7.3; 95% confidence interval: 6.6-8.0). A prostate cancer center certification (multiplication factor 1.6; 95% confidence interval: 1.50-1.59) had a much smaller impact.We found decentralization of radical prostatectomy in Germany. The driving force for this development might consist in the overall decline of radical prostatectomy numbers. The most important factor for achieving higher caseloads was the presence of a robotic system. In order to optimize outcomes of radical prostatectomy additional health policy measures might be necessary.

Testicular cancer has excellent cure rates; however, poor guideline adherence can lead to inappropriate management, with a detrimental effect on outcomes. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the current patterns of care for testicular cancer patients and to evaluate guideline adherence. A 19-item survey was distributed among German urologists between September 2015 and September 2016. The response rate was 45% (411/920). Staging imaging of the chest was performed by computed tomography (CT) in 85.5% and X-ray in 17.7%, and for the abdomen, by CT in 83.7% and by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in 21.1%. Areas of discrepancy with respect to guideline recommendations included underuse of MRI and infrequent follow-up examinations for changes in the cardiovascular, endocrine, neurological, and pulmonary systems, in addition to psychological burden. Further deviations of reported routine procedures from guideline recommendations were identified in the fields of active surveillance in Stage I seminoma, contralateral biopsies (63.1% overuse) and cryopreservation (19.2% underuse). Moreover, we found that hospital-based clinicians and younger specialists, with ≤5 years of practice following board certification, perform a more accurate and thorough follow-up. German urologists show relatively strong guideline adherence in staging patterns. Significant improvements are necessary in the following areas: recommending cryopreservation, imaging modalities and accurate follow-up examinations with a focus on late toxicities.