Faculty Bibliography

OBJECTIVES/OBJECTIVE:Stress urinary incontinence is highly prevalent and sling surgery has increased since 2000. Urethrolysis traditionally had been standard management of complications after anti-incontinence surgery; however, partial excision is a less aggressive option. This study describes the different populations in a contemporary cohort that undergo sling excision and urethrolysis and their surgical outcomes. METHODS:Chart analysis was performed on patients assigned Current Procedural Terminology codes for removal or revision of sling for stress incontinence, urethrolysis, or revision of graft at our institution from 2010 to 2015. Demographics, indications, outcomes, and subsequent treatment were evaluated. RESULTS:A total of 110 patients underwent surgery and were included. Partial excision was performed on 82 patients and urethrolysis on 28 patients. About 32.7% had prior revision, and median length to revision was 3.1 years. Overall success was 75.0% for urethrolysis and 86.6% for partial excision. Without concomitant sling placement, stress incontinence developed in 25.0% of urethrolysis and 21.6% of partial excision patients. New onset overactive bladder symptoms developed in 21.4% of urethrolysis patients and 7.3% of partial excision, which was significantly different (P = 0.039). CONCLUSIONS:Both approaches had good success, 75.0% for formal urethrolysis and 86.6% for partial excision. New onset urgency was lower for partial excision, but rates of all other complications were similar. These procedures are often used for different patient populations, and thus, outcomes are not meant to be directly compared. Future work on sling revision should report these procedures separately.

In this article, we review the current uses and future directions of robotic surgery in the field of female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery. Pelvic surgery is ideal for the use of surgical robots, which provide improved visualization and ease of suturing deep within the pelvis. Robots have been successfully used for the treatment of pelvic organ prolapse, in procedures such as sacrocolpopexy, sacrohysteropexy, and uterosacral ligament plication. Surgeons have used the robotic successfully to treat various etiologies of female pelvic pain including fibroids, endometriosis, and nerve entrapment. Robotic repair of iatrogenic injury has been described with excellent outcomes and avoidance of conversion to open surgery in the event of an injury caused using the robotic platform. While more data is needed on this topic, there has been increasing interest in using the robot for urologic reconstruction including repair of vesico-vaginal fistula, cystectomy, augmentation cystoplasty, and continent and non-continent diversions. Recently the use of the robot has been described in the treatment of stress urinary incontinence in females, with robotic placement of an artificial urinary sphincter. While robotic surgery is associated with increased cost, the outcomes of robotic surgery in female urology are promising. More studies that properly evaluate the benefits of robotic surgery as compared to open and laparoscopic approaches are needed.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE:To assess the urodynamic findings in patients with Parkinson disease (PD) with overactive bladder symptoms. METHODS:We performed a retrospective chart review of all PD patients who were seen in an outpatient clinic for lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) between 2010 and 2017 in a single-institution. Only patients who complained of overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms and underwent a video-urodynamic study for these symptoms were included. We excluded patients with neurological disorders other than PD and patients with voiding LUTS but without OAB symptoms. RESULTS:We included 42 patients (29 men, 13 women, 74.5±8.1 years old). Seven patients (16.7%) had a postvoid residual (PVR) bladder volume >100 mL and only one reported incomplete bladder emptying. Detrusor overactivity (DO) was found in all 42 patients (100%) and was terminal in 19 (45.2%) and phasic in 22 patients (52.4%). Eighteen patients had detrusor underactivity (DU) (42.3%). Later age of PD diagnosis was the only parameter associated with DU (P=0.02). Patients with bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) were younger than patients without BOO (70.1 years vs. 76.5 years, P=0.004), had later first sensation of bladder filling (173.5 mL vs. 120.3 mL, P=0.02) and first involuntary detrusor contraction (226.4 mL vs. 130.4 mL, P=0.009). CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:DO is almost universal in all patients with PD complaining of OAB symptoms (97.1%). However, a significant percentage of patients also had BOO (36.8%), DU (47%), and increased PVR (16.7%) indicating that neurogenic DO may not be the only cause of OAB symptoms in PD patients.

OBJECTIVE:This study assessed stress urinary incontinence (SUI) outcomes after sling excision for urinary tract perforation or vaginal exposure, and compared the outcomes of concomitant versus staged autologous fascia pubovaginal sling (AFPVS). METHODS:A retrospective chart review of all patients who underwent midurethral sling (MUS) excision for urinary tract perforation or vaginal exposure at a tertiary referral center between 2010 and 2015 was performed. Therapeutic strategies were categorized as concomitant AFPVS, staged AFPVS, and no anti-incontinence procedure. RESULTS:In all, 32 patients were included for analysis: 13 with vaginal tape exposure (40.6%) and 19 with urinary tract tape exposure (59.4%). In patients who had SUI prior to sling excision (43.8%), the rate of resolved or improved SUI postoperatively was higher in the concomitant AFPVS group than in those who underwent sling excision alone (83.3% vs 12.5%, respectively; P = 0.03). Of 18 patients with no SUI prior to sling excision, 12 experienced recurrent SUI after sling removal (66.7%). The rate of recurrent SUI was lower in patients with vaginal MUS exposure than urinary tract MUS perforation, but this did not reach statistical significance (57.1% vs 72.7%, respectively; P = 0.63). The rates of resolved SUI after AFPVS were comparable in patients with concomitant and staged AFPVS (66.7% vs 71.4%, respectively; P = 0.99). CONCLUSIONS:Many patients with MUS perforations or exposures will have SUI at initial presentation or develop SUI after removal of the synthetic sling. The decision to perform a concomitant AFPVS or to stage the surgical management of SUI can be individualized.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE:We aimed to review the current knowledge on the epidemiology, diagnosis, and management of urinary and sexual dysfunction in patients with TTR amyloidosis (ATTR). METHODS:We performed a review of the literature, screening for randomized controlled trials, prospective and retrospective series, position papers, and guidelines on urinary and sexual dysfunction in ATTR patients published in PubMed and Embase. RESULTS:Lower urinary tract dysfunction is present in up to 83% of patients with ATTR. Voiding symptoms are the most common, reported in 34.8-87.5% of patients, while urinary tract infections are reported in up to 50%. Urinary incontinence is observed in 16.7-37.5% of the ATTR population, mostly due to decreased urethral resistance. Sexual dysfunction affects over 40% of ATTR patients, with erectile dysfunction and sexual arousal disorder being the most common symptoms in male and female patients, respectively. In addition to a thorough clinical examination, invasive pressure-flow urodynamic testing is a cornerstone in the assessment of ATTR lower urinary tract dysfunction. The most common finding is detrusor underactivity and intrinsic sphincter deficiency. Poor bladder compliance can also be observed in patients, due to amyloid deposits on the bladder wall. Urinary tract imaging may be of interest to rule out upper urinary tract deterioration. Given the paucity of data in the ATTR population, treatment should be tailored to the individual patient. CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:Urinary and sexual dysfunction are highly prevalent in ATTR patients. Comprehensive assessment and multidisciplinary management are keys to avoiding upper urinary tract damage and improving patients' quality of life.

AIMS/OBJECTIVE:To perform a systematic review of studies reporting the outcomes of AMS-800 artificial urinary sphincter (AUS) implantation in female patients with stress urinary incontinence (SUI) resulting from intrinsic sphincter deficiency (ISD). METHODS:A systematic literature search of the Medline and Embase databases was performed in June 2018 in accordance with the PRISMA statement. No time limit was used. The protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42018099612). Study selection and data extraction were performed by two independent reviewers. RESULTS:Of 886 records screened, 17 were included. All were retrospective or prospective non-comparative case series. One study reported on vaginal AUS implantation, 11 on open AUS implantation, two on laparoscopic AUS implantation, two on robot-assisted AUS implantation and one compared open and robot-assisted implantations. The vast majority of patients had undergone at least one anti-incontinence surgical procedure prior to AUS implantation (69.1-100%). The intraoperative bladder neck injury rates ranged from 0% to 43.8% and the intraoperative vaginal injury rates ranged from 0 to 25%. After mean follow-up periods ranging from 5 to 204 months, the complete continence rates ranged from 61.1% to 100%. The rates of explantation, erosion and mechanical failure varied from 0% to 45.3%, 0% to 22.2% and 0% to 44.1%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS:AMS-800 AUS can provide excellent functional outcomes in female patients with SUI resulting from ISD but at the cost of a relatively high morbidity. High level of evidence studies are needed to help better define the role of AUS in the female SUI armamentarium.

OBJECTIVE:To characterize the current evaluation, and efficacy of treatments in patients with the primary complaint of nocturia. METHODS:A retrospective chart review was performed of new patient encounters seen in a tertiary urology practice from May 2010 to September 2016 with the primary diagnosis of nocturia (ICD-9 788.43 and ICD-10 R35.1). RESULTS:595 patients were identified. 403 met inclusion criteria. The median patient reported that nocturia episodes were 4 (1-20). 192 patients (48%) reported previous treatment for nocturia. After the index visit, a bladder diary (BD) was utilized in 50% of patients, with a 62% (n = 124) completion rate at follow-up visit. On BD analysis, the most common etiologies of nocturia were nocturnal polyuria 76% (n = 90) and overactive bladder in 21% (n = 26). Patient reported improvement with therapy after BD completion was 46% (n = 34), similar to patients without voiding diaries (43% improvement, n = 153). Anticholinergics and alpha blockers were the most commonly recommended drug, but no specific medication was associated with nocturia improvement. Oral desmopressin was used in 5% of patients. CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:Nocturia is a common condition and very commonly patients have sought treatment prior to presentation. Bladder diaries were recommended to half of the patients. Patient reported that improvement did not seem to correlate with completion of a bladder diary. Though most patients had NP the use of desmopressin was very low. Current treatments used in managing nocturia may lack efficacy.

Introduction: Nocturia is a highly prevalent and underrecognized condition associated with disrupted sleep, increased risks of falls and fractures and negative effects on quality of life (QOL). Long-term consequences may include depression and risks of cardiovascular diseases. Two nocturic voids per night is the threshold at which the impact of nocturia becomes more problematic. A large online poll was conducted to assess women's awareness of nocturia, engagement with healthcare practitioners, and effects on QOL.
Method(s): This was a self-reported online survey conducted by Harris Poll within the US in August 2018 among adults aged 18 years and older. Propensity weighting matched respondents to the US general adult population. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the results of the survey.
Result(s): Of 2040 respondents, 1104 were female (1056 on a weighted basis). Mean (SD) age of female respondents was 47.1 (17.45) years. Seventy-one percent of the female respondents had never heard of nocturia. Of the 1056 female respondents, 36% reported waking to urinate on average 2 or more times per night (nocturia). Among the female nocturia sufferers, 65% had never heard of nocturia, and 74% were not aware waking up to urinate at least twice per night is a diagnosable medical condition. Seventy-four percent had not spoken with their doctor about waking up to urinate, and only 39% reported that their doctor had ever asked them about frequency of nighttime urination. Of those who had not spoken with their doctor about this condition, 53% thought it was a normal part of aging, and 26% thought nothing could be done about it. Seventy-three percent of the female nocturia sufferers reported negative effects on quality of life during nighttime, and 63% are negatively affected during daytime. The specific nighttime and daytime effects are detailed in the Figure.
Conclusion(s): In this large national survey, more than one-third of women had symptoms of nocturia. Most were not aware nocturia is a medical condition, had not spoken with their doctors about it, and experienced negative nighttime and daytime effects from the condition

Introduction: Despite the widespread use of synthetic mid urethral slings (MUS) in clinical practice, autologous fascial pubovaginal sling (AFPVS) continues to have an important role in women with stress urinary incontinence (SUI), notably in those who failed previous anti-incontinence procedures. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence, risk factors and management of persistent SUI following AFPVS in patients who failed previous anti-incontinence procedures.
Method(s): The charts of all female patients who underwent AFPVS for SUI from 2012 to 2017 at a single academic center were retrospectively reviewed. Only patients who had failed at least one previous anti-incontinence procedure were included in the present study. Patients with neurogenic bladder were excluded. The primary endpoint was persistent SUI at 3 months defined as patient reporting the need to wear one pad per day or more. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to assess predictors of persistent SUI at 3 months.
Result(s): After exclusion of 29 patients with no prior anti-incontinence procedures and 6 patients with neurogenic bladder, 70 patients were included in the present study. The mean patient age was 58.2 years, and the most common prior SUI surgeries were MUS (85.7%), bulking agents (25.7%) and Burch Colposuspension (8.6%). Most patients reported improvement of SUI at 3 months (83.2%), however 24 reported persistent SUI (34.3%), of which 14 reported improvement (22.9%) and 10 unchanged or worsened SUI (16.8%). The median number of pads per day at 3 months in those with persistent SUI was 1 (range: 1-10). After a median follow-up of 14.4 months, 10 patients (14.3%) had retreatment for SUI. Those who failed prior MUS had lower risk of persistent SUI than those who failed prior Burch and/or bulking (32.7% vs. 77.8%; p=0.02). This was the only predictor of persistent SUI in univariate analysis (OR=0.14; p=0.02) and in multivariate analysis adjusting for age, BMI and urethral hypermobility (OR=0.10; p=0.01).
Conclusion(s): AFPVS is an effective treatment option for women who failed previous anti-incontinence procedures. Patients who failed MUS may have a lower risk of persistent SUI when compared to this who failed Burch and/or Bulking agents