Comparison of water vapor thermal therapy and prostate artery embolization for fragile patients with indwelling urinary catheters: Preliminary results from a multi-institutional study.

PURPOSE: To report our preliminary experience with water vapor thermal therapy with the Rezum™ System and Prostate Artery Embolization (PAE) for treatment of medically refractory, complete urinary retention to achieve successful cessation of catheter dependency in frail-patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A multi-institutional study was conducted including all patients who underwent Rezum™ procedure and PAE between October 2017 and June 2020. The included population focused on frail-patients unsuitable for conventional surgery with complete urinary retention. Rezum™ patients were identified and matched (1:1) with patients who underwent PAE. The matching criteria were age, Charlson score, prostate volume and duration of follow-up. The primary outcome was catheter-free survival, defined as spontaneous voiding and release from catheter dependence. RESULTS: Eleven patients from the Rezum™ group were matched to 11 embolized patients. PAE and Rezum™ patients were comparable in age (median: 77 vs. 75 years), Charlson score (median: 6 vs. 6) and prostate volume (74 vs. 60 cc). Procedures were significantly longer in the PAE group compared to the Rezum™ procedures (median: 148 vs. 8min, P<0.001). After a median follow-up of 12 months, spontaneous voiding was conserved in all cases (100%) after the Rezum™ procedure and in 5 cases (45.4%) after PAE (P=0.01). In catheter-free patients, the rate of benign prostatic hyperplasia medication use after procedure was 40% for PAE and 18.2% for Rezum™ patients (P=0.54). CONCLUSIONS: Our preliminary experience for treatment of complete urinary retention in frail-patients shows the feasibility of PAE and Rezum™ to restore spontaneous urination without being associated with the occurrence of major complications. Early data suggests that Rezum™ may provide superior results in terms of cessation of catheter dependence. Future studies are needed to definitively assess which treatment would be best suited for each patient. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3.

Holmium laser enucleation and water vapor thermal therapy for the treatment of symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia: A cost analysis.

PURPOSE: To perform a cost analysis of the current gold standard operation of Holmium Laser Enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) compared to the new technique of water vapor thermal therapy with the Rezum™ system for the treatment of symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between October 2017 and January 2020, consecutive patients with invalidating lower urinary tract symptoms due to BPH who underwent Rezum™ and HoLEP procedures from the Aix regional hospital were identified. The outcome of each technique was assessed in terms of cost from the institutional perspective. Detailed expense reports based were provided by the accounts department of the hospital. These were used to compare in-hospital costs for each procedure. RESULTS: A total of 53 and 94 consecutive patients underwent respectively water vapor thermal therapy and HoLEP. The median costs for the surgical procedure were €1344 (IQR 1331-1361) and €669 (IQR 584-824), respectively for Rezum™ and HoLEP (median difference €675; P<0.001). The median costs of the hospital stay were €869 (IQR 869-869) for Rezum™ and €1295 (IQR 1295-1330) for HoLEP (median difference €426; P<0.001). Finally, the median total costs per patient were lower for HoLEP (€2005 [IQR 1902-2150]) than for Rezum™ (€2228 [IQR 2209-2243]) procedure, and the median difference of €233 was significant (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: One of the anticipated benefits of Rezum™, reduced length of hospital stay with an associated reduction in cost, did not materialize within this study. The patient's clinical condition and expectations should also be taken into account when deciding between Rezum™ and standard therapies. LEVEL OF PROOF: 3.

Immediate preoperative renal artery embolization in the resection of complex renal tumors (UroCCR-48 Reinbol study).

PURPOSE: We evaluated the feasibility and outcomes of immediate preoperative renal artery embolization (IPRAE) before complex nephrectomy for locally advanced RCC ± inferior vena cava thrombus (IVCT). METHODS: A comparative retrospective (2007-2017) multicenter study which included 145 patients with locally advanced RCC ± IVCT: 99 radical nephrectomies vs. 46 radical nephrectomies with IPRAE identified in the prospective UroCCR national database (CNIL DR 2013-206; NCT03293563). IPRAE was performed under local anesthesia the day of nephrectomy (< 4 h prior to nephrectomy). The primary endpoint was peroperative blood loss (mL). Secondary outcomes were: tolerance of embolization (pain visual scale), success rate of IPRAE defined by complete devascularization of the kidney, perioperative complications according to Clavien score and postoperative GFR. RESULTS: The baseline characteristics of IPRAE and the control groups were similar. Tumor staging was 14% T2b, 41% T3a, 27% T3b, 13% T3c, 6% T4. The success rate of IPRAE was 98%. Median artery embolizated per patient was 2 (Agochukwu and Shuch in World J Urol 32:581-589, 2014; Marshall et al. in J Urol 139:1166-1172, 1988; Yap et al. in BJU Int 110:1283-1288, 2012;Gill et al. in J Urol. 194:929-938, 2015; Wang et al. in Eur Urol 69:1112-1119, 2016). No severe complications occurred after IPRAE. Postembolization syndrome was reported in 7% (Clavien I-II). Mean peroperative blood losses in the IPRAE and control groups were: 726 ± 118 ml and 1083 ± 114 ml (P = 0.03). In a multivariate analysis that included: age, Karnofsky index, IPRAE (yes vs. no), IVCT (yes vs. no), tumor size and synchronous metastasis, no IPRAE and IVCT were significantly associated with increased peroperative bleeding. CONCLUSION: IPRAE before nephrectomy for locally advanced and/or IVCT tumors was well tolerated, was associated with lower peroperative bleeding and did not increase the incidence or severity of postoperative complications.

Treatment of benign prostate hyperplasia using the Rezum® water vapor therapy system: Results at one year.

PURPOSE: To report the results of convective radiofrequency (RF) water vapor thermal therapy in men with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) with one-year follow-up evaluation. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The study was conducted in 2 French hospitals, for men with moderate to severe LUTS secondary to BPH, as an alternative to classical surgery treatment. The pre- and postoperative evaluation of urinary symptomatology was based on the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) questionnaire, measures of peak urinary flow rate (Qmax) and post-void residual volume (PVR). Erectile and ejaculatory functions were evaluated via the IIEF5 and MSHQ-ejd questionnaires. Rates of retreatment and complications were also reported. RESULTS: Sixty-two outpatients including 8 with urinary retention were treated. The median preoperative prostate volume was 47 (27-200) mL. At 6months postoperative, the IPSS had decreased significantly by 13.9 points (68.1%, P<0.001) and, at one year, by 12 points (61.5%, P<0.001). The quality of life (QoL) score at one year had decreased by 3.2 points (P<0.001) and the Qmax had improved by 6mL/s (P<0.001). All patients with urinary retention were weaned from bladder catheterization. No serious side effects (>Clavien II) were observed. No cases of de novo erectile dysfunction and an anejaculation rate of 10.8% was reported. The surgical retreatment rate at one year was 2.1%. CONCLUSION: The short-term results are encouraging, with significant efficacy on urinary symptoms and respect of sexual function. Nevertheless, it will be necessary to pursue the follow-up of this cohort to evaluate the mid-term and long-term evolution. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3.