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Purpose: As part of the management of nephrolithiasis, determination of chemical composition of stones is important. Our objective in this study is to assess urologists' accuracy in making visual, intraoperative determinations of stone composition., Materials and Methods: We conducted a REDCap survey asking urologists to predict stone composition based on intraoperative images of 10 different pure-composition kidney stones of 7 different types: calcium oxalate monohydrate (COM), calcium oxalate dihydrate (COD), calcium phosphate (CP) apatite, CP brushite, uric acid (UA), struvite (ST) and cystine (CY). To evaluate experience, we examined specific endourologic training, years of experience, and number of ureteroscopy (URS) cases/week. A self-assessment of ability to identify stone composition was also required., Results: With a response rate of 26% (366 completed surveys out of 1,370 deliveries), the overall accuracy of our cohort was 44%. COM, ST, and COD obtained the most successful identification rates (65.9%, 55.7%, and 52.0%, respectively). The most frequent misidentified stones were CP apatite (10.7%) and CY (14.2%). Predictors of increased overall accuracy included self-perceived ability to determine composition and number of ureteroscopies per week, while years of experience did not show a positive correlation., Conclusions: Although endoscopic stone recognition can be an important tool for surgeons, it is not reliable enough to be utilized as a single method for stone identification, suggesting that urologists need to refine their ability to successfully recognize specific stone compositions intraoperatively., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Despite the therapeutic advancements of the last several decades, neurogenic bladder remains a significant source of morbidity for patients with a spinal pathology. Oxybutynin is a mainstay of treatment in pediatric populations despite significant side effects and highly variable bioavailability., Objectives: To characterize the use of oxybutynin in a cohort of pediatric patients with neurogenic bladder., Methods: Retrospective data were collected of dosing, drug interactions, and urodynamics parameters in the 100 consecutive patients in a spinal differences clinic who had an appointment between October 7, 2015, and December 30, 2015. In addition to descriptive statistics, a linear regression model of oxybutynin dose versus age and sex was developed to examine the impact of age on dosing variability., Results: One hundred patients (52% female) with a median age of 6.8 years were included. The median daily dose of oxybutynin was 0.36 mg/kg (interquartile range, 0.28-0.54 mg/kg). Of the 48 patients with a recent urodynamics study, 13 had a detrusor leak point pressure (DLPP) greater than the typical cutoff of 40 cm H 2 O, indicating a need for management escalation. However, of these 13 patients, 38% were already on or exceeding oxybutynin's maximum recommended dose., Conclusion: The wide dosing variability and high DLPPs despite maximal dosing indicate a need for further investigation of oxybutynin's bioavailability in this population compared to its side effects and clinical outcomes. If variability in response to the medication is due to differences in bioavailability, then a precision-dosing model based on patient genomics could be developed for oxybutynin., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest The authors report no conflicts of interest., (© 2022 American Spinal Injury Association.)

Purpose: Patients with neurogenic bladder (NB) often perform clean intermittent catheterization (CIC) and are predisposed to bladder colonization. Antibiotics are not routinely indicated in those with asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB). The original purpose of this study was to compare patients that received antibiotics for ASB and those that did not. However, because the non-antibiotic group was very small, the final analysis evaluated treatment patterns of ASB in children with NB., Methods: A retrospective chart review was completed, including patients who presented with urinary tract infection (UTI) and NB managed by CIC. Patients with symptoms of UTI were excluded. Basic demographics, urinalysis, culture results, and antibiotic prescriptions were collected., Results: The sample included 272 patient encounters for 109 unique patients. Of these, 50.7% were female, and the median age was 10.25 years. More than half the urine cultures (56.2%) grew gram-negative organisms, and 31.3% contained 2 or more organisms. Nearly all encounters received treatment with antibiotics. Twenty-three encounters with no culture performed or the culture resulted in no growth received antibiotic therapy., Conclusions: Antibiotic resistance and antibiotic stewardship are primary concerns in healthcare today. This organization's current practice pattern shows high antibiotic use for ASB in patients with NB. Future studies are required to identify outcomes associated with treatment versus non-treatment in these patients.

Purpose: Basketing plays an important role during flexible ureteroscopy, but it can be time-consuming, especially when fragments are too large to pass through the ureteral access sheath. We aim to present the optimal on-screen, endoscopic stone size that predicts successful basketing through various access sheaths., Methods: A tipless basket, individually extended to 5 mm from multiple ureteroscopes: (Flex-Xc, Karl Storz; Flex-X2s, Karl Storz; LithoVue, Boston Scientific; or URF-P6R, Olympus) and via differently sized access sheaths (10-12 Fr through 13-15 Fr), was used in retrieval attempts of various artificial stone sizes (2 mm through 5 mm). A relative endoscopic stone size was recorded as the stone's maximum diameter on endoscopic view compared to the total image diameter., Results: Basketing of stones up to 2.5 mm, yielding relative endoscopic stone sizes of 0.38 (Flex-Xc), 0.30 (Flex-X2s), 0.32 (LithoVue), and 0.34 (URF-P6R), was successful using all access sheaths. Only the 12-14 Fr and greater sheaths allowed for successful basketing of 3 mm stones. Larger stones did not successfully pass through any of the access sheaths., Conclusion: Successful stone retrieval can be predicted by estimating the stone's size on screen, which is influenced by the type of flexible ureteroscope and access sheath. In our testing, stones of approximately one-third of the screen size passed successfully in all cases., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH, DE part of Springer Nature.)

Objective: To report the first case series of ureterorenoscopy in North America using the High Power Super Pulse Thulium Fiber Laser for the treatment of upper urinary tract stones., Methods: After Institutional Review Board approval, a multicentric retrospective chart review of patients treated with the High Power Super Pulse Thulium Fiber Laser from October 2019 to March 2020 was conducted. Basic demographic information, pre-operative, and peri-operative data were recorded., Results: Seventy-six patients were included with a mean age of 60.9 ± 13.3 years. 118 stones were treated including 32 within the ureter, 49 in the lower pole, 37 in mid or upper poles. Dusting technique was commonly used (67.1%) with pulse frequencies up to 2400 Hz. Mean operative time was 59.4 ± 31.5 minutes. Mean laser time and total laser energy were 10.8 ± 14.1 minutes and 12.5 ± 19.1 KJ, respectively. Intraoperative complications were limited to 7 grade 1, 3 grade 2, and 1 grade 3 ureteral injuries and one case of renal collecting system bleeding that was adequately managed with laser coagulation settings (1J-20Hz)., Conclusion: This initial case series in North America of the High Power Super Pulse Thulium Fiber Laser is promising for the treatment of urolithiasis. Sub-200 μm fibers and dusting settings up to 2400 Hz were utilized successfully. No specific complications related to use of the laser were seen., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Prior studies have demonstrated declines in androgen levels in men with cancer and patients undergoing anesthesia and surgery. In this study, we hypothesized that decreased serum androgen levels are prevalent in male patients undergoing radical cystectomy (RC) for bladder cancer and that it persists in the postoperative period. We characterized perioperative androgen hormonal profiles and examined for associated changes indicative of sarcopenia on computed tomography scans in men undergoing RC., Methods: We implemented a prospective observational trial in men with newly diagnosed non-metastatic bladder cancer undergoing RC. Baseline pre-operative total testosterone (TT), free testosterone (FT), and luteinizing hormone (LH) were obtained on morning lab draws with 30 days of surgery. TT and FT were then repeated on postoperative days (POD) 2, 3, 30, and 90. The threshold for normal TT was defined as >300 ng/dl, consistent with the AUA Guidelines for Evaluation and Management of Testosterone Deficiency. We evaluated postoperative changes in weight and psoas muscle cross-sectional area using computed tomography scans to assess for sarcopenic changes., Results: Univariable statistical analysis was performed. 25 patients were enrolled. The mean patient age was 68.9 years. The mean pre-operative TT was 308 ng/dl, and 12/23 (52.5%) patients had low testosterone. Mean TT onPOD 2 and 3 were 166 ng/dl and 161 ng/dl, respectively (range 24-345). 19/20 (95%) of men who had morning lab draws had decreased TT. The mean TT at 30 days was 253 ng/dl with 37.5% of men having low TT. Mean TT at 90 days was 306 ng/dl. The mean FT levels were 43 ng/dl, 29.25 ng/dl, 28.2 ng/dl, 40.89 ng/dl, and 42.62 ng/dl at baseline, POD 2, POD 3, POD 30, and POD 90, respectively. Mean LH at baseline was 9.9 IU/L. Average weight loss at 30- and 90- days postop was -4.29 and -4.38 kilograms, respectively. Weight loss was persistent with only 3/23 (13%) returning to their presurgery weight by 90 days. Despite significant declines in weight and perioperative TT, no significant differences in psoas muscle cross-sectional area were observed (net change -92 mm 2 , P= 0.13) CONCLUSIONS: Perioperative disruption of androgen levels is prevalent in men undergoing RC. Our trial demonstrates a pre-op, immediate postop, 30- and 90-day postoperative prevalence of low TT of 52%, 95%, 63%, and 37.5%, respectively. Significant changes in baseline weight were noted, although no significant changes in psoas muscle cross-sectional area were observed, limiting conclusions regarding a link between changes in androgens and sarcopenia in this setting., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)