Faculty Bibliography

OBJECTIVE:To determine how a patient's demographics, including insurance type, race/ethnicity, gender, and age, may impact the choice of medication prescribed for overactive bladder. METHODS:We queried the AUA Quality Registry for adults between 2014 and 2020 with a diagnosis of overactive bladder for >1 year, excluding neurogenic causes. Variables included age, race/ethnicity, gender, insurance type, medication first prescribed, year of prescription, provider metropolitan status, and provider practice type. Primary outcome was which factors were associated with increased odds of beta-3 prescription as first medication choice. RESULTS:We found 1,453,566 patients with overactive bladder, 641,122 (44.1%) with complete data. Of these, 112,021 (17.5%) were prescribed medication. On multivariate analysis, patients with Medicaid, Medicare, and other/self-pay insurance were less likely to receive a beta-3 versus an anticholinergic compared to private or military insurance. Compared to white patients, Asian, Black, and other races were less likely to receive a beta-3, as were patients outside of metropolitan areas. Age >50, prescriptions after 2014, and non-academic settings were associated with increased odds of beta-3 prescription. There was no difference between genders. CONCLUSIONS:Many nonclinical factors, including insurance type and race, may affect which medication is first prescribed for overactive bladder. This is useful for practicing urologists and may help lower barriers to beta-3 prescription through policy change and advocacy.

BACKGROUND/UNASSIGNED:Physicians often report low levels of confidence in diagnosing and treating female sexual dysfunction (FSD), which may stem from inadequate education and exposure to the topic. AIM/UNASSIGNED:The study sought to determine the extent to which FSD is covered in undergraduate medical education and evaluate student comfort with the topic and familiarity with treatments. METHODS/UNASSIGNED:We created a novel, 50-question survey to be administered online to any current U.S. medical student. Obstetrician-gynecologist clerkship directors at 146 U.S. medical schools were contacted and asked to invite any current student at their school to participate. A link to the electronic REDCap (Research Electronic Data Capture) survey was distributed to eligible students via the clerkship directors. The survey collected data regarding (1) coverage of FSD and male sexual dysfunction (MSD) in preclinical and clinical curricula, (2) student self-ratings of comfort in hypothetical scenarios in which a patient exhibits symptoms of FSD or MSD, and (3) student familiarity with treatments for FSD and MSD. OUTCOMES/UNASSIGNED:Outcomes included the proportion of students reporting that their school covered FSD/MSD in its preclinical/clinical curriculum, the mean comfort ratings for each of the FSD and MSD scenarios, and the proportion of students indicating knowledge of various FSD and MSD treatments. RESULTS/UNASSIGNED:.006). CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS/UNASSIGNED:There are important gaps in the coverage of FSD in undergraduate medical education that may be mitigated through improvements to curriculum and increased exposure to patients with FSD. STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS/UNASSIGNED:This is the first study, to our knowledge, to directly survey medical students regarding their educational experience and comfort with FSD. Our study was limited by a small sample size, the use of a novel and nonvalidated questionnaire, and the potential for bias given our sampling method. CONCLUSION/UNASSIGNED:Medical schools must work toward improving instruction in FSD for their students to address these disparities and improve students' comfort with the topic.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW/UNASSIGNED:This review discusses the role and benefits of telemedicine as an integral component of the post-pandemic care paradigm in urological practice and, in particular, as part of the care of patients with overactive bladder (OAB). RECENT FINDINGS/UNASSIGNED:The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the implementation of telemedicine across almost every medical specialty and (at least temporarily) swept away barriers including those regarding reimbursement and licensure. Telemedicine benefits patients and providers alike including savings on transportation costs, access to specialists or tertiary care from geographically remote locations, and minimized exposure to a contagious illness. Integration of telemedicine into clinical practice can reduce costs for office/exam space and staffing overhead, as well as facilitate greater scheduling efficiency. Many, if not most, aspects of care for the uncomplicated OAB patient can be as effectively managed remotely as with in-person encounters, across the treatment algorithm. SUMMARY/UNASSIGNED:Telemedicine will almost certainly remain a key component in the care of OAB, general urology, and throughout all medical specialties.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVE:Surgical recovery is the return to preoperative functional, psychologic, and social activity, or a return to normalcy. To date, little is known about the global post-surgical recovery experience from the patients' perspective. The aim of this study was to validate the Post-Discharge Surgical Recovery scale 13 (PSR13) in women undergoing vaginal prolapse repair procedures and evaluate the patient-perceived postoperative recovery experience over a 12-week period. METHODS:Fifty women undergoing vaginal prolapse repairs completed the PSR13 and global surgical recovery scale (GSR) at 1, 2, 4, 6, and 12 weeks post-surgery. Validity, the minimal clinically important difference (MCID), and responsiveness to change over time of the PSR13 was evaluated using descriptive statistics and linear regression models. The proportion of patients deemed fully recovered at each time point (defined as PSR13 score ≥ 80) was also assessed. RESULTS:The PSR13 correlated significantly (p < 0.001) with the single-item recovery scale and showed excellent internal consistency reliability (Cronbach α = 0.91, range 0.77 to 0.93). The MCID was estimated at 7.0 points. The PSR13 scores improved at varying rates over time, with the greatest amount of patient-perceived recovery occurring between 4 and 6 weeks after surgery. The proportion of patients deemed fully recovered at 6- and 12- weeks postoperatively was 37% and 56%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS:The PSR13 is a useful instrument to assess overall return to normalcy from the patient's perspective and can be applied to evaluate the recovery experience among women undergoing vaginal prolapse repairs, in both the research and clinical setting.

Purpose of Review: The goal of this paper is to provide the reader with an understanding of the definition of bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) in females and guidance on the diagnostic work-up of this condition. Recent Findings: Our understanding of female BOO is continuing to evolve. Urodynamics and fluoroscopy can aid in the diagnosis of this condition. Several new definitions of BOO in females have been studied and provide more clarity for female BOO. However, no one definition has proved to be superior. Therefore, there is no replacement for looking at the entire clinical picture including patient history, examination and urodynamic data if available. Summary: Recent studies have further contributed to the body of literature on how to define bladder outlet obstruction in women, but no current consensus exists on the best way to define this condition.

OBJECTIVE(S)/OBJECTIVE:To compare the safety and effectiveness of dermal bovine transvaginal graft, Xenform, to native tissue in the surgical treatment of anterior and/or apical pelvic organ prolapse. This study was designed in conjunction with Food and Drug Administration requirements. METHODS:This was a prospective, non-randomized, parallel cohort, multi-center trial. The primary objective was to demonstrate noninferiority between transvaginal graft and native tissue repair at 36 months compared to baseline. Treatment success was based on a composite of objective and subjective measures. The co-primary outcome was the rate of serious device- or procedure-related adverse events. A total of 228 patients at 25 sites were included in the study arm and 485 patients underwent native tissue repair. Propensity score stratification was applied to achieve balance between treatment groups. Study outcomes were compared in per protocol and intent-to-treat analysis. RESULTS:The primary outcome, treatment success at 36 months, was 83.6% (191/228) for transvaginal graft and 80.5% (390/485) native tissue repair (0.2%, 90% confidence interval [-5.6% to 5.9%]), demonstrating noninferiority at a preset margin of -12%. The overall rate of severe adverse events was 5.3% (12/228) in transvaginal graft vs 2.7% (13/485) in native tissue repair groups. The study group demonstrated noninferiority in serious adverse events at the preset margin of 11.6% (2.0%, 90% confidence interval [-0.8% to 4.7%]). There were no reports of graft erosion, and graft exposure rates were low (0.9% [2/228]). CONCLUSIONS:Transvaginal repair of anterior and/or apical prolapse with a biological graft is noninferior to traditional native tissue repair in effectiveness and safety at 36 months.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE:Intradetrusor injections of onabotulinumtoxinA are efficacious for the treatment of overactive bladder with urgency urinary incontinence in adults refractory to or intolerant of anticholinergics. Delivery of onabotulinumtoxinA via instillation would reduce the need for intradetrusor injections. The objective of this trial was to assess the efficacy and safety of intravesical instillation of an onabotulinumtoxinA + hydrogel admixture. MATERIALS AND METHODS/METHODS:After review of a stage 1 safety phase by an independent committee, participants were recruited into stage 2 and randomized to either onabotulinumtoxinA 100, 300, 400, or 500 U, or placebo, all with hydrogel admixture. End points included change from baseline to week 12 in the number of urinary incontinence episodes (primary); micturition, urgency urinary, and nocturia episodes/day; volume voided per micturition; proportion of participants with a ≥50% decrease from baseline in urinary incontinence episodes/day; and Overactive Bladder Questionnaire total score. Adverse events were reported. RESULTS:Change from baseline to week 12 in number of urinary incontinence episodes was -2.72 with placebo and ranged from -0.89 to -1.85 in the onabotulinumtoxinA + hydrogel treatment groups. No difference from placebo was observed for any efficacy end point. The proportions of participants with treatment-emergent adverse events were similar among all groups, with asymptomatic bacteriuria the highest reported (6.7%-15.5%). There were no reports of urinary retention or elevated post-void residual volume. CONCLUSIONS:Intravesical instillation of an onabotulinumtoxinA + hydrogel admixture for the treatment of refractory overactive bladder was well tolerated, but it showed no improvement over placebo.

INTRODUCTION/BACKGROUND:Onabotulinumtoxin A (BTX-A) is an effective therapy for overactive bladder (OAB), however, adverse events may prevent patients from initiating therapy. The study objective was to report real-world rates of incomplete emptying and urinary tract infection (UTI) in men and women undergoing BTX-A for OAB. METHODS:Eleven clinical sites performed a retrospective study of adults undergoing first-time BTX-A injection (100 units) for idiopathic OAB in 2016. Exclusions included: postvoid residual (PVR) > 150 ml, prior BTX-A, pelvic radiation, or need for preprocedure catheterization. Primary outcomes at 6 months were incomplete emptying (clean intermittent catheterization [CIC] or PVR ≥ 300 ml without the need for CIC); and UTI (symptoms with either positive culture or urinalysis or empiric treatment). We compared rates of incomplete emptying and UTI within and between sexes, using univariate and multivariable models. RESULTS:278 patients (48 men and 230 women) met inclusion criteria. Mean age was 65.5 years (range: 24-95). 35% of men and 17% of women had incomplete emptying. Men had 2.4 (95% CI: 1.04-5.49) higher odds of incomplete emptying than women. 17% of men and 23.5% of women had ≥1 UTI, the majority of which occurred within the first month following injection. The strongest predictor of UTI was a history of prior UTI (OR: 4.2 [95% CI: 1.7-10.3]). CONCLUSIONS:In this multicenter retrospective study, rates of incomplete emptying and UTI were higher than many previously published studies. Men were at particular risk for incomplete emptying. Prior UTI was the primary risk factor for postprocedure UTI.