Embolization for benign prostatic hyperplasia yields strong outcomes
September 1st 2011An embolization technique employing 100-?m or 200-?m polyvinyl beads delivered through the femoral artery and into prostatic arteries to block the latter and shrink prostate volume in men with BPH produces short- and mid-term results equivalent to transurethral resection of the prostate.
Active surveillance for prostate cancer results in cost savings
September 1st 2011According to one well-refined simulation model, the cost in current dollars of treating 100 prostate cancer patients initially enlisted in an active surveillance program is $2,702,191 over 5 years. This is $1,013,422 less expensive per 100 men than any of the available immediate interventional therapies over the same span and could translate to substantial national savings.
No sustainable growth rate solution included in default deal
September 1st 2011The national budget crisis that has consumed Washington threatens to worsen the outlook for physicians, urologists included, who hope to avoid a 29.5% Medicare payment reduction scheduled for Jan. 1, 2012 unless Congress acts once again to avert it.
Chronic prostatitis /chronic pelvic pain syndrome associated with endothelial dysfunction
September 1st 2011Men with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome appear to have a higher incidence of endothelial dysfunction and arterial stiffness, providing a possible link to cardiovascular disease in these patients.
Motivate your urology office staff with a quick 'morning huddle'
September 1st 2011In most urology practices, patients will spend more time with the office staff than with the physician. Therefore, it is essential that the staff is highly motivated to ensure that patients' interaction with the staff remains at a high level from the moment they walk into the reception area and check in at the desk until they make their next appointment and check out.
Robotic radical prostatectomy shows less morbidity than open technique
September 1st 2011Early results from a prospective, randomized trial of men with clinically localized prostate cancer demonstrate robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy is a safe technique associated with less morbidity than open retropubic radical prostatectomy.
Public Citizen calls for mesh recall; prolapse advocacy groups to present at FDA meeting
September 1st 2011Surgical mesh products that are used during transvaginal surgery to repair pelvic organ prolapse (POP) should be recalled, consumer advocacy group Public Citizen said in a petition sent to the FDA.
Task force softens stance on bladder cancer screening
September 1st 2011In an update to its 2004 recommendation, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has concluded that the current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of screening for bladder cancer in asymptomatic adults.