Patient Characteristics Associated with Sexual Interest and Activity Among Adults with Spina Bifida.

OBJECTIVE: To identify factors associated with sexual interest and activity among adults with spina bifida and to describe the sexual profile of those who were sexually active. Sexual health of adults with spina bifida is often neglected and current knowledge on the topic is limited. METHODS: An anonymous web-based survey was advertised and administered between March 2018 and September 2018 and participants 16 years and older with spina bifida were included in this study. Respondents were asked about sexual interest, activity, and function using the validated Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Sexual Function Profile. Bivariate and multivariable models with ordinal logistic regression were fitted to evaluate predictors of sexual interest and sexual function. RESULTS: Of the 261 respondents with a self-reported diagnosis of spina bifida (mean age of 38.5 years), 73.2% noted at least a little bit of interest in sexual activity. In multivariate analysis, women were less likely to report higher sexual interest than men (odds ratio (OR) = 0.53, 95% CI 0.31-0.92, P = .03) whereas those with higher physical functioning were more likely to have higher sexual interest (OR = 1.04, confidence interval (CI) 1.01-1.07, P = .03). Just less than half of respondents (46.4%) were sexually active in the past 30 days, and those with a ventriculoperitoneal shunt were less likely to engage in sexual activity compared to those without (OR = 0.36, 95% CI 0.19-0.68; P <.01). CONCLUSION: The mismatch between sexual interest and sexual activity highlights the importance of exploring issues related to sexual health when counseling adult patients with spina bifida.

Large Variations in the Prices of Urologic Procedures at Academic Medical Centers 1 Year After Implementation of the Price Transparency Final Rule.

Importance: Patients with urologic diseases often experience financial toxicity, defined as high levels of financial burden and concern, after receiving care. The Price Transparency Final Rule, which requires hospitals to disclose both the commercial and cash prices for at least 300 services, was implemented to facilitate price shopping, decrease price dispersion, and lower health care costs. Objective: To evaluate compliance with the Price Transparency Final Rule and to quantify variations in the price of urologic procedures among academic hospitals and by insurance class. Design, Setting, and Participants: This was a cross-sectional study that determined the prices of 5 common urologic procedures among academic medical centers and by insurance class. Prices were obtained from the Turquoise Health Database on March 24, 2022. Academic hospitals were identified from the Association of American Medical Colleges website. The 5 most common urologic procedures were cystourethroscopy, prostate biopsy, laparoscopic radical prostatectomy, transurethral resection of the prostate, and ureteroscopy with laser lithotripsy. Using the corresponding Current Procedural Terminology codes, the Turquoise Health Database was queried to identify the cash price, Medicare price, Medicaid price, and commercial insurance price for these procedures. Exposures: The Price Transparency Final Rule, which went into effect January 1, 2021. Main Outcomes and Measures: Variability in procedure price among academic medical centers and by insurance class (Medicare, Medicaid, commercial, and cash price). Results: Of 153 hospitals, only 20 (13%) listed a commercial price for all 5 procedures. The commercial price was reported most often for cystourethroscopy (86 hospitals [56%]) and least often for laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (45 hospitals [29%]). The cash price was lower than the Medicare, Medicaid, and commercial price at 24 hospitals (16%). Prices varied substantially across hospitals for all 5 procedures. There were significant variations in the prices of cystoscopy (χ23 = 85.9; P = .001), prostate biopsy (χ23 = 64.6; P = .001), prostatectomy (χ23 = 24.4; P = .001), transurethral resection of the prostate (χ23 = 51.3; P = .001), and ureteroscopy with laser lithotripsy (χ23 = 63.0; P = .001) by insurance type. Conclusions and Relevance: These findings suggest that, more than 1 year after the implementation of the Price Transparency Final Rule, there are still large variations in the prices of urologic procedures among academic hospitals and by insurance class. Currently, in certain situations, health care costs could be reduced if patients paid out of pocket. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services may improve price transparency by better enforcing penalties for noncompliance, increasing penalties, and ensuring that hospitals report prices in a way that is easy for patients to access and understand.

Outcomes of Vesicourethral Anastomotic Stenosis and Bladder Neck Contracture With Direct Visual Internal Urethrotomy With Mitomycin-C After Prostate Cancer Treatment.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the use of Direct Visual Internal Urethrotomy with Mitomycin-C (DVIU-MMC) for bladder neck contracture and vesicourethral anastomotic stenosis in men who have undergone treatment for prostate cancer with radical prostatectomy and/or radiation therapy. METHODS: Retrospective chart review of patients at a tertiary care center who underwent DVIU-MMC for recurrent bladder neck contracture/vesicourethral anastomotic stenosis between 2012 and 2020. Patients with complete urethral obliteration, prior bladder neck reconstruction, or less than 3 months of follow-up were excluded. Patients were sorted into three groups based on prostate cancer treatment history: radical prostatectomy (RP), RP with subsequent external beam radiation therapy (RP-EBRT), and radiation therapy (RT). RESULTS: Fifty-one patients with a median follow up of 32 months were included. Twenty-nine percent had pre-operative suprapubic tube (SPT), Foley, or required clean intermittent catheterization. Overall success after initial DVIU-MMC was 45%. In all patients with up to four procedures, cumulative overall success was 84%. There was no significant difference in relative success rates between groups. However, the interval to recurrence after initial DVIU-MMC was shortest for RP-EBRT group (P = .018). Three patients required SPT, all were in the RP-EBRT group. There was no statistical difference in recurrence after any number of procedures between patients in radiation (RP-EBRT and RT) and non-radiation (RP) groups. CONCLUSION: There was no significant difference in success rates between patients who had undergone RP-EBRT, RT, or RP. However, our data suggests that RP-EBRT patients experience poorer outcomes given that their interval to recurrence was more rapid and all patients requiring SPT placement were in this group.

Large Variation in International Prescribing Rates of Opioids After Robotic Prostatectomy.

OBJECTIVE: To compare international opioid prescribing patterns for patients undergoing robotic assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy. To our knowledge, this is the first study to assess international opioid prescribing trends among urologists. METHODS: An anonymous Web-based survey assessing the frequency and quantity of opioid prescriptions for robotic assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy was designed using Qualtrics software. The survey was distributed to urologists internationally via Twitter and email in early 2021. Prescribing patterns were analyzed based on country of practice in three groups: United States, Canada, and all other countries. RESULTS: 160 participants from 26 countries completed the survey including the United States (51%), Greece (19%), Canada (9%), Israel (3.1%). The percentage of providers prescribing post-discharge opioids significantly differed between Canada, the United States, and other countries (86%, 63%, and 11%, respectively, P <.0001). There was a significant difference between years of experience in those who provide opioids compared to those who do not (8 years vs 5 years, P = .0004). The average morphine milligram equivalents (MME) provided in those who did prescribe opioids was greatest in the United States but was not significantly different between groups (mean MME: United States 58 mg, Canada 46 mg, all others 54 mg; P = .63). Attending physicians prescribed more MME than trainees (residents, fellows) on average (attending mean MME = 75 mg, trainee mean MME = 40 mg, P = .017). CONCLUSION: Opioid prescriptions after robotic assisted prostatectomy are common in North America and used sparingly in the rest of the world.