Monitoring Intrarenal temperature changes during Ho: YAG laser lithotripsy in patients undergoing retrograde intrarenal surgery: a novel pilot study.

Ho: YAG laser lithotripsy is widely used for urinary stone treatment, but concerns persist regarding its thermal effects on renal tissues. This study aimed to monitor intrarenal temperature changes during kidney stone treatment using retrograde intrarenal surgery with Ho: YAG laser. Fifteen patients were enrolled. Various laser power settings (0.8 J/10 Hz, 1.2 J/12 Hz) and irrigation modes (10 cc/min, 15 cc/min, 20 cc/min, gravity irrigation, and manual pump irrigation) were used. A sterile thermal probe was attached to a flexible ureterorenoscope and delivered into the calyceal system via the ureteral access sheath. Temperature changes were recorded with a T-type thermal probe with ± 0.1 °C accuracy. Laser power significantly influenced mean temperature, with a 4.981 °C difference between 14 W and 8 W laser power (p < 0.001). The mean temperature was 2.075 °C higher with gravity irrigation and 2.828 °C lower with manual pump irrigation (p = 0.038 and p = 0.005, respectively). Body mass index, laser power, irrigation model, and operator duty cycle explained 49.5% of mean temperature variability (Adj. R2 = 0.495). Laser power and operator duty cycle positively impacted mean temperature, while body mass index and specific irrigation models affected it negatively. Laser power and irrigation rate are critical for intrarenal temperature during Ho: YAG laser lithotripsy. Optimal settings and irrigation strategies are vital for minimizing thermal injury risk. This study underscores the need for ongoing research to understand and mitigate thermal effects during laser lithotripsy.

The learning curve for pure retroperitoneoscopic donor nephrectomy by using cumulative sum analysis.

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to identify a precise learning curve for pure retroperitoneoscopic donor nephrectomy (RDN). METHODS: Data from 172 consecutive kidney donors who underwent pure RDN between January 2010 and July 2019 were prospectively collected and evaluated. Cumulative sum (CUSUM) analysis was used for testing the operation time. Changepoints were determined by using the r program and BINSEG method. The cohort was divided into three groups - group 1: competence, including the first 10 cases; group 2: 11-48 cases as proficiency; and group 3: the subsequent 124 cases as expert level. Continuous variables were evaluated using one-way ANOVA, and categorical data were evaluated using the Chi-squared test. RESULTS: Right RDN was performed in 39 (22.7%) donors. The eighth patient was converted to open surgery due to vena cava injury and excluded from the CUSUM analysis. Depending on experience in pure RDN, a significant decrease was detected in operative time (p<0.001), warm ischemia time (p=0.006), and blood loss (p<0.001). Recipient complications and graft function were found to be statistically comparable. CONCLUSIONS: In our study, the attainment of expertise in pure RDN was observed after performing 50 cases. The transperitoneal technique, which is a feasible alternative, is far more widely used than pure RDN. We believe that understanding the learning curve associated with pure RDN could facilitate the adoption of this approach as a viable alternative to the transperitoneal approach.

Intraoperative Ultrasound Can Facilitate Laparoscopic Partial Nephrectomy in Adherent Perinephric Fat.

Background: Adherent perinephric fat (APF) is one of the challenging factors of laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (LPN). The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of intraoperative laparoscopic ultrasound (ILUS) on determining renal tumor localization and dissection in patients with APF who underwent LPN. Methods: Prospectively collected data from 517 patients who underwent LPN from October 2010 to September 2020 in tertiary university hospital were evaluated retrospectively. The cohort was divided into two main groups according to the Mayo Adhesive Probability (MAP) score: Group 1 (MAP score ≤3) and Group 2 (MAP score ≥4). After implementing propensity score-matched analysis including the complexity of tumor, age, and body mass index, Group 1 consisted of 202 patients with ≤3 MAP score and Group 2 included 46 patients. Then, both groups were allocated into two subgroups according to whether ILUS was used. Demographics, perioperative features such as perirenal fatty tissue dissection, tumor excision, operation time, and perioperative outcomes accepted as trifecta, considering warm ischemia time, negative surgical margin, and complications were compared. Results: In Group 1, ILUS use did not seem to affect perioperative outcomes in both subgroups. However, ILUS has a positive effect on perirenal fatty tissue dissection (10 versus 19 minutes, P = .011), tumor excision (4 versus 7 minutes, P = .005), and operation time (78 versus 90 minutes, P = .046) in Group 2. Trifecta outcomes were also better in higher MAP scores and ultrasound-used subgroups (P = .019). Conclusions: ILUS should be considered a helpful and effective instrument in overcoming APF in LPN. It might also have a positive effect on trifecta outcomes.

Which Is the Best Predictor to Achieve Trifecta in Patients Undergoing Elective Laparoscopic Partial Nephrectomy with Global Hilar Clamping? Comparative Analysis in Patients with Clinical T1a and T1b Renal Tumors.

Background: Partial nephrectomy (PN) is the standard of treatment in patients with cT1 renal tumors. Current guidelines recommend PN as a standard of treatment in patients with cT1 renal tumors. However, the commonly accepted criteria for which surgical outcomes are evaluated both functionally and oncologically are not yet clear. The aim of this study was to evaluate compounding factors that affect the operative and functional outcomes for laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (LPN) in patients with cT1 renal tumors. Methods: This study was registered at NCT04213157 for patients who underwent LPN with the diagnosis of clinical T1 renal tumors. Between November 2009 and August 2018, 292 patients were included in the study. The patients were allocated into two groups according to the tumor size: T1a (n = 215) and T1b (n = 77). Demographic features, clinical tumor characteristics, and intraoperative and postoperative outcomes were analyzed. A negative surgical margin, warm ischemia time of <20 minutes, and no postoperative major complications were accepted to achieve the trifecta outcomes. Pentafecta was defined as trifecta criteria plus >90% preservation of baseline renal function (RF) and no stage upgrade of chronic kidney disease at 12 months after surgery. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify factors predicting trifecta and pentafecta. Results: Preoperative variables including age, gender, and baseline RF were similar between the two groups. The warm ischemia time was 13.4 vs 15.9 minutes (P = 0.001). The positive margin rate was 0.9% vs 2.6% (P = 0.284), and the major complication rate was 3.3% vs 2.6% (P = 0.548). The achievement of the trifecta rate was 88.4% vs 75.3% (P = 0.006) and pentafecta rate was 72.6% vs 42.9% (P = 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that tumor complexity, baseline RF, and diabetes mellitus are independent predictors of achieving pentafecta outcomes. Conclusion: LPN is an effective and reliable method for renal tumors even in T1b with satisfying surgical and functional outcomes.

Laparoscopic Partial Nephrectomy in Allograft Kidney.

The incidence of renal tumor on the allograft kidney is relatively rare. There is no standard treatment available for the management of such cases. However, if technically feasible nephron-sparing surgical approaches, whether open or minimally invasive, should be preferred for the management of these challenging cases. To our knowledge, there is no pure laparoscopic technique reported in the literature but only 3 cases of robot-assisted partial nephrectomy. In this article, we aimed to present the application of pure transperitoneal laparoscopic partial nephrectomy for the management of a renal mass on the allograft kidney.

Desmoplastic small round cell tumor of the kidney: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Desmoplastic small round cell tumor (DSRCT) is a rare, aggressive neoplasm seen in children and young adults, usually manifested by involvement of abdominal serosa. Here, we present an unusual case of primary DSRCT of kidney. CASE PRESENTATION: The patient was an 8-year-old girl with a large renal mass which was confused with primitive neuroectodermal tumor (PNET) in the needle biopsy. The tumor had a variegated histology revealing frequent pseudo-rosette formations, pseudopapillary architecture, rhabdoid, clear or pleomorphic cells in addition to typical small round cell morphology and desmoplasia. It showed immunohistochemical features of DSRCT, and EWSR1 re-arrangement. CONCLUSIONS: Proffering this diagnosis is particularly difficult for tumors of viscera because of the incognizance of the entity in these locations. Moreover, DSRCT is a great mimicker and may get easily confused with more common kidney malignancies of childhood such as Wilms tumor, PNET/EWS, rhabdoid tumor, clear cell sarcoma, and other small round cell tumors as well as renal cell carcinomas. The distinction is critical as the accurate therapeutic approach will require correct diagnosis.

Clinical Effectiveness of Single Pigtail Suture Stent on Patient Comfort: A Double-Blind Prospective Randomized Trial.

Background: A double-pigtail ureteral stent (DPUS) can cause untoward symptoms, such as urgency, frequency, urinary incontinence, hematuria, and body pain that are bothersome to patient's quality of life (QoL). By reducing the quantity of material in the bladder, it could be reasonable to decrease stent-related symptoms (SRSs). We aimed to evaluate the tolerability of single pigtail suture stent (SPSS) with a validated questionnaire after uncomplicated retrograde semirigid ureteroscopic lithotripsy (URSL). Materials and Methods: A total of 130 patients who underwent ureteral stent placement after URSL for unilateral symptomatic ureteral stones with <15 mm diameter were randomized prospectively into two groups. Polyurethane ureteral stent (6 Fr, 24 or 26 cm) was placed in all patients, which was removed postoperatively with a mean of 14 days. There were 65 patients in both groups. All subjects completed the ureteral stent symptoms questionnaire (USSQ), which explores the SRSs. The questionnaires were conducted on the day of stent removal (at week 2) with the stent in situ and 4 weeks after removal (at week 6, poststent). The severity of SRSs and QoL were compared between the two groups. Results: SPSS was associated with perfect effect on all domains of USSQ, except from sexual and general health index scores. Pain index scores, visual analog scores (VAS), and analgesic requirements in SPSS group were found significantly low compared with those in the DPUS group. The QoL scores were significantly better in patients indwelling SPSS. Conclusion: SPSS is a potentially beneficial option to minimize ureteral SRSs after uncomplicated URSL.

Strategies to Perform Pure Retroperitoneoscopic Donor Nephrectomy: A Single-Center Cohort Study.

Background: Considering the increase in a number of vascular complications, right laparoscopic donor nephrectomy is less preferred due to achieving not only shorter renal vein but also longer renal artery. However, recent studies have indicated that the side of the surgery would not affect the outcomes. Aim: The aim of this study is to evaluate the outcomes and strategies to increase the safety of pure retroperitoneoscopic donor nephrectomy (RDN). Methods: We analyzed the prospectively collected medical records of 158 kidney donors who underwent RDN from January 2010 to August 2018. The patients were divided into two groups based on their side of surgery. Right- and left-sided RDNs were compared in terms of demographics, intraoperative, and postoperative data, including the development of incisional hernia (IH). The outcomes of the recipients were also evaluated. Results: Right RDN was performed in 40 (25.3%) and left RDN was performed in 118 (74.7%) donors. Operation time (P = .593), warm ischemia time (P = .271), blood loss (P = .787), and length of hospital stay (P = .908) were statistically similar in right and left RDN groups. Intraoperative and postoperative complications were statistically showed no difference between right and left RDNs. No IH was observed in any group. One-year and five-year patient survival and graft survival rates were 100% versus 97% (P = .299) and 100% versus 95% (P = .126) on both sides, respectively. Conclusion: Right RDN is an effective and safe method as on the left side. RDN has an additional advantage in the absence of IH. Experience with other retroperitoneoscopic urological interventions may have had a positive effect on the outcomes of pure RDN.

Nutcracker Syndrome in Children: Role of Doppler Ultrasonographic Indices in Detecting the Pattern of Symptoms.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical characteristics of 44 pediatric patients who were diagnosed as having nutcracker syndrome (NCS). We also investigated the left renal vein Doppler ultrasonography (DUS) results, to determine whether or not there was an association between clinical symptoms and DUS findings among these patients. The clinical data from 44 pediatric patients who were diagnosed as having NCS from January 2008 to December 2015 were retrospectively reviewed. We grouped the patients according to the presenting symptoms as symptomatic (loin pain; macroscopic hematuria or both) and non-symptomatic (microscopic hematuria and proteinuria were detected incidentally) and evaluated the left renal vein DUS indices in these two groups separately. Asymptomatic NCS was found in 27 (61.4%) patients; 21 (47.7%) of whom were admitted for the evaluation of proteinuria. The most frequent presenting symptoms were left flank pain (20.5%) and macroscopic hematuria (13.6%); and 2 (4.5%) patients presented with a combination of left flank pain and macroscopic hematuria. The mean ratio of the diameter of the hilar portion of the left renal vein (LRV) to that of the aortomesenteric portion was 4.36 ± 1.55. The mean ratio of the peak velocity (PV) between the two sites of the LRV was 7.32 ± 2.68 (3.1⁻15.6). The differences in the ratio of the diameters were statistically significant between the two groups and significantly higher in children with asymptomatic NCS (p = 0.025). The PV ratios of the LRV (p = 0.035) were significantly higher in asymptomatic children with NCS than in the symptomatic group. Our study identifies that increased compression ratio of the LRV entrapment is most observed in orthostatic proteinuria and microscopic hematuria.

Renal Autotransplantation at Three Academic Institutions in Turkey.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to present the experience of 3 institutions performing renal autotransplantation (RAT) and to discuss surgical techniques employed and the results in the light of the medical literature. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 14 patients (11 male and 3 female) with a mean age of 47 ± 8 years (35-61 years), who underwent RAT procedure at 3 different institutions between October 2006 and November 2014, in Turkey, were evaluated retrospectively. Indications for RAT procedure are ureteral avulsion, renal artery aneurysm and intimal dissection caused by percutaneous transluminal renal artery angioplasty (PTRA). Twelve patients with ureteral avulsion, 1 patient with renal artery aneurysm and 1 patient with intimal dissection caused by PTRA were followed-up for 103 months. Seven (50%) open and 7 (50%) laparoscopic nephrectomies were performed. Nine patients (64.3%) were right-sided and 5 patients (35.7%) were left-sided. Complications of grade III and above as per Clavien-Dindo classification were assessed. RESULTS: Mean time from injury to RAT was 21.2 ± 40.1 days. However, 5 (35.7%) patients were treated on the same day of the injury. As per Clavien-Dindo classification, 2 (14.2%) grade IVa and 1 (7.1%) grade IIIa complications were reported. However, no significant correlation was observed between the complications and graft loss regarding type and side of the nephrectomy performed (p = 0.462 and p = 0.505, respectively) and timing of the intervention (p = 0.692). CONCLUSION: RAT is a safe procedure in combination with minimally invasive laparoscopic technique in carefully selected patients; however, it requires expertise and proficiency in laparoscopy, reconstructive urology and transplantation. Nevertheless RAT should be considered as the last resort, when other modalities fail.

Laparoscopic Nephron-sparing Surgery for Metanephric Adenoma in Children: A Report of 2 Cases.

Metanephric adenoma (MA) is an epithelial benign tumor of the kidney and very rare in children. Here we present 2 cases of MA treated by laparoscopic nephron-sparing surgery in children. To the best of our knowledge, we report the first cases of laparoscopic nephron-sparing surgery for MA in children.

Neurological Complications after Renal Transplantation: A Retrospective Clinical Study.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence and types of neurological complications (NCs) and associated factors in renal transplantation (RT) patients. METHODS: Three hundred and forty-four patients who had RT performed at our institution between January 2005 and July 2014 were retrospectively evaluated. RESULTS: File records of the patients revealed 19 who experienced a total of 22 episodes of NCs, of whom three had more than one episode. The mean age of 19 patients included in the study, of whom eight were female, was 37.52±13.08 (range, 18-65) years. NCs were classified into central or peripheral depending on the location of involvement of the central nervous system (CNS). CNS involvement was found in 16 (84.2%) of the 19 patients. Tremor (36.8%) was the most common CNS complication in these patients. Encephalopathy, generalized tonic-clonic seizures, and status epilepticus were observed in two patients (10.5%). Delirium and dementia were observed in one patient (5.2%). Headache was experienced by one patient, and agitated depression was observed in one patient. Six patients (26.3%) had the peripheral nervous system involvement. One patient had the numbness of hands with normal electromyography findings, and four patients had polyneuropathy. In one patient, lumbar plexopathy was observed. Seventeen of the 22 NCs were considered to be caused by immunosuppressive agents. Each incidence of amyloidosis, infection, septic emboli, and hypoglycemia caused a neurological episode. The etiology of one episode was unknown. CONCLUSION: Different neurological disorders can be seen after RT, and most of them are caused by immunosuppressive drugs. NCs seen after RT can be treated by decreasing the dose or changing the immunosuppressive drug.

Risk factors for systemic inflammatory response syndrome following percutaneous nephrolithotomy.

The aim of this study was to analyze the pre- and intraoperative risk factors that affect the development of postoperative systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) after percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL). Medical records on 317 adult patients with the complete data who underwent single-stage PCNL and followed at our center were retrospectively studied. Patients' data were collected through a database which was collected prospectively. All patients' vital signs were recorded hourly in the postoperative period and were divided into two groups as patients developing SIRS and not developing SIRS. There were 202 men and 115 women with a mean age of 48 ± 13.7 (range 19-82) years. There were 53 (16.7 %) in the SIRS and 264 (83.3 %) patients in the non-SIRS group. Preoperative positive urine cultures (UCs), intraoperative positive renal pelvic urine cultures (RPUCs), and stone cultures (SCs) were strongly correlated with the development of SIRS (p = 0.001). In the SIRS developers' group, preoperative UCs, intraoperative RPUCs, and SCs were positive in 33.9, 22.5, and 28.6 % of patients, respectively, but only 9.8, 3.3, and 4.2 % for the corresponding specimens in non-SIRS group. Positive preoperative UCs, intraoperative RPUCs, and SCs are important factors indicating the development of postoperative SIRS. Appropriately treated preoperative urinary infections may not prevent infected urine at PCNL. RPUCs and SCs may be the only way to identify the causative organism and direct antimicrobial therapy, so we recommend collecting RPUCs and SCs routinely to identify the offending organism and guide treatment.

Primary testicular leiomyosarcoma.

Primary testicular leiomyosarcoma is an extremely rare tumor, and, to the best of our knowledge, only 20 cases in adults have been reported in the literature to date. Herein, we present a case of a 68-year-old man who complained of left scrotal swelling for 2 months. Radiological examination revealed a left testicular tumor with no metastases to other organs. A left inguinal orchiectomy was carried out and histopathologic examination revealed an intratesticular leiomyosarcoma. The patient was treated successfully by orchiectomy and received no adjuvant therapy. During follow up until 12 months after surgery, there has been no recurrence or metastases of the disease.

Vaccination status of children considered for renal transplants: missed opportunities for vaccine preventable diseases.

OBJECTIVES: Infectious diseases, even vaccine preventable ones, might affect transplanting and the life course in pediatric solid-organ recipients. Owing to immunosuppression and decreased antibody production, susceptibility to infections is increased in these patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present study was designed to assess the vaccination and antibody status of the pediatric renal transplant patients. Fifty-one patients who were admitted to the regional transplant center for renal transplant were retrospectively evaluated. Patient 's vaccination charts were examined, and their immunization status was determined by antibody titers against hepatitis B, hepatitis A, measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella. RESULTS: The study group was composed of 23 males and 28 females (mean age, 10.8 y; age range, 2-17 y). All patients ' vaccination status was appropriate with their ages according to national vaccination program. Antibodies were positive for hepatitis B in 84.3% patients, 76.5% for hepatitis A, 72.5% for measles, 64.7% for mumps, 64.7% for rubella, and 72.5% for varicella. CONCLUSIONS: Seronegativity for common childhood diseases may complicate the posttransplant period owing to increased risk of infections. Especially in developing countries, immunization protocols and vaccination program schedules should be reviewed before transplant to prevent serious complications caused by these diseases.

The double wire technique: an alternative method for difficult ureteroscopic access.

We read with great interest the study report by Ji et al. (Urol Res, doi: 10.1007/s00240-012-0476-0 , 2012) about the impact of the intentional ureteral stenting on the success rate of calculus extraction by second ureteroscopy, when the initial ureteroscopy failed. Actually, sometimes ureteral stone treatment pose challenging problems for the urologists. This study has filled an important gap on this field. If flexible ureteroscopy and laser lithotripter are not available pre-existing stent may improve the success rate of a subsequent ureteroscopy for impacted ureteral stones. Because, post-stent ureteroscopy has the advantage of working through a dilated ureter. We would like to add some additional comments and suggestions in addition to the authors' discussion, which is noteworthy in several respects.

Renal transplantation in patients with familial Mediterranean fever.

Amyloidosis is the most common and devastating complication of familial Mediterranean fever (FMF). Renal transplantation is the choice of treatment of in most end-stage renal disease (ESRD). We report our experience on the outcomes in eight patients who underwent renal transplantation for ESRD due to FMF secondary to amyloidosis, and we provide a discussion on the current evidence on this topic of study. The clinical charts of eight renal transplant patients (seven male, one female) who underwent ESRD due to FMF-related amyloidosis were investigated. Five patients underwent living-donor renal transplantation and three patients underwent deceased-donor renal transplant. The mean follow-up period was 35 months (range 3-72). All patients were on triple immunosuppressive treatment and received colchicine. All allografts are currently functioning well with a mean serum creatinine level of 1.4 (range 0.7-2.6) mg/dL. Posttransplantation complications included acute rejection (n = 4), chronic rejection (n = 1), severe gastroenteritis (n = 2), and erythrocytosis (n = 5). None of the patients had proteinuria. During follow-up, we did not observe clinically severe FMF attack, septicemia, rhabdomylosis, symptoms related to vasculitis, and clinical neuropathy. The clinical outcome of the patients in this cohort was similar to that of other renal transplant patients with ESRD due to other causes. This study shows favorable prognosis of eight ESRD patients due to amyloidosis caused by FMF after renal transplantation. Renal transplantation is a safe procedure for ESRD patients having amyloidosis due to FMF. Regular use of colchicine after transplantation should be mentioned.

Single session removal of forgotten encrusted ureteral stents: combined endourological approach.

Forgotten ureteral stents represent a difficult problem for urologists; the major complications are infection, migration, encrustation, stone formation, and multifractured stent, and a consensus on the best therapeutic approach is lacking. Here we present our experience with endoscopic management of this challenging problem and discuss the various endourological approaches for treating forgotten encrusted ureteral stents. From January 2005 to December 2010, 19 patients (11 women and 8 men) with encrusted ureteral stents were retrospectively analyzed. Combined endourologic therapies including extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (SWL), percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL), ureterorenoscopic lithotripsy (URSL), and cystolithotripsy (CLT) were used to achieve stent removal. A total of 19 patients with encrusted ureteral stents were treated at our center. The mean patient age was 46.2 ± 18.5 years (8-81), the average indwelling time of the stent was 24.7 ± 19.0 months (8-93), and the mean hospital stay was 3.4 ± 4.0 days (range 1-15 days). Using the described combination of techniques, all stents and the associated stones were eventually removed without any complications and patients were rendered stone- and stent-free. A main element of the treatment strategy was to keep the number of interventions as low as possible. The use of various combinations of endourological techniques can achieve effective stent and stone treatment after a single anesthesia session with minimal morbidity and short hospital stay.

Renal hydatid cyst treatment: retroperitoneoscopic "closed cyst" pericystectomy.

Cystic hydatid disease is an endemic disease caused by the larval form of Echinococcus spp. Isolated renal involvement is extremely rare. The treatment methods for renal hydatid disease require some form of intervention, ranging from traditional open techniques to laparoscopic techniques. Herein, we present a large hydatid cyst in the lower pole of the left kidney in a 43-year-old male patient who was treated by the "closed cyst" method via the retroperitoneal laparoscopic approach to prevent soiling of the peritoneal cavity. To our knowledge, this is the first case of a renal hydatid cyst treated by preserving the renal parenchyma by pericystectomy via the retroperitoneoscopic laparoscopic approach in an adult patient. No complications occurred during the perioperative and postoperative periods. After 9 months of follow up, the patient was asymptomatic with no evidence of clinical recurrence. Retroperitoneoscopic laparoscopic closed cyst pericystectomy can be an alternative minimally invasive treatment technique for the treatment of renal hydatid disease.