METHODS: A total of 600 infertile male patients from a single center in Kuwait city were asked to fulfill an internet-based survey. The survey encompassed data about the cost of different investigations and treatments of male infertility. Patients were also asked about the preference of covering their condition either through government or by private insurance.
RESULTS: A total of 145 patients responded to the survey. Most of the patients earned 3295 United States Dollar (USD) to 6590 USD per month. The cost of the outpatient visit ranged from 131.7 to 263.4 USD. The cost of each hormonal test was 164.5 USD while the average cost of each imaging study was 131.8-164.7 USD. Most of the patients (62.8%) received medical therapy with an expense of >988.74 USD. Varicocelectomy cost ranged from 3295 to 6590 USD while the cost of testicular sperm extraction ranged from 1644 to 3294 USD. Most patients (96.3%) did not have health insurance coverage of infertility. On average, patients spent around 18% of their annual income on infertility care, excluding major surgeries.
CONCLUSION: Male infertility is a worrisome medical condition that causes a huge burden on the Kuwait community. Effective management necessitates insurance coverage and public health support owing to the huge financial burden on the patients and their partners. Thus, policymakers should re-evaluate their protocols of spending on male infertility care.
Materials and Methods: Sixty-nine men underwent mpMRI of the prostate followed by TRUS biopsy. In addition to 12-core biopsy, CFB was performed on abnormal lesions detected on MRI.
Results: Abnormal lesions were identified in 98.6% of the patients, and 59.4% had the highest PI-RADS score of 3 or more. With the use of PI-RADS 3 as cutoff, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of MRI for the detection of PCa were 91.7%, 57.8%, 53.7%, and 92.8%, respectively. With the use of PI-RADS 4 as cutoff, the sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of mpMRI were 66.7%, 91.1%, 80%, and 83.7%, respectively. Systematic biopsy detected more PCa compared to CFB (29% vs. 26.1%), but CFB detected more significant (Gleason grade ≥7) PCa (17.4% vs. 14.5%) (P < 0.01). CFB cores have a higher PCa detection rate as compared to systematic cores (P < 0.01).
Conclusions: mpMRI has a good predictive ability for PCa. CFB is superior to systematic biopsy in the detection of the significant PCa.
OBJECTIVE: Describe the mathematical method to predict renal puncture angle and distance based on preoperative computed tomography (CT) measurements. Then evaluating how it correlates with measured values.
PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study was prospectively designed. After ethical committee approval, the study uses data from preoperative CT to construct a triangle so we can estimate puncture depth and angle. A triangle of three points, the first is point of entry to the pelvicalyceal system (PCS), the second is point on the skin perpendicular to it, and the third where the needle punctures the skin. The needle travel is estimated using the Pythagorean theorem and puncture angle using the inverse sine function. We evaluated 40 punctures in 36 PCNL procedures. After PCS puncture using fluoroscopy-guided triangulation, we measured the needle travel distance and angle to the horizontal plane. Then compared the results with mathematically estimated values.
RESULTS: We targeted posterior lower calyx in 21 (70%) case. The correlation between measured and estimated needle travel distance with Rho coefficient of 0.76 with P < 0.001. The mean difference between the estimated and the measured needle travel was - 0.37 ± 1.2 cm (-2.6-1.6). Measured and estimated angle correlate with Rho coefficient of 0.77 and P < 0.001. The mean difference between the estimated and the measured angle was 2° ± 8° (-21°-16°).
CONCLUSION: Mathematical estimation of needle depth and angle for gaining access to the kidney correlates well with measured values.
Materials and Methods: We performed a retrospective review on all PCNLs performed in our center between July 2012 and June 2017, with emphasis on preoperative urine results, intra-operative findings, and postoperative septic complications.
Results: Among 425 cases of PCNL performed, 16 (3.76%) developed sepsis postoperatively. Patients with positive preoperative urine cultures were almost four times as likely to develop post-PCNL sepsis compared to those with negative cultures (8.41% vs. 2.2%, P = 0.004). Among patients with positive urine leukocytes and positive urine cultures, the presence of Staghorn calculi and multiple PCNL punctures both predicted significantly higher risks of postoperative sepsis. In contrast, diabetes mellitus and preoperative stenting were not found to be associated with a greater risk of post-PCNL sepsis.
Conclusions: Patients who had positive preoperative urine leukocytes and/or cultures, and either harbor Staghorn calculi or are deemed to require more than one puncture on PCNL, were at an increased risk of developing post-PCNL sepsis. Such at-risk patients should be identified preoperatively, given aggressive perioperative antibiotic treatment, and monitored closely for septic complications during the convalescence period.