Emre Salabas

Residual valve and stricture after posterior urethral valve ablation: How to evaluate?

OBJECTIVE To investigate the clinical and radiological parameters of posterior urethral valve (PUV) patients with residual valve or strictures after primary valve ablation. PATIENTS AND METHODS A total of 127 PUV patients were treated in our clinic between 1986 and 2009. We retrospectively reviewed the records of 101 patients, who had at least 1 year of follow-up data, regarding the presence of valve remnants or urethral strictures after PUV ablation. RESULTS A total of 21 patients (20.8%) underwent repeat-urethroscopy and, of these, residual valve leaflets or stricture were detected in 10 patients (10/101, 9.9%). In 2 of these 10 (20%), the urethra had been found to be normal on the first voiding cystourethrogram following ablation. However, these two boys underwent re-urethroscopy due to persistent vesicoureteral reflux in one and persistent hydroureteronephrosis in the other, and valve remnants were detected. The remaining 8 cases had radiological signs consistent with persistent infravesical obstruction in the early period. Obstruction was due to urethral stricture and residual valve remnants in 2 and 6 cases, respectively. CONCLUSIONS There was clinical suspicion of residual valve in about 20% of the cases and in half of these the urethra was found to be normal on urethroscopy. The possible presence of residual valve remnants after primary valve ablation should be confirmed by careful clinical, radiological and endoscopic evaluation.

How Does the Presence of Antenatally Detected Caliectasis Predict the Risk of Postnatal Surgical Intervention

OBJECTIVE To determine the effect of antenatally detected caliectasis on the postnatal surgical intervention rate. METHODS From 2006 to 2010, 56 patients with an anteroposterior diameter (APD) of 7-20 mm on the prenatal ultrasound scan performed in the third trimester of pregnancy were included in the present study. In these 56 patients, other anomalies (vesicoureteral reflux, posterior urethral valves, duplex system, megaureter) were excluded, and the postnatal clinical and radiologic follow-up data were available. The mean follow-up was 12.82 ± 10.72 months. These 56 patients were divided into 2 groups: those with (n = 32) and without (n = 24) caliectasis. In the caliectasis group, the mean follow-up was 13.6 ± 12.09 months and was 11.7 ± 8.70 months in the group without caliectasis. The statistical correlation between the postnatal operation rates and the presence of caliectasis (APD range 7-20 mm in third trimester) was investigated using the chi-square test. RESULTS In the study group (n = 56) with an APD range of 7-20 mm in the third trimester, postnatal surgical treatment (pyeloplasty) was performed in 12 (37.5%) and 3 (12.5%) of the children with and without caliectasis, respectively (P = .037). The risk of postnatal surgical treatment increased threefold in patients with an APD of 7-20 mm and a diagnosis of caliectasis (relative risk 3.0, 95% confidence interval 1.07-8.40). CONCLUSION In our study, the presence of concomitant caliectasis within the APD range of 7-20 mm on the third trimester ultrasound scan increased the risk of surgical treatment threefold. During prenatal counseling, the presence of caliectasis requires more rigorous follow-up.

The pathophysiology of Peyronie's disease

Abstract Objective: To review the contemporary knowledge of the pathophysiology of Peyronie’s disease (PD). Methods: Medline was searched for papers published in English from 2000 to March 2013, using the keywords ‘Peyronie’s disease’ and ‘pathophysiology’. Results: More than 300 relevant articles were identified for the purpose of this review. Unfortunately only a few studies had a high level of evidence, and the remaining studies were not controlled in their design. Many theories have been proposed to explain the cause of PD, but the true pathogenesis of PD remains an enigma. Identifying particular growth factors and the specific genes responsible for the induction of PD have been the ultimate goal of research over the past several decades. This would provide the means to devise a possible gene therapy for this devastating condition. We discuss present controversies and new discoveries related to the pathophysiology of this condition. Conclusion: PD is one of the most puzzling diseases in urology. The pathogenesis remains uncertain and there is still controversy about the best management. The pathogenesis of PD has been explored in animal models, cell cultures and clinical trials, but the results have led to further questions. New research on the aetiology and pathogenesis of PD is needed, and which will hopefully improve the understanding and management for patients with this frustrating disease.

The Case Report of Priapus and a Modern Approach to an Ancient Affliction

INTRODUCTION Priapism, taking its name from God Priapus, is total or partial erection lasting longer than 4 hours independent of sexual stimulus and can result in erectile dysfunction. There are three subtypes of priapism. AIM To review the three subtypes of priapism, their pathophysiology, current treatment options, and complications. METHODS The literature including priapism guidelines, review articles, and current trial studies was reviewed and the priapism type of God Priapus was investigated according to the mythology. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES All three types of priapism were reviewed for etiology, diagnosis, and management. Medical and surgical treatment options were reviewed in relation to the current literature. Special emphasis concerned current treatment strategies and controversial surgical topics. RESULTS Ischemic priapism is the most common type, constituting 95% of all cases, and is an emergency. First-line treatments are blood aspiration and intracavernosal sympathomimetic drug injections. If these fail, then surgical shunt operations are recommended. A T-shunt combined with corporal tunneling is the currently popular option. Immediate penile prosthesis implantation is recommended for patients who present 48 to 72 hours after the onset of a priapism episode. High-flow priapism is caused by irregular arterial cavernosal blood flow, which usually occurs after a blunt perineal trauma. Antiandrogens and selective arterial embolization are the treatment options. Stuttering priapism is repetitive, self-limiting ischemic priapism and frequent in patients with sickle cell anemia. Ketoconazole is safe, cheap, and effective and appears to be a logical and suitable current treatment option to prevent further episodes, which is the primary treatment goal of stuttering priapism. CONCLUSION Priapism is a relatively common condition but not well known by clinicians. The lack and delay of treatment result in irreversible complications such as erectile dysfunction. Each type of priapism should be diagnosed and treated correctly with caution.

Duration of priapism is associated with increased corporal oxidative stress and antioxidant enzymes in a rat model.

Ischaemic priapism is characterised by hypoxia, hypercapnia and acidosis with resultant corporal fibrosis. Studies reported decreased erectile recovery after treatment of priapism longer than 36 h. However, a recent study revealed that half of patients with 3 days of priapism achieved recovery after T‐shunt, although mechanism remains unclear. We aimed to investigate the effect of priapism duration on oxidative stress and antioxidant enzymes. Twenty‐four male rats were divided into four groups. Group 1 served as control. Groups 2, 3 and 4 represented 1, 2 and 4 h, respectively, of priapism induced by vacuum device and rubber band placed at base of erect penis. After 30 min of reperfusion, penectomy and blood withdrawal were performed to investigate levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), protein carbonyl (PC), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx). Corporal MDA progressively increased with priapism duration (P = 0.01). Corporal SOD significantly differed between groups 1, 2 and 4. Also, there were significant differences in corporal GPx in groups 1 and 4 (P = 0.004) and groups 2 and 4 (P = 0.01). Corporal CAT was higher in group 4, but multivariable analysis revealed insignificant differences. Plasma MDA of the experimental groups was significantly higher than that of controls. There were no differences among groups in terms of other parameters. Increased antioxidant enzymes according to duration of priapism suggest that immediate treatment to relieve oxidative stress should be initiated in prolonged cases. However, further studies should be conducted to determine resistance mechanisms of the corpora to prolonged ischaemia.

Fetal urinoma and prenatal hydronephrosis: how is renal function affected?

OBJECTIVE In our study, the functional prognosis of kidneys with prenatal urinomas were investigated. MATERIAL AND METHODS Between 2006 and 2010, fetal urinomas were detected in 19 fetuses using prenatal ultrasonography (US), and the medical records were reviewed retrospectively. Of the 19 cases, the follow-up data were available for 10 fetuses. The gestational age at diagnosis, prognosis of urinomas, clinical course and renal functions were recorded. Postnatal renal functions were assessed with renal scintigraphy. RESULTS Unilateral urinomas and increased parenchyma echogenicity in the ipsilateral kidney were detected in all of the fetuses. Of the 10 fetuses with follow-up data, the option of termination was offered in 6 cases of anhydramnios, including 3 cases with signs of infravesical obstruction (a possible posterior urethral valve (PUV) and poor prognostic factors and 3 cases with unilateral hydronephrosis and increased echogenicity in the contralateral kidney. Only one family agreed the termination. The other 5 fetuses died during the early postnatal period. The average postnatal follow-up period in the 4 surviving fetuses was 22.5 months (8-38 months). One patient with a PUV underwent ablation surgery during the early postnatal period. In the postnatal period, none of the 4 kidneys that were ipsilateral to the urinoma were functional on scintigraphic evaluation. The urinomas disappeared in 3 cases. Nephrectomy was performed in one case due to recurrent urinary tract infections. CONCLUSION In our study, no function was detected in the ipsilateral kidney of surviving patients with urinomas. Upper urinary tract dilatation accompanied by a urinoma is a poor prognostic factor for renal function.

Prospective evaluation of complications in laparoscopic urology at a mid-volume institution using standardized criteria: Experience of 1023 cases including learning curve in 9 years

Aim: To evaluate the laparoscopic operations performed in our department according to the modified Clavien classification system of complications. Materials and Methods: Between September, 2005 and February, 2014, a total of 1023 laparoscopic cases were performed. This period was divided into three terms (Terms 1, 2 and 3 consisting of 38, 32 and 32 months, respectively). According to the European Scoring System (ESS), easy (E), slightly difficult (SD), fairly difficult (FD), difficult (D), very difficult (VD) and extremely difficult (ED) cases were 35, 88, 170, 390, 203 and 137, respectively. The perioperative complications were evaluated based on the 3 time periods, with a specific emphasis on determining the learning curve according to the modified Clavien classification system of complications. Results: A total of 236 (23.1%) complications were observed according to the modified Clavien classification. The minor (Clavien I-II) and major (Clavien III, IV and V) complication rates were 20.5% (n = 210) and 2.4% (n = 26), respectively. Clavien I was the most frequently encountered type of complication (n = 120, %11.7). No significant difference was observed among all 3 time periods regarding total complication rates. The D cases had the highest complication rate compared to E, SD, FD, VD and ED cases among all three terms. The total number of complications increased significantly with increasing grade of technical difficulty according to the ESS. Conclusion: Complications encountered in our laparoscopic surgery experience were predominantly minor, and the rate of complications was not significantly increased during the learning curve. The present data can provide guidance and manage expectations for surgeons introducing laparoscopy into their practice.

Neurovascular bundle dissection for Nesbit procedure in congenital penile curvature patients: medial or lateral?

The objective of this study was to compare the outcomes of the modified Nesbit procedure using different techniques for dissecting the neurovascular bundle (NVB) to correct ventral congenital penile curvatures (CPCs). The bundle was mobilized using the medial and lateral dissection technique in 21 (Group 1) and 13 (Group 2) patients, respectively. In the medial technique, Bucks fascia is opened at the dorsal side of the penis, the deep dorsal vein is removed at the most prominent site of the curvature and a diamond-shaped tunica albuginea (TA) is excised from the midline of the penis. In the lateral technique, the bundle is mobilized using a longitudinal lateral incision of the Bucks fascia above the urethra at the 5 and 7 o’clock positions via a bilateral approach. The localization and degree of curvature was evaluated using the combined intracavernous injection stimulation test or from the patients’ photographs. The mean patient age and degree of curvature were similar between groups. The mean operation time was longer for Group 2 (P = 0.01). In Group 1, nine patients (42.8%) required one diamond excision, 10 (47.6%) required two diamond excisions and two (9.5%) required more than two excisions; in Group 2, six patients (46.2%) required two diamond excisions and seven patients (53.8%) required more than two diamond excisions (P = 0.019). The differences in penile shortening, penile straightening and numbness of the glans penis were not statistically significant. Medial dissection of the bundle for the modified Nesbit procedure reduces the number of diamond-shaped removals of TA and thus shortens operation time in comparison with its lateral counterpart.

Peyronie`s disease surgery: Surgical outcomes of 268 cases

Objective To assess the outcomes of the surgical techniques used in Peyronies disease (PD) surgery. Material and methods Two hundred and sixty-eight patients received surgical treatment for PD. Fifty four and 144 patients underwent simple corporoplasties (shortening procedure, SP, group 1) or plaque incision and grafting surgery (lengthening surgery, LP, group 2), respectively, whereas 70 patients with erectile dysfunction underwent penile prosthesis implantation. Results Penile plication and Nesbit surgeries were performed in 5 (9%) and 42 (78%) patients out of total 54 patients. In the remaining 7 (13%) patients, Nesbit and plication suture combination was required for complete penile straightening. Mean curvature degree was 52.2±12.3 degrees. Follow up time was 36.1±29.4 months. No significant difference was demonstrated between the two groups in the baseline features and co-morbidities except age. In 144 patients who underwent plaque incision and grafting, mean age and PD onset duration were 54.1±9.2 years and 28.2±17.3 months respectively. Mean curvature degree was 58.4±18.9 degrees. Post-operative follow up time of the second group was 51.1±39.6 months. Additional plication suture was used in 48 patients (33%) patients. Degree of curvature improvement was 37.9±19.1 and 52.1±23.5 in SP and LP respectively (p=0.01). The initial anatomic success rates were 90.4% and 87.5% at their early post-operative follow-ups for group 1 and 2 respectively. These rates dropped to 82.7% and 83.6% at the long term follow-up (36 and 51 months) respectively (p=0.9). Although the average follow-up time of LP group was longer than SP group (52.1 mo vs. 37.0 mo), recurrence rates of these two groups were comparable. The combined functional and anatomical success of patients were demonstrated to be 79% and 75% in shortening and grafting surgery. Shortening surgery was not statistically superior to grafting surgery for patients in terms of having erection with or without the aid of PDE-5 inhibitors (94.4% vs. 88.2%, p=0.28). Shortening surgery makes a difference in the long term follow-up for patients who had erections without the aid of PDE-5 inhibitors (90.7% vs. 67.3%, p=0.02). Conclusion Both SP and LP are successful in terms of penile straightening in the short and long-term follow-up. Curvature degree improvement is greater in LP. Patients who undergo LP surgery may suffer from ED in the long-term follow-ups. Greater percentage of patients who underwent LP require PDE-5 inhibitors usage for sexual intercourse. Despite stated shortcomings, combined success (anatomic and functional) is achieved in three out of four patients for both groups. Penile prosthesis implantation should be preferred for patients with ED and penile deformity.

Sexual function in women with Cushing’s Syndrome: A controlled study

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to determine the severity of female sexual dysfunction (FSD), quality of life, and depression status in female patients with Cushings syndrome (CS). MATERIAL AND METHODS This study included 29 sexually active women with CS and 30 healthy age and body mass index matched women. The Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) questionnaire, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) were filled by each participant. Plasma levels of FSH, LH, PRL, cortisol, DHEA-S, 17-hydroxyprogesterone, androstenedione, free testosterone, total testosterone and estradiol were measured. RESULTS Female sexual dysfunction was present in 88.9% of the women with CS and 24.1% of the control group. The CS group showed a lower total FSFI score [16.6 (IQR: 5-23)] compared to the healthy women [26.8 (IQR: 25.5-30.4) (p<0.001)]. The FSFI scores in the arousal, lubrication, orgasm, pain and satisfaction domains were all lower in the women with CS (p<0.001). Both summary scores of the SF-36 were reduced in women with Cushings syndrome compared to the control group (p=0.001). The BDI scores of patients were significantly higher than those of the control subjects (p=0.007). In patients with CS, levels of LH, estradiol, and DHEA-S04 were significantly lower while cortisol (p<0.05), and 17 hydroxyprogestrone levels were higher than control subjects (p<0.05). CONCLUSION This study showed that majority of the women with CS had FSD. This may be related to the inhibitory effect of cortisol on sex hormones.