Objectives: The Getting It Right First Time programme was set up to reduce unwarranted variation in healthcare practice and outcomes in England. The aim of this study was to investigate early changes in practice in urology based on the recommendations made. Subjects and methods: Data were extracted from the Hospital Episodes Statistics database from January 2014 to December 2019. The dates of visits by members of the Getting It Right First Time team were taken as the intervention point. Interrupted time series analysis was used to identify trends pre and post intervention. Results: Following the Getting It Right First Time visits, there was evidence of a significant increase in the proportion of patients seen as day cases for transurethral resection of bladder tumour and decreased use of stents and increased use of ureteroscopy or extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy on first presentation with ureteric stones. However, there was no significant change in waiting times for surgery to treat patients who had an emergency presentation with urinary retention. Conclusions: There is evidence that the recommendations made are already having an impact on clinical practice. The reasons why some recommendations appear to be harder to implement requires further investigation. Level of evidence: 2b

ObjectivesTo investigate volume–outcome relationships in robot‐assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) for cancer using data from the Hospital Episodes Statistics (HES) database for England.Materials and MethodsData for all adult, elective RPs for cancer during the period January 2013–December 2018 (inclusive) were extracted from the HES database. The HES database records data on all National Health Service (NHS) hospital admissions in England. Data were extracted for the NHS trust and surgeon undertaking the procedure, the surgical technique used (laparoscopic, open or robot‐assisted), hospital length of stay (LOS), emergency readmissions, and deaths. Multilevel modelling was used to adjust for hierarchy and covariates.ResultsData were available for 35 629 RPs (27 945 RARPs). The proportion of procedures conducted as RARPs increased from 53.2% in 2013 to 92.6% in 2018. For RARP, there was a significant relationship between 90‐day emergency hospital readmission (primary outcome) and trust volume (odds ratio [OR] for volume decrease of 10 procedures: 0.99, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.99–1.00; P = 0.037) and surgeon volume (OR for volume decrease of 10 procedures: 0.99, 95% CI 0.99–1.00; P = 0.013) in the previous year. From lowest to highest volume category there was a decline in the adjusted proportion of patients readmitted as an emergency at 90 days from 10.6% (0–49 procedures) to 7.0% (≥300 procedures) for trusts and from 9.4% (0–9 procedures) to 8.3% (≥100 procedures) for surgeons. LOS was also significantly associated with surgeon and trust volume, although 1‐year mortality was associated with neither.ConclusionsThere is evidence of a volume–outcome relationship for RARP in England and minimising low‐volume RARP will improve patient outcomes. Nevertheless, the observed effect size was relatively modest, and stakeholders should be realistic when evaluating the likely impact of further centralisation at a population level.

RATIONALE, AIMS, AND OBJECTIVES:The Getting It Right First Time programme aims to reduce variation in clinical practice that unduly impacts on outcomes for patients in the National Health Service (NHS) in England; often termed "unwarranted variation." However, there is no "gold standard" method for detecting unwarranted variation. The aim of this study was to describe a method to allow such variation in recorded practice or patient outcomes between NHS trusts to be detected using data over multiple time periods. By looking at variation over time, it was hoped that patterns that could be missed by looking at data at a single time point, or averaged over a longer time period, could be identified.METHODS:This was a retrospective time-series analysis of observational administrative data. Data were extracted from the Hospital Episodes Statistics database for two exemplar aspects of clinical practice within the field of urology: (a) use of ureteric stents on first emergency admission to treat urinary tract stones and (b) waiting times for definitive surgery for urinary retention. Data were categorized into 3-month time periods and three rules were used to detect unwarranted variation in the outcome metric relative to the national average: (a) two of any three consecutive values greater than two standard deviations above the mean, (b) four of any five consecutive values greater than one standard deviation above the mean, and (c) eight consecutive values above the mean.RESULTS:For the urinary tract stones dataset, 24 trusts were identified as having unwarranted variation in the outcomes using funnel plots and 23 trusts using the time-series method. For the urinary retention data, 18 trusted were identified as having unwarranted variation in the outcomes using funnel plots and 22 trusts using the time-series method.CONCLUSIONS:The time-series method may complement other methods to help identify unwarranted variation.

We aimed to investigate outcomes of transurethral resection of bladder tumour (TURBT) surgery when performed as day-case surgery compared to outcomes for patients who stayed ⩾ 1 night in hospital. Data were taken from the 2017–2018 Hospital Episodes Statistics data set, which contains data for all TURBT procedures conducted within the National Health Service in England. Data were categorised as those seen as day-cases and those that involved an overnight stay. Of 19,383 TURBT procedures, 3466 (17.9%) were classified as day-case surgery. Those who had an overnight stay were significantly older and were significantly more likely to be male, and have significantly greater frailty and comorbidity. After adjusting for confounders, those with an overnight stay had significantly poorer outcomes with regard to mortality and emergency readmission rates. Comparing trusts with the highest and lowest rate, of overnight stay, there were no differences in the profiles of the patients seen or in outcomes. Patients undergoing TURBT as day-case surgery have at least as good outcomes as those having an overnight stay. Investigation of the technical quality of the tumour resection, patient experience and quality of life after day-case surgery for TURBT would provide further insight. Evidence level: 2b

ObjectivesTo investigate volume–outcome relationships in nephrectomy and cystectomy for cancer.Materials and MethodsData were extracted from the UK Hospital Episodes Statistics database, which records data on all National Health Service (NHS) hospital admissions in the England. Data were included for a 5‐year period (April 2013–March 2018 inclusive) and data on emergency and paediatric admissions were excluded. Data were extracted on the NHS trust and surgeon undertaking the procedure, the surgical technique used (open, laparoscopic or robot‐assisted) and length of hospital stay during the procedure. This dataset was supplemented by data on mortality from the UK Office for National Statistics. A number of volume thresholds and volume measures were investigated. Multilevel modelling was used to adjust for hierarchy and confounding factors.ResultsData were available for 18 107 nephrectomy and 6762 cystectomy procedures for cancer. There was little evidence of trust or surgeon volume influencing readmission rates or mortality. There was some evidence of shorter length of hospital stay for high‐volume surgeons, although the volume measure and threshold used were important.ConclusionsWe found little evidence that further centralization of nephrectomy or cystectomy for cancer surgery will improve the patient outcomes investigated. It may be that length of stay can be optimized though training and support for lower‐volume centres, rather than further centralization.

BackgroundPeople carrying out clean intermittent self-catheterisation (CISC) to empty their bladder often suffer repeated urinary tract infections (UTIs). Continuous once-daily, low-dose antibiotic treatment (antibiotic prophylaxis) is commonly advised but knowledge of its effectiveness is lacking.ObjectiveTo assess the benefit, harms and cost-effectiveness of antibiotic prophylaxis to prevent UTIs in people who perform CISC.DesignParallel-group, open-label, patient-randomised 12-month trial of allocated intervention with 3-monthly follow-up. Outcome assessors were blind to allocation.SettingUK NHS, with recruitment of patients from 51 sites.ParticipantsFour hundred and four adults performing CISC and predicted to continue for ≥ 12 months who had suffered at least two UTIs in the previous year or had been hospitalised for a UTI in the previous year.InterventionsA central randomisation system using random block allocation set by an independent statistician allocated participants to the experimental group [once-daily oral antibiotic prophylaxis using either 50 mg of nitrofurantoin, 100 mg of trimethoprim (Kent Pharmaceuticals, Ashford, UK) or 250 mg of cefalexin (Sandoz Ltd, Holzkirchen, Germany);n = 203] or the control group of no prophylaxis (n = 201), both for 12 months.Main outcome measuresThe primary clinical outcome was relative frequency of symptomatic, antibiotic-treated UTI. Cost-effectiveness was assessed by cost per UTI avoided. The secondary measures were microbiologically proven UTI, antimicrobial resistance, health status and participants’ attitudes to antibiotic use.ResultsThe frequency of symptomatic antibiotic-treated UTI was reduced by 48% using prophylaxis [incidence rate ratio (IRR) 0.52, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.44 to 0.61;n = 361]. Reduction in microbiologically proven UTI was similar (IRR 0.49, 95% CI 0.39 to 0.60;n = 361). Absolute reduction in UTI episodes over 12 months was from a median (interquartile range) of 2 (1–4) in the no-prophylaxis group (n = 180) to 1 (0–2) in the prophylaxis group (n = 181). The results were unchanged by adjustment for days at risk of UTI and the presence of factors giving higher risk of UTI. Development of antimicrobial resistance was seen more frequently in pathogens isolated from urine andEscherichia colifrom perianal swabs in participants allocated to antibiotic prophylaxis. The use of prophylaxis incurred an extra cost of £99 to prevent one UTI (not including costs related to increased antimicrobial resistance). The emotional and practical burden of CISC and UTI influenced well-being, but health status measured over 12 months was similar between groups and did not deteriorate significantly during UTI. Participants were generally unconcerned about using antibiotics, including the possible development of antimicrobial resistance.LimitationsLack of blinding may have led participants in each group to use different thresholds to trigger reporting and treatment-seeking for UTI.ConclusionsThe results of this large randomised trial, conducted in accordance with best practice, demonstrate clear benefit for antibiotic prophylaxis in terms of reducing the frequency of UTI for people carrying out CISC. Antibiotic prophylaxis use appears safe for individuals over 12 months, but the emergence of resistant urinary pathogens may prejudice longer-term management of recurrent UTI and is a public health concern. Future work includes longer-term studies of antimicrobial resistance and studies of non-antibiotic preventative strategies.Trial registrationCurrent Controlled Trials ISRCTN67145101 and EudraCT 2013-002556-32.FundingThis project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment programme and will be published in full inHealth Technology AssessmentVol. 22, No. 24. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.

Summary Background Repeated symptomatic urinary tract infections (UTIs) affect 25% of people who use clean intermittent self-catheterisation (CISC) to empty their bladder. We aimed to determine the benefits, harms, and cost-effectiveness of continuous low-dose antibiotic prophylaxis for prevention of recurrent UTIs in adult users of CISC. Methods In this randomised, open-label, superiority trial, we enrolled participants from 51 UK National Health Service organisations. These participants were community-dwelling (as opposed to hospital inpatient) users of CISC with recurrent UTIs. We randomly allocated participants (1:1) to receive either antibiotic prophylaxis once daily (prophylaxis group) or no prophylaxis (control group) for 12 months by use of an internet-based system with permuted blocks of variable length. Trial and laboratory staff who assessed outcomes were masked to allocation but participants were aware of their treatment group. The primary outcome was the incidence of symptomatic, antibiotic-treated UTIs over 12 months. Participants who completed at least 6 months of follow-up were assumed to provide a reliable estimate of UTI incidence and were included in the analysis of the primary outcome. Change in antimicrobial resistance of urinary and faecal bacteria was monitored as a secondary outcome. The AnTIC trial is registered at ISRCTN, number 67145101; and EudraCT, number 2013-002556-32.

Clean intermittent self-catheterisation is an important management option for people who cannot empty their bladder effectively. Recurrent urinary tract infections are common in these patients. Data from recent studies suggest that antibiotic prophylaxis may be beneficial in reducing infection risk, but the effectiveness of this intervention remains uncertain.

BackgroundEvidence-based guidelines for the management of neurological disease and lower bowel dysfunction have been produced by the International Consultations on Incontinence (ICI). These are comprehensive guidelines, and were developed to have world-wide relevance. AimsTo update clinical management of neurogenic bowel dysfunction from the recommendations of the 4th ICI, 2009. Materials and MethodsA series of evidence reviews and updates were performed by members of the working group. The resulting guidelines were presented at the 2012 meeting of the European Association of Urology for consultation, and modifications applied to deliver evidence based conclusions and recommendations for the scientific report of the 5th edition of the ICI in 2013. ResultsThe current review is a synthesis of the conclusions and recommendations, including the algorithms for initial and specialized management of neurogenic bowel dysfunction. The pathophysiology is described in terms of spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson's disease. Assessment requires detailed history and clinical assessment, general investigations, and specialized testing, if required. Treatment primarily focuses on optimizing stool consistency and regulating bowel evacuation to improve quality of life. Symptom management covers conservative and interventional measures to promote good habits and assist stool evacuation, along with prevention of incontinence. Education is essential to achieving optimal bowel management. DiscussionThe review offers a pragmatic approach to management in the context of complex pathophysiology and varied evidence base.

The fi rst report of recreational ketamine damaging the urinary tract was published in 2007 as a description of nine patients who developed painful haematuria, irritative LUTS and signifi cantly reduced bladder capacities [ 1 ] . Since then ∼ 200 further cases have been reported, mainly from the UK, Taiwan and Hong Kong [ 2 – 4 ] . There remains a paucity of pre-clinical and clinical research studies, although scientifi c data is emerging from some centres that in the future may translate into clinical practice [ 5,6 ] .

INTRODUCTION:Iatrogenic injury to the spleen is not an uncommon complication. Left nephrectomy has been reported as the second commonest cause of iatrogenic splenectomy with a reported incidence between 1.3 and 24%. Iatrogenic splenectomy is associated with significant morbidity and mortality.AIMS:We reviewed the occurrence of iatrogenic splenectomy during left nephrectomy at our centre. Our aims were to determine the incidence of iatrogenic splenectomy within the Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust in order to understand the nature of the splenic injury and the morbidity and mortality associated with it.METHODS:All splenectomy and nephrectomy histology reports from January 2000 to December 2007 were reviewed retrospectively. Indications for splenectomy and nephrectomy were identified. Patients' demographic data, tumour characteristics, operative details, length of hospital stay and any reported morbidity or mortality were collected.RESULTS:A total of 447 nephrectomies were identified which included 234 left nephrectomies. Within the same period 136 cases of splenectomy were performed. Thirty-four cases were iatrogenic splenectomies and 12 were caused by left nephrectomy. The incidence was 5.13%. The male to female ratio was 1:1 with an average age of 66 years. Grade 2 and stage pT2 renal cancer were the commonest tumour characteristics. All iatrogenic injuries occurred during mobilisation of the colon or division of adhesion. The average operative time was 4.7 h. Average length of hospital stay was 14 days. Five patients had postoperative complications and 1 died of respiratory failure and sepsis.CONCLUSION:Splenic injury during left nephrectomy is a morbid complication. A good understanding of anatomy and surgical approach may reduce the incidence, morbidity and mortality of iatrogenic splenectomy during left nephrectomy.

Suprapubic catheters are used when urethral catheterisation is not possible or desirable because of, for example, urethral stricture, prostatic enlargement, or urethral trauma.1 In some cases the procedure may be carried out as an emergency on the ward. Elective indications include postoperative drainage after lower urinary tract or bowel surgery and the management of the neuropathic bladder. Many patients with conditions such as multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injury use long term suprapubic catheter drainage, to simplify catheter management and minimise risks of urethral damage. Anecdotal evidence suggests that a typical hospital will carry out more than 100 suprapubic catheterisations each year. The doctors who undertake suprapubic catheterisation may lack experience: unless they are urologists, they may rarely perform the procedure. Suprapubic catheterisation is often delegated to junior medical staff. The procedure involves passing a urinary catheter directly into the bladder through the lower abdominal wall, sometimes guided by ultrasound. Most are done safely, but important risks associated with catheter insertion include haemorrhage and infection of the urine or catheter track, and serious complication from intestinal injury. Bowel damage can lead to fatal peritonitis and is a particular risk in patients with contracted bladders that fail to distend sufficiently for safe catheter passage and in those with adhesions from previous lower abdominal surgery tethering bowel loops to the lower abdominal wall. From September 2005 to June 2009, staff in England and Wales reported three deaths and seven cases of severe harm relating to insertion of suprapubic catheters. A further 249 incidents related to problems in suprapubic catheter use. Complications are likely to be under-reported, given 30 day mortality rates, in relatively small studies, ranging from 0.82 to 1.8.3 A typical incident report reads: “Patient underwent insertion …

The insertion of a suprapubic catheter is an increasingly common urological procedure. However the procedure, whilst beneficial for the patient, is not without significant risk, a situation that is exacerbated by the lack of consensus and practice guidelines. This article is an abridged version of the British Association of Urological Surgeons Suprapubic catheter best practice guidelines published by Harrison et al. in 2011.

This review sets out to provide an overview of the author's approach to the management of the urinary tract in the patient who has suffered from an injury to their spinal cord. Emphasis is given to the need to understand the fundamental pathophysiological patterns that are seen with injuries that involve the sacral segments of the cord (the conus) and those that spare the conus but interrupt communication between the sacral parasympathetic and somatic centers and the brain (supraconal lesions). The importance of patient participation in management decisions is highlighted by considering the different ways in which the urinary tract can be managed and how the clinician needs to try to meet patient expectations and requirements while establishing safe urological management. Finally, consideration is given to the importance of establishing an appropriate follow up regime and managing urinary tract complications effectively.

Purpose: We have previously reported on the mortality, morbidity, and 5-year survival of 458 patients who underwent radical radiotherapy or surgery for invasive bladder cancer in Yorkshire from 1993 to 1996. We aim to present the 10-year outcomes of these patients and to reassess factors predicting survival.Methods and Materials: The Northern and Yorkshire Cancer Registry identified 458 patients whose cases were subjected to Kaplan-Meier all-cause survival analyses, and a retrospective casenote analysis was undertaken on 398 (87%) for univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards modeling. Additional proportional hazards regression modeling was used to assess the statistical significance of variables on overall survival.Results: The ratio of radiotherapy to cystectomy was 3:1. There was no significant difference in overall 10-year survival between those who underwent radiotherapy (22%) and radical cystectomy (24%). Univariate analyses suggested that female sex, performance status, hydronephrosis and clinical T stage, were associated with an inferior outcome at 10 years. Patient age, tumor grade, treatment delay, and caseload factors were not significant. Multivariate analysis models were created for 0-2 and 2-10 years after treatment. There were no significant differences in treatment for 0-2 years; however, after 2 years follow-up there was some evidence of increased survival for patients receiving surgery compared with radiotherapy (hazard ratio 0.66, 95% confidence interval: 0.44-1.01, p = 0.06).Conclusions: a 10-year minimum follow-up has rarely been reported after radical treatment for invasive bladder cancer. At 10 years, there was no statistical difference in all-cause survival between surgery and radiotherapy treatment modalities. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc.

Purpose of review There has been growing interest in sacral nerve stimulation in the management of both overactivity syndromes and nonobstructive voiding dysfunction. Its increased use has led to a growth in experience with this treatment and where and when it is best used. At this point, some technical aspects of the use of neuromodulation have become more standardized and the next stages of research will hopefully shed light on how to maximize the efficacy of the technique. Recent findings Over the past year, there has been considerable interest and development of the use of neuromodulation in colorectal surgery and much of the literature has been in this field. Recent urological developments focus on modification of technique and attempts to identify which patients are more likely to find benefit. Summary Neuromodulation has a role in the treatment of nonobstructed urinary retention and overactive bladder syndrome, especially when accompanied by urgency incontinence. There are a number of unanswered questions remaining, however, which will need to be addressed to maximize its benefit.

OBJECTIVES:To assess the effect of adding lumen diathermy fulguration to our standard technique of vas ligation with polyglactin 910 (Vicryl(TM), Ethicon, Sommerville, NJ, USA) excision and fascial interposition, in an attempt to improve our sterilization rates. We previously reported the effect of changing suture material on vasectomy success rates; 3005 post-vasectomy semen analyses (PVSA) revealed a decrease in sterilization rates after surgery on changing from chromic catgut to polyglactin 910.PATIENTS AND METHODS:We retrospectively reviewed PVSA undertaken for vasectomies performed by urological surgeons at the Mid-Yorkshire NHS Trust for 18 months from September 2005 to February 2007.RESULTS:There were 592 vasectomies in all; the age distribution of patients between the groups treated with the standard and new method was similar. Overall, 166 patients (28%) failed to provide two semen samples as instructed, and so were excluded from further analyses. Sterility was achieved in 367 patients (86%); a further 28 (7%) have indeterminate analyses to date, with one of the last two PVSAs showing sperm, with the PVSA of 32 (7%) patients showing persisting sperm. For the eight surgeons reviewed the sterility rates were broadly similar.CONCLUSIONS:The introduction of diathermy fulguration of the lumen has not improved vasectomy sterilization rates, with up to 14% having sperm on PVSA.

OBJECTIVE:To report a large, single-centre experience with a continent, catheterizable abdominal conduit in adult patients.PATIENTS AND METHODS:We retrospectively reviewed the case notes of all 65 patients who had surgery to create a continent catheterizable conduit based on the Mitrofanoff principle. Operations were carried out over a 13-year period. Data on surgical procedure, complications and final outcome were collected and analysed.RESULTS:The mean age of the patients was 38.4 years and mean follow-up interval was 75.2 months. Patients with neuropathic lower urinary tracts accounted for the largest single indication for reconstruction (36 patients). The appendix was the conduit of choice and was available and suitable for use in 37 patients. There were 57 patients who continued to use their native bladder or had undergone an augmentation or substitution cystoplasty; 24.5% of these 57 individuals had also undergone closure of the bladder neck or urethra. There were postoperative complications requiring laparotomy in five (8%) patients. In all, 30 patients (46%) had catheterization problems, but most of these were easy to treat. Five patients (8%) had an incontinent conduit which was a more difficult problem to deal with. Two patients have died of unrelated cause and five patients have been converted to an ileal conduit. In all, 58 patients (92%) now have a Mitrofanoff conduit, of which 97% are catheterizable and 95% are continent.CONCLUSIONS:Continent urinary diversion, based on the Mitrofanoff principle, has similar outcomes in adult urological practice to those described in published paediatric case series. There is good evidence to suggest that Mitrofanoff conduits are durable. However, patients should be aware of complications and the need for long-term follow-up.