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Chicago-Ureteroscopic laser lithotripsy can be performed safely and effectivelywith IV sedation, eliminating the need for general or spinal anesthesia,until now a principal downside to the procedure, a New York stone specialistreported at the AUA meeting yesterday.

Chicago-Data from nearly 5,000 participants in the phase III studiesof dutasteride (Avodart) have been used to develop a nomogram for predictingthe probability that an individual patient with BPH will develop acute urinaryretention or require surgical intervention within 2 years and how that riskmay be altered by initiating dutasteride therapy.

Chicago-New measurement and modeling methods appear to objectively predictureteroscopic performance and skills in a virtual reality environment, accordingto preliminary findings of a study conducted at the University of TexasSouthwestern Medical Center, Dallas.

Three doctors shared their thoughts on the subject

Dr. Ruth Westheimer signed copies of her new book, "Conquering theRapids of Life: Making the Most of Midlife Opportunities," for AUAmeeting attendees. The book touches on health problems in the aging maleand female, including interstitial cystitis, incontinence, sexual dysfunction,and prostate problems. Dr. Ruth is shown here at the Ortho-McNeil booth.

Chicago - Sacral neuromodulation's favorable effect on chronic urinary retentiondoes not derive from a direct relaxant effect on the urethral sphincter,according to findings from a study that debunks a popular belief about thetherapeutic mechanisms of neuromodulation.

Chicago-Penile implants provide greater patient satisfaction than eithermedical therapy or intracavernosal injections for erectile dysfunction,said Detroit researchers during a presentation yesterday.

Chicago-Contrary to a widely held belief, penile sensation does not differbetween circumcised and uncircumcised men, New York researchers said duringa presentation yesterday.

Chicago-Radical prostatectomy patients taking sildenafil postoperativelywere seven times more likely to report a return to spontaneous erectionsthan those taking placebo in a multi-institutional, double-blind study presentedhere yesterday.

Chicago-A higher age at baseline predicted increased rate of progressionin all three treatment arms of the Medical Therapy of Prostate Symptoms(MTOPS) trial, according to a secondary analysis of data presented at theAUA meeting yesterday.

Chicago-The Coalition for the Advancement of Prosthetic Urology (CAPU),fresh from its first battle in Washington earlier this year over reimbursementfor prosthetic urology devices and procedures, took another big step forwardwith a standing-room-only presentation at the AUA meeting here on Tuesday.

Urologix, Inc. has received FDA approval to market the Cooled ThermoCathtreatment catheter, which is designed for use in conjunction with the company'sTargis microwave generator, for the treatment of BPH. The product incorporatescatheter cooling technology designed to improve the heat exchange coupledwith improved catheter conformance to urethral tissue.

An informal chamber music ensemble concert gave AUA meeting attendees abrief respite from the meeting's bustle yesterday. Concert violinist YuraLee and violist Lawrence Neuman were joined by William Sloan, MD; FritzSchroeder, MD; and Mary Olssen, RN. The concert was presented by The StradivariSociety.

Amersham and Galil Medical announced an agreement to merge portions oftheir respective buinesses into a new yet-unnamed venture.

Chicago-A group of physicians, urologic researchers, and patients whohave battled a variety of urologic conditions gathered here yesterday tosupport new legislation aimed at increasing federal funding for urologicdisease.

>Chicago­Combination drug therapy for benign prostatic hyperplasiahas won the endorsement of the American Urological Association in the organization'sfirst-ever clinical guidelines for the management of BPH.

Chicago-A biopsy of men with PSA levels of 2.6 to 4.0 ng/mL may detectorgan-confined prostate cancer more often than a biopsy in men with a PSAlevel >4.0 ng/mL, according to a large study from Washington University,St. Louis, presented yesterday. This may result in better clinical outcomes,including a lower biochemical progression rate.

Chicago-Positive surgical margins are associated with an increased riskof cancer recurrence after radical prostatectomy, and adjuvant radiationtherapy given before recurrence may benefit patients with positive margins,according to a Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center study.

Chicago - Treatment with bacille Calmette-Guérin plus interferon-alpha-2B appearsto be effective in a salvage situation for superficial bladder cancer patientswho have failed primary BCG treatment.

Chicago-Patients with carcinoma in situ or recurrent Ta, Tis, or T1 bladdercancer are at increased risk of dying of the disease within 5 years unlessthey achieve a complete response with bacille Calmette-Guérin therapy,say researchers from the Southwest Oncology Group.

Chicago-Morbidity and hospital stay after standard post-chemotherapyretroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND) decreased in testis cancerpatients undergoing the procedure over a 10-year period, even no changesoccurred in surgical technique. Researchers from Indiana University Schoolof Medicine suggest that this outcome probably reflects changes in care.

Chicago-Women who undergo cesarean section without a trial of labor appearto be significantly less likely to experience stress urinary incontinencethan those who deliver vaginally or underwent a CS for obstructed labor,according to a study from Israel.

Chicago-When renal tumors are found in a patient less than 45 years old,a benign pathology is more common, especially in women. Symptomatic presentationis also more common in younger patients, perhaps because young patientsare less likely to undergo ultrasound or computed tomography evaluationfor nonspecific complaints.

Chicago-Six weeks of antimicrobial therapy with levofloxacin (Levaquin)appears to improve symptoms of chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndromein men, although the benefits are not sustained, according to a Canadianstudy presented yesterday.

Chicago-Two alpha-blockers appear to have modest efficacy in treatingchronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome, according to separatestudies presented here.

Chicago-African-American men with clinically localized prostate cancerhave poorer overall and cancer-specific survival rates compared with similarwhite patients, according to results of a retrospective study. This disparitycan be substantially explained by differences in socioeconomic status andlower rate of surgical treatment among African-Americans.

Chicago-Plaintiffs' lawyers in medical liability lawsuits contend thatthere is a direct correlation between the level of service a physician providesand his or her risk of being sued."What causes malpractice claims is not malpractice," said JamesW. Saxton, chairman of the health care litigation group at Stevens &Lee in Lancaster, PA. "What causes malpractice claims-60% to 70% ofthem-is lack of service."

Tyco Healthcare offers the Liebel-Flarsheim Hydra Vision DR UrologicalImaging System with the ViewMax LCD Dual Monitor Viewing Option, which providesmonitor positioning flexibility and procedural vision. A lightweight triplearticulating arm with ergonomic handle allows the monitors to easily bemoved and placed for virtually any need, which increases physician comfortand patient positioning, the company says.

UrologyTrends.com (www.urologytrends.com), an online communitydedicated to providing educational resources to the practicing urologist,is launching this week. The web site is intended to help urologists improvepatient care by providing a convenient forum to expand their knowledge ofkey clinical, economic, and patient management issues.

Chicago-Urologists interested in Medicare reimbursement rates for prostheticurology should consider attending an informational lunch hosted by the Coalitionfor the Advancement of Prosthetic Urology (CAPU). John Mulcahy, MD, chairmanof CAPU, which is comprised of leading clinical experts and researchersin prosthetic urology and the nation's leading manufacturers and developersof prosthetic urological devices, will discuss the group's advocacy andoutreach initiatives.