The American Urological Association’s 2015 Annual Meeting
The annual meeting of the American Urological Association was held from May 15 to 19 in New Orleans, and attracted more than 12,000 participants from around the world, including clinicians, academicians, allied health professionals, and others interested in urology. The conference highlighted recent advances in the prevention, detection, and treatment of urologic conditions, with presentations focusing on the advancement of urologic patient care.
In a session moderated by Howard L. Adler, M.D., of Stony Brook Medicine in New York, researchers from the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston presented data on the incidence of lower urinary tract symptoms among men working non-standard hours and whether quality of sleep may contribute to these symptoms. The investigators found that among 239 male workers with non-standard shift work, those who reported problems falling asleep or staying asleep had more severe lower urinary tract symptoms compared to those who did not experience these sleep issues.
“There is a growing body of literature demonstrating the negative health impact seen in patients who perform non-standard shift work. The authors show that men who perform non-standard shift work are at higher risk for suffering from lower urinary tract voiding symptoms as a consequence of sleep disorders,” Adler said. “This highlights the importance of primary care physicians and urologists asking their patients about work and sleep history to allow for better management of their medical issues.”
During another session moderated by Anthony Atala, M.D., of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine in Winston-Salem, N.C., data were presented on whether delaying treatment of penile fracture increases the risk of complications. In a retrospective review, the investigators evaluated nearly 140 patients from seven different European academic medical centers, who underwent surgery for penile fracture between 1996 and 2013. The investigators found that postoperative penile function significantly decreased when surgical intervention was performed more than 8.23 hours after emergency department admission.
“This study highlights the importance for men with a penile fracture to seek prompt medical attention and for medical professionals to plan surgical treatment as soon as possible,” Atala said in a statement. “The longer treatment is delayed, the more difficult it becomes to repair, which may result in the onset of scarring or the inability to have or maintain an erection.”
During a session moderated by Benjamin J. Davies, M.D., of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, researchers presented data demonstrating that smoking cessation significantly improves patient outcomes after major urologic surgery. Using the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database, as well as results from patient self-reported smoking status report, researchers from the Henry Ford Health System’s Vattikuti Urology Institute in Detroit, analyzed records from 9,014 patients who underwent urologic surgery (prostatectomy or cystectomy) between the years of 2005 to 2011.
The investigators found that current smokers had significantly increased risk of pulmonary and kidney complications, and increased risk for longer length of stay following prostatectomy. However, former smokers who had quit for at least a year had similar outcomes to nonsmokers following prostatectomy. With regards to cystectomy, current smokers had an increased risk for subsequent procedures following surgery, with previous smokers having increased risk of hospital readmission.
“This research serves as a wake-up call to many smokers, and demonstrates that the sooner you quit, the sooner your risk factors for surgery complications and disease recurrence decrease,” Davies said in a statement. “In fact, this research indicates that for longer-term ex-smokers, risks may be almost the same as if they had never smoked at all.”
AUA: PCPs Embracing New PSA Recommendations
MONDAY, May 18, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Fewer American men are receiving prostate cancer screening in the wake of a national panel’s conclusion that the test does men more harm than good, and primary care doctors appear to have broadly accepted the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force’s (USPSTF) ruling that the harms of prostate screening outweigh the benefits. These findings were scheduled to be presented at the annual meeting of the American Urological Association, held from May 15 to 19 in New Orleans.
AUA: Medical Clowns May Benefit Pediatric Surgical Outcomes
MONDAY, May 18, 2015 (HealthDay News) — If laughter is the best medicine, that may be doubly true for children undergoing surgery who are cheered up by visiting clowns, according to research scheduled to be presented Friday at the annual meeting of the American Urological Association (AUA), held from May 15 to 19 in New Orleans.
AUA: Delay to Surgery for Nephrolithiasis Ups Costs
MONDAY, May 18, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Delaying surgery for nephrolithiasis can increase the risk of complications, raising health care costs, a new study finds. The findings were scheduled to be presented at the annual meeting of the American Urological Association (AUA), held from May 15 to 19 in New Orleans.
AUA: Botox Injections May Reduce Urinary Incontinence
MONDAY, May 18, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Botulinum toxin A (Botox) injections may be a useful treatment for urinary incontinence, according to two studies scheduled to be presented Friday at the annual meeting of the American Urological Association, held from May 15 to 19 in New Orleans.
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