Citations

ABSTRACT Introduction Vasectomy reversal (VR) is rarely covered by insurance, creating a market similar to cosmetic surgery with direct marketing to patients. While cost is an immediate concern for patients, surgeon training and experience are essential for a successful outcome. Patients considering VR are likely to seek information online regarding providers and the nature of the procedure. Objective In this study, we reviewed the characteristics of providers marketing VR online, as well as the comprehensiveness of their website content. Additionally, we sought to determine differences in VR practice patterns between academic and private practices. Methods We identified VR practices operating within the top 50 populous metropolitan areas in the USA. Practice websites were reviewed to obtain information such as educational background of providers, use of operating microscope, ability to perform vasoepididymostomy (VE), surgical volume, and out-of-pocket cost. Based on the information available from practice websites, providers were assigned a non-validated “REVERSAL score” out of 12, based on 8 domains (Risks disclosure; provider's Educational background; ability to perform VE; Expense disclosure; success Rate disclosure; Surgical volume disclosure; disclosure of Alternatives to VR; and Level of magnification used for VR) (Table). Descriptive statistics were used to compare the results between academic and private practices. Results 107 providers were identified (29 academic and 78 private). All but 2 were male, and similarly all but 2 had Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degree. Review of practice websites allowed us to obtain complete information (REVERSAL score of 12) on only one provider (academic), with the majority (66%) of providers achieving REVERSAL score of ≤6. Providers with formal fellowship training in andrology, microsurgery, and/or infertility achieved higher REVERSAL scores compared to those without (6.9 ± 2.4 vs. 4.8 ± 2.4, p < 0.01). Academic providers were more likely to have completed pertinent fellowship training compared to private practice providers (97% vs. 44%, p < 0.05). Only 14% of academic providers disclosed procedure cost online, compared to 40% of private practice providers (p < 0.05). There was a trend toward increased use of online advertisements by private practice providers (22% vs. 10%, p = 0.07), and increased reference to literature success rates by academic providers (59% vs. 41%, p = 0.10). Among the 35 providers who disclosed pricing online, mean cost of VR was $5,990 ± 1,935. There was a non-significant trend toward increased cost with academic practices compared to private practices ($7,337 ± 1,103 vs. $5,765 ± 1,964, p = 0.09). There was significant reduction in cost when comparing non-urologists vs. urologists ($3,584 ± 1,554 vs. $6,591 ± 1,518, p < 0.01), and when comparing providers without pertinent fellowship training to those with ($5,405 ± 2,000 vs. $6,769 ± 1,590, p < 0.05). Conclusions There is significant lack of transparency in publicly available information from VR practices, both academic and private. Practices should implement measures to improve the dissemination of information to the general public, so that patients may more easily compare various providers. Disclosure Work supported by industry: no. A consultant, employee (part time or full time) or shareholder is among the authors (Coloplast, AMS).

ABSTRACT Background Penile length loss and erectile dysfunction (ED) are common post-prostatectomy. Recent results from a randomized, controlled study (RCT) of RestoreX penile traction therapy (RxPTT) demonstrated preserved erectile function and penile length improvements in men post-prostatectomy. Objective To report outcomes of the open label phase (6-9 month time point) of the previously noted RCT comparing efficacy of RxPTT to control in men post-prostatectomy. Methods A randomized, controlled trial (NCT03500419) has been completed of 82 men post-prostatectomy. Men were randomized 1-month post-prostatectomy to no therapy (control, n=27) or RxPTT (n=55) for 5 months. Participants then entered an open label phase for 3 months. Assessments included stretched penile length (corona), standardized (International Index of Erectile Function [IIEF]), and non-standardized questionnaires. Comparisons were performed of men who utilized traction at least 15 minutes daily for both phases to men who were originally control and continued with no treatment (as-treated analysis). Analyses were also performed of men who crossed over from control to >15 min daily (crossover to treatment) and those who were originally in the treatment group and continued with >15 min daily use during the open label phase (ongoing treatment). Results Of the 82 men enrolled (mean age 58.6), 55 had 6-month, and 42 had 9-month data available to review. Baseline characteristics (IIEF scores, penile length) were similar between cohorts. In the as-treated analysis (no treatment n=7, RxPTT x 8 months n=12, respectively), differences were as noted: IIEF-EFD (-8 vs -0.5, p=0.19), IIEF-OFD (-3 vs -2, p=0.86), IIEF-SD (-1 vs 0.5, p=0.09), IIEF-ISD (-3 vs -0.5, p=0.31), IIEF-OSD (-2 vs 0, p=0.29), penile length (-0.1 vs +1.8 cm, p<0.01), PDE5 use (86% vs 75%, p=0.57), intracavernosal injection use (86% vs 17%, p<0.01). Comparing men who did not use therapy at any time (n=7) to those who crossed over to RxPTT during the open label phase (n=8) demonstrated the following results: IIEF-EFD (-8 vs -6, p=0.49), IIEF-OFD (-3 vs -1, p=0.90), IIEF-SD (-1 vs 0, p=0.55), IIEF-ISD (-3 vs -1, p=0.45), IIEF-OSD (-2 vs -1, p=0.51), penile length (-0.1 vs +0.69 cm, p=0.39). Men who crossed over from RxPTT to no treatment (n=10) had relatively preserved improvements compared to those who continued with RxPTT during the open label phase (n=12) compared to baseline, respectively: IIEF-EFD (0 vs -0.5, p=0.95), IIEF-OFD (-3.5 vs -2, p=0.97), IIEF-SD (0 vs 0.5, p=0.18), IIEF-ISD (0 vs -0.5, p=0.87), IIEF-OSD (0 vs 0, p=0.66), penile length (+1.8 vs +1.8, p=0.99). Conclusions Although sample size and statistical power are limited, results from the open label phase confirm earlier findings of preserved sexual function and penile length in men treated with RxPTT compared to controls. Men who crossed over from controls to treatment experience benefits, although not as significant as those who were treated beginning at 1 month post-prostatectomy. Men who stopped therapy after 6 months demonstrated stable improvements from baseline, suggesting a preserved effect of RxPTT even after discontinuing use. If validated with external series, these findings would represent a significant advancement in the prevention of sexual dysfunction post-prostatectomy. Disclosure Work supported by industry: no.

ABSTRACT Introduction Covid-19 has helped drive all forms of medicine away from traditional brick and mortar medical interactions. Given the availability of online services to obtain treatments for ED, we developed a website to facilitate patient education, triage and men's health appointment scheduling. Objective We sought to assess characteristics of men who utilized a novel website to treat their ED. Methods We report on 50 patients who ultimately booked and attended appointments (video or in person) for erectile dysfunction. Patients found our website through our institution's main informational ED pages or through youtube links from our men's health video playlist library. Patients create an institutional account and are then asked a series of MD created questions designed to streamline patient triage and complete the majority of chart documentation ahead of the appointment. Patients are then sent videos relevant to their condition and future appointment options. Results 2300 users investigated the ED portion of the website with 1.8% of patients ultimately following through with an appointment. 13% of patients who explored the ED portion of the site created a user account that allows a questionnaire to be taken. 90% of men who began the ED questionnaire completed with a mean time of 11 minutes. 52% of men offered an appointment based on their responses completed the patient scheduling form. 71% of traffic was on mobile devices with 29% on desktop/tablet. Site use by time of day is shown in figure 1. Mean age of patients was 53. 92% of patients had ED that occurred > 6 months. Mean SHIM score was 8.2 (IQR 4-12). 80% of participants had both desire and opportunity for sexual activity, 20% did not meet both criteria and thus SHIM scores were less valid for these men. Of the users 28% had never tried pde5s, 32% had partial success with pde5s, 24% could not tolerate or afford pde5s and 42% had unsatisfactory results with pde5s. PDE5 naïve patients were seen by an internal medicine MD specializing in men's health, 10 were seen by surgeons as they requested IPPs and the rest were seen by a combination of men's health APPS and urology attendings for second line treatments and penile doppler. Interestingly, 66% of men were interested in undergoing penile doppler to better understand the etiology of their ED. Hypertension (40%) and diabetes (22%) were the most common medical comorbidities. 36% of the cohort had a strong family history of cardiac disease. Conclusions Men with ED can be effectively triaged through a website application. Most men with pde5 refractory ED wish to pursue penile doppler. The majority of patients seen had watched educational video material ahead of time, facilitating a more sophisticated and streamlined patient interaction. Disclosure No

ABSTRACT Introduction Literature concerning corporotomy location in multi-component inflatable penile prosthetic surgery via a penoscrotal approach is scarce if not non-existent. However, corporotomy location represents an important issue that may influence immediate and long-term outcomes regarding patient and partner satisfaction as well as device durability. Objective To report practices in low- and high-volume penile implant centers regarding corporotomy location. Methods Data from 18 (13 European and 5 American) implant centers were collected retrospectively between September 1st, 2018 and August 31st, 2019. Variables included: intraoperative proximal and distal corpus cavernosum length measurement, total corporal length measurement, total penile implant cylinder length, and length of rear tip extenders. Additionally, patient characteristics, indication for penile implant, operative time, type of implant utilized, reservoir characteristics and short term complications were reported. Results 809 virgin penile implant cases were included in the analysis. Mean age of participants was 61.5 +/- 9.6 years old. In total, 299 AMS 700TM (Boston Scientific) and 510 Coloplast Titan® devices were implanted. The mean proximal/distal corporal measurement ratio during corporotomy was 0.93 +/- 0.29. A statistically significant correlation between lower proximal /distal measurement ratio and higher age (p=0.0013), lower BMI (p<0.0001), use of rear tip extenders (RTE) (p=0.04), lower RTE length (p<0.0001) and absence of diabetes (p=0.0004) was reported. In a 3-month follow up period 49 complications and 37 revision procedures were reported. Conclusions This is the first study reporting and evaluating the current practices regarding corporotomy location during IPP placement in a multicenter cohort, particularly when including such a high number of patients. Nevertheless, the retrospective design limits the study outcomes. Even in experienced hands proximal length measurement in relation to distal length measurement in penoscrotal IPP surgery is in many cases sub-optimal, particularly when the tubing-cylinder connection of each device is taken into account. Disclosure No

ABSTRACT Introduction The significant overlap of risk factors for erectile dysfunction and venous thromboembolism (VTE) may disproportionally increase the risk of VTE in men undergoing inflatable penile prosthesis (IPP) surgery. Owing to the absence of available literature, AUA and EAU perioperative VTE guidelines do not address VTE risk with IPP surgery and generally recommend against pharmacologic prophylaxis with outpatient surgery. The Caprini Score is a validated scoring system to estimate VTE risk in the perioperative period. Objective We sought to assess the risk of VTE by calculating Caprini Scores in men undergoing IPP surgery. Methods We retrospectively reviewed and calculated Caprini Scores for patients undergoing IPP surgery at our institution between July 2017 and June 2019. Results 215 patients undergoing IPP surgery were identified with a mean and median Caprini score of 5.96 (SD, 1.63) and 6 (IQR 5,7), respectively. 84% of the cohort was classified as high or highest risk for VTE (Figure 1). This is in part due to our cohort's mean age of 64, mean BMI of 31 and history of prostate cancer treatment as the cause of ED. Prior history of VTE (deep vein thrombosis(DVT) or pulmonary embolism (PE)was identified in 17 (8%) patients with 5 (2%) have a history of both DVT and PE. Conclusions Men undergoing IPP surgery are high risk for VTE based on Caprini score assessment. VTE prophylaxis should be considered in men undergoing penile implant surgery. Before widespread application, long-term data is necessary to assess safety and efficacy of VTE prophylaxis in the IPP surgery population. Disclosure Any of the authors act as a consultant, employee or shareholder of an industry for: Senior author consultant for Coloplast

ABSTRACT Introduction Chronic pelvic and/or genital pain is a disabling condition and commonly associated with poor quality of life, impaired sexual function and decreased productivity. Objective To examine treatment outcomes among a cohort of patients diagnosed with refractory pelvic and/or genital pain enrolled in a 3-week interdisciplinary pain rehabilitation program (IPRP). Methods A series of with-in subjects ANOVAs (corrected for multiple comparisons) were used to evaluate the effectiveness of IPRP on self-report (pain severity, interference, depressive symptoms, quality of life) and observer-rated outcome (5 minute walk) among 15 treated patients receiving care at the Mayo Clinic IPRP between 2016-2018. Results Fifteen patients (5 male, 10 female) were identified. Mean age was 47.0 (range: 24-78) and primary diagnoses were pelvic pain (n=13) and penile pain (n=2). Significant within-subject effects were detected for all self-report outcomes and the 5-minute walk test (see table 1). Six patients were on opioid therapy (MME = 49mg), and all but one successfully tapered off opioids. In the remaining patient, daily MME decreased from 150 mg to 30 mg. Conclusions Intensive outpatient IPRP significantly improves quality of life for patients with treatment-refractory chronic pelvic and/or genital pain. These results support multi-disciplinary treatment paradigms for refractory urogenital pain. Disclosure No

ABSTRACT Introduction Despite an increasing number of publications on Peyronie's disease (PD), evidence-based clinical decision making remains challenging due to the small number of well-designed clinical trials. The quality of available PD literature has not been assessed to date. Objective We sought to evaluate the quality of the methodology and reporting of systematic reviews and meta-analyses in PD literature Methods Study protocol registration was performed on the Open Science Framework platform. In January 2021, a systematic electronic search of the Medline/PubMed, Embase, Ovid, Scopus, Joanne Briggs Institute and Cochrane databases was performed. Search terms included “Peyronie's disease” and “systematic review OR meta-analysis OR meta analysis”. Eligibility criteria were relevance to Peyronie's disease and specification of “systematic review” or “meta-analysis” in the title or abstract. A database was created to summarize the relevant methodological and reporting criteria for each article. The outcomes included review type, authorship, journal, publication date, “A MeaSurement Tool to Assess systematic Reviews” (AMSTAR-2) score and “Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses” (PRISMA) score. Risk of bias was assessed using the ROBIS tool. Data were tabulated and reported as means with standard deviation, median with interquartile range (IQR) and t-testing as appropriate. Strength of association between variables was calculated using the Pearson correlation coefficient. Statistical analyses were performed on RStudio (version 1.4.1106). Results From 1974 to 2021, 340 articles were identified. After review 23 full length articles were included. Seventeen were systematic reviews, 4 meta-analyses and 2 were combined. Twenty-one (87.5%) articles were published after the year 2009 when the PRISMA guidelines were published. There was median 53.8% (IQR 38.2%) adherence to AMSTAR-2 criteria and 66.7% (IQR 38.9%) adherence to PRISMA criteria. The overall AMSTAR confidence rating was Critically Low in 15/23 studies, indicating more than one critical flaw. Correlation analysis revealed very high positive association between AMSTAR 2 and PRISMA adherence (+0.97). ROBIS revealed “High” concern regarding methods used to collect data and appraise 17/23 studies (73.9%), and “High” concern regarding synthesis and findings in 14/23 studies (60.9%). Conclusions Transparent reporting of methodology and findings in SRs and MAs is crucial to maintaining research integrity and allowing for accurate interpretation of results. Despite an increasing number of publications in PD, many of these studies fail to meet accepted methodological criteria for reporting. More high quality randomized controlled trials in PD are necessary; while systematic reviews and meta-analyses should focus on these high-quality studies with uniform use of accepted reporting guidelines. Disclosure No

ABSTRACT Introduction IPP revision after implant malfunction yields rare insight into patient preference and perception of penile implant variations in brand and size. Objective To assess patients’ perception of their penile implant after IPP revision. Methods Retrospective review of all patients undergoing revision surgery for purely mechanical malfunction (fluid leak) at our institution since 2017. Patients with greater than 6 months follow-up after revision were contacted to comment on changes in penile size and device preference. Patients were asked 1. “Did you notice any change in penile length or girth after your last surgery, explain, and 2. “Please describe your preference (if any) of implant and why”. We utilize the Coloplast Titan with “classic” (genesis) pump in most cases, with AMS Cx cylinders being used in cases with attenuated corpora (aneurysm). Results 21 patients were identified that met criteria with an average age of 70. 15/21 were successfully contacted. 9 Coloplast, 2 Mentor, and 12 AMS devices (Cx =7, LGX =4, Ultrex =1) were revised. Device brand used to replace the broken IPP was n= 19 for Coloplast and n=3 for AMS (Cx =2, Lgx =1). Mean and median time to revision was 9 years overall (2-26) and was similar between Coloplast and AMS. Fluid leak location showed no discernable pattern. Total average implant length increased 2.2 cm from 20.6 cm to 22.8 cm. 8/10 patients were reached that had had both AMS and Coloplast devices (all AMS initially). 12 patients stayed within the manufacturer. Despite change in implanted length, most patients did not discern a definitive change in penile length unless cylinders increased by > 3 cm (perhaps reflecting under-sizing of initial implant). All patients correctly described improvement or no change in penile girth when compared to actual cylinder sizes. Patients preferred Coloplast (6 – girth/erection quality/pump), AMS (1 pump/flaccidity) and undecided (1). Several patients felt consistently cycling the device after revision led to relative length improvement and ease of use. Conclusions Our small cohort of IPP revision patients for mechanical failure reveals that revision often requires longer cylinders but this is often imperceptible to the patient. Increased cylinder girth was a key factor in driving device preference. Disclosure Any of the authors act as a consultant, employee or shareholder of an industry for: Senior author consultant for Coloplast

ABSTRACT Introduction Patient satisfaction after inflatable penile prosthesis (IPP) placement has been linked to preexisting curvature. Intraoperative findings such as curvature on artificial erection (AE) or asymmetric corporal measurements (ACM) are incompletely characterized in terms of impact on IPP outcome. Objective We sought to evaluate the clinical utility of AE and the significance of ACM during IPP surgery. Methods A single institution retrospective review of patients undergoing primary IPP placement between 7/2019-9/2020 was performed. Patient characteristics and intraoperative measurements were compared. Threshold for statistical significance was p≤0.05. Results A total of 130 patients underwent primary placement of penile prosthesis. Median age was 67 years (IQR 13). Comorbidities included prostatectomy in 33.8%, and known Peyronie's disease in 21.5%. Of the 27.7% (n=36) of patients who underwent intraoperative AE, 63.9% (n=23) had visible curvature. Of the patients with visible curvature, 70% (n=16) had a preoperative diagnosis of Peyronie's disease and 56.3% (n=9) underwent straightening procedures compared to 28.6% (n=2) of the 30% (n=7) with no known curvature. Incision and grafting was most frequently performed (6/11)- with a minority undergoing plication (2/11). Of the 72.3% (n=94) who did not undergo AE, only 2.1% (n=2) required additional measures for curvature correction. Median corporal measurement was 21 (IQR 2) bilaterally and median cylinder size 20 cm (IQR 4) bilaterally with 1cm rear tip extenders. Of the 18.5% (24/130) of patients with ACM, asymmetry was as follows: 20.8% (5/24) had less than 1 cm, 70.8% (17/24) had 1 to <2 cm, and 8.3% (2/24) had 2 cm or greater. Of these patients 87.5% (21/24) underwent placement of an asymmetric device, only 5% (1/21) of which had residual curvature less than 30 degrees. Despite ACMs, 12.5% (3/24) of patients had a symmetric device placed, one of which had residual curvature. Only 2 patients underwent straightening procedures including plication and incision/grafting. Conclusions Intraoperative AE is effective at revealing occult penile curvature at time of IPP placement, however most men with newly detected curvature do not require additional straightening measures. We also found that 1 in 5 patients undergoing IPP had ACM but this did not correspond to residual curvature following IPP or requirement for adjunct straightening. These findings may provide reassurance to urologists who do not routinely perform AE or those who encounter ACM during corporal dilation Disclosure Any of the authors act as a consultant, employee or shareholder of an industry for: Boston Scientific, Coloplast

ABSTRACT Introduction Erectile dysfunction (ED) stems from a variety of etiologies and often requires a multidisciplinary approach to optimize patient care. Objective We sought to assess attitudes and confidence regarding the treatment of erectile dysfunction across different provider types. Methods Anonymous, email-based survey of physicians and advanced practice providers in the disciplines of urology, internal medicine, and family medicine. Responses were recorded using a five-point Likert scale. Descriptive statistical analysis of survey response data was performed. Results With 76 providers on this ongoing survey including 31 internists, 24 family physicians, and 21 urologists, 88% of providers believed there to be good options for erectile dysfunction after failing pills. Figure 1 shows attitudes of the modalities of “good” options and confidence in the ability to counsel about these options. Regarding if most patients report willingness to consider surgical intervention for ED when counseled about it an equal portion of providers had positive, neutral, and negative feedback. Figure 2 lists other specific attitudes and opinions about penile prosthesis (IPP) implants. Moreover, 78% emphasized the necessity of a multidisciplinary team-based approach to ED patients. However, only 30% of the participants were in agreement with referrals to specialists in sexual health including urologists. Conclusions This survey indicates a knowledge gap and low comfort level in 2nd and 3rd line ED treatments. Focused education on penile implant outcomes appears particularly helpful. Disclosure No