Journal Reviews
Rethinking stone-free rates and surgical outcomes in endourology
Retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) and percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) are two key minimally invasive treatments for kidney stones in both adults and children. The success of these procedures is primarily measured by two factors: (1) the absence of complications and (2)...
Pain relief after removal of non-obstructive renal calculi
Non-obstructing stones are often not considered to be the source of pain, and probably most are not. This is because flank pain associated with a stone is typically caused by a stone that obstructs urinary flow, which increases intraluminal pressure...
Prostatic calculi and CIC
Although the clinical importance of prostate calculi has been debatable, it is a disease that can cause a plethora of symptoms and signs – sometimes in disguise. Clean intermittent catheter (CIC) is the gold standard method for bladder rehabilitation /...
SWL for renal stones – a new index
Shockwave lithotripsy (SWL) treatment is a common, non-invasive urology procedure used for kidney stones nearly every day throughout the UK. In this study the team evaluated factors affecting treatment success of SWL treatment. The prospective data were collected from 2013...
Loop-tail stents in reducing stent related symptoms – the search continues
Insertion of double J (DJ) stents is one of the most commonly performed procedures in urology. One of its major drawbacks is stent related symptoms (SRS) which has generated a lot of research in drugs, stent design and materials. One...
Time for tea
Kidney stone disease can be related to genetic, biochemical, and dietary factors. Much has been said about the link between tea and coffee consumption and risks of urinary stone formation. This is a systematic review using the PRISM statement with...
Homo digitalis during COVID-19?
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all aspects of our lives. We have seen huge changes in the health service, medical practice and hospital working. Many urology meetings – national and international – were cancelled and seminars and courses have become...
Risk stratified approach to early intervention for renal colic
Existing guidance on this topic is based on older and smaller studies, and there remains variation in practice. This review of database outcomes of 1168 out of 3081 (38%) patients who underwent early intervention after presentation to nine Canadian emergency...
Delayed decompression of the infected obstructed kidney increases fatality
Well, we know this, I hear you all say. It is standard practice that the obstructed kidney with associated infection requires prompt decompression, and this is drilled into all UK trainees. It is surprising therefore that although we frequently deal...
Changing concepts in endourological training – SIMULATE trial
Skill acquisition for endourological procedures is markedly different from traditional open surgical procedures, questioning the applicability of the presently used apprenticeship model. The lack of a universal simulation training curriculum has hampered its adoption into mainstream urological training. This study...
Transurethral enucleation is superior to resection for the management of LUTS secondary to BPH
This meta-analysis (Level 1b evidence) examined the efficacy and safety of two primary transurethral therapies used in the management of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) secondary to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), enucleation (HoLEP – holmium laser enucleation of prostate, ThuLEP,...
Urologists beware!
This article recounts the story of a Californian urologist who was shot dead two decades later by a patient who was diagnosed with stricture of the urethra. The patient underwent surgery for urethral stricture in 1992 by a team (ironically,...
