Faculty Bibliography

The prevalence of nocturia in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) is high, ranging from 20.9% to 48.8% in this population. Its underlying pathophysiology is complex and different from the non-neurogenic population. In the MS population, the pathophysiology may involve neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction (NLUTD) such as detrusor overactivity (NDO), detrusor-sphincter dyssynergia, or detrusor underactivity resulting in reduced bladder capacity. Nocturnal polyuria is also a significant contributor to the pathogenesis of nocturia in MS patients and may be the result of specific mechanisms such as nocturnal hypertension through autonomic cardiovascular dysfunction or lack of diurnal variation of antidiuretic hormone production (ADH) due to demyelinating lesions of the spinal cord. Nocturia might be particularly burdensome in MS patients by contributing to fatigue, a common and highly debilitating symptom in this population. There is likely a complex and multidirectional relationship between nocturia, other sleep disorders, and fatigue in the MS population that has yet to be explored. The assessment of nocturia in MS should rely upon a thorough history and physical examination. Urinalysis should be done to rule out urinary tract infection, a frequency-volume chart might help elucidating the underlying mechanisms, and post-void residual volume may be of interest to screen for urinary retention that could be asymptomatic in MS patients. Other tests such as urodynamics or polysomnography are indicated in selected patients. The treatment should be tailored to the underlying cause. The first steps involve behavioral interventions and treatment of cofactors. When possible, the predominant mechanism should be addressed first. In case of predominant NDO, antimuscarinics and beta-3 agonists should be offered as a first-line treatment and intradetrusor injections of botulinum toxin as a second-line treatment. In cases of incomplete bladder emptying, clean-intermittent self-catheterization is often used as part of multiple other interventions. In cases of nocturnal polyuria, desmopressin may be offered, inclusive of use of newer formulations (desmopressin acetate nasal spray, desmopressin orally disintegrated tablet) in countries where they are approved.

Primary bladder neck obstruction (PBNO) is a functional obstruction caused by abnormal opening of the bladder neck during the voiding phase of micturition. PBNO may present with a variety of symptoms including voiding symptoms (slow urinary stream, intermittent stream, incomplete emptying), storage symptoms (frequency, urgency, urgency incontinence, nocturia), and/or pelvic pain and discomfort. The diagnosis of PBNO can be made with videourodynamic testing, which demonstrates elevated voiding pressures with low flow, and fluoroscopic imaging demonstrating obstruction at the level of the bladder neck. Treatment options include conservative management with watchful waiting, pharmacologic management, and surgical intervention. In this article, we review the etiology, presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of PBNO in men, women, and children.

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: To report the current clinical features, treatment patterns and outcomes of female patients who were seen at a tertiary referral centre with a primary diagnosis of nocturia, and to assess the predictive factors of therapeutic management failure. Patients and methods: A retrospective chart review of all new female patients seen in a single-centre functional urology practice with the diagnosis of nocturia was performed. Up to three visits within a 12-month period from the time of presenting were reviewed. The primary endpoint was patient-reported improvement assessed at each follow-up visit and the change in the number of nocturia episodes. Results: In all, 239 female patients were included for analysis. The prevalence of nocturnal polyuria, reduced bladder capacity, and global polyuria were 75%, 40.2%, and 18.1%, respectively. Within the first two visits, 72.7% of patients had started a treatment beyond behavioural therapies. Anticholinergics were the most commonly initiated treatment (47.2% of patients). At the latest considered visit, 80 patients reported improvement in nocturia (45.5%) and there was a mean - 0.8 decrease in the number of nocturia episodes from 4 to 3.2, which was statistically significant (P < 0.001). There was no statistically significant association between any of the bladder diary findings and treatment outcomes. A smaller number of nocturia episodes was the only predictive factor of therapeutic management failure in multivariate analysis (odds ratio 0.10; P = 0.01). Conclusions: Whilst the prevalence of nocturnal polyuria in women with nocturia is high, the therapeutic management until 2016 seemed to rely mostly upon overactive bladder medications with a relatively low success rate. Abbreviations: BD: bladder diary; BPS: bladder pain syndrome; ICD(-9)-(10): International Classifications of Disease (ninth revision) (10th revision); NPI: Nocturnal Polyuria Index; OAB: overactive bladder; OR: odd ratio; POP: pelvic organ prolapse.

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

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.

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