Scaling up Surgical Capacity in Kenya: The Kenya Hospital Assessment Tool (K-HAT).

INTRODUCTION: Although substantial progress has been achieved to bring surgical care to the forefront of global health discussions, a number of low-and middle-income countries are still in the process of developing a National Surgical, Obstetric, and Anesthesia Plan (NSOAP). This paper describes the initial step toward the development of the NSOAP through the creation of the Kenya National Hospital Assessment Tool (K-HAT). METHODS: A study protocol was developed by a multisectoral collaborative group that represented the pillars of surgical capacity development in Kenya. The K-HAT was adapted from two World Health Organization (WHO) tools: the Service Availability and Readiness Assessment tool and the Situational Analysis Tool. The survey tool was deployed on Open Data Kit, an open-source electronic encrypted database. This new locally adapted tool was pilot tested in three hospitals in Kenya and subsequently deployed in Level 4 facilities. RESULTS: Eighty-nine questions representing over 800 data points divided into six WHO Health Systems Strengthening sections comprised the K-HAT which was deployed to over 95% of Level 4 hospitals in Kenya. When compared to the WHO Service Availability and Readiness Assessment tool, the K-HAT collected more detailed information. The pilot test team reported that K-HAT was easy to administer, easily understood by the respondents, and that it took approximately 1 hour to collect data from each facility. CONCLUSIONS: The K-HAT collected comprehensive information that can be used to develop Kenya's NSOAP.

Muscle-invasive angiosarcoma of the urinary bladder: Case report.

A 71-year-old male with benign prostatic hyperplasia managed by self-catheterization presented with gross hematuria. A CT scan of abdomen and pelvis demonstrated abnormal bladder appearance with right sided mass and a diverticulum. Patient underwent transurethral resection of bladder tumor. Pathology was significant for high-grade muscle-invasive angiosarcoma. The malignant cells showed positive staining for vimentin and CD31. Given patient's underlying comorbidities and following multidisciplinary discussion, hospice care was pursued. The aim of this case report is to provide an overview on clinical presentation, diagnosis, and current management of this rare entity of genitourinary sarcoma.

Urologic trauma from vaginal dilation for congenital vaginal stenosis: A newly-described and challenging complication.

Vaginal dilation is first line therapy for vaginal agenesis. No major urologic complications have even been described. We present the management and successful outcome of immediate repair for urethral trauma in a patient with history of congenital anomalies managed with vaginal dilation. Proper exposure is difficult, but urologic repair can be achieved with or without concomitant vaginal repair.

Biomechanical Studies of the Inflatable Penile Prosthesis: A Review.

INTRODUCTION: The penile prosthesis remains the primary surgical treatment for refractory erectile dysfunction. Over the decades, inflatable penile prostheses' mechanical reliability, patient satisfaction, safety, and functional erectile restoration have greatly improved. During this time, many studies of biomechanical properties of the prosthesis have been conducted to better understand their biomimicry to the erect human phallus. AIM: To review all current literature on the biomechanical properties of the penile prosthesis, including prosthesis biomechanical function, and variability in model-related performance. METHODS: A Medline PubMed search was used to identify all articles of interest related to subjects involving the penile prosthesis and its related biomechanical properties. The following were included in the search for articles of interest: "biomechanics," "mechanics," "mechanical properties," "axial rigidity," "penile implant," and "penile prosthesis." Articles were further screened for content and English language. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Here we perform a literature review of the bio-mechenical function, performance, and patient satisfaction of penile implants. RESULTS: Axial rigidity helps determine the ability of an erect penis to complete vaginal intromission and pelvic thrusting without buckling. Recent cadaveric data show that at maximum inflation, Coloplast and American Medical Systems (AMS) implants had comparable performance. Variability was seen at various lower fill pressures, where more severe buckling was observed. Coloplast Titan showed a tendency toward better resistance to longitudinal and horizontal forces. The AMS CX device showed similar performance to the Titan, and the AMS LGX device was shown to be most sensitive to fill pressure variation. Additionally, rear tip extenders (RTEs) appear to negatively affect axial loading, especially in settings of larger implants. CONCLUSION: Current research suggests that circumferentially expanding devices, such as AMS CX and Coloplast Titan, show better resistance to longitudinal (penetration) and horizontal (gravity) forces and, unlike the AMS LGX device, are less sensitive to device fill pressure. Additionally, RTEs have been shown to negatively impact axial loading, especially in larger cylinder inflatable penile prostheses >20 cm in length. Madiraju SK, Wallen JJ, Rydelek SP, et al. Biomechanical Studies of the Inflatable Penile Prosthesis: A Review. Sex Med Rev 2019;7:369-375.

Placement of Inflatable Penile Implants in Patients With Prior Radical Pelvic Surgery: A Literature Review.

BACKGROUND: Penile prosthesis for erectile restoration remains the only surgical option for medical refractory erectile dysfunction. Many expert prosthetic surgeons recommend special care when placing a reservoir in a patient who has undergone prior radical pelvic surgery (PRPS) due to distortion of anatomy and obliteration of the dead space in the traditionally used space of Retzius. AIM: Review all the current literature on penile prosthesis implantation in patients with prior pelvic surgery, with an emphasis on tips and tricks for reservoir placement in this unique population. METHODS: A Medline PubMed search was used to identify articles of interest related to all topics surrounding pelvic surgery and penile prostheses. The following terms were included in the search for articles of interest: "bladder cancer," "prostate cancer," "rectal cancer," "colon cancer," "pelvic surgery," "penile implants," "penile implant reservoir," and "penile prosthesis." Articles were further screened for content and English language. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Outcomes and adverse event rates in this population. Review of options for reservoir placement. RESULTS: The outcomes, satisfaction, and adverse event profiles are similar between patients in the PRPS group and those who are not, regardless of the cause for pelvic surgery. For surgeons uncomfortable with placing a reservoir in the compromised pelvis, a 2-piece inflatable penile implant (AMS Ambicor) is a viable option. For surgeons who recommend 3-piece implants in this patient population, alternative positions for the reservoir have been developed in the hope of avoiding catastrophic bowel, bladder, and vascular injuries. CONCLUSION: In patients with PRPS, placing an inflatable penile prosthesis is not only feasible, it is definitive therapy with excellent patient satisfaction. Reservoir placement outside the space of Retzius or placing a 2-piece inflatable device can be easily performed with equivalent safety and efficacy. Madiraju SK, Hakky TS, Perito PE, et al. Placement of Inflatable Penile Implants in Patients With Prior Radical Pelvic Surgery: A Literature Review. Sex Med Rev 2019;7:189-197.

Prostatic Urethral Lift: Does Size Matter?

OBJECTIVES: To assess if prostatic urethral lift (PUL) can be as effective on larger prostates. PUL is an endoscopic device that retracts prostatic tissue to relieve benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) obstruction. In 2013, PUL was approved for patients with a prostate size of <80 g and no median lobes. The approval was primarily based on the L.I.F.T. study, which only evaluated patients with prostates between 30 and 80 g in size. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy-four patients underwent PUL between April 2, 2014, and December 2, 2015, for BPH management. Fifty-one patients were in the <80 g prostate group (median: 46 g, range: 20-78 g) and 23 in the >80 g prostate group (median: 112 g, range: 81-254 g). Student t-tests and Fisher's exact tests were used to compare continuous and categorical variables. p-Value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Median time between PUL and follow-up AUA symptom score (AUASS) was 144 days. A difference between the numbers of PUL implants used was seen. A significant improvement in AUASSs was seen in both groups following the procedure. There was no significant difference in age, AUASS before or after the procedure, or need for an additional outlet procedure between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Early experience finds that a sufficient number of men with larger prostates appear to benefit from PUL. Patients with >80 g prostate size were more likely to have a median lobe and may benefit from resection of the median lobe at time of the PUL. Long-term follow-up is needed to evaluate the durability of the PUL procedure.

Reduction of Framingham BMI score after rapid weight loss in severely obese subjects undergoing sleeve gastrectomy: a single institution experience.

BACKGROUND: There is vast evidence that supports the importance of obesity in the pathogenesis and progression of cardiovascular disease. Rapid weight loss induced by laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) has proven beneficial. The aim of this study is to evaluate laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) as an alternative treatment modality and its impact on the Framingham-BMI 10-year risk score. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed all patients that underwent bariatric surgery at our institution between 2010 and 2014. Patients who met the criteria for calculating the Framingham BMI 10-year risk score were included. Data collected included baseline demographics, perioperative parameters such as tobacco use, diagnosis of diabetes, treatment for hypertension, BMI and postoperative outcomes at 3 and 12 months. RESULTS: From our 1129 bariatric patients, 358 (31.7%) met criteria for the Framingham BMI 10-year risk score calculation. LSG was the most prevalent surgery 61.45% (N = 220) followed by LRYGB 22.06% (N = 79). Females composed 69% (N = 248) of our population. The average age for females was 52.3 ± 10.8 years and for males 54.07 ± 11.2 years. The initial Framingham 10-year score risk was significantly higher in males compared with females (36.16% ± 22.3 vs. 16.97% ± 15.6 (p < 0.001)). After 12-month follow-up, the absolute risk reduction in males was 11.58% (p < 0.001) and 6.17% in females (p < 0.001). The preoperative heart age was high in females and males (69.23 ± 15.72 years and 73.55 ± 13.55 years, respectively (p = 0.012)), and after 12 months it was reduced 7.19 years in females (p < 0.001) and 7.04 years in males (p < 0.001). The percentage of estimated BMI loss at 1 year was 64.43% in females and 60.69% in males. CONCLUSION: Sleeve gastrectomy has demonstrated to be an effective method of treatment for obesity. Our results suggest that rapid weight loss after LSG has a positive impact in the reduction of the 10-year cardiovascular disease risk. Further prospective studies may be needed to better assess these findings.

In by helicopter out by cab: the financial cost of aeromedical overtriage of trauma patients.

BACKGROUND: Helicopter transport of injured patients is controversial and costly. This study aims to show that a complex trauma algorithm leads to significant aeromedical overtriage at substantial cost. Our secondary outcomes were to compare adjusted mortality and outcomes between air and ground transport and determine predictors of overtriage. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A 6-y retrospective analysis was conducted of all trauma activations at a Level I center. Patients were dichotomized by transportation method as well as trauma activation criteria. Overtriage was defined as those who were discharged from the emergency department, medically admitted without injuries, or admitted to observation status only. Overtriage and associated charges were calculated for each patient cohort, and multivariate regression models were created to derive adjusted mortality rates and predictors of overtriage. RESULTS: A total of 4218 patients were treated with 28% arriving by helicopter. Overtriage increased significantly from 51% to 77% with lower tier activation criteria (P < 0.001). Median charges for air-evacuated patients was $10,478 (versus $1008 ground). Eliminating overtriage of air patients would result in a cost savings of $1,316,036 annually. Adjusted mortality between air and ground transport was not significantly different (8.5% versus 10.9%, P = 0.548). Predictors of overtriage included decreasing age, Injury Severity Score, Head Abbreviated Injury Score, nonoperative treatment, and lower tier activation criteria. CONCLUSIONS: Significant overtriage (52%) and unnecessary air evacuation of minimally injured patients occurs at great financial cost. Revision of trauma activation protocols may result in more judicious air transport use and significant reductions in health care costs.