Citations

Adolescents and young adults living with advanced cancer must often discover new rules for living during cancer treatment. Such experiences may lead them to emerge to higher levels of consciousness and find personal meaning in these experiences. Newman’s theory of health as expanding consciousness was this qualitative research study’s framework examining hope’s role for adolescents and young adults living with advanced cancer. Fifteen participants aged 12-21 years created written narratives and illustrations to describe their experiences with hope. We propose an updated theoretical model in which hope facilitates expanding consciousness in adolescents and young adults living with advanced cancer.

Abstract Former American football players are at risk for developing traumatic encephalopathy syndrome (TES), the clinical disorder associated with neuropathologically diagnosed chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). The objective of this study was to determine whether hyposmia is present in traumatic encephalopathy syndrome. The study included 119 former professional American football players, 60 former college football players, and 58 same-age asymptomatic unexposed men from the DIAGNOSE CTE Research Project. All subjects included in the analysis had completed the Brief Smell Identification Test (B-SIT). Traumatic encephalopathy syndrome and the level of CTE certainty were diagnosed using the 2021 NINDS consensus diagnostic criteria. TES is categorized antemortem by provisional levels of increasing CTE certainty: Suggestive, Possible, and Probable. Former players who had traumatic encephalopathy syndrome and Probable CTE had lower B-SIT scores than those with TES and Suggestive CTE. Hyposmia was more likely in the former players with TES who were either CTE Possible or Probable than in those who did not have TES or had TES but were less likely to have CTE, or CTE Suggestive. There was no difference in B-SIT scores between all former players versus unexposed men nor overall between the football players with and without TES. We conclude that lower B-SIT scores may be a clinical biomarker for underlying CTE in former American football players.

Abstract Introduction Peyronie’s disease (PD) is a fibrosing condition of the tunica albuginea characterized by a palpable plaque with varying impacts on the patient’s erection: curvature, shortening, indentations, hinging, and concentric narrowing. Stepwise intralesional injection of collagenase clostridium histolyticum (Xiaflex) is the only FDA approved medical treatment for PD. We retrospectively reviewed Xiaflex treated patients for satisfaction with therapy or pursuit of subsequent surgery. Objective To assess satisfaction of Xiaflex treatment without subsequent surgical intervention. Methods This is a retrospective review of patients presenting with PD to a single center and managed by a single provider with six-month follow-up after treatment. Patient presentations were recorded in an Institutional Review Board approved database. Data storage and analytics were conducted using REDCap. Results The cohort for this study was 81 men treated with intralesional Xiaflex. 71.6% of patients (58/81) were satisfied with Xiaflex outcomes and sought no further therapy. 27.2% of patients (22/81) were not satisfied with their outcomes and 12 (14.8%) elected subsequent surgical interventions: 6 penile plications, 2 incision and graftings and 4 inflatable penile prostheses. 63.3% of patients had full (8) Xiaflex treatment. Among the 50 who had full Xiaflex treatment, 12% had surgery after Xiaflex. Among the patients who had partial Xiaflex treatment 20.7% had surgery following Xiaflex. The degrees of curvature in patients receiving Xiaflex was: < 60 (n = 42), ≥ 60 (34) and hourglass deformity (n = 4). Among the 12 patients who had surgery following Xiaflex, 6 men received 8 Xiaflex treatments, and 1 patient each received 2, 4, 5, 6, and 7 Xiaflex treatments. Conclusions If successful medical management of Peyronie’s disease is defined by men who do not seek subsequent surgical intervention following therapy, Xiaflex was highly successful. In our series of 81 patients, only 14.8% sought surgical interventions following intralesional collagenase histolyticum. Disclosure No.

Abstract OBJECTIVES The Ross procedure is currently receiving renewed interest. Its function and durability depend on preservation of pulmonary valve anatomy; limited data exist on normal pulmonary valve geometry. The objective was to compare aortic and pulmonary root and cusp dimensions in adults with normal tricuspid aortic and pulmonary valves. METHODS We reviewed 507 coronary computed tomography studies, selecting those with adequate visibility of both pulmonary and aortic roots for further analysis. Diastolic aortic and pulmonary root and cusp dimensions were measured. Root dimensions at different phases of the cardiac cycle were measured in 3 patients. RESULTS We analysed studies of 50 patients with the mean age of 54 years [standard deviation (SD): 16]. In end-diastole, pulmonary root had a smaller sinutubular to basal ring ratio than the aortic root [0.82 (SD: 0.09) vs 1.14 (SD: 0.12), P < 0.001]. Aortic and pulmonary cusps had similar dimensions; however, pulmonary cusp effective height was lower [5.9 mm (SD: 1.6) vs 8.4 mm (SD: 1.2), P < 0.001]. Pulmonary basal ring perimeter was largest at end-diastole and smallest at end-systole, with the relative difference of 23.5% (SD: 2.7). CONCLUSIONS The pulmonary root has a similar cusp size compared to the aortic root, but a different shape, resulting in a lower pulmonary cusp effective height. The perimeter of the pulmonary basal ring changes during the cardiac cycle. These findings suggest that stabilizing the autograft to normal aortic, rather than pulmonary, root dimensions should result in normal autograft cusp configuration. Computed tomography angiography could become a tool for personalized planning of the Ross procedure.

Abstract Introduction Nonischemic priapism typically occurs secondary to penile trauma, resulting in increased blood flow into the penis without decreased outflow resulting in a clinically non-painful, partially rigid erection. Per the American Urologic Association guidelines, surgical treatment is discouraged, and following conservative management, first line treatment is arteriography with selective arterial embolization. This procedure is generally highly successful but it does carry a risk of erectile dysfunction as well as priapism recurrence. Objective Herein we present the first known case of ultrasound guided thrombin injection in an adult for nonischemic priapism treatment after persistent priapism and arterial blush following arterial embolization. Methods A 44-year-old male presented with an eight-month history of partial tumescence and erectile dysfunction after an episode of unwitnessed loss of consciousness resulting in the subsequent development of gross hematuria and dysuria. Physical examination revealed a semi-firm penis with suspected high-flow priapism. He initially presented to the emergency department, whereby a cystogram and cross sectional abdominal imaging were unrevealing. Initial outpatient cystoscopy revealed a urethral polyp which resolved on subsequent repeat testing. Following this an outpatient penile duplex doppler ultrasound was performed demonstrating a right pseudoaneurysm at the penile base measuring 13 mm in diameter with an arteriovenous fistulous communication to the corpus cavernosum. MRI demonstrates fibrotic changes within the right corpus cavernosum and tunica albuginea indicating prior traumatic penile injury. At the time the patient had approximately 25% tumescence at rest and was only able to obtain a slightly firmer erection, but was still able to achieve orgasm. After extensive conversation and given a trial of conservative management, the patient elected to proceed with angioembolization. An angiogram was completed which demonstrated a blush of contrast in the area of the bulbourethral artery. Despite successful deployment and coil embolization of the pseudoaneurysm, there was noted continued filling of the patent pseudoaneurysm from small branched collateral vessels. The patient tolerated the procedure well, and had reduction of his baseline penile tumescence and some erectile function recovery, requiring oral phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors. There was concern for complete occlusion of the dorsal penile artery with repeat embolization, which may ultimately worsen erectile dysfunction. He remained incompletely satisfied with response to oral therapy. Results It was ultimately decided to pursue an ultrasound guided thrombin injection, which has been reported in a handful of cases as a primary intervention for priapism. During the procedure, 200 units of thrombin was injected into the pseudoaneurysm under ultrasound guidance resulting in immediate cessation of arterial flow. Post-procedure angiography demonstrated effective resolution. Conclusions High-flow priapism is a relatively uncommon condition, managed generally with embolization as first line treatment, with success rates reported at 89 to 100% and recurrence only occurring in 30% of patients. Recurrence is generally treated with repeat embolization which has been reported to cause erectile dysfunction in 15 to 22% of cases. Percutaneous ultrasound-guided thrombin injection has the potential to be an excellent second-line treatment option for pseudoaneurysm closure in correcting nonischemic priapism, albeit with limited data, but suspected high efficacy and potentially diminished rates of erectile dysfunction. Disclosure No.

Abstract Introduction Obesity, defined as an elevated Body Mass Index (BMI) >30, is a prevalent public health concern with far-reaching implications for various medical procedures and outcomes. In the context of inflatable penile prosthesis placement (IPP), where patient well-being and surgical success are of paramount importance, the impact of obesity on postoperative and intraoperative complications warrants thorough investigation. Objective We aimed to investigate the impact of BMI on both postoperative and intraoperative complications in an international, multi-institutional cohort of patients who underwent IPP placement. Methods We performed a retrospective chart review of 4,398 cases. These cases were divided into two distinct groups based on BMI: less than 30 (n = 2,260) and greater than or equal to 30 (n = 2,138). The study assessed various surgical factors as well as complications, including overall complications, corporal scarring, incontinence, intraoperative complications, proximal perforation, distal perforation, proximal crossover, distal crossover, and urethral injury. Results Our analysis revealed that there were no statistically significant differences in intraoperative or postoperative complications between the two BMI categories. Notably, proximal corporal measurement was significantly higher for >30 BMI group with 1858 (86.9%) compared to 1919 (84.9%) for <30 BMI group, (p = < 0.001). The incidence rates for overall complications (30.2% vs. 28.7%; p = 0.164), corporal scarring (18.2% vs. 16.7%; p = 0.36), incontinence (3.53% vs. 3.13%; p = 0.076), intraoperative complications (1.94% vs. 1.68%; p = 0.253), and specific complications all exhibited no significant differences. Similarly, post-operative complications, including both non-infectious (6.99% vs. 6.22%; p = 0.215) and infectious (2.61% vs. 1.87%; p = 0.165) complications, did not significantly vary between BMI categories. Conclusions Our findings indicate that BMI does not exert a statistically significant influence on postoperative and intraoperative complications in the context of high-volume prosthetic urology. In the absence of any other differences between patients of differing BMIs, the IPP industry may need to consider device specific alterations with pump tubing length in obese patients. Disclosure Any of the authors act as a consultant, employee or shareholder of an industry for: Coloplast, Clarus Therapeutics, Antares Pharma, Acerus.

Abstract Introduction Penile prosthesis (PP) implantation is associated with high patient satisfaction in patients with medically refractory erectile dysfunction (ED). There remains a paucity in the literature regarding the temporal evolution of patient following PP surgery. Objective We sought to evaluate mechanical-associated outcomes in our Penile prosthesis (PP) cohort. Methods We analyzed our prospective penile registry that includes patient-completed surveys regarding device outcomes administered at 6 and 12-months after PP placement. We specifically examined the questions: “Have you had another [prosthesis] surgery since your first operation?”; and, “Does the device ever inflate or deflate on its own, if Yes how bothersome is this for you on a scale of 1-10 (1- very bothersome, 10 no bother)?”. Chart review was performed to identify pertinent variables including reservoir location (retropubic vs submuscular) and need for prosthesis revision for survey respondents. Results A total of 304 patients were enrolled in the registry. Of these, 101 completed the 6-month assessment and 79 completed the 1-year survey. The vast majority of PP were Coloplast (91.4%) utilizing the “classic” pump. Mean chart review follow up was approximately 3 years. One device was explanted for implant infection. No additional operations were reported for mechanical failure. Auto-inflation (AI) was reported in 38 patients at 6 months and 21 patients at 12 months. AI was most common in patients with submuscular reservoir placement (75.9% of those who reported AI at 6 months and 50% at 12 months respectively). The relative risk of developing AI was doubled in patients with a submuscular reservoir [2.2 (1.05-3.44); p < 0.001)]. Degree of bother had a reported median of 5 (3.75-9) at 6 months and became less bothersome after 12-months year with a reported median of 7 (5-9) (p = 0.230) [Fig. 1]. Conclusions Early Penile prosthesis mechanical failure requiring revision surgery did not occur in our cohort but patient-reported auto-inflation was identified more frequently than previously reported. Further study is warranted, but patients may benefit from pre-operative counseling regarding the incidence of auto-inflation. Disclosure Yes, this is sponsored by industry/sponsor: Coloplast. Clarification: Industry funding only - investigator initiated and executed study.

Abstract Introduction Convective water vapor thermal therapy (Rezum) can have varied outcomes based on prostate architecture. Objective We sought to compare the efficacy of traditional Rezum therapy with steam treatment of the median lobe to transurethral resection for the median lobe, and Rezum treatment for the lateral lobes of the prostate (Rezurp). Methods A single-surgeon series between 2019 and 2024 analyzed standard BPH outcomes. The rate of retreatment, complications, and a global assessment: “Knowing what you know now, would you like to repeat the procedure?” were utilized. Significant median lobe was defined as ≥1 cm of intravesical protrusion for Rezurp patients and ≥ 2 median lobe treatments required for standard Rezum. Results Follow-up assessments were performed for 89/105 patients in the Rezurp group and 107/138 patients in the Rezum group. There was no significant difference in baseline characteristics between the two groups, as shown in Table 1. In the Rezum group, the median IPSS before surgery was 25 (20–28), while the median score after surgery was 9 (5–15), and in the Rezurp group, the median IPSS before surgery was 22.5 (19–28), and the median score after surgery was 5 (3–9.7). The changes were statistically significant for both groups (P < 0.001). For the IPSS quality-of-life (QoL) scores, the median in both groups was 4 (mostly not satisfied) before surgery and 2 (mostly satisfied) after surgery. The changes in QoL scores were significant in both (P < 0.001). In the Rezum group, the median Q-max was 7.9 and 13.1 before and after surgery, while in the Rezurp group, it was 8.0 and 17.1, respectively, and the changes were significant for both (P = 0.001). In addition, changes in post-voiding residue were significant in both groups (P = 0.001) (Table 2). In the Rezum group, 62% (67 patients) were on alpha-blockers before surgery, whereas only 15.8% (17 patients) continued after surgery. For the Rezurp group, 71.9% (64 patients) were on alpha-blockers before surgery, compared to 10.1% (9 patients) afterward. The discontinuation of alpha-blockers was significant for both groups (P = 0.001). Furthermore, changes in stopping the use of 5-alpha reductase inhibitors were significant for both groups (P = 0.001). The changes in stopping PDI-5 were not significant in both groups (P = 0.38). Regarding retreatment, 5.6% (5 out of 89) of patients in the Rezurp group required a retreatment procedure, compared to 14.9% (16 out of 107) in the Rezum group. The retreatment rate was significantly higher in the Rezum group (P = 0.03). When asked if they would repeat the procedure, 91% (81 out of 89) in the Rezurp group expressed interest, compared to 72% (77 out of 107) in the Rezum group. The interest in repeating the procedure was significantly higher in the Rezurp group (P = 0.001). Conclusions Although both Rezum therapy and Rezurp resulted in significant improvements in Q-max, PVR, IPSS, and QoL, the Rezurp group had a significantly lower rate of retreatment. Disclosure No.

Abstract Introduction Clostridium Collagenase Histolyticum (CCH) is the only-FDA approved non-surgical, intralesional option for men with Peyronie’s disease. However, little is known regarding practice patterns of CCH providers due to lack of standardized protocols. Objective To evaluate practice patterns for providers approved to administer CCH to treat Peyronie’s disease (PD), this study was conducted. Methods The “Find a Xiaflex-Trained Urologist” search tool on the Endo International patient-facing website was utilized to identify clinicians offering CCH injections in the United States. A 24-question survey was mailed to these providers with topics including provider type, years in practice, therapies offered, and patient evaluation was distributed to providers on patient-facing Endo International Xiaflex Find a Provider web-based tool. Results 63 responses were obtained, including 41% fellowship-trained urologists (FTU), 40% non-fellowship-trained urologists (NFTU), 14% advanced practice providers, and 5% un-specified. Prior to therapy, over 63% of providers performed in-office assessment of an erect penis while only 35% obtained ultrasound. 32% always and 36% never performed an artificial erection prior to administering CCH. Plaques were most identified by palpation or patient-provided direction with penile modeling and traction the most common adjuncts. When comparing NFTU to FTU, there was no difference in volume of PD patients with 60% examining fewer than 10 per month. FTU were more likely to offer traction (p = 0.002), plaque incision/excision and grafting (p = 0.005), increase time between injections (p = 0.012), and less likely to encourage penetrative intercourse between cycles (p = 0.016). The incidence of post-operative hematomas or suspected corporal rupture was not significantly different, although FTUs were more likely to conservatively manage rupture. Conclusions Variability exists in provider practice patterns surrounding CCH injections with most evaluating less than 10 patients with PD per month. This calls to attention the need for evaluation of techniques, patient outcomes, and standardization of care. Disclosure Yes, this is sponsored by industry/sponsor: Endo Pharmaceuticals. Clarification: Industry funding only - investigator initiated and executed study. Any of the authors act as a consultant, employee or shareholder of an industry for: Endo Pharmaceuticals.

Abstract Introduction Surgical treatment options for Peyronie’s disease (PD) include penile plication, plaque excision with grafting, and penile prosthesis placement with straightening maneuvers. Choice of surgical incision depends on location and severity of curve, concomitant procedures, and surgeon preference. Objective To assess risk of wound complications after PD surgery stratified by ventral versus subcoronal incision type. Methods A single surgeon retrospective chart review was conducted for all patients undergoing PD tunica albuginea plication (TA) or plaque excision with grafting (PEG) from Aug 2019 to June 2023. Wound complication was classified as any dehiscence or physical examination finding suspicious for infection within 30d of surgery. A Mann–Whitney U Test was used to compare demographic variables and wound complication rate based on ventral and subcoronal approaches. Results Of the 161 patients included, 105 underwent TAP and 56 underwent PEG. All patients who underwent PEG had at least one plication suture performed to correct mild residual curvature after grafting. A ventral midline penile incision was used in 81 patients (50%) and subcoronal in 80 patients (50%). Wound complications within 30d of surgery were found in 10 patients (6%), including 8 (10%) with ventral incisions versus only 2 (3%) subcoronal (OR 4.27; 95% CI 0.87-20.79; p = 0.09). There was no significant difference in wound complications between TAP and PEG cohorts. Wound complications included dehiscence requiring repeat closure (n = 1) and superficial wound infection necessitating antibiotic therapy (n = 9). In a subgroup analysis of patients who underwent TAP only, 8 patients (7.6%) with a ventral approach experienced a 30d wound complication compared with 1 patient (3.4%) with a subcoronal approach. Conclusions Penile straightening surgeries are associated with a low rate of significant wound infections. While not statistically significant, a ventral incision may have a slightly higher risk than subcoronal for wound complications within the first 30d of surgery. Both ventral and subcoronal incisions can offer excellent exposure and may be considered for patients requiring plication and/or grafting approaches. Disclosure No.