Transmuscular quadratus lumborum block reduces opioid consumption and prolongs time to first opioid demand after laparoscopic nephrectomy.

BACKGROUND: Robotic and hand-assisted laparoscopic nephrectomies are often associated with moderate to severe postoperative pain. The aim of the current study was to investigate the analgesic efficacy of the transmuscular quadratus lumborum (TQL) block for patients undergoing robotic or hand-assisted laparoscopic nephrectomy. METHODS: Fifty patients were included in this single-center study. All patients were scheduled for elective hand-assisted or robotic laparoscopic nephrectomy under general anesthesia. Preoperatively, patients were randomly allocated to TQL block bilaterally with ropivacaine 60 mL 0.375% or 60 mL saline and all patients received standard multimodal analgesia and intravenous patient-controlled analgesia. Primary outcome was postoperative oral morphine equivalent (OME) consumption 0-12 hours. Secondary outcomes were postoperative OME consumption up to 24 hours, pain scores, time to first opioid, nausea/vomiting, time to first ambulation and hospital length of stay (LOS). RESULTS: Mean (95% CI) OME consumption was significantly lower in the intervention group at 12 hours after surgery 50 (28.5 to 71.5) mg versus control 87.5 (62.7 to 112.3) mg, p=0.02. At 24 hours, 69.4 (43.2 to 95.5) mg versus 127 (96.7 to 158.6) mg, p<0.01. Time to first opioid was significantly prolonged in the intervention group median (IQR) 4.4 (2.8-17.6) hours compared with 0.3 (0.1-1.0) hours in the control group, p<0.001. No significant intergroup differences were recorded for time to first ambulation, pain scores, nausea/vomiting nor for LOS. CONCLUSION: Preoperative bilateral TQL block significantly reduced postoperative opioid consumption by 43% and significantly prolonged time to first opioid. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT03571490.

Liposarcoma in the spermatic cord presenting as an inguinal swelling.

Liposarcoma in the spermatic cord is a rare condition with an incidence of 1 per 2.5 million. The condition can present as paratesticular pain and a quick diagnosis is important in order to ensure proper treatment and to improve the prognosis. We describe a case of a 69-year-old man who suffered from long-lasting swelling in the inguinal area and experienced increasing pain through a period of 2 weeks. Due to increasing pain and fast growing swelling, an exploration of the inguinal area was performed and peroperatively a tumour in the spermatic cord was found. Subsequent histological examination revealed a de-differentiated liposarcoma.

[Penile fracture and testicular rupture must be diagnosed quickly and require surgical intervention].

This article describes penile fracture and testicular rupture and offers recommendations for management. Both conditions occur most commonly after blunt trauma. Diagnosis can be supported by imaging but is usually confirmed on surgical exploration, which in both cases should be carried out promptly. Penile fracture occurs most commonly related to coitus, and surgical correction decreases the risk of long-term erectile dysfunction, deformity and pain. Testicular rupture usually presents with persisting pain and haematoma after trauma, and surgery is recommended to minimize permanent organ damage.

En bloc ligation of renal vessels is safe and reduces duration of surgery.

INTRODUCTION: Conventionally, individual ligation of the renal vessels with clips is performed during laparoscopic nephrectomy (LN). Concomitant ligation of the vessels is not a standard procedure due to an expected risk of stapler dysfunction and the development of arteriovenous fistulas (AVF). Using the EndoGIA stapler 45/2.5 mm, we compared en bloc ligation with individual ligation during LN and nephroureterectomy (LNU) with a special focus on the development of AVF and technique safety. METHODS: This was a retrospective study of all patients undergoing LN or LNU at the Department of Urology, Roskilde Hospital, Denmark, between January 2010 and April 2014. The follow-up period was minimum six months. RESULTS: A total of 228 patients underwent LN and 56 patients underwent LNU. In the LN group, 77 patients underwent en bloc ligation. The mean surgical time was significantly reduced to 89 minutes in the en bloc group compared to 109 minutes in the conventional group (p = 0.0001). The difference remained significant with multivariate analysis. In the LNU group, seven patients underwent en bloc ligation. There was no significant difference between conventional ligation and en bloc ligation with respect to surgical time in either the univariate or the multivariate analyses. None of the patients needed blood transfusion. With a mean follow-up of 13.5 months, no AVF were found. CONCLUSIONS: En bloc ligation appears to be safe and can reduce the surgical time during LN without increased risk of blood transfusion and without development of AVF. Further studies are needed to assess any advantages associated with use of the method during LNU. FUNDING: none. TRIAL REGISTRATION: not relevant.

Treatment of ureterovaginal fistula using a Memokath stent.

Ureterovaginal fistula (UVF) is a challenging problem for patients and doctors, especially in patients who have been treated by radiation for malignancy. UVF may occur in conjunction with surgeries involving the uterus. A success rate of 70-100% has been reported for fistula repair with the best results in non-radiated patients. Meanwhile, conservative treatment using ureteral stents in selected patients has resulted in reported success rates of 71%. We present the case of a 24-year-old woman with UVF due to surgery and radiotherapy for cervix cancer. The patient has been successfully treated with the insertion of a Memokath 051 stent (PNN Medical A/S, Denmark), which is a thermoexpandable, nickel-titanium alloy stent. The patient has been totally continent during a follow-up period of 3 years. The Memokath stent has been changed twice within this period due to dysfunction.

[Partial priapism].

Partial priapism, also called partial segmental thrombosis of the corpus cavernosum, is a rare urological condition. Factors such as bicycle riding, drug usage, penile trauma and haematological diseases have been associated with the condition. Medical treatment with low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) or acetylsalicylic acid is first choice treatment, and surgery is preserved for patients unresponsive to analgesics. In this report we describe the case of a 70-year-old man with partial priapism after blood transfusions treated successfully with LMWH.

Eosinophilic cystitis: three cases, and a review over 10 years.

Eosinophilic cystitis (EC) is a rare disease. We describe three cases, where presentations of the disease are similar. To highlight probable causes of the disease, symptoms, clinical findings and treatment modalities, we reviewed 56 cases over a 10-year period. The most common symptoms were frequency, dysuria, urgency, pain and haematuria. Common clinical findings were presence of bladder mass, peripheral eosinophilia and thickened bladder wall. A variety of medical treatments were used, most frequently steroids, antibiotics and antihistamines. Recurrence occurred in patients on tapering or discontinuing prednisone, among other reasons. There is no consensus about the treatment of EC, but In light of our findings in this review, the treatment of choice in our department will be tapered prednisone over 6-8 weeks in combination with antihistamine.

Prostate stent is an option for selected patients who are unsuitable for transurethral resection of the prostate.

INTRODUCTION: Transurethral resection of the prostate (TUR-P) is the gold standard for treatment of severe lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) or urine retention. Some patients are unfit for surgery due to much co-morbidity and need alternative treatment. Intraprostatic stents are one example of minimally invasive treatment for LUTS. We present our results for 27 consecutive intraprostatic stents. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective chart review of all patients who had received an intraprostatic stent between January 2012 and December 2013 by the same surgeon at the Department of Urology, Roskilde Hospital, Denmark. RESULTS: A total of 27 consecutive intraprostatic stents placed in 25 patients were reported. In all, 14 stents were still functioning at the end of follow-up after a mean 432.5 days. Four patients had died of reasons unrelated to the stent with a functioning stent in situ after an average of 102 days. A total of nine stents (33%) were removed in seven patients after a mean 165 days due to migration in two cases, infection in two cases, incontinence in two cases and retention in three cases. Residual urine was significantly reduced after placement of the stents. 72% of the patients avoided surgery or an indwelling catheter. CONCLUSION: An intraprostatic stent can be an important option in highly selected patients with considerable co-morbidity who are unsuitable for TUR-P. FUNDING: not relevant. TRIAL REGISTRATION: not relevant.

Amyloidosis in the bladder: three cases with different appearance.

Amyloidosis refers to a number of diseases characterized by extracellular deposition of misfolded proteins, called amyloid fibrils, in the tissues and organs of the body. Amyloidosis in the bladder is a generally localized, rare condition, with approximately 200 cases reported in the literature. This report presents three cases of amyloidosis in the bladder, two of which had coexisting transitional cell carcinoma. Evaluation for systemic disease is recommended in patients with newly discovered amyloidosis, even if first recognized in an area with the localized form, as in the bladder.

Non-invasive, low-grade papillary urothelial carcinoma in the urachus.

The urachus is a duct connecting the allantois with the fetal bladder, forming the median umbilical ligament; it usually obliterates during fetal life. Carcinomas arising from urachal remnants are rare but associated with a poor prognosis. We present one case of non-invasive urachal papillary urothelial carcinoma, and through a systematic literature search, we identified 12 additional cases of urachal urothelial carcinoma reported in English literature in the past 20 years. The cases were compared according to the Sheldon Staging System and the Mayo Staging System presented by Ashley et al in 2006, and both Staging Systems tend to predict clinical outcome. The urachal carcinoma is an important differential diagnosis in patients presenting with haematuria or an infraumbilical mass, because the symptoms may be sparse and diagnosis at an early stage is essential for successful treatment.

Partial priapism.

With only 34 prior cases in world literature, partial priapism (PP), also called partial segmental thrombosis of the corpus cavernosum, is a rare urological condition. The aetiology and treatment of PP is still unclear, but bicycle riding, trauma, drug usage, sexual intercourse, haematological diseases and α-blockers have been associated with PP. In this case report and world literature review, we describe the case of a 50-year-old man suffering from PP after ingesting 100 mg of sildenafil. The patient was treated with a surgical incision for corpus cavernosum and clot evacuation, as a conservative treatment of PP was not feasible due to severe pain and unresponsiveness to analgesics.