Benign Conditions

About one-fourth of patients with interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome have Hunner lesions in the bladder visible on cystoscopy.

Repeated hydrodistention as therapy for interstitial cystitis has a low complication rate and does not decrease bladder capacity over time.

The correlation between patient-reported bother and symptom severity is inexact, according to conclusions of a recent retrospective multicenter study of nearly 1,200 patients referred for lower urinary tract symptoms.

Flexible ureteroscopy using a digital single-use flexible ureteroscope known as PUSEN achieves stone-free rates on par with reusable flexible ureteroscopes, with a total surgery time averaging 45 minutes.

Other products and services discussed in this round-up include a biosimilar for cancer, an American College of Surgeons manual on quality initiatives, a kidney cancer microsite, and more.

A new single-use digital flexible ureteroscope (LithoVue) compares favorably in performance to reusable scopes, at least for routine urteroscopy, with a possible advantage of being more economical.

Findings of a study investigating biomechanical stresses on the urologist while performing flexible ureteroscopy indicate that reusable and single-use digital ureteroscopes have a more favorable ergonomic profile than a reusable fiberoptic instrument.

A study analyzing variation in spending for patients undergoing ureteroscopy or shock wave lithotripsy for urinary stone disease is a step towards helping urologists understand cost reduction opportunities.

Heat-free high-velocity waterjet ablation (Aquablation) for BPH performed with an image-guided robot-assisted platform (AquaBeam System) met its primary safety and efficacy endpoints in a phase III study.

Treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms/BPH with convective water vapor ablation (Rezum System) appears to provide significant improvement on two key outcome measures versus medical therapy at up to 2 years, according to a study presented at the AUA annual meeting in Boston.

Men and women with gout are at 60% greater risk for nephrolithiasis than adults without gout, according to a study looking at not only the chronic kidney condition’s incidence but also potential risk factors for first-time nephrolithiasis in people with and without gout.

The risk of erectile dysfunction is not increased with the use of a 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor compared with an alpha-blocker for the treatment of BPH.

Urologists are no longer the primary initiators of tamsulosin (Flomax) therapy in the United States, suggests an analysis of pharmaceutical claims from more than 50 private health plans.

Other pipeline developments include an agent to control pain in IC/BPS patients, an antibody to treat prostate and bladder cancer, an injectable OAB treatment, and more.

Authors of a recent study say that long-term therapy with a 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor was associated with increased glucose, increased glycated hemoglobin, and altered lipid profiles.

Other products discussed include cancer tests, an app to connect patients with specialists, a revenue management system, and more

Studies of bipolar plasma vaporization of the prostate and thulium vapoenucleation were among the other noteworthy research in BPH/LUTS presented at the AUA annual meeting in Boston.

The safety and viability of outpatient percutaneous nephrolithotomy and predictors of success after shock wave lithotripsy were among the research highlights in endourology/stones at the AUA annual meeting.

Other pipeline developments include a new company formed to develop OAB treatments, a phase III urothelial cancer study meeting its primary endpoint, the formation of a partnership to study RCC treatment, and more.

Urologist Henry Rosevear, MD, reviews his personal highlights from AUA 2017, along with a few bumps in the road.

The use of robot-assisted simple prostatectomy is increasing for the management of BPH in the United States. Patients were nearly seven times more likely to undergo RASP in 2011-2015 compared to 2003-2006, after adjusting for confounders.

Analyses of data from 5 years of prospective follow-up in the pivotal trial supporting regulatory approval of the prostatic urethral lift ([PUL] UroLift System, NeoTract) show that the minimally invasive procedure remains safe and provides rapid and durable benefits for men with symptomatic BPH.

Badar M. Mian, MD, discusses a recent study about the use of external physical vibration lithecbole for treating residual stones after retrograde intrarenal surgery.

Findings of a retrospective study including 1,000 men with follow-up ranging to 8 years demonstrate the long-term safety and efficacy of prostatic artery embolization for relieving lower urinary tract symptoms secondary to BPH, researchers reported at the Society of Interventional Radiology annual scientific meeting in Washington.

Among ED visits within 30 days of elective ureteroscopy over the 6-month span, pain was the presenting complaint in about 60% of patients, Scott and White Medical Center researchers report.

Study findings serve as a reminder of the importance of prompt and direct physical therapy referrals for pelvic floor pain patients, researchers say.

Urologists’ adherence to value-based care pathways for BPH surgery is extremely low and only modestly improved when given individualized feedback on patient outcomes, costs, and practice patterns relative to peers, say UCLA researchers.