Comparison of adjustable and nonadjustable single-incision mini-slings in the treatment of female stress urinary incontinence: An initial experience with 30 cases.

OBJECTIVE: Several single-incision mini-slings (SIMSs) have been developed to minimize the potential complications associated with retropubic or transobturator mid-urethral slings. However, few studies compared the efficacy of different types of SIMS. This study compared the outcomes of an adjustable SIMS (Ajust) with a nonadjustable SIMS (Solyx) in the treatment of urodynamic stress incontinence (USI) over postoperative follow-up of 12 months. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, the surgical outcomes of the first 30 patients receiving Ajust and the first 30 patients undergoing Solyx at a university hospital were reviewed retrospectively, all of whom were diagnosed with USI without coexistent pelvic organ prolapse. Preoperative and postoperative examinations included structured urogynecological questionnaires, 1-hour pad tests, and complete urodynamic testing. Patient demographics, urodynamic parameters, and 12-months surgical outcomes were compared between the Ajust and Solyx groups. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the Ajust and Solyx groups in terms of subjective cure rate (93.3% vs 90.0%), objective cure rate (89.3% vs 89.3%), and de novo urgency or urge urinary incontinence (13.3% vs 16.7%) 12 months after surgery. Postoperatively, both Urogenital Distress Inventory-6 and Incontinence Impact Questionnaire-7 scores were significantly improved in the Ajust and Solyx groups. In comparison with preoperative data, postoperative urodynamic results revealed a significant decrease in maximal urethral closure pressure in the Ajust group (n = 28) and a significant increase in residual urine in the Solyx group (n = 28). However, significant differences were not observed in the postoperative pad test and urodynamic data between the Ajust and Solyx groups, and no major complications occurred in either group. CONCLUSIONS: In this paper describing the preliminary experience of 30 patients, both adjustable and nonadjustable SIMS performed by an experienced surgeon were safe and effective in correcting USI at 12-month postoperative follow-up.

The effect of intravesical hyaluronic acid therapy on urodynamic and clinical outcomes among women with interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: Treatment of interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) is often delayed because of a lack of objective data during diagnosis. This study was conducted to determine the clinical validity of using urodynamic studies to investigate the effect of intravesical hyaluronic acid (HA) treatment among women with IC/BPS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty patients with IC/BPS undergoing 6-month intravesical instillation of HA were recruited. Pretreatment evaluation involved a urinalysis and urinary culture, urinary cytology, a 3-day voiding diary, and cystoscopy with hydrodistention of the bladder. Urodynamic study was performed before and after HA treatment. Symptomatic changes were assessed using a questionnaire covering lower urinary tract symptoms, the O'Leary-Sant symptom index and problem indexes (ICSI and ICPI), and the visual analog scale for pain and urgency. Patient demographics, urinary symptoms, ICSI/ICPI scores, pain and urgency scores, and urodynamic results before and after HA treatment were compared. RESULTS: Urinary frequency, nocturia, urgency, pelvic pain, bladder capacity, ICSI, and ICPI were significantly improved after HA treatment. Comparing urodynamic parameters, the volumes at first desire to void (FDV) and maximum cystometric capacity were significantly increased after HA treatment. Before HA treatment, a negative correlation existed between the ICSI and ICPI and urodynamic parameters, including maximum flow rate and bladder capacity, but there were no significant correlations after treatment. Before HA treatment, a negative correlation was discovered between nocturia and FDV. However, after HA treatment, there were no significant correlations between urinary symptoms and urodynamic parameters. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that the improvement of urinary symptoms of IC/BPS after HA treatment is associated with increased FDV and maximum cystometric capacity. The value of FDV and the frequency of nocturia after treatment may become useful objective indicators for prognosis of IC/BPS.

Five-year comparative risk of hepatocellular carcinoma development under entecavir or tenofovir treatment-naïve patients with chronic hepatitis B-related compensated cirrhosis in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND: Comparative long-term efficacy of entecavir (ETV) and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) for prevention of disease progression to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) among high-risk patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB)-related compensated cirrhosis is controversial. AIMS: To compare the long-term efficacy of ETV and TDF in HCC prevention in patients with CHB-related cirrhosis, and to evaluate predictive risk factors for HCC development. METHODS: From January 2008 to March 2018, 894 treatment-naïve patients with CHB-related compensated cirrhosis on ETV or TDF were enrolled based on the longitudinal cohort study. Data were originally collected for 7.3 years of follow-up or after the launch of TDF in 2011. Only the 5-year cumulative incidence and risk factors of HCC were assessed. RESULT: Total 678 and 216 patients received ETV and TDF, respectively. The cumulative risk of HCC at 1, 3 and 5 years of follow-up was 1.6%, 11.3% and 18.7%, respectively, in the ETV group; and 0.9%, 6.7% and 10.7%, respectively, in the TDF group (P = 0.0305). Univariate and adjusted-multivariable models revealed that platelet count, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels and upper gastrointestinal (UGI) varices were independent risk factors for HCC development. TDF resulted in risk of HCC development compared to ETV with adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) of 0.66 (95% confidence interval [CI]:0.40, 1.08; P = 0.0971), 0.69 (95% CI: 0.42, 1.14; P = 0.1488) and 0.66 (95% CI: 0.38, 1.14; P = 0.1407) under stepwise selection, propensity score adjustment, and propensity score matching multivariable models, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: For treatment-naïve patients with CHB-related compensated cirrhosis with 5-year follow-up, after variable adjustments, propensity score approaches and subgroup analyses, TDF showed a lower rate of HCC development that did not reach statistical significance, compared to the ETV.

Risk Prediction of Prostate Cancer with Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms and Prostate Specific Antigen.

PURPOSE: Combined information on single nucleotide polymorphisms and prostate specific antigen offers opportunities to improve the performance of screening by risk stratification. We aimed to predict the risk of prostate cancer based on prostate specific antigen together with single nucleotide polymorphism information. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a prospective study of 20,575 men with prostate specific antigen testing and 4,967 with a polygenic risk score for prostate cancer based on 66 single nucleotide polymorphisms from the Finnish population based screening trial of prostate cancer and 5,269 samples of 7 single nucleotide polymorphisms from the Finnish prostate cancer DNA study. A Bayesian predictive model was built to estimate the risk of prostate cancer by sequentially combining genetic information with prostate specific antigen compared with prostate specific antigen alone in study subjects limited to those with prostate specific antigen 4 ng/ml or above. RESULTS: The posterior odds of prostate cancer based on 7 single nucleotide polymorphisms together with the prostate specific antigen level ranged from 3.7 at 4 ng/ml, 14.2 at 6 and 40.7 at 8 to 98.2 at 10 ng/ml. The ROC AUC was elevated to 88.8% (95% CI 88.6-89.1) for prostate specific antigen combined with the risk score based on 7 single nucleotide polymorphisms compared with 70.1% (95% CI 69.6-70.7) for prostate specific antigen alone. It was further escalated to 96.7% (95% CI 96.5-96.9) when all prostate cancer susceptibility polygenes were combined. CONCLUSIONS: Expedient use of multiple genetic variants together with information on prostate specific antigen levels better predicts the risk of prostate cancer than prostate specific antigen alone and allows for higher prostate specific antigen cutoffs. Combined information also provides a basis for risk stratification which can be used to optimize the performance of prostate cancer screening.

Association Between Colorectal Cancer Mortality and Gradient Fecal Hemoglobin Concentration in Colonoscopy Noncompliers.

Background: To what extent the risk for colorectal cancer (CRC) death among noncompliers of colonoscopy is elevated following positive fecal immunological testing and whether the elevated risk varies with the fecal hemoglobin concentration (f-Hb) and location of CRC have not been researched. Methods: We used data on 59 389 individuals (4.0%) among 1 489 937 Taiwanese screenees age 50 to 69 years with f-Hb 20 µg hemoglobin or more per gram of feces from 2004 to 2009. They were classified into 41 995 who received colonoscopy and 10 778 who received no confirmatory examination; the latter was categorized into three risk groups according to f-Hb (20-49, 50-99, and 100+). Mortality from CRC as the primary end point was monitored until December 31, 2012. Results: A 1.64-fold (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.32 to 2.04) increased risk for CRC death for the noncolonoscopy group as opposed to the colonoscopy group adjusting for differences in baseline characteristics. A gradient relationship was noted between cumulative mortality and age- and sex-adjusted f-Hb categories with 1.31-fold (95% CI = 1.04 to 1.71), 2.21-fold (95% CI = 1.55 to 3.34), and 2.53-fold (95% CI = 1.95 to 3.43) increased risk, respectively, for the 20-49, 50-99, and 100+ risk groups in the noncolonoscopy group compared with the colonoscopy group. The noncolonoscopy group led to a statistically significant 1.75-fold increased risk (95% CI = 1.35 to 2.33) for CRC of the distal colon but a statistically nonsignificant 1.11-fold increased risk (95% CI = 0.70 to 1.75) for the proximal colon, compared with the colonoscopy group. When the comparator was limited to subjects whose colonoscopy was completed to the cecum, the statistically significantly elevated risk for CRC mortality was seen for both distal and proximal colon in the noncolonoscopy group. Conclusions: After a positive fecal immunochemical test, colonoscopy can reduce by about half the number of deaths from CRC. Among colonoscopy noncompliers, higher f-Hb is associated with an increased risk of mortality from CRC in a dose-response manner.