Premal Patel

Pathological Upstaging of Clinical T1 to Pathological T3a Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Multi-institutional Analysis of Short-term Outcomes

OBJECTIVE To determine the oncological impact of pathological upstaging among patients with clinical T1 (cT1) disease treated by partial nephrectomy or radical nephrectomy. METHODS The Canadian Kidney Cancer Information System comprises a prospectively maintained multi-institutional database for patients with renal cell carcinoma. Nonmetastatic, cT1 renal cell carcinoma cases were evaluated. Upstaging was defined as pathological T3a disease. Multivariate Cox regression analysis identified predictors for recurrence (local recurrence and/or metastatic disease) whereas logistic regression identified predictors of pathological upstaging. Kaplan-Meier methods estimated survival. RESULTS Of 1448 eligible cT1 patients, upstaging was observed in 134 (9%). One thousand fifty-eight (73%) were treated by partial nephrectomy. After a median follow-up of 23 months, the 3-year recurrence-free survival was 76% in upstaged patients compared with 93% in those not upstaged (P < .001). Controlling for age, gender, year of surgery, histology, tumor size, surgical approach, and margin status, pathological upstaging was independently associated with disease recurrence (hazard ratio 2.03, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.12-3.68). Increasing age (odds ratio [OR] 1.02, 95% CI 1.00-1.05), Fuhrman grade (OR 2.47, 95% CI 1.47-4.14), and tumor size (OR 1.16, 95% CI 1.00-1.36) were independently associated with a risk of pathological upstaging. CONCLUSION Pathological upstaging confers a negative prognosis and highlights the importance of accurate clinical staging. A number of factors have been identified, including some attainable by renal biopsy, which may predict upstaging and provide valuable adjunct information to inform risk stratification and management decisions among patients with cT1 renal masses.

Urinary bladder xanthoma: a multi‐institutional series of 17 cases

To present a series of urinary bladder xanthomas and characterize their clinical features and associated pathology.

Ureteroscopy with conscious sedation for distal ureteric calculi: 10-year experience.

INTRODUCTION Distal ureteroscopy for stone extraction is a common procedure that is generally performed with spinal or general anesthesia. We retrospectively reviewed all distal ureteroscopy performed for ureteric stone extraction with conscious sedation at our institution over a 10-year period to determine its efficacy and safety. METHODS A retrospective chart review was performed of all distal ureteroscopy performed for calculus removal from 2004 to 2014. Patient characteristics, analgesic requirement, tolerability, procedure time, stone size and composition, method of stone extraction, success rate, and complications were collected. RESULTS Between 2004 and 2014, 314 procedures were performed. Mean age was 53.74 years, with 160 males and 154 females. A success rate of 97% and 10 (3.2%) complications were reported. Mean analgesic requirement was 189 μg of fentanyl (range: 50-400) and 2.79 mg of midazolam (range: 0-8). A total of 263 patients (83.7%) tolerated the procedure well, with only seven (2.2%) having poor tolerability. When comparing females to males, females were found to require less fentanyl (p=0.0001) and midazolam (p=0.0001). When calculi >5 mm were compared to those <5 mm, there was no statistically significant difference in success rate, procedure time, analgesic requirement, tolerability, or complications. CONCLUSION Distal ureteroscopy with conscious sedation is safe and efficacious. To our knowledge, this is the first report demonstrating stones >5 mm can be safely and effectively treated with conscious sedation during this procedure. The context of our findings must be understood within the limitations of our retrospective analysis.

Clinical outcomes following laparoscopic management of pT3 renal masses: A large, multi-institutional cohort

INTRODUCTION We described the clinical and oncological outcomes of patients treated by laparoscopic surgery for non-metastatic pT3 renal cell carcinoma (RCC). METHODS We queried a multi-institutional database for patients diagnosed with non-metastatic pathological T3 RCC from 13 Canadian centres treated laparoscopically (radical or partial nephrectomy) between 2008 and 2014. Clinical and pathological outcomes were evaluated. Progression was defined as the development of recurrence or metastatic disease. Log-rank testing and Kaplan-Meier statistical methods assessed for differences and estimated progression-free survival (PFS). RESULTS In total, 176 patients were identified with a median age of 64 years. The median tumour size was 7.0 cm. Pre-clinical stage was cT1 to cT4 in 39%, 28%, 30% and 3%, respectively. The median blood loss was 150 mL (range: 0-6000) and the median operative time was 124 minutes (range: 60-360). Most lesions were clear cell RCC (80%). After a median follow-up of 17.6 months (range: 0.2-75.0), disease progression occurred in 26% (46/176) of patients, consisting of local recurrence in 7% (3/46), and metastatic disease in 93% (43/46). The 3-year PFS was 67%, with a median PFS of 49 months. Of those who progressed, the median time to progression was 10.3 months. CONCLUSIONS This study is the largest cohort of pT3 RCC patients treated laparoscopically in the literature and suggests that for properly selected patients, laparoscopic management of locally advanced renal masses yields acceptable short-term oncological outcomes.

The value of a core clinical rotation in urology for medical students

INTRODUCTION In 2013, our institution underwent a change to the undergraduate medical curriculum whereby a clinical urology rotation became mandatory. In this paper, we evaluated the perceived utility and value of this change in the core curriculum. METHODS Third year medical students, required to complete a mandatory 1-week clinical urology rotation, were asked to complete a survey before and after their rotation. Fourth year medical students, not required to complete this rotation, were also asked to complete a questionnaire. Chi-squared and Fishers exact test were used for data analysis. RESULTS In total, 108 third year students rotated through urology during the study period. Of these, 66 (61%) completed the pre-rotation survey and 54 (50%) completed the post-rotation survey. In total, there were 110 fourth year students. Of these, 44 (40%) completed the questionnaire. After completing their mandatory rotations, students felt more comfortable managing and investigating common urological problems, such as hematuria and renal colic. Students felt they had a better understanding of how to insert a Foley catheter and felt comfortable independently inserting a Foley catheter. Importantly, students felt they knew when to consult urology and were also more likely to consider a career in urology. Compared to fourth year students, third year students felt urology was an important component to a family medicine practice and felt they had a better understanding of when to consult urology. CONCLUSION The introduction of a mandatory urology rotation for undergraduate medical students leads to a perceived improvement in fundamental urological knowledge and skill set of rotating students. This mandatory rotation provides a valuable experience that validates its inclusion.

Impact of penile degloving and proximal ventral dissection on curvature correction in children with proximal hypospadias

INTRODUCTION Penile degloving is an important step in orthoplasty. Although its role in correcting mild curvature in distal and midshaft hypospadias has been previously reported, its impact on ventral curvature (VC) correction in proximal defects warrants further investigation. Therefore, we sought to document the effect of degloving and proximal urethral dissection on VC correction in children with proximal hypospadias. METHODS We retrospectively reviewed the records of 137 patients who underwent proximal hypospadias repair between 1998 and 2006. VC, defined as mild (<30%), moderate (30%-45%), and severe (>45%), was recorded before penile degloving and after erection test. Percent improvement in VC and need for further treatment (beyond degloving and proximal dissection) based on preoperative degree of curvature were assessed. ANOVA test was used to compare improvement among the 3 groups. RESULTS Mean age at repair was 14 months (range: 6-24). Penile degloving associated with proximal urethral dissection when necessary was responsible for the improvement in the degree of curvature in 7 of 9 (77%) patients with mild VC, 23 of 44 (52%) with moderate and 35 of 84 (40%) with severe VC. Additionally, degloving alone was sufficient for VC correction in 7 of 9 (77%) mild cases, 14 of 44 (30%) moderate and only 2 of 84 (2%) severe cases. The difference among these 3 groups was statistically significant (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Penile degloving alone can correct VC. The percentage of improvement depends on the preoperative degree of curvature, with severe VC cases showing the least improvement.

Hilar control during laparoscopic donor nephrectomy: Practice patterns in Canada

INTRODUCTION In recent years, the method of vascular control during laparoscopic donor nephrectomy (LDN) has come under scrutiny due to catastrophic consequences of a device failure. This study sought to examine the surgical preferences of Canadian donor surgeons with regards to vascular control and their perception on the safety of these modalities. We also surveyed the experience with device malfunction and their subsequent management during LDN. METHODS An online survey was sent out to donor surgeons registered with the Canadian Society of Transplantation. Surveys were anonymous and voluntary. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the collected responses. Recollection of the sequelae and outcomes from device malfunction were also queried. RESULTS Twenty-eight of 37 surgeons (76% response rate) responded to the survey. At least one surgeon from every institution in Canada performing LDN responded to the survey. Laparoscopic stapler is the most commonly used device for securing the renal artery (61%) and renal vein (67%). Overall, surgeons felt the stapler was the safest method of securing the renal artery. Stapler misfire and clip slippage were reported by eight (28.5%) and 12 (43%) surgeons, respectively. Most cases were salvageable: laparoscopically (30%), open conversion (30%), and by hand port (5%). Slippage of a plastic locking clip resulted in one emergent laparotomy on POD#1 and one stapler misfire was converted to open resulting in donor death. CONCLUSIONS Although rare, hemorrhagic complications can occur from device malfunction resulting in poor outcomes for healthy volunteers undergoing LDN. Surgeons need to remain vigilant when selecting the appropriate modality for vascular control.

Changing of the guard? A glance at the surgical representation in the Canadian renal transplantation community.

INTRODUCTION Renal transplant is the gold standard treatment for end-stage renal disease (ESRD), and the prevalence of both ESRD and renal transplant has been steadily increasing over the past decade. However, involvement of urology in renal transplant has been declining. We examine the current state of urology involvement in renal transplant programs across Canada. METHODS A telephone survey of all surgical transplant centres in Canada was performed. Information regarding the number of transplant surgeons, their individual training background, and their involvement in specific procedures, including open and laparoscopic living donor nephrectomy, deceased donor nephrectomy, and recipient renal transplant were collected. RESULTS There are 59 Canadian transplant surgeons, including 27 (46%) who completed a urology residency and 32 (54%) with a general surgery background. With regards to procedures performed, 58 (98%) perform recipient renal transplant surgery, 36 (61%) perform laparoscopic donor nephrectomy, and 17 (29%) perform open donor nephrectomy. There was no significant difference in the number of surgeons that perform renal recipient surgery, laparoscopic or open donor nephrectomies, and deceased donor nephrectomies between surgeons of the two different training backgrounds. CONCLUSIONS The role of urology in Canadian renal transplant has declined significantly over the past decade. Given the medical and surgical complexity of renal transplant, along with the growing need for renal transplants, a multidisciplinary team approach is imperative. Strong urology involvement with the transplant team is crucial for optimal care of these complex patients.