ABSTRACT Objective: To show a total transabdominal robotic approach to an extensive recalcitrant vesicourethral anastomotic stenosis (VUAS) after open radical prostatectomy (ORP) with end-to-end anastomosis. While there is very little literature on the matter and even fewer videos showing the actual surgical view with a step-by-step explanation in complex cases, VUAS robotic transabdominal surgery provides better view and reach, with potentially better continence results, without the need for pubectomy. Methods: A 72-year-old male was submitted to a failed ORP for Gleason 3+4 localized cancer 2 years before, where the wrong plane of dissection left behind prostate remnants and the seminal vesicles, which evolved with a complex stenosis and recurrent episodes of acute urinary retention (AUR) that started two weeks after the first catheter removal. Five endoscopic procedures in total were unsuccessful and AUR reoccurred. A vesico-urethral cystography (VUC) and multiparametric prostate and urethral MRI found the seminal vesicles with prostate remnants, two centimeters urethral stenosis from bladder neck to bulbar urethra and periurethral fibrosis with no evidence of residual tumor. PSA was 1.2 and prostate biopsy showed no tumor on prostate remnant. A transabdominal robotic approach was chosen. Results: Prostate residue, bladder neck and periurethral fibrosis were excised, with healthy mucosa found on both ends. End-to-end anastomosis was successful. Drain and catheter were removed on the 1st and 14th post-operative day, respectively, with good urinary stream. A VUC at 30 days showed a patent bladder neck. Incontinence was 3 pads/day after catheter removal and decreased to 1 pad/day after 180 days. Conclusions: VUAS may reach 15% (1, 2) and endourologic therapies are first-line choices, however, recalcitrant cases require reconstruction (3–6). The most common approach is perineal, with high incontinence rates, reaching >90% (7, 8). The retropubic alternative has better but also discouraging numbers of up to 58% incontinence rates (9). Though with 100% social continence results, the 2021 European guidelines still could not recommend the robotic procedure as standard of care due to evidence limited to anecdotal reports (10–12).

Abstract Purpose: To describe a guide for the construction of a laparoscopic training simulator. Methods: Step-by-step description of an inexpensive and easy to assemble homemade laparoscopic training box, capable of simulating the laparoscopic environment in its peculiarities to enable technical skills training. Results: The total cost of the materials for the construction of the simulator was US$ 75.00 (about R$ 250.00 “reais”) and it can be reduced to US$ 60.00 if the builder judges that there is no need for internal lighting. The use of real trocars imposes the same challenges as real surgeries regarding positioning, visibility and limitation of movements. Conclusion: The proposed economical and efficient alternative can contribute to the teaching and practice of laparoscopic surgical technique worldwide, benefiting surgeons and patients.

RESUMO Racional: Das anastomoses do trato gastrointestinal, as do esôfago têm especial interesse devido às varias peculiaridades anatômicas e mesmo sistêmicas. Objetivo: Avaliar retrospectivamente os resultados comparando a sutura mecânica e manual na anastomose esofagogástrica cervical no tratamento do megaesôfago. Métodos: Foram estudados 92 pacientes com diagnóstico de megaesôfago avançado com condições clínicas de serem submetidos à operação. Todos foram submetidos à mucosectomia esofágica, sendo realizada anastomose do coto esofágico com o tubo gástrico no nível cervical. Para a realização desta anastomose, foram divididos em dois grupos: grupo A (n=53) com sutura mecânica circular terminolateral; grupo B (n=39) com sutura manual em dois planos terminolateral. No período pós-operatório foi realizada avaliação precoce, com análise das complicações locais e sistêmicas, e tardia (média 5,6 anos) com análise da deglutição. Resultados: Avaliação precoce: a) deiscência da anastomose esofagogástrica, n=5 (9,4%) no grupo A vs. n=9 (23,0%) no grupo B (p=0.0418); b) estenose da anastomose esofagogástrica n=8 (15,1%) no grupo A vs. n=15 (38,4%) no grupo B (p=0.0105); c) infecção pulmonar n=5 (9,4%) no grupo A vs. n=3 (7,6%) no grupo B (p=1.000); d) derrame pleural n=5 (9,4%) no grupo A vs. n=6 (15,4%) no grupo B (p<0.518). A avaliação tardia demonstrou que 86,4 a 96,0% dos pacientes apresentaram critérios 4 e 5 de SAEED, demonstrando deglutição efetiva e sem diferença significante entre os grupos. Conclusão: A anastomose esofagogástrica pela sutura mecânica é mais adequada que a manual com pequena incidência de complicações locais e, na avaliação em longo prazo, a deglutição demonstrou ser adequada em ambos os grupos e com qualidade semelhante.

ABSTRACT Background: Among the anastomoses of the gastrointestinal tract, those of the esophagus are of special interest due to several anatomical or even general peculiarities. Aim: Evaluate retrospectively the results comparing mechanical vs. manual suture at cervical esophagogastric anastomosis in megaesophagus treatment. Methods: Were included 92 patients diagnosed with advanced megaesophagus with clinical conditions to undergo the surgery. All underwent esophageal mucosectomy, performing anastomosis of the esophagus stump with the gastric tube at the cervical level. In order to make this anastomosis, the patients were divided into two groups: group A (n=53) with circular mechanical suture, lateral end; group B (n=39) with manual suture in two sides, lateral end. In the postoperative period, an early evaluation was performed, analyzing local and systemic complications and late (average 5.6 y) analyzing deglutition. Results: Early evaluation: a) dehiscence of esophagogastric anastomosis n=5 (9.4%) in group A vs. n=9 (23.0%) in group B (p=0.0418); b) stenosis of esophagogastric anastomosis n=8 (15.1%) in group A vs. n=15 (38.4%) in group B (p=0.0105.); c) pulmonary infection n=5 (9.4%) in group A vs. n=3 (7.6%) in group B (p=1.0000.); d) pleural effusion n=5 (9.4%) in group A vs. n=6 (15.4%) in group B (p<0.518). Late evaluation showed that 86.4-96% of the patients presented the criteria 4 and 5 from SAEED, expressing effective swallowing mechanisms without showing significant differences among the groups. Conclusion: Cervical esophagogastric anastomosis by means of mechanical suture is more proper than the manual with lower incidence of local complications and, in the long-term evaluation, regular deglutition was acquired in both suture techniques in equal quality.

Abstract In the muscle invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) standard of care treatment only patients presenting a major pathological tumor response are more likely to show the established modest 5% absolute survival benefit at 5 years after cisplatin-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). To overcome the drawbacks of a blind NAC (i.e. late cystectomy with unnecessary NAC adverse events) with potential to survival improvements, preclinical models of urothelial carcinoma have arisen in this generation as a way to pre-determine drug resistance even before therapy is targeted. The implantation of tumor specimens in the chorioallantoic membrane (MCA) of the chicken embryo results in a high-efficiency graft, thus allowing large-scale studies of patient-derived “tumor avatar”. This article discusses a novel approach that exploits cancer multidrug resistance to provide personalized phenotype-based therapy utilizing the MIBC NAC dilemma.

ABSTRACT Purpose To describe our initial experience with radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of Bosniak IV renal cysts. Materials and Methods From 2010 to 2014, 154 renal tumor cases were treated with percutaneous thermal ablation, of which 10 cases (6.4%) from nine patients were complex renal cysts and were treated with radiofrequency ablation. Results All complex cysts were classified as Bosniak IV (four women and five men; mean age: 63.6 yrs, range: 33–83 years). One patient had a single kidney. Lesion size ranged from 1.5 to 4.1cm (mean: 2.5cm) and biopsy was performed on four cysts immediately before the procedure, all of which were malignant (two clear cell and two papillary carcinoma). Mean volume reduction of complex cysts was 25% (range: 10–40%). No patients required retreatment with RFA and no immediate or late complications were observed. The follow-up of Bosniak IV cysts had a median of 27 months (interquartile range [IQR], 23 to 38) and no recurrence or significant loss of renal function were observed. Conclusions Mid-term follow-up of the cases in our database suggests that image-guided percutaneous RFA can treat Bosniak IV cysts with very low complication rates and satisfactorily maintain renal function.

ABSTRACT Objectives To evaluate the clinical practice of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) treatment in Brazil in relation to international guidelines: Sociedade Brasileira de Urologia (SBU), European Association of Urology (EAU) and American Urological Association (AUA). Materials and Methods Cross-sectional study using questionnaires about urological practice on treatment of NMIBC during the 32nd Brazilian Congress of Urology. A total of 650 question forms were answered. Results There were 73% of complete answers (total of 476 question forms). In total, 246 urologists (51.68%) lived in the southeast region and 310 (65.13%) treat 1 to 3 cases of NMIBC per month. Low risk cancer: Only 35 urologists (7.5%) apply the single intravesical dose of immediate chemotherapy with Mitomicin C recommended by the above guidelines. Adjuvant therapy with BCG 2 to 4 weeks after TUR is used by 167 participants (35.1%) and 271 urologists (56.9%) use only TUR. High risk tumors: 397 urologists (83.4%) use adjuvant therapy, 375 (78.8%) use BCG 2 to 4 weeks after TUR, of which 306 (64.3%) referred the use for at least one year. Intravesical chemotherapy with Mitomicin C (a controversial recommendation) was used by 22 urologists (4.6%). BCG dose raised a lot of discrepancies. Induction doses of 40, 80 and 120mg were referred by 105 (22%), 193 (40.4%) and 54 (11.3%) respectively. Maintenance doses of 40, 80 and 120mg were referred by 190 (48.7%), 144 (37.0%) and 32 (8.2%) urologists, respectively. Schemes of administration were also varied and the one cited by SWOG protocol was the most used: 142 (29.8%). Conclusion SBU, EAU and AUA guidelines are partially respected by Brazilian urologists, particularly in low risk tumors. In high risk tumors, concordance rates are comparable to international data. Further studies are necessary to fully understand the reasons of such disagreement.

ABSTRACT Purpose: Vesicorectal fistula is one of the most devastating postoperative complications after radical prostatectomy. Definitive treatment is difficult due to morbidity and recurrence. Despite many options, there is not an unanimous accepted approach. This article aimed to report a new minimally invasive approach as an option to reconstructive surgery. Materials and Methods: We report on Transanal Minimally Invasive Surgery (TAMIS) with miniLap devices for instrumentation in a 65 year old patient presenting with vesicorectal fistula after radical prostatectomy. We used Alexis® device for transanal access and 3, 5 and 11 mm triangulated ports for the procedure. The surgical steps were as follows: cystoscopy and implant of guide wire through fistula; patient at jack-knife position; transanal access; Identification of the fistula; dissection; vesical wall closure; injection of fibrin glue in defect; rectal wall closure. Results: The operative time was 240 minutes, with 120 minutes for reconstruction. No perioperative complications or conversion were observed. Hospital stay was two days and catheters were removed at four weeks. No recurrence was observed. Conclusions: This approach has low morbidity and is feasible. The main difficulties consisted in maintaining luminal dilation, instrumental manipulation and suturing.

Purpose To validate the Quality of Erection Questionnaire (QEQ) considering Brazilian social-cultural aspects. Materials and Methods To determine equivalence between the Portuguese and the English QEQ versions, the Portuguese version was back-translated by two professors who are native English speakers. After language equivalence had been determined, urologists considered the QEQ Portuguese version suitable. Men with self-reported erectile dysfunction (ED) and infertile men who had a stable sexual relationship for at least 6 months were invited to answer the QEQ, the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) and the RAND 36-Item Health Survey (RAND-36). The questionnaires were presented together and answered without help in a private room. Internal consistency (Cronbach’s α), test-retest reliability (Spearman), convergent validity (Spearman correlation) coefficients and known-groups validity (the ability of the QEQ Portuguese version to differentiate erectile dysfunction severity groups) were assessed. Results We recruited 197 men (167 ED patients and 30 non-ED patients), mean age of 53.3 and median of 55.5 years (23-82 years). The Portuguese version of the QEQ had high internal consistency (Cronbach α=0.93), high stability between test and retest (ICC 0.83, with IC 95%: 0.76-0.88, p<0.001) and Spearman correlation coefficient r=0.82 (p<0.001), which demonstrated the high correlation between the QEQ and IIEF results. The correlations between the QEQ and RAND-36 were significantly low in ED (r=0.20, p=0.01) and non-ED patients (r=0.37, p=0.04). Conclusion The QEQ Portuguese version presented good psychometric properties and high convergent validity in relation to IIEF. The low correlations between the QEQ and the RAND-36, as well as between the IIEF and the RAND-36 indicated IIEF and QEQ specificity, which may have resulted from the patients’ psychological adaptations that minimized the impact of ED on Quality of Life (QoL) and reestablished the well-being feeling.

Objective: Analysis of renal excretory system integrity and efficacy of radiofrequency ablation with and without irrigation with saline at 2 o C (SF2). Materials and Methods: The median third of sixteen kidneys were submitted to radiofrequency (exposition of 1 cm) controlled by intra-surgical ultrasound, with eight minutes cycles and median temperature of 90 o C in eight female pigs. One excretory renal system was cooled with SF2, at a 30ml/min rate, and the other kidney was not. After 14 days of post-operatory, the biggest diameters of the lesions and the radiological aspects of the excretory system were compared by bilateral ascending pyelogram and the animals were sacrificed in order to perform histological analysis. Results: There were no significant differences between the diameters of the kidney lesions whether or not exposed to cooling of the excretory system. Median diameter of the cooled kidneys and not cooled kidneys were respectively (in mm): anteroposterior: 11.46 vs. 12.5 (p = 0.23); longitudinal: 17.94 vs. 18.84 (p = 0.62); depth: 11.38 vs. 12.25 (p = 0.47). There was no lesion of the excretory system or signs of leakage of contrast media or hydronephrosis at ascending pyelogram. Conclusion: Cooling of excretory system during radiofrequency ablation does not significantly alter generated coagulation necrosis or affect the integrity of the excretory system in the studied model.