Stephan Madersbacher

Urinary Incontinence in Both Sexes: Prevalence Rates and Impact on Quality of Life and Sexual Life

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of urinary incontinence in both sexes in Austria and to assess its impact on quality of life and sexual function. Voluntary health examinations free of charge are regularly organized in the area of Vienna. From May 1998 to April 1999 we have included in this health examination an incontinence questionnaire containing 37 items, which was largely based on the Bristol female lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) questionnaire. This questionnaire asks in detail for various aspects of urinary incontinence/voiding problems, including the impact of urinary incontinence on quality of life and sexual function. In this questionnaire, urinary incontinence was defined as any involuntary loss of urine within the past 4 weeks. The data of 2,498 participants (1,262 women [f]: mean age: 49.7±13.6 years and 1,236 men [m]: 48.6±13.0 years; age range: 20–96 years) were analyzed. Overall, 26.3% of women and 5.0% of men reported on episodes of urinary incontinence during the past 4 weeks. Prevalence rates increased constantly with age in both sexes: 20–29 years: 4.1% (f), 1.7% (m); 30–39 years: 10.8% (f), 2.7% (m); 40–49 years: 22.9% (f); 3.9% (m); 50–59 years: 34.9% (f), 3.7% (m); 60–69 years: 36.9% (f), 7.6% (m); 70 years or older: 36.0%% (f), 11.5% (m). Overall, 65.7% of women and 58.3% of men stated that quality of life was affected by their incontinence status. A moderate or severe impairment was reported by 18.3% of women and 16.6% of men. Impairment of quality of life was related as statistically significant (P < 0.05) to frequency and degree of incontinence (irrespective of the type of incontinence), the impact on sexual function and need for pads or other incontinence devices. Patient gender, age, and the duration of incontinence had no effect (P > 0.05) on quality of life. An impairment of sexual life by urinary incontinence was stated by 25.1% of women and 30.5% of women, respectively. Although only 65.7% of women and 58.3% men with urinary incontinence reported on an impairment of quality of life, these data underline the high prevalence and socioeconomic implications of this disorder. The impact of urinary incontinence on quality of life is significantly higher than on sexual function. Neurourol. Urodynam. 19:259–271, 2000.

Meta-analysis of Functional Outcomes and Complications Following Transurethral Procedures for Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms Resulting from Benign Prostatic Enlargement

CONTEXT There is a continuous decline in the number of transurethral resections of the prostate (TURP) and an increase use of minimally invasive surgical therapy (MIST) for lower urinary tract symptoms resulting from benign prostatic enlargement. Current results from randomised controlled trials (RCT) and methodologically sound prospective studies suggest that some of the proposed procedures have the potential to replace TURP. OBJECTIVE To determine the contemporary status of TURP and of the currently most commonly applied transurethral MISTs: (1) bipolar TURP, (2) bipolar transurethral vaporisation of the prostate (bipolar TUVP), (3) holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP), and (4) potassium-titanyl-phosphate (KTP) laser vaporisation of the prostate. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION This meta-analysis was based on a systematic Medline search assessing the period 1997-2009. All RCTs comparing TURP and the most commonly discussed ablative treatments were included. The end points of our analyses were functional outcomes and treatment-related adverse events. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS Twenty-seven publications involving 23 different RCTs with a total of 2245 patients provided the highest level of evidence available (level 1b) and were fully assessed. Meta-analysis was conducted with SAS v.9.1.3 (SAS Institute, Cary, NC, USA). Forest plots were produced using the R software. Pooled odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated between various operative techniques versus TURP. Functional results between the specific transurethral procedures versus TURP were summarised as differences in means. CONCLUSIONS This meta-analysis demonstrates statistically comparable efficacy and overall morbidity for MISTs versus contemporary TURP. Type, category (minor vs major), and the number of complications (safety profile) vary specifically for each of the different transurethral techniques. We feel that the individual patients clinical profile should be carefully assessed to identify the most appropriate transurethral technique.

EAU Guidelines on the Assessment of Non-neurogenic Male Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms including Benign Prostatic Obstruction

CONTEXT Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) represent one of the most common clinical complaints in adult men and have multifactorial aetiology. OBJECTIVE To develop European Association of Urology (EAU) guidelines on the assessment of men with non-neurogenic LUTS. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION A structured literature search on the assessment of non-neurogenic male LUTS was conducted. Articles with the highest available level of evidence were selected. The Delphi technique consensus approach was used to develop the recommendations. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS As a routine part of the initial assessment of male LUTS, a medical history must be taken, a validated symptom score questionnaire with quality-of-life question(s) should be completed, a physical examination including digital rectal examination should be performed, urinalysis must be ordered, post-void residual urine (PVR) should be measured, and uroflowmetry may be performed. Micturition frequency-volume charts or bladder diaries should be used to assess male LUTS with a prominent storage component or nocturia. Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) should be measured only if a diagnosis of prostate cancer will change the management or if PSA can assist in decision-making for patients at risk of symptom progression and complications. Renal function must be assessed if renal impairment is suspected from the history and clinical examination, if the patient has hydronephrosis, or when considering surgical treatment for male LUTS. Uroflowmetry should be performed before any treatment. Imaging of the upper urinary tract in men with LUTS should be performed in patients with large PVR, haematuria, or a history of urolithiasis. Imaging of the prostate should be performed if this assists in choosing the appropriate drug and when considering surgical treatment. Urethrocystoscopy should only be performed in men with LUTS to exclude suspected bladder or urethral pathology and/or before minimally invasive/surgical therapies if the findings may change treatment. Pressure-flow studies should be performed only in individual patients for specific indications before surgery or when evaluation of the pathophysiology underlying LUTS is warranted. CONCLUSIONS These guidelines provide evidence-based practical guidance for assessment of non-neurogenic male LUTS. An extended version is available online (www.uroweb.org/guidelines). PATIENT SUMMARY This article presents a short version of European Association of Urology guidelines for non-neurogenic male lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). The recommended tests should be able to distinguish between uncomplicated male LUTS and possible differential diagnoses and to evaluate baseline parameters for treatment. The guidelines also define the clinical profile of patients to provide the best evidence-based care. An algorithm was developed to guide physicians in using appropriate diagnostic tests.

Laparoscopic and Open Partial Nephrectomy: A Matched-Pair Comparison of 200 Patients

BACKGROUND Laparoscopy is currently challenging the role of the open approach for nephron-sparing surgery (NSS), yet comparative studies on this issue are scant. OBJECTIVE To compare surgical, oncologic, and functional outcomes after laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (LPN) and open partial nephrectomy (OPN). DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS We undertook matched-pair (age, sex, tumour size) analysis of patients who underwent elective NSS for renal masses either by laparoscopic (Klagenfurt) or open (Vienna) access. MEASUREMENTS Surgical data, complications, histologic and oncologic data, and short- and long-term renal function of the open and laparoscopic groups were compared. RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS In total, 200 patients matched for age, sex, and tumour size entered the study after either LPN or OPN and were followed for a mean of 3.6 yr. Surgical, ischemia, and hospitalisation times were shorter in the LPN group (p<0.001). Blood loss and complication rates were comparable in both groups. Malignant tumours were pT1 stage renal-cell cancer only in both groups. The positive surgical margin (PSM) rate was 4% after LPN and 2% after OPN (p=0.5); positive margins were not a risk factor for disease recurrence. Kaplan-Meier estimates of 5-yr local recurrence-free survival (RFS) were 97% after LPN and 98% after OPN (p=0.8); the respective numbers for distant free survival were 99% and 96% (p=0.2). Five-year overall survival (OS) for patients with pT1 stage renal cell carcinoma (RCC) was 96% after LPN and 85% after OPN. The decline in glomerular filtration rate at the last available follow-up (LPN: 10.9%; OPN: 10.6%) was similar in both groups (p=0.8). We recognise the retrospective nature, limited follow-up, and sample size as shortcomings of this study. CONCLUSIONS In experienced hands, LPN provides similar results compared to open surgery. PSM rates were comparable after LPN and OPN. Current experience questions the indication of secondary nephrectomy in these patients.

A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Functional Outcomes and Complications Following Transurethral Procedures for Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms Resulting from Benign Prostatic Obstruction: An Update

CONTEXT A number of transurethral ablative techniques based on the use of innovative medical devices have been introduced in the recent past for the surgical treatment of benign prostatic obstruction (BPO). OBJECTIVE To conduct a systematic review of the literature and a meta-analysis of available randomized controlled trials (RCTs), and to evaluate the efficacy and safety of transurethral ablative procedures for BPO. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION A systematic literature search was performed for all RCTs comparing any transurethral surgical technique for BPO to another between 1992 and 2013. Efficacy was evaluated after a minimum follow-up of 1 yr based on International Prostate Symptom Score, maximum flow rate, and postvoid residual volume. Efficacy at midterm follow-up, prostate volume, perioperative data, and short-term and long-term complications were also assessed. Data were analyzed using RevMan software. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS A total of 69 RCTs (8517 enrolled patients) were included. No significant difference was found in terms of short-term efficacy between bipolar transurethral resection of the prostate (B-TURP) and monopolar transurethral resection of the prostate (M-TURP). However, B-TURP was associated with a lower rate of perioperative complications. Better short-term efficacy outcomes, fewer immediate complications, and a shorter hospital stay were found after holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) compared with M-TURP. Compared with M-TURP, GreenLight photoselective vaporization of the prostate (PVP) was associated with a shorter hospital stay and fewer complications but no different short-term efficacy outcomes. CONCLUSIONS This meta-analysis shows that HoLEP is associated with more favorable outcomes than M-TURP in published RCTs. B-TURP and PVP have resulted in better perioperative outcomes without significant differences regarding efficacy parameters after short-term follow-up compared with M-TURP. Further studies are needed to provide long-term comparative data and head-to head comparisons of emerging techniques. PATIENT SUMMARY Bipolar transurethral resection of the prostate, photovaporization of the prostate, and holmium laser enucleation of the prostate have shown efficacy outcomes comparable with conventional techniques yet reduce the complication rate. The respective role of these new options in the surgical armamentarium needs to be refined to propose tailored surgical treatment for benign prostatic obstruction relief.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia: age-related tissue-remodeling

Aging and androgens are the two established risk factors for the development of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and benign prostatic enlargement (BPE), which can lead to lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in elderly men. BPH, consisting of a nodular overgrowth of the epithelium and fibromuscular tissue within transition zone and periurethral areas, is first detectable around the fourth decade of life and affects nearly all men by the ninth decade. The pathogenesis of BPH is still largely unresolved, but multiple partially overlapping and complementary theories have been proposed, all of which seem to be operative at least to some extent. In addition to nerve-, endocrine- and immune system, local para- and luminocrine pleiotrope mechanisms/factors are implicated in the prostatic tissue-remodeling process. Prostate tissue-remodeling in the transition zone is characterized by: (i) hypertrophic basal cells, (ii) altered secretions of luminal cells leading to calcification, clogged ducts and inflammation, (iii) lymphocytic infiltration with production of proinflammatory cytokines, (iv) increased radical oxygen species (ROS) production that damages epithelial and stromal cells, (v) increased basic fibroblast (bFGF) and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta 1) production leading to stromal proliferation, transdifferentiation and extracellular matrix production, (vi) altered autonomous innervation that decreases relaxation and leads to a high adrenergic tonus, (vii) and altered neuroendocine cell function and release of neuroendocrine peptides (NEP). This review summarizes the multifactorial nature of prostate tissue remodeling in elderly men with symptomatic BPH with a particular focus on changes of cell-cell interactions and cell functions in the human aging prostate.

The aging lower urinary tract: a comparative urodynamic study of men and women

OBJECTIVES The fact that aging women report similar voiding symptoms as age-matched men prompted us to compare age-related changes of urodynamic parameters in both sexes. METHODS Four hundred thirty-six patients (253 men and 183 women) 40 years of age or older underwent the following investigations: free uroflowmetry, measurement of postvoid residual volume, and full urodynamic testing, including a pressure-flow study (pQs). Additional investigations were a urethral pressure profile in women and quantification of prostate volume by transrectal ultrasonography in men. All men were referred for lower urinary tract symptoms suspicious of bladder outflow obstruction and women predominantly for urinary incontinence. Patients with previous surgery of the lower urinary tract (prostate, bladder, urethra) and those taking medication with a major effect on voiding function (alpha-receptor blockers, 5 alpha-reductase inhibitors, anticholinergic agents) were excluded. RESULTS The mean +/- standard deviation (SD) age in the female (f) population (n = 183) was 59 +/- 16 years (range 40 to 93), in the male population (m) (n = 253) 67 +/- 9 years (range 40 to 90). In both sexes, we observed a statistically significant increase of postvoid residual volume (f: P = 0.0001; m: P = 0.02) and a decrease of peak flow rate (f: P = 0.019; m: P = 0.014), average flow rate (f: P = 0.007; m: P = 0.04), voided volume (f: P = 0.007; m: P = 0.002), and bladder capacity determined by urodynamics (f: P = 0.003; m: P = 0.0004) with progressing age. In both sexes, there were no age-related changes (P >0.05), demonstrable for maximum detrusor pressure and detrusor pressure at peak flow rate. In women, there was a significant decrease of functional urethral length (P = 0.012) and maximum urethral closing pressure (P = 0.0001) with higher age; in men, the prostate volume increased significantly with age (P = 0.0001). With respect to detrusor instability, we observed an increase in men from 23.4% (40 to 60 years) to 46.7% (more than 80 years) (P = 0.004), whereas in women no significant age-related changes were present (P >0.05). CONCLUSIONS These data show that age-associated urodynamic changes in both sexes are comparable for a number of parameters. They provide an explanation for the fact that aging women report comparable voiding symptoms as men and suggest a primary, non-sex-specific aging process of the urinary bladder.

Tissue Ablation in Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia with High Intensity Focused Ultrasound

The safety and effectiveness of tissue ablation by coagulative necrosis with high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) applied through a rectal probe to 36 patients with symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) was investigated in a phase II clinical trial. Overall, HIFU treatment was well tolerated, the mean hospital stay being 1.1 days. Negative side effects were transient urinary retention in 32/36 patients, hematuria in 2 patients and hematospermia resolving after 3-4 weeks (n = 15). After 3 months the maximum flow rate/s (Qmax) increased from 9.0 +/- 3.9 to 14.4 +/- 7.0 ml/s, the median flow rate/s (QM90) from 4.9 +/- 2.4 to 7.6 +/- 4.17 ml/s; the postvoid residual volume decreased from 128 +/- 88 to 57 +/- 35 ml and the AUA symptom score from 25.5 +/- 5 to 13.2 +/- 4.4. In conclusion, it was shown that tissue ablation in patients with symptomatic BPH using HIFU is safe and dramatically reduces both obstructive and irritative symptoms and leads to a significant increase in uroflow and a decrease in postvoid residual volume.

Contemporary Management of Lower Urinary Tract Disease With Botulinum Toxin A: A Systematic Review of Botox (OnabotulinumtoxinA) and Dysport (AbobotulinumtoxinA)

CONTEXT The use of botulinum toxin A (BoNTA) in the treatment of lower urinary tract dysfunction has expanded in recent years and the off-licence usage list includes neurogenic detrusor overactivity (NDO), idiopathic detrusor overactivity (IDO), painful bladder syndrome (PBS), and lower urinary tract symptoms resulting from bladder outflow obstruction (BOO) or detrusor sphincter dyssynergia (DSD). There are two commonly used preparations of BoNTA: Botox (onabotulinumtoxinA) and Dysport (abobotulinumtoxinA). OBJECTIVE To compare the reported outcomes of onabotulinumtoxinA and abobotulinumtoxinA in the treatment of NDO, IDO, PBS, DSD, and BOO for adults and children. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION We performed a systematic review of the published literature on PubMed, Scopus, and Embase in the English language reporting on outcomes of both BoNTA preparations. Review articles and series with <10 cases were excluded. The articles were graded for level of evidence and conclusions drawn separately for data with higher-level evidence. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS There is high-level evidence for the use of onabotulinumtoxinA and abobotulinumtoxinA in adults with NDO but only for abobotulinumtoxinA in children with NDO. Only onabotulinumtoxinA has level 1 evidence supporting its use in IDO, BOO, DSD, and PBS/interstitial cystitis. CONCLUSIONS We identified good-quality studies that evaluated onabotulinumtoxinA for all the indications described above in adults; such was not the case with abobotulinumtoxinA. Although this does not imply that onabotulinumtoxinA is more effective than abobotulinumtoxinA, it should be a consideration when counselling patients on the use of botulinum toxin in urologic applications. The two preparations should not be used interchangeably, either in terms of predicting outcome or in determining doses to be used.

ICUD-EAU International Consultation on Bladder Cancer 2012: Urinary diversion.

CONTEXT A summary of the 2nd International Consultation on Bladder Cancer recommendations on the reconstructive options after radical cystectomy (RC), their outcomes, and their complications. OBJECTIVE To review the literature regarding indications, surgical details, postoperative care, complications, functional outcomes, as well as quality-of-life measures of patients with different forms of urinary diversion (UD). EVIDENCE ACQUISITION An English-language literature review of data published between 1970 and 2012 on patients with UD following RC for bladder cancer was undertaken. No randomized controlled studies comparing conduit diversion with neobladder or continent cutaneous diversion have been performed. Consequently, almost all studies used in this report are of level 3 evidence. Therefore, the recommendations given here are grade C only, meaning expert opinion delivered without a formal analysis. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS Indications and patient selection criteria have significantly changed over the past 2 decades. Renal function impairment is primarily caused by obstruction. Complications such as stone formation, urine outflow, and obstruction at any level must be recognized early and treated. In patients with orthotopic bladder substitution, daytime and nocturnal continence is achieved in 85-90% and 60-80%, respectively. Continence is inferior in elderly patients with orthotopic reconstruction. Urinary retention remains significant in female patients, ranging from 7% to 50%. CONCLUSIONS RC and subsequent UD have been assessed as the most difficult surgical procedure in urology. Significant disparity on how the surgical complications were reported makes it impossible to compare postoperative morbidity results. Complications rates overall following RC and UD are significant, and when strict reporting criteria are incorporated, they are much higher than previously published. Fortunately, most complications are minor (Clavien grade 1 or 2). Complications can occur up to 20 yr after surgery, emphasizing the need for lifelong monitoring. Evidence suggests an association between surgical volume and outcome in RC; the challenge of optimum care for elderly patients with comorbidities is best mastered at high-volume hospitals by high-volume surgeons. Preoperative patient information, patient selection, surgical techniques, and careful postoperative follow-up are the cornerstones to achieve good long-term results.