Faculty Bibliography

Introduction: Percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS) is an efficacious treatment option for overactive bladder syndrome (OAB). There is a paucity of data surrounding long-term efficacy of PTNS and limited studies are aimed at characterizing those patients who seek post-PTNS follow up maintenance. The aim of this study was to evaluate those who completed PTNS treatment and continued with posttreatment PTNS maintenance versus alternative therapeutic options.
Method(s): This is a prospective cohort study at a single academic institution. Ninety patients started PTNS according to our clinical protocol. The Patient Global Impression of Severity (PGIS) and Patient Global Impression of Improvement (PGII), and OAB Short Form (OABq-SF) questionnaires were used to assess OAB symptom severity and improvement, respectively. Following 12 sessions, patients were given the choice to continue maintenance PTNS or to pursue other options.
Result(s): Our completion rate was 70/90 (77.8%). Of all patients who continued some type of therapy for OAB, significantly more patients went on to monthly PTNS maintenance compared with all other options (54.3% vs 37.1%, P=0.02). There were no differing demographic features between those who pursued Post-PTNS maintenance and those who chose an alternative therapy. Overall OABq-SF scores improved significantly by the end of treatment but did not differ between those who chose PTNS maintenance and those who pursued another treatment. Medications did not improve the perception of improvement when added to PTNS (P=0.45). Individuals who chose PTNS maintenance showed significant improvement in urgency (3.4 (0.89) to 2.6 (0.89); P=0.049) and incontinence (3.2 (1.72) to 2.7 (1.37); P=0.038) over the initial 12 weeks, while those who chose otherwise did not. Individuals who went on to monthly maintenance showed lower PGII scores compared with those who sought alternatives (2.70 (1.6) vs 3.81 (1.07); P=0.01), despite no difference in starting severity of OAB symptoms (PGIS score 3.33 (0.72) vs 3.33 (0.70); P=1).
Conclusion(s): Patients were more likely to continue maintenance PTNS than any other form of treatment. Despite no predictive characteristics found, favorable improvement subscores in urgency and incontinence were associated with those pursuing maintenance therapy. Overall, those who perceived greater improvement were more likely to pursue long-term PTNS therapy as their OAB treatment of choice

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.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW/OBJECTIVE:Due to recent concerns over the use of synthetic mesh in pelvic floor reconstructive surgery, there has been a renewed interest in the utilization of non-synthetic repairs for pelvic organ prolapse. The purpose of this review is to review the current literature regarding pelvic organ prolapse repairs performed without the utilization of synthetic mesh. RECENT FINDINGS/RESULTS:Native tissue repairs provide a durable surgical option for pelvic organ prolapse. Based on recent findings of recently performed randomized clinical trials with long-term follow-up, transvaginal native tissue repair continues to play a role in the management of pelvic organ prolapse without the added risk associated with synthetic mesh. In 2019, the FDA called for manufacturers of synthetic mesh for transvaginal mesh to stop selling and distributing their products in the USA. Native tissue and non-synthetic pelvic organ prolapse repairs provide an efficacious alternative without the added risk inherent to the utilization of transvaginal mesh. A recent, multicenter, randomized clinical trial demonstrated no clear advantage to the utilization of synthetic mesh. Furthermore, transvaginal native tissue repairs have demonstrated good long-term efficacy, particularly when anatomic success is not the sole metric used to define surgical success.

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.

OBJECTIVES/OBJECTIVE:To investigate trends in stress urinary incontinence (SUI) surgery before and after the 2011 FDA notification and the 2014 AUGS/SUFU position statement. METHODS:A retrospective chart review was performed to identify patients presenting for evaluation of SUI by two Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery (FPMRS) specialists between June 1, 2010 and May 31, 2017. Rates of surgical treatment modality (synthetic midurethral slings (MUS) vs. autologous fascial pubovaginal sling (AFPVS) vs. bulking agents) were analyzed at 6 month intervals. RESULTS:Over 14 six-month intervals, the number of new patients presenting for evaluation of SUI increased consistently. There was a decrease in the proportion of new patients who underwent anti-incontinence surgical procedures, specifically MUS, between December 2011 and December 2013. After the integration of the 2014 AUGS/SUFU position statement in patient counseling, this trend reverted and we noted a sustained increase in the proportion of patients electing surgical management. This paralleled an increase in new patient visits for SUI and MUS. The number AFPVS remained stable throughout the study period. Conversely, MUS composed the highest proportion of procedures performed, accounting for 60 % to 87.2% off all anti-incontinence procedures. CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:After the FDA Public Health Notification in 2011, we observed a decline in the number of new patients presenting with SUI electing surgical management, specifically MUS. However, after the AUGS/SUFU position statement publication and integration into counseling, we observed a reversal in the previous year's trends, noting a resurgence of MUS utilization.

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 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: 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

Introduction: To date, only very few series have aimed to assess the outcomes of botulinum toxin injections in patients with Parkinson's Disease (PD). The aim of this study was to assess the safety and efficacy of intradetrusor onabotulinum toxin A injections for the treatment of overactive bladder (OAB) in patients with PD.
Method(s): All PD patients who underwent intradetrusor injections of onabotulinum toxin A (BoNT-A) for storage symptoms between 2010 and 2017 were included in a retrospective study. A 100 U dose of BoNT-A (Botox, Allergan Irvine, CA) was used for the first injection in all patients. The primary endpoint was clinical success defined as any subjective improvement in OAB symptoms self-assessed by the patients four weeks after the injections.
Result(s): Out of 24 patients analyzed, 19 reported improvement of their OAB symptoms four weeks after the first injection (79.2%) with complete resolution of urgency urinary incontinence in 7 patients (29.1%; p<0.001). The average post-void residual (PVR) increased significantly after the first injection from 17.6 to 125.3 ml (p<0.001). Three of the patients had to start clean intermittent catheterization (CIC) after the first injection (12.5%). Out of 49 injections in total, only five caused incomplete bladder emptying requiring the use of CIC (10.2%). Higher pre-injection PVR was significantly associated with both a lower chance of symptomatic improvement (p=0.04) and a higher risk of incomplete bladder emptying with institution of CIC (p=0.047).
Conclusion(s): Botox appeared effective in PD patients with a relatively low rate of retention requiring CIC. Higher preoperative PVR was the stronger predictor of both treatment failure and postoperative urinary retention requiring CIC while urodynamic obstruction was also associated with treatment failure in male patients. Intradetrusor injections of BoNT-A 100 U appeared as a safe and effective option in PD patients with OAB symptoms and a low PVR before the injection

OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the effect of radiation on male stress urinary incontinence (SUI) and to assess the relative value of preoperative urodynamic (UDS) testing in radiated vs nonradiated men with SUI. METHODS:A retrospective chart review of all male patients with SUI who underwent UDS testing from 2010 to 2016 was performed. The impact of UDS findings on treatment decision making was assessed. UDS parameters and treatment patterns of radiated vs nonradiated patients were compared as well as the fates of storage symptoms in each group. RESULTS:Two hundred seven men were identified that underwent UDS with a clinical diagnosis of SUI. Sixty-five out of 207 (31.4%) were exposed to radiation as a treatment modality for prostate cancer. All patients that underwent UDS testing moved on to surgical correction of SUI, and the UDS findings did not alter plan to treat SUI in any patients. Men who were radiated prior to surgical correction of SUI were more likely to have detrusor overactivity (70% vs 38%, P <.0001) and had lower maximum cystometric capacity (255 vs 307.4 mL, P = .01) when compared to nonradiated on UDS. After artificial urinary sphincter or sling implantation, the proportion of patients requiring overactive bladder medications was higher in radiated vs nonradiated men (44.3% vs 25.3%; P = .01). CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:Radiation therapy appears to increase the likelihood of bladder dysfunction in male patients with SUI. The UDS findings did not alter the plan to treat SUI in any patients in our series, and its role before SUI surgery in male patients, including those receiving radiation, may be limited.