Effect of patient position on pain scales during transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy

PURPOSE: Transrectal ultrasound (TRUS)-guided prostate biopsy is the most useful technique for the diagnosis of prostate cancer; however, many patients describe the procedure as uncomfortable and painful. We investigated the effect of the patient's position on pain scales during TRUS-guided prostate biopsy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between July 2012 and June 2013, a total of 128 consecutive patients who underwent TRUS-guided prostate biopsy were included in this study. Seventy patients underwent the procedure in the lithotomy position performed by a urologist and the other patients (n=58) underwent the procedure in the left lateral decubitus (LLD) position performed by a radiologist. Pain was assessed by using visual analogue scale (VAS) scores from 0 to 10. Using a linear regression model, we analyzed the correlation between pain scale score and clinical variables with a focus on patient position. RESULTS: No significant differences related to age, body mass index, prostate volume, prostate-specific antigen (PSA), hematuria, pyuria, International Prostate Symptom Score, or the cancer detection rate were observed between the lithotomy and the LLD groups. In the correlation analysis, VAS score showed a significant correlation with diabetes mellitus, PSA level, and lithotomy position (p<0.05). In the multiple linear regression model, VAS score showed a significant correlation with lithotomy position (beta=-0.772, p=0.003) and diabetes mellitus (beta=-0.803, p=0.033). CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that the lithotomy position may be the proper way to reduce pain during TRUS-guided prostate biopsy.

Long-term survival and patient satisfaction with inflatable penile prosthesis for the treatment of erectile dysfunction

PURPOSE: We investigated the long-term survival and patient satisfaction with an inflatable penile prosthesis as a treatment for refractory erectile dysfunction (ED). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between July 1997 and September 2014, a total of 74 patients underwent implantation of an inflatable penile prosthesis. The present mechanical status of the prosthesis was ascertained by telephone interview and review of medical records, and related clinical factors were analyzed by using Cox proportional hazard regression model. To investigate current status and satisfaction with the devices, novel questionnaires consisting of eight items were administered. RESULTS: The mean (+/-standard deviation) age and follow-up period were 57.0+/-12.2 years and 105.5+/-64.0 months, respectively. Sixteen patients (21.6%) experienced a mechanical failure and 4 patients (5.4%) experienced a nonmechanical failure at a median follow-up of 98.0 months. Mechanical and overall survival rates of the inflatable penile prosthesis at 5, 10, and 15 years were 93.3%, 76.5%, and 64.8% and 89.1%, 71.4%, and 60.5%, respectively, without a statistically significant correlation with host factors including age, cause of ED, and presence of obesity, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus. Overall, 53 patients (71.6%) completed the questionnaires. The overall patient satisfaction rate was 86.8%, and 83.0% of the patients replied that they intended to repeat the same procedure. Among the 8 items asked, satisfaction with the rigidity of the device received the highest score (90.6%). In contrast, only 60.4% of subjects experienced orgasm. CONCLUSIONS: The results of our study suggest that excellent long-term reliability and high patient satisfaction rates make the implantation of an inflatable penile prosthesis a recommendable surgical treatment for refractory ED.

Usefulness of Urine Cytology as a Routine Work-up in the Detection of Recurrence in Patients With Prior Non-Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer: Practicality and Cost-Effectiveness

PURPOSE: To investigate the usefulness of urine cytology in the detection of tumor recurrence in terms of practicality and cost-effectiveness. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 393 patients who underwent transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT) for non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) from January 2010 to June 2013. All patients underwent cystoscopy, urine cytology, urinalysis, and computed tomography (CT) at 3 and 6 months after TURBT. In 62 cases, abnormal bladder lesions were identified on cystoscopy within 6 months. Suspicious lesions were confirmed pathologically by TURBT or biopsy. Patients were grouped by modalities: group I, urine cytology; group II, CT; group III, urinalysis; group IV, urine cytology plus CT; group V, urine cytology plus urinalysis; group VI, CT plus urinalysis; group VII, combination of all three modalities. Each group was compared by cost per cancer detected. RESULTS: Forty-nine patients were confirmed to have tumor recurrence and 13 patients were confirmed to have inflammation by pathology. The overall tumor recurrence rate was 12.5% (49/393) and recurrent cases were revealed as NMIBC. Sensitivity in group I (24.5%) was lower than in group II (55.1%, p=0.001) and group III (57.1%, p<0.001). However, in group VII (77.6%), the sensitivity was statistically similar to that of group VI (75.5%, p=0.872). Under the Korean insurance system, total cost per cancer detected for group VII was almost double that of group VI (p=0.041). CONCLUSIONS: Routine urine cytology may not be useful for follow-up of bladder cancer in terms of practicality and cost-effectiveness. Application of urine cytology needs to be adjusted according to each patient.

How Serious Is Erectile Dysfunction in Men's Lives? Comparative Data From Korean Adults

PURPOSE: Whereas sexual function has long been assumed to be an important component of adult men's lives, the impact of sexual dysfunction has not been estimated in parallel to other modern disease entities. We compared the seriousness of erectile dysfunction (ED) with that of other diseases by use of self-administered questionnaires. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between January 2012 and July 2012, 434 healthy male volunteers (group 1) and 263 ED patients (group 2) were enrolled. The questionnaire consisted of the following: "If you must undergo only one disease in all your life, which disease could you select among these items or ED?" The comparative disease entities included hypertension, diabetes mellitus (oral hypoglycemic agent/insulin injection), hemodialysis, myocardial infarction, herpes zoster, chronic sinusitis, chronic otitis media, gastric cancer (early/late), lung cancer (early/late), liver cancer (early/late), and dementia. RESULTS: Group 1 recognized ED as being a more serious disease than hypertension, diabetes mellitus (oral hypoglycemic agent), herpes zoster, chronic sinusitis, and chronic otitis media. In comparison, group 2 recognized ED as being a more serious condition than diabetes mellitus (insulin injection) and dementia (p<0.001 and p<0.001, respectively). In particular, ED was deemed to be more serious than hemodialysis, gastric cancer (early), lung cancer (early), and liver cancer (early) by men in group 2 in their 30s to 40s, and these results were statistically significant compared with the same age subgroups in group 1 (p<0.001, p<0.007, p<0.02, and p<0.007, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: In contrast with their healthy counterparts, Korean men with ED recognized ED as being as serious as hemodialysis, dementia, and early stage cancer, which reflects the severe bother of ED in Korean patients.

Factors Causing Acute Urinary Retention after Transurethral Resection of the Prostate in Patients with Benign Prostate Hyperplasia / 대한남성과학회지

PURPOSE: Urologists occasionally experience some cases of voiding failure after transurethral resection of prostate (TURP). Preoperative and postoperative factors attributable to acute urine retention (AUR) after catheter removal in post-TURP patients were evaluated and analyzed to determine the causative factors for AUR. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From June 2004 to May 2008, a total of 172 patients who underwent TURP due to symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) were divided into the AUR group (n=21) and the control group (n=151). The AUR group was defined as patients with voiding difficulty within 24 hours and whose residual urine volume was above 400 ml after catheter removal. The control group was defined as patients without AUR. Age, duration of symptoms, International prostate symptom score (IPSS), Quality of life score (QoL), uroflowmetry, post-void residual urine volume, preoperative serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) level, preoperative prostate volume, resected prostate volume, rate of prostate resection [resected prostate volume/preoperative prostate volume x 100], operative time and duration of catheter were retrospectively analyzed to identify which of these were the factors related with AUR after catheter removal in post-TURP patients. RESULTS: Preoperative prostate volume was higher (90.7+/-50.4 vs 64.4+/-32.7, p=0.002) and rate of prostate resection was lower (38.8+/-8.1 vs 50.5+/-12.4, p<0.001) in AUR group compared to control group. And age, duration of symptoms, IPSS, QoL, uroflowmetry, post-void residual urine volume, preoperative serum PSA level, resected prostate volume, operative time and duration of catheter were not statistically significant in both groups. The multivariate analysis subsequently showed that preoperative prostate volume (p=0.010, OR=1.040) and rate of prostate resection (p=0.001, OR=0.901) were independent factors related with AUR after catheter removal in post-TURP patients. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of AUR after catheter removal was higher in post-TURP patients with high preoperative prostate volume and low rate of prostate resection. Therefore the surgeon's effort to increase the rate of prostate resection, especially in patients with large prostate volume, may lower the incidence of postoperative AUR.