Features
Benign prostatic hyperplasia: what are the benefits and harms of various surgical management options?
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is characterised by stromal and epithelial prostatic cell hyperplasia. The enlarged prostate may be associated with voiding and storage lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). These have been predominantly attributed to bladder outlet obstruction (BOO), assumed to...
Mechanisms and prevention of catheterisation associated urethral injury (CAUI)
Urethral catheterisation is a common procedure performed by health professionals across different grades and specialties in a variety of clinical settings. An estimated 15-25% of hospitalised patients have a urinary catheter inserted during their inpatient stay and up to 13%...
The conservative assessment and treatment of mixed urinary and anal incontinence in women: a multidisciplinary approach
Mixed urinary incontinence Urinary incontinence (UI) is considered to be a highly prevalent condition; however, depending upon the definitions used, actual reported prevalence rates can vary significantly. The International Consultation on Incontinence (ICI) review [1], reported unadjusted prevalence estimates for...
What exactly is Hinman Syndrome?
Who was Hinman and what is Hinman Syndrome? Frank Hinman Junior (1915–2011) first described ‘Hinman syndrome’ in the 1970s – a condition also known as a ‘non-neurogenic neurogenic bladder’. He was a renowned American urologist, educator and skilful artist and...
Mesh in urological surgery in the UK – background, reviews and current status
All UK urologists, unless they have been on a 10-year silent retreat, are by now aware of the controversy surrounding surgical use of mesh in general and urological / urogynaecological use of mesh for the surgical treatment of stress urinary...
Getting it Right First Time in urology: the implementation phase
The Getting it Right First Time (GIRFT) programme is the largest and most comprehensive initiative to improve the quality and efficiency of individual clinical services that the NHS has ever instigated. The programme falls under the auspices of NHS Improvement...
Urodynamics in review: stress urinary incontinence in women produced by the Urodynamics Committee of the ICS
Urodynamic studies (UDS) are the best tools to objectively assess the lower urinary tract dysfunction (LUTD) of various aetiologies [1]. According to the general understanding and consensus of the medical community UDS should be performed only when they will change...
Training to be a urologist: how risky is it?
The NHS and urology face challenging times in trying to provide quality patient care efficiently and economically. Urology trainees are experiencing conflicting pressures with a new contract, a challenging on-call system and changing training requirements in an overstretched, centralised service...
Understanding Stauffer’s syndrome
Who was Stauffer and what is Stauffer’s syndrome? Maurice Stauffer (1915-1994) was a gastroenterologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, United States, and in 1961 first characterised the non-metastatic, paraneoplastic effects of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) on liver size and...
Lifestyle interventions for UI in women
Lifestyle interventions for urinary incontinence (UI) are supported by all major guidelines. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline (CG171) from September 2013 (updated November 2015) [1] recommends lifestyle advice including dietary modifications such as caffeine reduction,...
Stuttering (recurrent ischaemic) priapism
Stuttering (recurrent ischaemic) priapism (SP) is a rare urological condition. Affected men will often experience almost daily prolonged and painful sleep related erections (SRE). Interestingly, these men report normal erections during the day and whilst awake. These episodes are usually...
The Mitrofanoff procedure: a continent revolution
Prior to 1980, surgeons had been struggling to provide a catheterisable, continent channel as an alternative to the native urethra, primarily for paediatric patients with congenital neuropathic bladder. In 1980, Professor Paul Mitrofanoff described the continent supravesical antireflux appendicovesicostomy [1]...

