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We assessed the accuracy of patient reported outcomes for predicting spontaneous ureteral stone passage.Patients with new unilateral ureteral calculi were prospectively assessed regarding current symptoms and whether they believed their stone had passed. The primary outcome was successful spontaneous stone passage as confirmed by ultrasound, and kidney, ureter and bladder x-ray. Spontaneous stone passage was compared to patient reported outcome responses to assess accuracy.Of the 212 patients 105 (49.5%) had successful spontaneous stone passage at a mean followup of 17.6 days. Compared to the unsuccessful spontaneous stone passage group, those with successful spontaneous stone passage had significantly smaller (mean 5.4 vs 7.6 mm), more distal (71.4% vs 34.6%) stones with slightly longer average time to followup at first visit (19.2 vs 16.0 days). Additionally, there was more patient reported cessation of pain (77.1% vs 44.9%) and perceived stone passage (55.2% vs 13.1%) in this group. Cessation of pain was 79.7% (95% CI 67.1-89.0) sensitive and 55.8% (95% CI 44.0-67.1) specific for successful spontaneous stone passage. Likewise, patient reported stone passage was 59.3% (95% CI 45.7-71.9) sensitive and 87.0% (95% CI 77.4-93.5%) specific. In the multivariable logistic regression analysis cessation of pain (OR 4.02, 95% CI 1.91-8.47, p0.01) and reported stone passage (OR 3.79, 95% CI 1.73-8.28, p0.01) were independent predictors of successful spontaneous stone passage.Cessation of pain and patient reported stone passage are independent predictors of successful spontaneous stone passage. However, both assessments may incorrectly gauge spontaneous stone passage, which raises concern for their validity as a sole clinical end point.

Introduction: Failed access ureteroscopy (FA) describes the inability to gain adequate access to a stone to allow for treatment. The purpose of this study was to identify the prevalence of, and factors predicting FA in patients presenting with renal and ureteral stones. Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of all ureteroscopy (URS) procedures performed for renal and ureteral stones by three endourologists over a six-month period at our center. All patients who underwent URS for the purpose of stone treatment were included. Patients were excluded if they underwent URS for non-stone diagnosis or treatment. FA was investigated in relation to demographics, medical history, stone-specific characteristics, procedure-specific characteristics, etc. Statistical analysis consisted of descriptive statistics, as well as Chi-squared and t-test analysis using SPSS statistical software version 24.0. Results: A total of 188 cases were reviewed, with 8% of patients experiencing FA. Patient age, gender, body mass index (BMI), American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score, emergency cases, previous stone treatment, use of computed tomography (CT) imaging, presence of hydronephrosis, and surgeon did not differ significantly between FA and successful access (SA) groups. Stone size (9.88±5.8 vs. 8.76±4.3 mm; p=0.361) was also not significantly different. However, a significant difference was noted in time from first diagnosis to URS (128 vs. 65 days, p=0.044) between the FA and SA groups, respectively. Similarly, for ureteral stones, the FA group had a significantly greater proportion of stones located in the proximal ureter (62.5% vs. 22.0%, p=0.043). Conclusions: Proximal ureteric stones were more likely to result in FA URS, and FA procedures were more likely to be preceded by extended time from first diagnosis to URS. Further investigation is necessary, and all endourology centers should track their own personal outcome data to allow for more meaningful analysis to be performed to improve patient outcomes.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE:At our ambulatory urology clinic, with a catchment area of 2.5 million people, all incoming stone referrals from the ED are triaged by one of four endourologists, and eli...

To determine the time to specialist urologic consultation and definitive management after establishing a subspecialist administered acute stone clinic (ASC) for adults with symptomatic upper tract stones in a publically funded universal healthcare system.We retrospectively reviewed 337 adult referrals for stone management. Three distinct 9-week periods were assessed. Group 1 patients were seen/treated by their individual urologist before inception of a general urology emergency clinic (pre-EC). Group 2 patients were seen in a pooled EC and Group 3 patients were seen in the ASC.A total of 337 patients (75, pre-EC; 91, EC; 171, ASC) were reviewed. Mean time to consultation for pre-EC, EC, and ASC cohorts was 29, 7, and 7 days, respectively (p 0.05), whereas loss to follow-up decreased from 13% to 5% (p 0.05). On average, the number of patients seen per week increased from 9 to 20. Mean time to stone surgery from date of referral was 75 days pre-EC, 43 days EC, and 25 days ASC (p 0.05). The percentage of patients undergoing surgery was between 59% and 63% per cohort; however, the number of patients increased from 5 to 11 per week.By reorganizing clinical resources, a dedicated ASC was able to increase patient capacity, reduce time to urologist consultation and reduce surgical wait times.

Introduction: Asymptomatic microscopic hematuria (AMH) is defined in the Canadian Urological Association (CUA) guideline as >2 red blood cells (RBCs) per high-powered field (HPF). Our objective was to evaluate guideline adherence for AMH at our center. Secondarily, we aimed to identify areas of the guideline that can be optimized. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 875 consecutive adults referred to two urologists for hematuria between June 2010 and June 2016. Patient characteristics, risk factors, and outcomes were added to an encrypted Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) database. Evaluation of microscopic hematuria reporting was performed by analyzing 681 urine samples reported as 1–5 RBC/HPF. Healthcare costs were obtained from Alberta Health Services (AHS), Data Integration and Management Repository (DIMR), and Alberta Society of Radiologists (ASR). Results: Of the 875 patients referred with hematuria, 400 had AMH. Overall, 96.5% completed evaluation consistent with the CUA guideline. The incidence of pathology requiring surgical intervention was 21/400 (5%) with a 0.8% rate (3/400) of urothelial cell carcinoma (UCC) (non-invasive, low-grade). No malignancy was found in non-smokers with normal cytology, normal imaging and

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE:Limited literature surrounds medical extenders’ roles in the management of specific patient populations. Our Stone Clinic utilizes a registered nurse extender (NE) to rev...

Introduction: Renal transplant experiences widespread success, but little is published regarding the postoperative complications. The Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) is a system of mortality risk assessment. Our purpose is to assess the 90-day postoperative complications after renal transplantation. The secondary objective is to clarify whether CCI predicts complications. We hypothesized increased CCI corresponds to worse complication on the Clavien scale.Methods: This is a retrospective analysis of renal recipients at our institution (2011‒2013) who were ≥18 years old and received complete follow up. CCI, age, gender, body mass index (BMI), and graft type were extracted from the electronic medical records. Complications were scored using the Clavien scale. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression were used to analyze 198 patients.Results: The mean age was 53 (standard deviation [SD] 14), mean BMI 27.4 (SD 14), median CCI 1. Grade 2 or higher (significant) complications occurred in 60% of patients and Grade 3b or higher (severe) in 15% of patients in the 90-day postoperative period. Sixty-eight different complications were identified, the most common being blood transfusion (19%). Logistic regression suggests a predictive value of CCI (odds ratio [OR] 1.70; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.3‒2.3) for severe complications, with diabetes mellitus and peripheral vascular disease conferring increased risk. Conclusions: Renal transplant carries significant risk. This data can be used to improve patient counselling on the likely postoperative course. Study limitations include the retrospective design, predisposing to potential bias in data capture.

Background and Purpose: Throughout the literature, the ureter is described as having three anatomic sites of narrowing at which kidney stones typically become lodged: The ureteropelvic junction (UPJ), the ureteral crossing of the iliac vessels, and the ureterovesical junction (UVJ). There is little evidence to support this notion, however. The purpose of our study is to evaluate whether three peaks in stone distribution corresponding to these anatomic landmarks exist. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the kidneys-ureters-bladder (KUB) films of 622 patients with solitary ureteral calculi referred for shockwave lithotripsy (SWL). Pretreatment KUB films were used to categorize the location of their ureteral stone relative to 1 of 19 levels referenced to the axial skeleton. CT scans of 74 patients were used to determine the location of the UPJ, ureteral crossing of the iliac vessels, and UVJ relative to the 19 levels on KUB radiography. Histograms were then constructed to plot the distribution of ...

The manufacturer for the Storz Modulith SLX-F2 lithotripter recommends treatment head exchange after 1.65 million shocks. However, there is no documentation describing longevity of the treatment head with continued usage. The objective of this study is to determine whether there is a difference in stone fragmentation effectiveness with the treatment head at the beginning versus the end of its treatment life.We conducted a retrospective chart review of 200 patients-50 consecutive patients treated immediately preceding, and following, two separate treatment head exchanges. Primary outcome measures were stone-free rate (no stone), total stone fragmentation (any decrease in size), and fragmentation rate ≤4 mm (decrease in size with largest residual fragment ≤4 mm), based on most recent follow-up imaging post shockwave.There were no baseline characteristic differences between the pre-exchange and postexchange groups with respect to first time lithotripsy for the stone (85% vs. 77%), stone location, preoperative stenting (3% vs. 4%), mean stone density (912 hounsfield units [HU] vs. 840 HU), mean stone size (9.0 mm vs. 8.1 mm), stone location, and mean number of shocks delivered (3105 vs. 3089). Mean time to follow-up was 2.7 weeks in both groups, with most follow-up imaging consisting of a kidney ureter bladder X-ray (87% pre-exchange vs. 85% postexchange). Stone free (34% vs. 27%), total stone fragmentation (76% vs. 76%), fragmentation ≤4 mm (48% vs. 42%), re-treatment rates (38% vs. 51%), and complication rates (6% vs. 7%), were not statistically different between the pre and postexchange groups, respectively.Exchanging the Storz Modulith F2 lithotripter head at the manufacturer recommended 1.65 million shocks does not affect the stone-free or fragmentation rate. If the manufacturer's recommendation for treatment head longevity is based on clinical outcomes, then there is likely room to extend this number without affecting treatment efficacy.

Ureteral stents are commonly inserted under fluoroscopic guidance. Our objective was to determine the intravesical landmarks for stent insertion by mapping the fluoroscopic location of the ureteral orifices (UOs) and bladder neck (BN) in relation to the pubic symphysis (PS).In patients undergoing ureteroscopy, the UO to BN distance was measured during cystoscopy with a 5F ureteral catheter. Radiographic distance between the UO, BN, and superior border of the PS was determined by mapping their locations on digital fluoroscopic images. Measurements were performed with a full (to 50 cm H2O) and empty bladder.With an empty bladder, the mean cystoscopic BN to UO distance was 1.8 cm (+/- 0.4) for men (n = 10) and 2.0 cm (+/- 0.4) for women (n = 11). With a full bladder, it was 2.8 cm (+/- 0.5) for men and 2.9 cm (+/- 0.6) for women. Although the intravesical distance lengthened during cystoscopy (by 50%), there was no difference when viewed fluoroscopically; the BN to UO distance lengthened by only 15%. In men, the UOs were located superior to PS in the majority (83% and 95%, empty and full bladder, respectively). In women, however, the UOs resided behind the PS (73% and 50%, empty and full bladder, respectively). The BN in men was also cephalad to that in women (P = 0.01); superior to the PS in 50%; and behind the upper two thirds of the PS in 50%. In women, the BN was behind the lower two thirds of the PS in the majority (81%).During fluoroscopic ureteral stent insertion, the radiopaque marker of the stent positioner is situated at the superior border of the PS in men and behind the lower one third of the PS in women, permitting formation of an intravesical distal coil. One way to remember this is that men are on top and women are on the bottom of the PS.

The Surgery Strategic Clinical Network (SSCN) within Alberta Health Services (AHS) has implemented an “Evidence Decision Support Program (EDSP)” to help identify, prioritize, evaluate, and recommend new technologies for possible introduction into the health-care system, with specific focus on the hospital setting. The EDSP does not conduct health technology assessment (HTA) reports, but rather provides a model to make evidence-informed decision about whether and under what conditions innovations should be adopted. The Program consists of a standing multidisciplinary committee (consisting of scientists, clinicians, nurse managers, and administrators) and uses standardized forms and processes to gather both context-free and context-sensitive evidence on new technologies being considered. The objective is to review the evidence in context and use external professional expertise, when required, to make recommendations to the Surgical Executive Committee for subsequent decision. The goal is to ensure patients receive optimal treatment while safety, training/credentialing, resources, and other organizational issues are considered. Unlike traditional large-scale HTA organizations, the EDSP collects and integrates local data with published HTA reports. This helps to ensure better applicability of HTA report recommendations to meet local needs. The scope of the Program’s impact is varied and may include impact on hospital/operating room budgets, clinical practices, patient outcomes monitoring, training, and credentialing. The EDSP continues to evolve as stakeholder engagement and input with respect to practical issues of implementing recommendations for adoption of new technology are recognized.

Safe and effective patient preoperative skin antisepsis is recommended to prevent surgical site infections (SSIs), reduce patient morbidity, and reduce systemic costs. However, there is lack of consensus among best practice recommendations regarding the optimal skin antiseptic solution and method of application.In 2010 and 2011 the health technology appraisal committee of the Surgery Operational Clinical Network (SOCN), of Alberta Health Services (AHS), conducted an environmental scan to determine the current preoperative skin antisepsis in Alberta, reviewed key publications and existing guidelines, and requested a systematic review from the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH). Using this information, and an established protocol for evidence-informed recommendations, the health technology appraisal committee made recommendations that were, in 2012, reviewed and endorsed by the SOCN executive and the AHS-Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) group.The environmental scan revealed practice variation in the types of antiseptic solutions and application methods being used in the 18 Alberta hospitals surveyed. The systematic review suggested that preoperative antiseptic showering reduces skin flora but the effect on SSI rates was inconclusive. While the review found no conclusive evidence to recommend an optimal antiseptic solution or application method, the results of two large randomized controlled trials suggest that chlorhexidine in 70% alcohol is more effective than povidone iodine in the prevention of SSIs. These results and the recommendations from Safer Healthcare Now!, a program of the Canadian Patient Safety Institute (CPSI), were used to inform the recommendations for AHS. These recommendations included abandoning preoperative showering with antiseptics except for special cases (high-risk surgeries such as sternotomies and implants as recommended by IPC) and standardizing skin antiseptic application methods and solution to chlorhexidine (CHG) in 70% alcohol. The exception would be procedures involving the ear, eye, mouth, mucous membranes, neural tissue, infants and emergent trauma cases where povidine iodine should be used.Using the best available evidence it was recommended that AHS standardize surgical skin antisepsis to 2% CHG in 70% alcohol as the preferred antiseptic and povidone iodine, as an alternative when CHG is contraindicated, to reduce SSIs, practice variation, and health care costs. Further research is required to determine the optimal skin antiseptic solution to reduce SSIs.

The focus of this guideline is the management of ureteral stones. Specifically, the topics covered include: conservative management, medical expulsive therapy, active intervention with either shockwave lithotripsy (SWL) or ureteroscopy (URS), factors affecting SWL treatment success, optimizing success, and special considerations (e.g., pregnancy, urinary diversion). By performing extensive literature reviews for each topic evaluated, we have generated an evidence-based consensus on the management of ureteral stones. The objective of this guideline is to help standardize the treatment of ureteral stones to optimize treatment outcomes.

Ureteral avulsion during ureteroscopic stone management is extremely rare. To date, many publications reporting avulsion have been associated with "blind basket extraction" under fluoroscopy and the use of the Dormia stone basket. Fortunately, despite the significant rise in the numbers of ureteroscopic cases being performed, the rate of ureteral avulsion remains low. This is likely in part because of improvements in ureteroscope technology and stone manipulation devices. We present three recent cases of ureteral avulsion referred to our center for further management. To our knowledge, these cases represent the first published description of avulsion where the ureteroscope became wedged in the intramural ureter, resulting in full-length avulsion of the ureter. The avulsion occurs both proximally and distally with a resultant length of ureter left attached to the ureteroscope. We dub this mechanism the "scabbard" avulsion. We describe the most likely mechanism of this injury, with suggestions on how to prevent it and how to release the ureteroscope should it become wedged in the intramural ureter.