Low Serum Albumin Correlates With Adverse Events Following Surgery for Male Urinary Incontinence: Analysis of the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Project.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the incidence and risk factors associated with artificial urinary sphincter (AUS) and male urethral sling placement (MUS), revision, and removal. METHODS: We identified CPT codes of patients undergoing AUS and sling placement, revision, and removal in the American College of Surgeons National Surgery Quality Improvement Program database. Bivariate analysis was used to compare preoperative parameters against adverse events of interest (Length of stay (LOS) >1, readmission, reoperation, other postoperative complications, and death). Variables that were significant or neared significance (P <.1) in the univariate analysis were entered into multivariable logistic regression models. Multivariable models were used to estimate the probability of adverse events. RESULTS: About 2792 patients underwent surgical treatment for stress urinary incontinence in the American College of Surgeons National Surgery Quality Improvement Program database from 2008 to 2016. Increased length of stay was the most common adverse event (12.7%), followed by other postoperative complications (4.9%), readmission (4%), reoperation (2.3%), and death (0.3%). We noted an association between perioperative adverse events and preoperative hypoalbuminemia. Patients with preoperative hypoalbuminemia compared with patients with normal preoperative serum albumin had an increase predicted probability of LOS >1 day (42% vs 10%), readmission (10% vs 4%), reoperation (6% vs 2%), other postoperative complications (18% vs 4%) after adjusting for other factors. CONCLUSION: Surgical treatment for stress urinary incontinence is well tolerated with acceptable levels of perioperative adverse events. Low serum albumin (<3.5 ng/dL) was associated with perioperative adverse events. These data may affect preoperative decision making and direct future quality improve efforts at the highest risk patients to help minimize perioperative morbidity and mortality.

Robotic nephrectomy for central renal tumors with intraoperative evaluation of tumor histology.

Patients undergoing nephrectomy for central renal tumors suspicious for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) may carry a small risk of having transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) on final pathology, even in the absence of filling defects or abnormal cytology. We describe outcomes in such patients undergoing robotic nephrectomy for suspected RCC, with intraoperative specimen assessment to guide completion ureterectomy if TCC is present. Between September 2010 and August 2015, ten patients had central renal masses suspicious for RCC, which were not amenable to nephron-sparing surgery. Patients underwent a four-arm robotic nephrectomy technique using a GelPOINT(®) access port. Following hilar ligation, the ureter was divided between adjacent hem-o-lok clips, placed in an endocatch bag, and extracted through the GelPOINT incision for the frozen section analysis. If intraoperative assessment confirmed TCC, a robotic completion ureterectomy and a bladder cuff excision were performed. Of the ten patients with central tumors who underwent robotic nephrectomy for suspected RCC, four (40 %) had TCC on the frozen section analysis and underwent completion ureterectomy. Five patients had RCC, and one patient had an oncocytoma. Mean age was 63.1 years (49-76) and mean tumor size was 4.0 cm (1.9-7.6). Mean operating time was 246 min (135-328). All patients had negative margins. Mean length of stay was 2.5 days. No recurrences were documented at median 8.5 months follow-up. For patients undergoing robotic nephrectomy for central renal tumors, intraoperative specimen evaluation can help determine the need for minimally invasive completion ureterectomy.