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Aims Mid-urethral slings are considered first-line surgical treatment of stress urinary incontinence. However, there is a paucity of data regarding the use of mid-urethral slings (MUS) for patients who have failed a prior sling procedure. Materials and Methods After receiving IRB approval, a multi-institutional retrospective review of 224 consecutive patients undergoing placement of a retropubic MUS (n = 153) or autologous rectus fascia (ARF) pubovaginal sling (n = 71) for prior failed sling surgery is conducted. Pre- and post-operative pad use is recorded for all patients in addition to completion of four validated questionnaires pre- and post-operatively: SEAPI-QMM incontinence classification system (stress-related leak, emptying ability, anatomy, protection, inhibition, quality of life, mobility, and mental status), incontinence impact questionnaire (IIQ-7), urogenital distress inventory (UDI-6), and 10-point visual analog score (VAS). Results Median follow-up is 29 months and the overall subjective cure rate was 61.4%. A statistically significant improvement in pad use and in all validated questionnaire outcomes is observed for secondary repair with a retropubic sling. In further sub-analysis between the MUS and the ARF groups, there are no significant differences in subjective cure rates or changes in post-operative questionnaire outcomes. Conclusions Secondary repair with a retropubic sling is a durable and effective procedure for patients who have failed prior sling procedures without differences in outcomes noted between retropubic MUS and ARF slings. Neurourol. Urodynam. 35:851-854, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Aims Given the paucity of prospective data on the treatment of incontinent women with prior synthetic mid-urethral sling (MUS), we sought to report our prospective experience with autologous fascia pubovaginal sling placement (AF-PVS) after prior synthetic mid-urethral sling (MUS). Methods An IRB-approved, multi-institutional, prospective cohort of patients from 2010 to 2013 undergoing AF-PVS for urinary incontinence was evaluated and stratified for the presence of a prior MUS. Pre-operative characteristics and validated quality of life questionnaires (IIQ-7 and UDI-6) were compared to post-operative pad usage, scores on the IIQ-7 and UDI-6, complications, and visual analog scale assessment of improvement. Results 288 patients met inclusion criteria, 59 (20.4%) of whom had undergone a prior MUS before AF-PVS placement. Of these 59 patients, 20 (33.9%) had a prior vaginal extrusion and 5 (8.5%) had suffered from obstruction requiring sling lysis or excision. With a median of 14 months follow-up, prior MUS placement was not associated with a significant difference in objective (55.9% vs. 62.4%, P = 0.37) or subjective cure (66.1% vs. 69.0%, P = 0.75) when compared to patients undergoing placement of an initial AF-PVS. Patients undergoing AF-PVS after prior MUS did have a significantly higher rate of urinary retention requiring intermittent catheterization (8.5% vs. 3.1%, P < 0.001) and re-operation (13.6% vs. 3.5%, P = 0.01) for persistent incontinence. Conclusions Despite higher rates of retention and need for repeat operation, AF-PVS after failed MUS is an acceptable treatment option with no difference in success as compared to patients undergoing initial AF-PVS placement. Neurourol. Urodynam. 35:604-608, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research developed ranked lists of scholarly publication outlets for information security research, which is important for readers, authors, and institutions. We followed a two-step survey process: carrying out a free-recall survey to identify the "basket" of publication outlets for ranking, followed by a second survey to rank the outlets that were identified in the basket. The final ranking lists are supported by an average of n=111 respondents per venue, with some venues being evaluated by as many as n=267 respondents. The ranked lists accomplish the following: 1) reflect the computer science and information system perspectives both together and independently; 2) accommodate sub-discipline diversity within the field; 3) include conference and journal venues; and, 4) evaluate traditional and pure information security venues. Our findings suggest that several currently unranked information security publication outlets (so called "C-list" outlets) may be considered high-quality ("A-list"). We also found that the perceived quality of many pure information security venues exceeds traditional venues, and that the perceived quality of many information security conferences exceeds journal venues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A reprint of the article "Take Home Message: Female Urology/Incontinence/Urodynamics," by Priya Padmanabhan, published in a 2013 issue of "AUANews" is presented. Particular focus is given to abstracts of studies presented at the 2013 American Urological Association (AUA) annual meeting. These studies included the advancement in treatment strategies and management options, such as the use of sacral nerve stimulation, transobturator tape and tension-free vaginal tape.

The article presents abstracts on female urology, incontinence and urodynamics (UDS) topics which include the efficacy of stress incontinence surgical treatment, the most common forms of treatment for urinary incontinence, and outcomes of lower urinary tract reconstruction in patients with myelomeningocele.

Purpose: SARS-CoV-2 infection can result in genitourinary symptoms, such as frequency, urgency, nocturia, and pain/pressure. In this study, we followed the progression of overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms in patients that reported new or worsening OAB symptoms after coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) diagnosis., Materials and Methods: Individuals from a COVID-19 serology study were invited to participate in a follow-up study. Respondents were divided into three groups based on prior COVID-19 testing. Patients scored symptoms retrospectively before the pandemic, at study onset, and prospectively during 12-month follow-up. Genitourinary symptoms were assessed using international consultation on incontinence questionaire for OAB (ICIQ-OAB). Change in ICIQ-OAB scores from baseline were calculated. The minimal important difference of one on ICIQ-OAB is considered a significant change., Results: 26.0% of participants previously had positive COVID polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test (PCR+), 5.6% a positive serology test only (Ser+), and 65.5% were COVID naïve (COVID-). 23.8% of participants reported a significant increase in ICIQ-OAB score at study onset compared to prepandemic. ICIQ-OAB scores were similar at prepandemic but significantly higher at study start (p < 0.001) in PCR+ group. During follow-up, change in ICIQ-OAB scores from baseline remained unchanged for COVID- group, but gradually reduced for PCR+, reaching similar levels as COVID- group by 12 months. By 12 months, 71.4% of PCR+, 42.9% of Ser+, and 68.8% of COVID- participants still reported significant increase in ICIQ-OAB scores., Conclusions: Most COVID-19 patients experienced return of symptoms to baseline, indicative of the potential resolution of COVID-associated cystitis. A subset of cases did not, raising questions about the underlying factors contributing to this outcome. Additional research is needed to assess long COVID on urological health., (© 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Post prostatectomy incontinence (PPI) is a well-recognized and bothersome complication following radical prostatectomy. Conservative measures such as pelvic floor physical therapy, biofeedback, and medication are first line management of PPI. When first line therapies fail, patients are offered a variety of surgical procedures based on the degree of incontinence, prior radiation therapy, and comorbidities. Among the various surgical options, placement of an artificial urinary sphincter (AUS) is the gold standard for PPI. However, AUS placement has a high rate of re-operation and requires good manual dexterity. In cases of mild-moderate incontinence, especially in patients without prior radiation therapy, male slings and proACT are a less invasive option. Bulking therapy, although highly successful for female stress urinary incontinence (SUI), is not currently advised in the treatment of male SUI. Regardless of surgical approach used to treat PPI, providers should counsel patients regarding risks of re-operation and have an open an honest discussion regarding the degree of continence that can be restored following each procedure., (© 2024 The Asian Pacific Prostate Society. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Purpose: Percutaneous Tibial Neuromodulation (PTNM) is used to treat Overactive Bladder (OAB). This analysis summarizes patient adherence to PTNM treatment and examines trends of other third-line therapy use during and after PTNM., Methods: Optum's deidentified Clinformatics® Data Mart Database (CDM) and CMS Research Identifiable Files were queried for adults with OAB symptoms and who underwent PTNM treatment (2019-2020). We evaluated the proportion of patients who completed 12 visits within 1 year, and defined patients as treatment compliant if 12 PTNM visits were completed within 12 weeks. We then identified the proportion of patients who used other third-line therapies after PTNM and stratified these patients based on their PTNM therapy compliance status., Results: 2302 patients met selection criteria from CDM and 16,473 patients from CMS. The proportion of patients completing a full PTNM treatment course increased over time; from 16% at week 12% to 42% by week 52 (CDM) and 24% to 38% (CMS). Other third-line therapy use increased over time and was higher for PTNM noncompliant versus compliant patients at 52 weeks: onabotulinumtoxinA was 6.5% versus 5.7% for noncompliant versus compliant (CMS, p = 0.0661) and 6.4% versus 4.9% (CDM, p = 0.035), SNM trial procedure was 6.5% versus 2.5% (CDM, p = 0.002) and 4.2% versus 2.0% (CMS, p = 0.010)., Conclusions: Most patients are noncompliant with recommended PTNM treatment regimen. Albeit low, third-line therapy was pursued more frequently by noncompliant patients. Given low compliance, the effectiveness of PTNM may be compromised. Alternative implantable technologies may be needed to assure effectiveness of neuromodulation., (© 2024 The Authors. Neurourology and Urodynamics published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Introduction: Onabotulinumtoxin A (BTX-A) is a well-established treatment for overactive bladder (OAB). The American Urological Association (AUA) 2008 Antibiotic Best Practice Statement (BPS) recommended trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole or fluoroquinolone for cystoscopy with manipulation. The aim of the study was to evaluate concordance with antibiotic best practices at the time of BTX-A injection and urinary tract infection (UTI) rates based on antibiotic regimen., Methods: Men and women undergoing first-time BTX-A injection for idiopathic OAB with 100 units in 2016, within the SUFU Research Network (SURN) multi-institutional retrospective database were included. Patients on suppressive antibiotics were excluded. The primary outcome was concordance of periprocedural antibiotic use with the AUA 2008 BPS antimicrobials of choice for "cystoscopy with manipulation." As a secondary outcome we compared the incidence of UTI among women within 30 days after BTX-A administration. Each outcome was further stratified by procedure setting (office vs. operating room; OR)., Results: Of the cohort of 216 subjects (175 women, 41 men) undergoing BTX-A, 24 different periprocedural antibiotic regimens were utilized, and 98 (45%) underwent BTX-A injections in the OR setting while 118 (55%) underwent BTX-A injection in the office. Antibiotics were given to 86% of patients in the OR versus 77% in office, and 8.3% of subjects received BPS concordant antibiotics in the OR versus 82% in office. UTI rates did not vary significantly among the 141 subjects who received antibiotics and had 30-day follow-up (8% BPS-concordant vs. 16% BPS-discordant, CI -2.4% to 19%, p = 0.13). A sensitivity analysis of UTI rates based on procedure setting (office vs. OR) did not demonstrate any difference in UTI rates (p = 0.14)., Conclusions: This retrospective multi-institutional study demonstrates that antibiotic regimens and adherence to the 2008 AUA BPS were highly variable among providers with lower rates of BPS concordant antibiotic use in the OR setting. UTI rates at 30 days following BTX-A did not vary significantly based on concordance with the BPS or procedure setting., (© 2023 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Objective: The objective of this study was to compare maternity leave satisfaction between physicians and nonphysicians. Currently, paid maternal leave is not guaranteed in the United States, resulting in palpable dissatisfaction among parents. Previous studies have shown associations between length of paid leave and career satisfaction and maternal happiness. Materials and Methods: A Qualtrics ® electronic survey was distributed to female professionals through email and social media from April 2019 to March 2020. Inclusion criterion was ≥1 child by birth or adoption, or active pregnancy. Continuous and categorical data were analyzed using two-sample t -test and chi-square, respectively. Results: Of 808 respondents, 77% were physicians. Mean age at birth/adoption of first child was higher in physicians versus nonphysicians (32.1 years vs. 29.7 years; p  < 0.001). Physicians took shorter maternity leave than nonphysicians (10.9 weeks vs. 12.0 weeks, p  = 0.017) with half of that time paid by employers (5.4 weeks vs. 5.9 weeks, p  = 0.2). Dissatisfaction was high among physicians (85.1%) and nonphysicians (92.4%) that correlates with maternity leave compensation dissatisfaction (49% vs. 71.3%, p  < 0.001). Thirty-four percent of physicians versus 41% of nonphysicians stated that their health was negatively impacted by maternity leave length. Physicians and nonphysicians reported similar incidences of depression, and breastfeeding, delivery, and other postpartum complications. When queried, 38.8% of physicians and 57% of nonphysicians said they would desire >16 weeks of paid maternity leave ( p  < 0.001). Conclusions: In conclusion, dissatisfaction among professional women on maternity leave duration and compensation is high in the United States. Given health implications for both mother and child, this should invite further discussion and changes.

Background: Literature is sparse on COVID-19-associated cystitis (CAC), a novel condition comprising frequency, urgency, and nocturia after COVID-19 infection., Objective: To determine the incidence of CAC and correlation with SARS-CoV-2 antibody levels., Design Setting and Participants: This was a retrospective study in which urinary symptoms were scored using the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-overactive bladder (ICIQ-OAB) at three time points: before the pandemic (January 2020), 2 mo after COVID-19 infection (if applicable), and at the time of the study (May 2021). The setting was a regional health care system. The 18 785 healthcare employees who took part in the BLAST COVID study group were invited to participate, of whom 1895 responded., Outcome Measurements and Statistical Analysis: The outcome measured was the percentage of COVID-positive patients with a significant change on ICIQ-OAB over time. Pearson's χ 2 test was used for comparison of categorical data, and one-way analysis of variance for continuous data and multivariate analysis. A sample size of 618 was calculated for power of 80% and α = 0.05., Results and Limitations: Of the 1895 participants, 31.9% ( n  = 605) were positive for COVID-19 according to positive serology or a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test. Of these, 492 were PCR-positive and had 2-mo postinfection data, with 36.4% (179/492) reporting an increase of ≥1 point on the ICIQ-OAB compared to baseline (before the pandemic), with de novo OAB in 22% of these cases (40/179). Comparison of symptoms between baseline and the study time revealed that 27.4% (31/113) of those with positive serology only (asymptomatic COVID) and 37.8% (186/492) of those with PCR positivity (symptomatic COVID) had an increase of ≥1 point on the ICIQ-OAB, compared to 15.8% ( n  = 204) of uninfected patients, with odds ratios of 2.013 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.294-3.138; p  = 0.0015) and 3.236 (95% CI 2.548-4.080; p  < 0.0001), respectively. The retrospective nature of the study and the volunteer sample are limitations., Conclusions: COVID-19 infection increases the risk of developing new or worsening OAB symptoms., Patient Summary: We compared overactive bladder symptoms in a large group of participants between individuals with and without a previous COVID-19 infection. We found that symptomatic infection was associated with a three times greater risk of developing new or worsening overactive bladder symptoms among COVID-19 patients., (© 2022 The Author(s).)

Introduction: Although onabotulinumtoxinA (BTX) is commonly utilized by multiple specialists, it is unclear how often or reasons why patients receive more than the recommended maximum dose. The goal of this study was to determine if excess BTX use occurs in urologic practice., Materials and Methods: This retrospective cohort identified patients who underwent intravesical BTX between 01/2013-12/2017 at an academic hospital. All BTX administrations for any indication were identified. Excess BTX was defined as receiving greater than the current recommended maximum dosage of 400 units within 3 months., Results: A total of 361 patient received intravesical BTX. These patients underwent 755 procedures using BTX, 673(89.1%) intravesical and 82(10.9%) non-urologic. Other site injections occurred in 14 patients, and 7 (50.0%) of these patients had at least one instance of excess. In these 7 patients, there were a total of 15 instances of excess use from either a single injection (3 instances) or a subsequent injection within 3 months (12 instances). No excess use occurred in patients who received only intravesical BTX. Discordance was noted between the administered dose, pharmacy dispensing information (46.9%), and nursing medication administration record (MAR) (54.3%). All dosages matched in only 39.2% procedures., Conclusions: Although excess BTX use is overall infrequent in urologic practice, it is common in our patients prescribed the drug by non-urologic providers (50%). Pharmacy dispensing and nursing MAR information are unreliable in determining the actual administered dose. This highlights the need for providers to further discuss BTX use with patients and the need for improved tracking of BTX administration and communication across specialties.

Aim: Female urethral stricture disease is rare and has several surgical approaches including endoscopic dilations (ENDO), urethroplasty with local vaginal tissue flap (ULT) or urethroplasty with free graft (UFG). This study aims to describe the contemporary management of female urethral stricture disease and to evaluate the outcomes of these three surgical approaches., Methods: This is a multi-institutional, retrospective cohort study evaluating operative treatment for female urethral stricture. Surgeries were grouped into three categories: ENDO, ULT, and UFG. Time from surgery to stricture recurrence by surgery type was analyzed using a Kaplan-Meier time to event analysis. To adjust for confounders, a Cox proportional hazard model was fit for time to stricture recurrence., Results: Two-hundred and ten patients met the inclusion criteria across 23 sites. Overall, 64% (n = 115/180) of women remained recurrence free at median follow-up of 14.6 months (IQR, 3-37). In unadjusted analysis, recurrence-free rates differed between surgery categories with 68% ENDO, 77% UFG and 83% ULT patients being recurrence free at 12 months. In the Cox model, recurrence rates also differed between surgery categories; women undergoing ULT and UFG having had 66% and 49% less risk of recurrence, respectively, compared to those undergoing ENDO. When comparing ULT to UFG directly, there was no significant difference of recurrence., Conclusion: This retrospective multi-institutional study of female urethral stricture demonstrates that patients undergoing endoscopic management have a higher risk of recurrence compared to those undergoing either urethroplasty with local flap or free graft., (© 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Introduction: The AUA (American Urological Association) has been producing clinical practice guidelines to inform its members on standards of care since 1994. While adherence to these clinical practice guidelines varies, there are limited data on ways to improve adherence or reduce barriers to use., Methods: A survey was developed to query adherence to AUA clinical practice guidelines and identify barriers to use. Five specific clinical practice guidelines were queried from various areas of urological care. Reasons for lack of adherence or perceived barriers to clinical practice guideline implementation were elicited. The survey was sent to a random sample of AUA members in clinical practice in the United States., Results: Of the 2,455 AUA members surveyed 260 (10.6%) responded, with 148 (6.0%) answering all questions concerning AUA guidelines. Overall adherence to AUA guidelines was 72.7%. The guideline with the most adherence was for microhematuria (90.68%) and the least followed guideline was on the timing of post-vasectomy semen analysis (53.33%). The mean self-reported rate of adherence to the 5 guidelines was 81.7% (range 71.3% to 95.03%). The top reason given for lack of adherence was not agreeing with the guideline. The most commonly reported barriers to following clinical practice guidelines included insurance coverage (29.08%) and disagreement with guidelines (21.92%)., Conclusions: Overall there is an optimistic view of the quality and applicability of clinical practice guidelines. These survey data help identify areas for improvement. We recommend e-mail distribution of clinical practice guidelines, improvement in ease of use for the mobile app, incorporation of clinical practice guidelines into the electronic medical record, and addition of CliffsNotes® and flowchart format to future clinical practice guidelines.

It is believed that a chronic state of corporal oxygen desaturation or hypoxemia secondary to the loss of nocturnal erections is a fundamental pathophysiological cause of erectile dysfunction (ED). Limited invasive blood gas measurements in human models have shown decreased oxygen tension in vasculogenic impotence. Normative data on flaccid and erect oxygen saturation (StO(2)) levels are lacking due to the invasive nature of blood gas determinations. Our objective was to determine StO(2) in the flaccid and erect penis in men with and without ED using a tissue oximeter. This FDA-approved instrument provides instantaneous, noninvasive, painless local tissue StO(2) measurements, which highly correlate to blood gas data. The study population included 171 men (18-90 years) who presented to one andrologist. They completed the Sexual Health Inventory for Men (SHIM) based on pharmacologically unassisted erectile function and had penile StO(2) measurements taken. 64 of these men had repeat measurements after PGE-1 induced erections. There are significant differences (P<.001) in corporal and glanular StO(2) in the flaccid (right corpora, 45.23%; left corpora, 52.50%) and erect state (right corpora, 76.58; left corpora, 80.42). Men with ED (right corpora, 45.04% vs 53.58%; P=.02; and left corpora, 50.95% vs 58.78%; P=.03) have significantly lower corporal penile StO(2). Future prospective data collection can correlate penile StO(2) in specific populations, such as diabetics and RRP patients. This may help further elucidate the relationship between corporal hypoxia and the development and progression of ED and possibly its treatment and prevention.

Objective: Our goal was to evaluate the impact of image fusion on the interpretation of indium-111 Prosta-Scint SPECT scans., Materials and Methods: Sixty-seven consecutive patients referred for rising prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels after initial therapy for primary prostate cancer underwent SPECT 96 hr after infusion of (111)In Prosta-Scint, with simultaneous technetium-99m blood pool imaging. Volume data sets from the SPECT scans were then fused with those from CT and MR images of the pelvis using a 3D landmark-based warping program. The SPECT scans were initially interpreted without benefit of MRI or CT fusion. The fused Prosta-Scint MRI-CT volumes were reevaluated by a nuclear radiologist and an MRI radiologist. Independent reviews before and after fusion were available in these patients. Validation of results after fusion was performed through correlation with PSA changes after radiation therapy., Results: Six patients with sites that could not be evaluated and three without their original Prosta-Scint scanning reports were excluded; thus, 58 patients were studied clinically. Seventy-four of 161 prefusion-positive sites were found to be negative after fusion. These 74 sites subsequently were identified primarily as showing bowel, vessel, or marrow uptake after fusion. In two patients, nodal disease was identified although the review before perfusion indicated none. Twenty-five patients previously thought to have nodal disease appeared to have only local disease after fusion. After local radiation therapy, PSA levels decreased in 12 of 25 patients, increased in five, and were unavailable in eight., Conclusion: Although Prosta-Scint SPECT alone can help in the proper management of recurrent prostate cancer, fusion with MRI-CT of the pelvis can improve the specificity of the examination.