Unilateral post-chemotherapy robot-assisted retroperitoneal lymph node dissection in Stage II non-seminomatous germ cell tumor:A tertiary care experience

Objective Post-chemotherapy retroperitoneal lymph node dissection(PC-RPLND)represents an integral component of the management of patients with non-seminomatous germ cell tumor(NSGCT).Modified templates have been proposed to minimize the surgical morbidity of the procedure.Moreover,the implementation of robotic surgery in this setting has been explored.We report our experience with unilateral post-chemotherapy robot-assisted retroperitoneal lymph node dissection(PC-rRPLND)for clinical Stages IIA and IIB NSGCTs.Methods A retrospective single institution review was performed including 33 patients undergoing PC-rRPLND for Stages IIA and IIB NSGCTs between January 2015 and February 2019.Following orchiectomy,patients were scheduled for chemotherapy with three cycles of bleomycin-etoposide-cisplatin.Patients with a residual tumor of<5 cm and an ipsilateral metastatic disease on pre-and post-chemotherapy CT scans were eligible for a unilateral template in absence of rising tumor markers.Descriptive statistics were provided for demographics,clinical characteristics,intraoperative and postoperative parameters.Perioperative,oncological,and functional outcomes were recorded.Results Overall,7(21.2%)patients exhibited necrosis or fibrosis;14(42.4%)had mature teratoma;and 12(36.4%)had viable tumor at final histology.The median lymph node size at surgery was 25(interquartile range[IQR]21-36)mm.Median operative time was 180(IQR 165-215)min and no major postoperative complications were observed.Anterograde ejaculation was preserved in 75.8%of patients.Median follow-up was 26(IQR 19-30)months and a total of three recurrences were recorded.Conclusion PC-rRPLND is a reliable and technically reproducible procedure with safe oncological outcomes and acceptable postoperative ejaculatory function in well selected patients with NSGCTs.

Neuraxial anesthesia versus general anesthesia in patients undergoing three-dimensional laparoscopic radical prostatectomy:Preliminary results of a prospective comparative study

Objective:Neuraxial anesthesia(NA)showed to reduce both morbidity and mortality in patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery.We aimed to investigate the use of NA in patients undergoing transperitoneal three-dimensional laparoscopic radical prostatectomy(t-3DLRP)and compare the intraoperative and postoperative outcomes with a control group of patients undergoing t-3DLRP under general anesthesia(GA).Methods:A prospective,double-center,double-surgeon study cohort of 84 consecutive patients undergoing t-3DLRP between June 2019 and June 2021 was analyzed.A study group of 42 patients undergoing t-3DLRP under NA was compared with a control group of 42 patients undergoing t-3DLRP under GA.Results:The two group were similar in all demographic,clinical,and pathological variables.Postoperative blood gas parameters were within physiologic limits in both groups.Muscle relaxation was adequate for surgery during both NA and GA.Median length of stay was 1 day shorter for NA group than GA group(5 days vs.6 days,p=0.05).t-3DLRP under NA had a statistically lower rate of minor complications(4.8%vs.19.0%,p=0.03)and less postoperative pain(median numeric rating scale 3 vs.4,p=0.01)compared to GA.No major complications were observed in both groups.Significantly more patients were willing to undergo a similar intervention under NA than GA(p=0.04).Conclusion:t-3DLRP under NA is a feasible and safe procedure,with less postoperative pain and fewer minor complications than the same procedure under GA.NA allows the maintenance of muscle relaxation and respiratory excursions without interfering with surgery.

Minimally invasive surgical therapies(MISTs)for lower urinary tract symptoms(LUTS):promise or panacea?

The increasing importance of treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms(LUTS),while avoiding side effects and maintaining sexual function,has allowed for the development of minimally invasive surgical therapies(MiSTs).Recently,the European Association of Urology guidelines reported a paradigm shift from the management of benign prostatic hyperplasia(BPH)to the management of nonneurogenic male LUTS.The aim of the present review was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the most commonly used MisTs:ablative techniques such as aquablation,prostatic artery embolization,water vapor energy,and transperineal prostate laser ablation,and nonablative techniques such as prostatic urethral lift and temporarily implanted nitinol device(iTIND).MiSTs are becoming a new promise,even if clinical trials with longer follow-up are still lacking.Most of them are still under investigation and,to date,only a few options have been given as a recommendation for use.They cannot be considered as standard of care and are not suitable for all patients.Advantages and disadvantages should be underlined,without forgetting our objective:treatment of LUTS and re-treatment avoidance.

Antioxidant treatment for oligoasthenoteratozoospermia and varicocele:a DBPC trial to evaluate the impact of age and body mass index

Oxidative stress is one of the main mechanisms responsible for male infertility.Various conditions such as varicocele,obesity,advanced age,and lifestyle can lead to an increase in reactive oxygen species,causing an oxidative imbalance in the reproductiveenvironment.Spermatozoa are sensitive to reactive oxygen species and require energy to carry out their main function of fertilizingthe egg.Excessive reactive oxygen species can affect sperm metabolism,leading to immobility,impaired acrosome reaction,and celldeath,thereby impairing reproductive success.This double-blind randomized study evaluated the effect of supplementation withL-carnitine,acetyl-L-carnitine,vitamins,and other nutrients on semen quality in 104 infertile patients with or without varicocele,while also investigating the impact of factors such as obesity and advanced age on treatment.Sperm concentration significantlyincreased in the supplemented group compared to the placebo group(P=0.0186).Total sperm count also significantly increasedin the supplemented group(P=0.0117),as did sperm motility(P=0.0120).The treatment had a positive effect on patients upto 35 years of age in terms of sperm concentration(P=0.0352),while a body mass index(BMI)above 25 kg m^(−2) had a negativeeffect on sperm concentration(P=0.0110).Results were not showing a net benefit in stratifying patients in accordance withtheir BMI since sperm quality increase was not affected by this parameter.In conclusion,antioxidant supplementation may bebeneficial for infertile patients and has a more positive effect on younger patients with a normal weight.

经腹机器人辅助腹腔镜肾部分切除术治疗T2期肾肿瘤的国际多中心临床研究

目的通过国际多中心研究探讨临床T2期肾肿瘤行经腹机器人辅助腹腔镜肾部分切除术的安全性及有效性。方法回顾性分析2012年1月至2017年12月国际19家泌尿中心378例临床T2期肾肿瘤行经腹机器人肾部分切除术和经腹机器人根治性肾切除术患者的临床资料。根据手术方式不同，分为部分切除组和根治组。部分切除组159例，男118例，女41例；年龄（59.3±13.2）岁，体重指数（28.7±5.4） kg/m^2，术前GFR （77.3±22.1）ml/min；肿瘤位于左侧72例，右侧87例；肿瘤直径（83±16）mm；R.E.N.A.L.评分（8.6±2.2）分。根治组219例，男156例，女63例；年龄（62.0±12.9）岁，体重指数（28.7±6.1） kg/m^2，术前GFR （71.4±20.3）ml/min；肿瘤位于左侧112例，右侧105例，双侧2例；肿瘤直径（92±25）mm；R.E.N.A.L.评分（9.7±1.5）分。两组患者性别、体重指数、肿瘤位置的差异均无统计学意义（P〉0.05）。部分切除组患者年龄、肿瘤直径、R.E.N.A.L.评分均低于根治组（P〈0.05），术前GFR优于根治组（P=0.012）。比较两组围手术期资料、肿瘤病理类型、随访时间、复发时间及术后GFR等。结果378例手术均顺利完成。部分切除组手术时间中位值150 min（65-353 min），短于根治组[180 min（85-361 min），P〈0.001]，术中出血量中位值150 ml（40-3 000 ml），多于根治组[100 ml （10-1 100 ml），P〈0.001]。术中并发症发生率部分切除组为5.7%（9/159），根治组为3.2%（7/219），两组差异无统计学意义（P=0.240）。部分切除组术后并发症发生率高于根治组[19.5%（31/159）与10.5%（23/219），P=0.014]，但≥3级并发症发生率的差异无统计学意义[4.4%（7/159）与2.3%（5/219），P=0.246]。部分切除组无复发生存率高于根治组[91.4%（117/128）与81.9%（167/204），P=0.013]。部分切除组术后GFR降低值16.9 ml/min（10.4-84.7 ml/min）明显少于根治组29.0 ml/min（14.0-54.0 ml/min），肾部分切除术更利于术后肾功能的保护（P〈0.001）。结论临床T2期肾肿瘤行机器人肾部分切除术可获得有效的肿瘤控制率，同时可以更好地保护肾功能，可作为临床T2期肾肿瘤有效的手术方式。

A systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials implementing aromatase inhibitors to treat male infertility

Aromatase activity has commonly been associated with male infertility characterized by testicular dysfunction with low serum testosterone and/or testosterone to estradiol ratio.In this subset of patients,and particularly in those with hypogonadism,elevated levels of circulating estradiol may establish a negative feedback on the hypothalamic–pituitary–testicular axis by suppressing follicle-stimulating hormone(FSH)and luteinizing hormone(LH)production and impaired spermatogenesis.Hormonal manipulation via different agents such as selective estrogen modulators or aromatase inhibitors to increase endogenous testosterone production and improve spermatogenesis in the setting of infertility is an off-label option for treatment.We carried out a systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature of the past 30 years in order to evaluate the benefits of the use of aromatase inhibitors in the medical management of infertile/hypoandrogenic males.Overall,eight original articles were included and critically evaluated.Either steroidal(Testolactone)or nonsteroidal(Anastrozole and Letrozole)aromatase inhibitors were found to statistically improve all the evaluated hormonal and seminal outcomes with a safe tolerability profile.While the evidence is promising,future prospective randomized placebo-controlled multicenter trials are necessary to better define the efficacy of these medications.

A comprehensive evaluation of sexual and reproductive outcomes following robot-assisted retroperitoneal lymph node dissection for nonseminomatous germ cell tumor

Sexual disorders following retroperitoneal pelvic lymph node dissection(RPLND)for testis tumor can affect the quality of life of patients.The aim of the current study was to investigate several different andrological outcomes,which may be influenced by robot-assisted(RA)RPLND.From January 2012 to March 2020,32 patients underwent RA-RPLND for stage I nonseminomatous testis cancer or postchemotherapy(PC)residual mass.Modified unilateral RPLND nerve-sparing template was always used.Major variables of interest were erectile dysfunction(ED),premature ejaculation(PE),dry ejaculation(DE),or orgasm alteration.Finally,fertility as well as the fecundation process(sexual intercourse or medically assisted procreation[MAP])was investigated.Ten patients(31.3%)presented an andrological disorder of any type after RA-RPLND.Hypospermia was present in 4(12.5%)patients,DE(International Index of Erectile Function-5[IIEF-5]<25)in 3(9.4%)patients,and ED in 3(9.4%)patients.No PE or orgasmic alterations were described.Similar median age at surgery,body mass index(BMI),number of nodes removed,scholar status,and preoperative risk factor rates were identified between groups.Of all these 10 patients,6(60.0%)were treated at the beginning of our robotic experience(2012-2016).Of all 32 patients,5(15.6%)attempted to have a child after RA-RPLND.All of these 5 patients have successfully fathered children,but 2(40.0%)required a MAP.In conclusion,a nonnegligible number of andrological complications occurred after RA-RPLND,mainly represented by ejaculation disorders,but ED occurrence and overall sexual satisfaction deficit should be definitely considered.No negative impact on fertility was described after RA-RPLND.