Objective To describe step-by-step surgical techniques and report outcomes of the largest single-centre series of patients with distal ureteric disease exclusively treated with robot-assisted... Show moreObjective To describe step-by-step surgical techniques and report outcomes of the largest single-centre series of patients with distal ureteric disease exclusively treated with robot-assisted ureteric reimplantation with Boari flap (RABFUR) and psoas hitch (RAPHUR), with a minimum follow-up of 1 year and complete postoperative data.Patients and Methods A total of 37 patients with distal ureteric disease were treated between 2010 and 2018. Of these, 81% and 19% underwent RAPHUR and RABFUR, respectively. Intra-, peri- and postoperative outcomes were assessed. The 90-day postoperative complications were reported according to the standardised methodology proposed by the European Association of Urology Ad Hoc Panel. Functional outcomes (creatinine, estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR]) and postoperative symptoms (visual analogue pain scale) were assessed.Results The median operating time and blood loss were 180 min and 100 mL, respectively. There were no conversions to open surgery and no intraoperative transfusions. The median length of stay, bladder catheter indwelling time and stent removal were 4, 7 and 30 days, respectively. The median follow-up was 24 months. Overall, 10 patients (27%) had postoperative complications and of these, eight (22%) and two (5.4%) were Clavien-Dindo Grade I-II and III, respectively. At the last follow-up, the median postoperative creatinine level and eGFR were 0.9 mg/dL and 73.5 mL/min/1.73 m(2), respectively. At the last follow-up, five (13.5%) and three (8%) patients had Grade 1 hydronephrosis and mild urinary symptoms, respectively. The study limitations include its retrospective nature.Conclusion In the present study, we present our RABFUR and RAPHUR techniques. We confirm the feasibility and safety profile of both approaches in patients with distal ureteric disease relying on the largest single-centre series with >= 1 year of follow-up. Show less
Objectives To evaluate the postoperative complication and mortality rate following laparoscopic radical cystectomy (RARC) with intracorporeal urinary diversion (ICUD) in octogenarians.Patients and... Show moreObjectives To evaluate the postoperative complication and mortality rate following laparoscopic radical cystectomy (RARC) with intracorporeal urinary diversion (ICUD) in octogenarians.Patients and Methods We conducted a retrospective analysis comparing postoperative complication and mortality rates depending on age in a consecutive series of 1890 patients who underwent RARC with ICUD for bladder cancer between 2004 and 2018 in 10 European centres. Outcomes of patients aged <80 years and those aged >= 80 years were compared with regard to postoperative complications (Clavien-Dindo grading) and mortality rate. Cancer-specific mortality (CSM) and other-cause mortality (OCM) after surgery were calculated using the non-parametric Aalen-Johansen estimator.Results A total of 1726 patients aged <80 years and 164 aged >= 80 years were included in the analysis. The 30- and 90-day rate for high-grade (Clavien-Dindo grades III-V) complications were 15% and 21% for patients aged <80 years compared to 11% and 13% for patients aged >= 80 years (P = 0.2 and P = 0.03), respectively. In a multivariable logistic regression analysis adjusting for pre- and postoperative variables, age >= 80 years was not an independent predictor of high-grade complications (odds ratio 0.6, 95% confidence interval 0.3-1.1; P = 0.12). The non-cancer-related 90-day mortality was 2.3% for patients aged >= 80 years and 1.8% for those aged <80 years, respectively (P = 0.7). The estimated 12-month CSM and OCM rates for those aged <80 years were 8% and 3%, and for those aged >= 80 years, 15% and 8%, respectively (P = 0.009 and P < 0.001).Conclusions The minimally invasive approach to RARC with ICUD for bladder cancer in well-selected elderly patients (aged >= 80 years) achieved a tolerable high-grade complication rate; the 90-day postoperative mortality rate was driven by cancer progression and the non-cancer-related rate was equivalent to that of patients aged <80 years. However, an increased OCM rate in this elderly group after the first year should be taken into account. These results will support clinicians and patients when balancing cancer-related vs treatment-related risks and benefits. Show less
Mottrie, A.; Mazzone, E.; Wiklund, P.; Graefen, M.; Collins, J.W.; Groote, R. de; ... ; Gallagher, A.G. 2020
Objective To develop and seek consensus from procedure experts on the metrics that best characterise a reference robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) and determine if the metrics... Show moreObjective To develop and seek consensus from procedure experts on the metrics that best characterise a reference robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) and determine if the metrics distinguished between the objectively assessed RARP performance of experienced and novice urologists, as identifying objective performance metrics for surgical training in robotic surgery is imperative for patient safety.Materials and methods In Study 1, the metrics, i.e. 12 phases of the procedure, 81 steps, 245 errors and 110 critical errors for a reference RARP were developed and then presented to an international Delphi panel of 19 experienced urologists. In Study 2, 12 very experienced surgeons (VES) who had performed >500 RARPs and 12 novice urology surgeons performed a RARP, which was video recorded and assessed by two experienced urologists blinded as to subject and group. Percentage agreement between experienced urologists for the Delphi meeting and Mann-Whitney U- and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used for construct validation of the newly identified RARP metrics.Results At the Delphi panel, consensus was reached on the appropriateness of the metrics for a reference RARP. In Study 2, the results showed that the VES performed similar to 4% more procedure steps and made 72% fewer procedure errors than the novices (P = 0.027). Phases VIIa and VIIb (i.e. neurovascular bundle dissection) best discriminated between the VES and novices. Limitations: VES whose performance was in the bottom half of their group demonstrated considerable error variability and made five-times as many errors as the other half of the group (P = 0.006).Conclusions The international Delphi panel reached high-level consensus on the RARP metrics that reliably distinguished between the objectively scored procedure performance of VES and novices. Reliable and valid performance metrics of RARP are imperative for effective and quality assured surgical training. Show less
