Journal Reviews
Dual therapy for OAB in children
Overactive bladder (OAB) is a disorder frequently encountered by the paediatric urologist. Morin et al. report the results of the first known study on the efficacy of mirabegron (a β3 adrenoceptor agonist) as add-on therapy in paediatric patients with refractory...
Hypospadias surgery complication rates
These authors identified all children undergoing NHS hypospadias surgery between 1999 and 2009 in England using the hospital episode statistic database and looked at repair types and complications. High-volume centres (24/75) were classified as such if they did more than...
Non-antibiotic options for recurrent UTI
Recurrent urinary tract infection (UTI) imposes a heavy burden on health services. By definition recurrent UTI is two infections in six months or three in one year. The annual incidence of single UTI is 30 per 1000 women. The Scottish...
Treatment of varicocele in children and adolescents
Varicocele occur in about 15% of all adolescents. These authors searched Medline, Embase and a number of platforms reporting on varicoses in children and adolescents, including only randomised controlled trials with patients under 21 years. After an initial 198 studies...
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,...
When partial nephrectomy is unsuccessful
With increasing use of partial nephrectomy (PN) to treat complex T1 tumours, the risk of conversion to radical nephrectomy (RN) increases. In this study the authors look at the incidence of conversion of robotic PN (RPN) to RN and analysed...
Ureterocystostomy – novel surgery for the paediatric obstructed megaureter
Megaureter is a relatively common congenital urinary tract anomaly; obstructed non-refluxing megaureter is one variant. Initial management is conservative, with operative intervention reserved for symptomatic cases (recurrent pyelonephritis, pain, increasing dilatation or worsening renal function). Surgical options include cutaneous ureterostomy,...
Solifenacin for children and adolescents with overactive bladders
Solifenacin (VESIcare®) is the second-line anti-muscarinic medication of choice for my patients with overactive bladder (oxybutynin being my initial choice). However, currently, it remains unlicensed for use in children. Newgreen et al. have evaluated the long-term safety and efficacy of...
What are the long-term outcomes of TOT and TVT procedures?
This is a systematic review between 2000 and 2016 evaluating the efficacy and safety of midurethral sling (MUS) procedures in women. Studies were included if the follow-up data was five years or more. Objective cure rates showed no significant difference...
Transfer to tertiary paediatric hospitals for patients with testicular torsion
Although this articles comes from a tertiary centre in Columbus, USA, there are similarities with the current controversies in the UK. The authors carried out a five-year retrospective review looking at the surgical transfer of 125 patients (mean age 13.4,...
Performance of non-invasive tests in diagnosing BOO in men with LUTS
A large proportion of urology involves the treatment of bladder outflow obstruction (BOO) in men. Yet BOO in men is very difficult to accurately quantify with the only regular non-invasive test being uroflowmetry. Pressure flow urodynamics may be considered the...
The role of acupuncture in managing overactive bladder
Overactive bladder (OAB) affects 17% of American men and women and represents a burden in terms of both quality of life and finances. Alternative therapies may be sought for this condition as there is a high drop-out rate with regards...
