Journal Reviews
Androgen insensitivity in patients with proximal hypospadias
A number of surgeons use preoperative androgen stimulation for a period of time prior to hypospadias surgery. The aim is to increase glans circumference, penile length and improve prepucial vascularisation pre-surgery. Data confirming the results of these aims is scarce....
TPTNS: evaluation of a therapeutic option in the management of anticholinergic refractory overactive bladder
This is a prospective study evaluating the tolerability and efficacy of transcutaneous posterior tibial nerve stimulation (TPTNS) in patients with urodynamically proven overactive bladder (OAB), who have failed anticholinergic treatment. Forty-three patients were studied and followed up over a period...
Oestrogens and OAB
This is a multicentre study from Europe. The female genitals and lower urinary tract have a common embryological origin arising from urogenital sinus. Therefore, both could be sensitive to female sex steroid hormones. Oestrogens and progesterone receptors have been demonstrated...
Low dose PDE5I in IC
This is a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy of daily low-dose sildenafil (25mg) for the treatment of non-ulcer interstitial cystitis (IC) in women. Forty-eight women with clinical diagnosis of IC, from three centres, were equally randomised to...
Retropubic versus transobturator mid-urethral slings for stress incontinence
Mid-urethral slings are commonly used in the surgical management of stress urinary incontinence. This multicentre, randomised trial aimed to compare the safety and efficacy of the retropubic tension-free vaginal tape (TVT) with the transobturator tension-free vaginal tape (TVT-O) in a...
Percutaneous ultrasound guided endoscopic lavage of perinephric abscess – different, but not necessarily better
Perinephric abscess is an uncommon but serious form of urosepsis. It develops as a consequence of the extension of an infection outside of the parenchyma of the kidney in acute pyelonephritis, or more rarely from haematogeneous spread of an infection...
Surgical management of DSD
The management of children with disorders of sex development (DSD) continues to be controversial. This editorial was written in response to a review article in the same edition on ‘Evidence regarding cosmetic and medically unnecessary surgery in infants’ by M...
Prevention of urethral stricture recurrence
Urethral stricture recurrence after urethral reconstruction is one of the most challenging problems in urology. With the increase in endoscopic surgery over the last three decades the incidence of urethral strictures has increased, with iatrogenic manipulation the leading aetiology in...
Urethral pain syndrome – is there a light at the end of the tunnel?
Urethral pain syndrome (UPS) is defined in the 2014 EAU Guidelines as the occurrence of chronic or recurrent episodic pain perceived in the urethra, in the absence of proven infection or other obvious local pathology. UPS is often associated with...
Simple cystectomy for benign disease
In the UK, due to cancer reorientation programmes by the NHS, radical cystectomies happen only in regional cancer centres. But there is no reason why simple cystectomies cannot take place in district general hospitals, often much closer to patients and...
YouTube for vaginal mesh information
Social media networks and websites are extensively used in healthcare. This interesting study examines information available on YouTube videos for pelvic organ prolapse (POP) repairs with mesh. Forty-nine videos were viewed. Sources were 69% legal firms, 24% medical institutions and...
PDE5I in LUTS – how do they work – no proof yet
Phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors used in erectile dysfunction (ED) have been shown to improve lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) as well. The mechanism is not well understood. One of the hypotheses for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) – LUTS is...
