From the first cystoscopic argon and neodymium-YAG (yttrium-aluminium-garnet) laser used for bladder tumours in 1976 by Staehler et al. [1], lasers have proven to be a versatile and an evolving tool in the therapeutic management of a variety of urological...
The physician associate (PA) is a new role in the NHS which has expanded across medical and surgical specialties to include urology. In the USA, it has long been an established field of practice where physician assistants work autonomously within...
Origins of pelvic floor physiotherapy Physiotherapy, and in particular pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) is nowadays first-line management for pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD). PFMT is originally attributed to Dr Arthur Kegel, hence the term Kegel exercises. Indeed, he was the...
The first article in this series defined frailty and introduced the concept and importance of identifying patients living with frailty who undergo surgery, including those undergoing urological procedures. In the second part of this series we outline how to identify...
In this series of articles I am going to show you some of the exhibits contained in the Museum of Urology, hosted on the BAUS website www.baus.org.uk. A saint is a holy person; the word derives from the Latin word...
It was gutting to miss out on urology at national selection on my first attempt. The ST3 application has become increasingly competitive and this means more appointable trainees find themselves looking to plan B. The options available can be daunting...
Clinical Trials 2 is available here. Case 1 1. What are the levels of clinical evidence based on the 2009 definitions from the ‘Oxford CEBM’? 2. What is the null hypothesis? 3. What are type 1 and type 2 errors?...
This article will be of interest to those who undertake percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS) or are planning to start doing so. This is a computer aided search between 2000-2011 to identify randomised controlled trials (RCT), controlled clinical trials (CCT)...
In this series of articles I am going to show you some of the exhibits contained in the Museum of Urology, hosted on the BAUS website (www.baus.org.uk). In this article, we are looking at an American urologist whose story was,...
Under the prevailing COVID-19 crisis, this article is well worth reading. The current World Health Organization (WHO) guidance is not to start steroids in cancer cases, but there is no clear evidence of risks with steroids in cancer patients having...
“What gets us into trouble is not what we don’t know. It’s what we know for sure that just ain’t so.” The above is a quote attributed to Mark Twain from the 2006 documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, which follows Al...
Non-invasive and invasive electro-stimulation techniques have been extensively studied in the treatment of lower urinary tract and bowel dysfunction, including overactive bladder syndrome (OAB), non-obstructive chronic urinary retention, faecal incontinence and chronic pelvic pain. Currently, the most common indication for...