Ehab R. Elsayed

Predictors of improvement in semen parameters after varicocelectomy for male subfertility: A prospective study

INTRODUCTION We aim to predict results of varicocelectomy on sperm density and progressive motility using preoperative clinical, laboratory and radiological data and to propose cut-off values for significant parameters. METHODS This prospective study was carried out between July 2011 and June 2014. We included 123 patients in our study. They were diagnosed with primary infertility with varicocele, were scheduled for varicocelectomy, and completed their follow-up. We excluded patients with azoospermia, total necrospermia, recurrent varicocele, and pituitary hormonal abnormalities. Varicocele was diagnosed and graded by physical examination and colour Doppler ultrasound. Semen analyses were completed preoperatively and 6 months postoperatively. Microscopic subinguinal varicocelectomy was done in all cases. Patient demographics, pre- and postoperative clinical data (varicocele grade and semen parameters) were statistically analyzed. RESULTS The mean ± standard deviation of age, body mass index, and subfertility duration was 28.3 ± 7.4 years, 29.1 ± 2.7 kg/m(2), and 21.9 ± 7.1 months, respectively. About 53% of our patients (n = 66) had bilateral varicocele, and unilateral disease was found in the other 57 (46.3%) cases. Varicocele grade I was diagnosed in 42 (34.1%) patients, while the other 81 (65.9%) patients had grade II or III. Higher grades of varicocele, preoperative total testosterone level, sperm density, and progressive motility had a statistically significant impact on the outcome of varicocelectomy in univariate testing. Multivariate logistic analysis revealed that grade of preoperative varicocele (95% confidence interval [CI] 5.6-6.3, p = 0.007) and sperm density (95% CI 2.7-1.6, p = 0.0035), and progressive motility (95% CI 1.1-2.3, p = 0.0123) are independent predictors of semen parameters improvement after varicocelectomy. CONCLUSION The grade of the varicocele, sperm density, and progressive motility are major predictors of outcome in varicocelectomy. Cut-off values of >8 million/mL and >18% for sperm density and progressive motility, respectively, in men with varicocele grade II or III, indicate a successful outcome.

Evaluation of distally folded onlay flap in repair of distal penile hypospadias.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the results of using a distally folded onlay flap in the repair of distal penile hypospadias, with regard to meatal stenosis, urethrocutaneous fistula and esthetic outcome. PATIENTS AND METHODS This prospective study involved 36 patients with mean age 3.2 years (range 1-4); 18 had a shallow urethral plate, 10 a small glans, and 8 had undergone a previous operation but still had available preputial skin. All underwent the elective technique of distally folded onlay flap, which was carried out under general anesthesia using a 4× magnifying loupe. Starting with penile degloving and then harvesting the transverse island preputial flap provides a flap about 1 cm longer than the urethral plate. Two lateral incisions are made along the urethral plate with no need for dissection deep into the glanular wings. The flap is sutured to the urethral plate, leaving 1 cm distal to the tip of the glans, which is folded back to be sutured to the edges of the glanular wings. RESULTS There were no cases of meatal stenosis or requirement for urethral dilatation. Two patients had a urethrocutaneous fistula; one closed spontaneously while the other needed surgical repair 6 months later. Regarding esthetic appearance, 32 were scored good and 4 satisfactory. CONCLUSION This versatile technique offers satisfactory results regarding meatal stenosis, urethrocutaneous fistula and esthetic outcome.

Flank-free Modified Supine Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy in Pediatric Age Group.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the safety and efficacy of pediatric percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) in the flank-free modified supine position (FFMSP). PCNL in the supine position is increasingly and successfully used in pediatric age group. Different modifications of supine positions have been described; however, the best supine position is not well established and remains a matter of debate. PATIENTS AND METHODS This prospective study included 22 children presenting with single renal pelvis stone (2-3 cm) in the period between May 2012 and April 2014. Diagnosis was set by plain x-ray and computed tomography in all patients. PCNL was performed with the patients placed in the FFMSP. The operative time and hospital stay were estimated. The outcome and any perioperative complications or conflicts were recorded. RESULTS The study included 22 children (15 boys and 7 girls) with a solitary renal pelvis stone. Mean ± standard deviation age of the patients was 9.5 ± 3.2 years (range, 3-15.5 years). Stone length, operative time, and hospital stay had mean ± standard deviation of 2.4 ± 0.23 cm, 65.1 ± 18.7 minutes, and 4.4 ± 0.9 days. Stone-free rate was 90.9% after 1 session of PCNL. One patient (4.5%) needed a second-look PCNL. Shock wave lithotripsy was performed for another patient. Postoperative fever occurred in 4 patients (18.2%). One patient received postoperative blood transfusion. Postoperative transient urinoma occurred in 2 patients (9.1%). CONCLUSION PCNL in pediatric age group via FFMSP was proved to be safe and effective in management of renal pelvis stones of size 2-3 cm. It provides stone clearance rate comparable with that reported of conventional PCNL in the prone position.

Definitive ureteroscopy and intracorporeal lithotripsy in treatment of ureteral calculi during pregnancy

Abstract Objective: To evaluate the outcome of using semi-rigid ureteroscopy with or without intracorporeal pneumatic lithotripsy vs. temporary ureteric JJ stenting in the management of obstructing ureteric calculi in pregnant women. Patients and methods: This prospective comparative study comprised 43 pregnant women with obstructing ureteric calculi. The diagnosis was based on the acute flank pain as the main symptom, microscopic haematuria, and unilateral hydronephrosis on abdominal ultrasonography (US). The patients were randomly divided into two groups; those in group 1 (22 patients) were treated by temporary ureteric JJ stenting until after delivery, and those in group 2 (21) were treated definitively by ureteroscopic stone extraction with intracorporeal pneumatic lithotripsy. Postoperative complications and the degree of patient satisfaction were reported. Results: An obstructing ureteric stone was identified by US in 68% and 76% of groups 1 and 2, respectively. In group 1, nine patients had mid-ureteric stones and 13 had stones in the lower ureter. In group 2, seven patients had mid-ureteric stones, whilst the stones were in the distal ureter in 14. No perioperative foetal complications were detected in any group and all patients completed the full term of pregnancy. In group 1, four patients had a postoperative urinary tract infection (UTI), and the JJ stent was exchanged in seven. Two patients in group 2 had a postoperative UTI. Conclusions: Definitive ureteroscopy, even with intracorporeal pneumatic lithotripsy, is an effective and safe treatment for pregnant women with obstructing ureteric calculi. It has a better outcome and is more satisfactory for the patients than a temporary JJ stent.

Predictors of severity and treatment response in children with monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis receiving behavioral therapy.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the role of bladder volume and bladder wall thickness measurement by ultrasound in assessing severity and predicting response to behavioral therapy in children with monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis. METHODS 122 children (68 boys and 54 girls) aged 5-9 years underwent ultrasound evaluation of bladder volume and bladder wall thickness, followed by calculation of the bladder volume wall thickness index (BVWI). They were treated using first-line management (behavioral therapy) for 4 months. Correlation of severity and treatment response to ultrasound bladder measurements was investigated. RESULTS Only 74 children completed the study: 16 showed complete response to treatment, 25 good response, 18 partial response, and 15 children showed no response. Age, gender and location of residence did not correlate to severity or to treatment response. Ultrasound measured bladder volume also did not correlate to either severity or response. Bladder wall thickness showed a strong correlation to both severity and response to treatment, as did BVWI. CONCLUSION Ultrasound measured bladder wall thickness and BVWI are strongly associated with the severity of nocturnal enuresis and are highly predictive of treatment response to behavioral therapy. It is recommended that any child with monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis should undergo an abdominal ultrasound examination before starting treatment.

Closure of bladder exstrophy with a bilateral anterior pubic osteotomy: Revival of an old technique

Abstract Objective:To evaluate the results of simple closure using bilateral anterior pubic osteotomy to achieve a tension-free approximation of the pubis and abdominal wall in patients with bladder exstrophy. Patients and methods: A prospective study carried out between 2006 and 2009 included 15 patients (13 boys and 2 girls; age range 3–47 months). Of these patients, three had recurrent exstrophy while 10 were operated primarily. An elective surgical technique was used for all patients, which included dissection of the exstrophic bladder from the abdominal wall, closure of the bladder and reconstruction of the urethra, then dissection of the rectus muscle and sheath lateral to the attachment of muscle to pubic bone, which makes osteotomy of the superior pubic ramus easy, thus facilitating closure. Results: For closure of the bladder and anterior abdominal wall the results were excellent for all patients soon after surgery, but there was soft-tissue infection in two patients. Of all 15 patients, one had incomplete bladder dehiscence and another had a vesico-cutaneous fistula; both needed surgical intervention later. Conclusions: Simple closure with anterior pubic osteotomy is a feasible and effective means to facilitate both bladder and abdominal closure for patients with bladder exstrophy. It is advantageous in being a rapid procedure, and can be completed by the paediatric urologist

Single versus multiple instillation of povidone iodine and urographin in the treatment of chyluria: A prospective randomised study.

Abstract Objective: To compare the safety, efficacy and complications of single vs multiple instillations of povidone iodine (PI) and urographin as a sclerosing agent in the treatment of chyluria. Patients and methods: The study included 58 patients diagnosed with chyluria between March 2006 and January 2013. The inclusion criteria were either severe attacks of chyluria or patients with mild-to-moderate chyluria who had failed conservative treatment. The patients were randomly allocated to one of two groups: those in Group A had a single instillation of a combination of PI 0.2% plus the contrast-agent urographin 76%, while those in Group B had multiple instillations of the same combination twice daily for 3 successive days. Results: The mean (SD) age of the patients in Groups A and B was 38.22 (10.67) and 37.9 (10.86) years, respectively. Chyluria was severe in eight patients (14.8%), moderate in 25 (46.3%) and mild in 21 (38.9%). The success rate in Group A (single instillation) was 85.2% and in Group B (multiple instillation) was 88.9%. The recurrence rate in Group A was 14.8% with a disease-free duration (DFD) of 4–15 weeks, while in group B it was 11.1% with a DFD of 6–18 weeks. Conclusion: There was no significant difference between a single instillation of a combination of PI 0.2% and urographin 76% as a sclerosing agent in the treatment of chyluria and multiple instillations. However, the single instillation protocol is more cost effective with a shorter hospital stay.

Interposition of dartos flaps to prevent fistula after tubularized incised-plate repair of hypospadias

Abstract Objective: To evaluate the effect of urethral coverage by a single- or double-layered dorsal dartos flap after tubularized incised-plate (TIP) repair of hypospadias on fistula formation. Patients and methods: In this retrospective study we evaluated sequential patients with hypospadias who underwent TIP urethroplasty with a dorsal dartos interpositional flap between April 2008 and December 2009. We reviewed their medical records for the site of hypospadias, previous hypospadias repair, single- or double-layered dartos flap and postoperative complications. The patients were divided into two groups; in group A the urethra was covered by a single layer of dartos fascia, and in group B the urethra was covered by double layers of dartos flap. Results: Of 91 patients who opted for hypospadias repair during the time of the study, 62 had a TIP urethroplasty with a dorsal dartos flap; of these 62, three did not fulfil the requirement of the minimum follow-up, so 59 were eligible for the study (32 in group A and 27 in group B). Preoperative clinical data were comparable in both groups. At a mean of 12.2 months of follow-up, there was no reported fistula in group B, while two patients in group A developed a urethrocutaneous fistula (P = 0.19). Meatal stenosis occurred in two patients in group A and one in group B (P = 0.66). Conclusion: There was no significant difference in subsequent urethrocutaneous fistula between a double-layered dorsal dartos flap and single layer for covering the urethra as a part of TIP urethroplasty for repairing hypospadias.

Lingual mucosal graft two-stage Bracka technique for redo hypospadias repair

Abstract Objectives: To report our initial experience in redo hypospadias repair with a lingual mucosal graft (LMG) using a two-stage Bracka technique. Patients and methods: This study was prospectively conducted and included 26 patients with hypospadias with failed previous repairs. All the patients had a LMG using a two-stage Bracka technique. In the first stage, the harvested LMG, from the ventro-lateral surface of the tongue, was implanted in a well-prepared vascularised bed in the ventral aspect of the penis. After 6 months, tubularisation of the well-taken graft was completed. Tunica vaginalis or a dartos flap was used as second-layer coverage of the neourethra. Success was defined as acceptable aesthetic and functional outcomes without any additional surgical interventions. Results: The mean (SD) patient age was 5.15 (1.6) years. The mean (SD) LMG length was 3.82 (0.9) cm and the width was 1.5 (0.5) cm. The mean (SD) number of previous repairs was 2.76 (1.1). The mean (SD) follow-up was 12 (2) months. Donor-site complications included: pain in all patients, with a pain score of >3 on the visual analogue pain scale (0–10) in 10 (38%); and speech problems in 19 (73%). First-stage complications were graft loss (n = 2) and contracture (n = 1). The second stage was completed in 23 patients resulting in the following significant complications: meatal stenosis plus fistula (n = 2), breakdown (n = 1). Successful hypospadias repair was achieved in 77% (20/26) of the patients. Conclusion: Lingual mucosa is a reliable and versatile graft material in the armamentarium of two-stage Bracka hypospadias repair with the merits of easy harvesting and minor donor-site complications.