Browsing by Author "Krambeck, Amy"
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Item A Cost Comparison of Holmium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate with and without Moses(American Urological Association, 2021) Lee, Matthew S.; Assmus, Mark; Agarwal, Deepak; Large, Tim; Krambeck, Amy; Urology, School of MedicineIntroduction: Holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) is a size-independent treatment option for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia. HoLEP has been shown to have excellent improvements in prostate symptom scores and maximum flow rates that have been durable for 2 decades. However, the steep learning curve associated with HoLEP has prevented its widespread adoption. New advancements in lasers, specifically the Moses™ pulse-modulation technology, have resulted in improvements in hemostasis and achieving same-day discharges and catheter removals. We aimed to perform a cost-comparison to analyze if Moses-augmented HoLEP (m-HoLEP) resulted in cost-savings. Methods: A retrospective review was performed of a single expert surgeon's experience from May 2018 to November 2020, comparing m-HoLEP with HoLEP. Perioperative and postoperative variables were abstracted from the medical record. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed using SAS® 9.4. Two-sided significance was set at p <0.05. Results: A total of 312 men underwent HoLEP during the study period (192 in m-HoLEP group and 120 in HoLEP group). The m-HoLEP group had more same-day discharges (p <0.001) and emergency department visits (6.3% vs 1.7%, p=0.0071). m-HoLEP resulted in hospital cost savings of $840 for the initial surgical episode (p=0.0297). When factoring in emergency department visits/readmissions, the cost savings decreased to $747 per case (p=0.0574). Conclusions: m-HoLEP was associated with same-day discharge and hospital cost savings of $840 for the initial surgical episode. Further study in other institutions with surgeons of varying experience levels will need to be performed to see if these findings can be replicated.Item The ability of a limited metabolic assessment to identify pediatric stone formers with metabolic abnormalities(Elsevier, 2018) Chan, Katherine H.; Moser, Elizabeth A.; Whittam, Benjamin M.; Misseri, Rosalia; Cain, Mark P.; Krambeck, Amy; Urology, School of MedicineIntroduction American Urological Association guidelines recommend a urinary metabolic evaluation after the first stone event in all pediatric stone patients. Prior studies identified hypercalciuria and urine hypovolemia as the most common abnormalities in children with urolithiasis. Recent data suggest that hypocitraturia is most prevalent. It was hypothesized that a limited evaluation would detect the majority of clinically significant metabolic abnormalities in pediatric stone formers. Material and methods A retrospective analysis of all children (<18 years of age) with renal/ureteral calculi evaluated at the study institution from 2005 to 2015 was performed. Children with ≥ one 24-h urinary metabolic profile after a clinical visit for renal/ureteral calculi were included. Those with bladder stones and those with undercollection or overcollection or missing urinary creatinine were excluded. Demographics and data from the first urinary metabolic profile and stone analyses were collected. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive value (NPV) of a limited urinary metabolic evaluation consisting of four parameters (24-h calcium, citrate, and oxalate and low urinary volume) were compared to a complete urinary metabolic profile. The number and type of metabolic abnormalities that would have been missed with this limited evaluation weredetermined. Results Of 410 patients, 21 were excluded for age ≥18 years, 13 for bladder stones, 248 for overcollections, 38 for undercollections, and 10 for missing creatinine. This left 80 patients for inclusion: median age 11.4 years, 60% female, and 96.3% white. Of the entire cohort, 69.6% had hypocitraturia, 52.5% had low urine volume, and 22.5% had hypercalciuria. Sensitivity was 87.5%. Specificity could not be calculated because no patients had a normal complete metabolic evaluation. The NPV was zero, and the positive predictive value was 100%, but these are artifacts resulting from the absence of patients with a normal complete metabolic evaluation. Of the 80 patients, 10 had at least one abnormality missed by a limited metabolic evaluation (Table 1). The missed abnormalities were high pH (n = 6), abnormal 24-h phosphorus (low in 1 patient and high in 1 patient), low 24-h magnesium (n = 3), low 24-h potassium (n = 3), and high 24-h sodium (n = 4). Discussion A limited urinary metabolic evaluation would have detected the vast majority of clinically significant metabolic abnormalities in the study sample. Approximately two-thirds of the study patients submitted inadequate 24-h urine specimens. Conclusions A simplified approach to metabolic evaluation in first-time stone formers with a stone analysis available was proposed. This streamlined approach could simplify the metabolic evaluation and reduce health care costs.Item Ambulatory PCNL may be cost-effective compared to Standard PCNL(Mary Ann Liebert, 2021) Lee, Matthew S.; Assmus, Mark A.; Agarwal, Deepak; Rivera, Marcelino E.; Large, Tim; Krambeck, Amy; Urology, School of MedicineAbstract Background COVID-19 changed the practice of medicine in America. During the March 2020 lockdown, elective cases were cancelled to conserve hospital beds/resources resulting in financial losses for health systems and delayed surgical care. Ambulatory percutaneous nephrolithotomy (aPCNL) has been shown to be safe and could be a strategy to: ensure patients receive care that has been delayed, conserve hospital resources, and maximize cost-effectiveness. We aimed to compare the safety and cost-effectiveness of patients undergoing ambulatory percutaneous nephrolithotomy (aPCNL) against standard PCNL (sPCNL). Materials and Methods 98 patients underwent PCNL at Indiana University Methodist hospital, a tertiary referral center, by three expert surgeons from January 2020 to September 2020. The primary outcome of the study was to compare the 30-day rates of ED-visits, readmissions, and complications between sPCNL and aPCNL. Secondary outcomes included: cost analysis and stone free rates (SFRs). Prospensity-score matching was performed to ensure the groups were balanced. Statistical analyses were performed using SAS 9.4 using independent t-tests for continuous variables and chi-square analyses for categorical variables. Results 98 patients underwent PCNL during the study period (sPCNL=75 and aPCNL=23). After propensity-score matching, 42 patients were available for comparison (sPCNL=19 and aPCNL=23). We found no difference in 30-day ED-visits, readmissions, or complications between the two groups. aPCNL resulted in cost savings of $5327±442 per case. Stone free rates were higher for aPCNL compared to sPCNL. Conclusions aPCNL appears safe to perform and does not have a higher rate of ED-visits or readmissions compare to sPCNL. aPCNL may also be cost-effective compared to sPCNL.Item Aquablation for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia in Large Prostates (80-150 cc): 1-Year Results(Elsevier, 2019-07) Bhojani, Naeem; Bidair, Mohamed; Zorn, Kevin C.; Trainer, Andrew; Arther, Andrew; Kramolowsky, Eugene; Doumanian, Leo; Elterman, Dean; Kaufman, Ronald P.; Lingeman, James; Krambeck, Amy; Eure, Gregg; Badlani, Gopal; Plante, Mark; Uchio, Edward; Gin, Greg; Goldenberg, Larry; Paterson, Ryan; So, Alan; Humphreys, Mitch; Kaplan, Steven; Motola, Jay; Desai, Mihir; Roehrborn, Claus; Urology, School of MedicineOBJECTIVE To report 12-month safety and effectiveness outcomes of the Aquablation procedure for the treatment of men with symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and large-volume prostates. METHODS One hundred and one men with moderate-to-severe BPH symptoms and prostate volumes of 80-150 cc underwent a robotic-assisted Aquablation procedure in a prospective multicenter international clinical trial. Functional and safety outcomes were assessed at 12 months postoperatively. RESULTS Mean prostate volume was 107 cc (range 80-150). Mean operative time was 37 minutes and mean Aquablation resection time was 8 minutes. The average length of hospital stay following the procedure was 1.6 days. Mean International Prostate Symptom Score improved from 23.2 at baseline to 6.2 at 12 months (P <.0001). Mean International Prostate Symptom Score quality of life improved from 4.6 at baseline to 1.3 at 12-month follow-up (P <.0001). Significant improvements were seen in Qmax (12-month improvement of 12.5 cc/sec) and postvoid residual (drop of 171 cc in those with postvoid residual >100 at baseline). Antegrade ejaculation was maintained in 81% of sexually active men. No patient underwent a repeat procedure for BPH symptoms. There was a 2% de novo incontinence rate at 12 months, and 10 patients did require a transfusion postoperatively while 5 required take back fulgurations. At 12 months, prostate-specific antigen reduced from 7.1 ± 5.9 ng/mL at baseline to 4.4 ± 4.3 ng/mL. CONCLUSION The Aquablation procedure is demonstrated to be safe and effective in treating men with large prostates (80-150 cc) after 1 year of follow-up, with an acceptable complication rate and without a significant increase in procedure or resection time compared to smaller sized glands.Item Best practice in the management of benign prostatic hyperplasia in the patients requiring anticoagulation(Sage, 2018-10-29) Heiman, Joshua; Large, Tim; Krambeck, Amy; Graduate Medical Education, IU School of MedicineIn today's aging population, urologists are often treating older patients with multiple comorbidities. Lower urinary tract symptoms from benign prostate hyperplasia (LUTS/BPH) is a common condition that affects men, with increasing prevalence as men age. In a subset of patients, the symptoms are too severe or refractory to medical therapy and, therefore, surgical therapy is required to improve their LUTS. The use of medical therapy often delays the need to intervene surgically in men with LUTS/BPH and with advances in the management of cardiovascular disease, urologists are increasingly encountering more men requiring BPH surgery on chronic anticoagulation therapy. The decision of when to offer surgical intervention and how to manage anticoagulation medication in the perioperative setting is a dilemma with which surgeons are dealing with increasing frequency. The purpose of this review is to clarify the optimal approach to the surgical patient with LUTS/ BPH requiring anticoagulation therapy.Item A case of ureteral fungal mass removal in a patient taking empagliflozin(SpringerLink, 2021-11) Woloshuk, Andre; Lee, Matthew; Assmus, Mark; Agarwal, Deepak; Krambeck, Amy; Large, Tim; Urology, School of MedicineWith increased use of sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors as antidiabetic agents, the risk of serious fungal urinary tract infection (UTI) may be increased. We present the case of a 67-year-old Caucasian female who was admitted for emphysematous pyelitis and found to have a fungal ball in the renal pelvis. Candida glabrata was cultured and the patient was managed with percutaneous nephrostomy tube placement and antifungal treatment. The fungal ball persisted and required surgical removal with ureteroscopy and basket extraction. Fungal balls can be a difficult sequelae of UTIs requiring a combination of antifungal and surgical intervention for definitive management.Item Comparative Study of Holmium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate With MOSES Enabled Pulsed Laser Modulation(Elsevier, 2020-02) Large, Tim; Nottingham, Charles; Stoughton, Christa; Williams, James, Jr.; Krambeck, Amy; Urology, School of MedicineObjective To compare outcomes for patients undergoing holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) for lower urinary tract symptoms secondary to benign prostate hyperplasia using 3 different laser fibers and 2 different laser energy modes. Materials and Methods This is a review of a clinic registry of men with lower urinary tract symptoms secondary to benign prostate hyperplasia who underwent HoLEP between August 2018 and January 2019. Patients were assigned to group 1 (50 patients), group 2 (50 patients), and group 3 (50 patients) based on the HoLEP being completed with either a Slimline 550µm, Slimline 1000µm, or MOSES 550 µm laser, respectively. The groups were compared using SSPS for ANOVA comparison of means and multivariate logistic regression. Results Ten patients who underwent concomitant stone surgery (2 PCNL, 8 ureteroscopy , 3 bilateral cases) and 11 patients had bladder stones removed; ancillary procedures did not significantly differ between groups(P = .2). Prostate enucleation times differed significantly (22.5 + 7.3, 16.4 + 6.9, 18.1 + 8.6 minutes P ≤.001) between groups. However, statistical significance was lost once enucleation time was indexed against enucleated tissue weight. Time to achieve hemostasis (minutes) was statistically different between groups (10.6 + 6.1, 7.7 + 5.2, 6.3 + 4.8 P <.001). This difference in hemostatic time was maintained on multilogistic regression demonstrating that MOSES laser enucleation was associated with a 3.9-minute decrease time to achieve hemostasis after enucleation compared to Slimline 550 HoLEP (P <.001). Conclusion Our findings suggest that modulated pulsed laser energy can improve hemostasis during the enucleation phase of a HoLEP resulting in shorter Operating Room times.Item Cost-effectiveness analysis of the management of distal ureteral stones in children(Elsevier, 2019) Chan, Katherine H.; Whittam, Benjamin M.; Krambeck, Amy; Downs, Stephen M.; Misseri, Rosalia; Cain, Mark P.; Bennett, William E., Jr.; Urology, School of MedicineObjective To determine the most cost-effective approach to the management of distal ureteral stones in children given the potential for recurrent renal colic during a trial of passage versus potential stent discomfort and complications of ureteroscopy. Methods We developed a decision tree to project costs and clinical outcomes associated with observation, medical explusive therapy (MET), and ureteroscopy for the management of an index patient with a 4mm distal ureteral stone. We determined which strategy would be least costly and offer the most pain-free days within 30 days of diagnosis. We performed a one-way sensitivity analysis on the probability of successful stone passage with MET. We obtained probabilities from the literature and costs from the 2016 Pediatric Health Information System Database. Results Ureteroscopywas the costliest strategy but maximized the number of pain-free days within 30 days of diagnosis ($5,282/29 pain-free days). MET was less costly than ureteroscopybut also less effective ($615/21.8 pain-free days). Observation cost more than MET and was also less effective ($2,139/15.5 pain-free days). The one-way sensitivity analysis on the probability of successful stone passage with MET demonstrated that ureteroscopyalways has the highest net monetary benefits value and is therefore the recommended strategy given a fixed WTP. Discussion Using a rigorous decision-science approach, we found that ureteroscopy is the recommended strategy in children with small distal ureteral stones. Although it cost more than MET, it resulted in more pain-free days in the first 30 days following diagnosis given the faster resolution of the stone episode.Item Defining minimal invasive surgical therapy for benign prostatic obstruction surgery: Perspectives from a global knowledge, attitude, and practice survey(Elsevier, 2024) Kwun-Chung Cheng, Bryan; Kar-Kei Yuen, Steffi; Castellani, Daniele; Langer Wroclawski, Marcelo; Zhao, Hongda; Chiruvella, Mallikarjuna; Chua, Wei-Jin; Tiong, Ho-Yee; Tanidir, Yiloren; de la Rosette, Jean; Rijo, Enrique; Misrai, Vincent; Krambeck, Amy; Elterman, Dean S.; Somani, Bhaskar K.; Yuen-Chun Teoh, Jeremy; Gauhar, Vineet; Urology, School of MedicineObjective: To scrutinize the definitions of minimal invasive surgical therapy (MIST) and to investigate urologists' knowledge, attitudes, and practices for benign prostatic obstruction surgeries. Methods: A 36-item survey was developed with a Delphi method. Questions on definitions of MIST and attitudes and practices of benign prostatic obstruction surgeries were included. Urologists were invited globally to complete the online survey. Consensus was achieved when more than or equal to 70% responses were "agree or strongly agree" and less than or equal to 15% responses were "disagree or strongly disagree" (consensus agree), or when more than or equal to 70% responses were "disagree or strongly disagree" and less than or equal to 15% responses were "agree or strongly agree" (consensus disagree). Results: The top three qualities for defining MIST were minimal blood loss (n=466, 80.3%), fast post-operative recovery (n=431, 74.3%), and short hospital stay (n=425, 73.3%). The top three surgeries that were regarded as MIST were Urolift® (n=361, 62.2%), Rezum® (n=351, 60.5%), and endoscopic enucleation of the prostate (EEP) (n=332, 57.2%). Consensus in the knowledge section was achieved for the superiority of Urolift®, Rezum®, and iTIND® over transurethral resection of the prostate with regard to blood loss, recovery, day surgery feasibility, and post-operative continence. Consensus in the attitudes section was achieved for the superiority of Urolift®, Rezum®, and iTIND® over transurethral resection of the prostate with regard to blood loss, recovery, and day surgery feasibility. Consensus on both sections was achieved for EEP as the option with the better symptoms and flow improvement, lower retreatment rate, and better suitable for prostate more than 80 mL. Conclusion: Minimal blood loss, fast post-operative recovery, and short hospital stay were the most important qualities for defining MIST. Urolift®, Rezum®, and EEP were regarded as MIST by most urologists.Item Ex Vivo Comparison of Efficiency, Safety, and Surgeon Satisfaction in Four Commercial Morcellators(Mary Ann Liebert, 2021) Lee, Matthew S.; Assmus, Mark A.; Cooley, Lauren; Li, Eric; Large, Tim; Krambeck, Amy; Urology, School of MedicineIntroduction Holmium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate (HoLEP) is a size-independent treatment option for the management of benign prostatic hypertrophy. While advancements in laser technology have led to clinical improvements in the enucleation portion of HoLEP, the morcellation aspect of HoLEP is often the rate-limiting step. We sought to compare efficiency and surgeon satisfaction in four commercial morcellators. Methods This was an ex vivo study comparing four commercial morcellators: the Wolf Piranha, the Lumenis VersaCut, the JenaSurgical MultiCut Solo, and the Hawk Morcellator. Four surgeons with significant experience performing HoLEPs participated. Surgeons tested each device to morcellate two different prostate models 1) morcellating as much microwave-cooked chicken breast in 10 minutes and 2) timed morcellation of bull testicles. Surgeons completed subjective surveys after each morcellator trial. Objective outcomes included: morcellation efficiency (g/min morcellated) and aspiration power (time to aspirate 1 L of saline). Means of continuous variables were compared using ANOVA. Categorical variables were compared using chi-square tests. Statistical analyses were performed using SAS 9.4 (2019). Results Comparing subjective outcomes, the Piranha was chosen as the safest morcellator (p=0.0058). The least safe morcellator was thought to be the MultiCut by 75% of surgeons (p=0.046). The Piranha was chosen as the most effective morcellator by 75% of surgeons (p=0.046). Comparing objective parameters between the morcellators, the Piranha had the fastest aspiration time (43.50±10.34 s, p=0.0116). There were no significant differences in morcellation efficiency when using chicken breast (p=0.3096). However, when comparing the morcellation efficiency using bull testicles, the Piranha had the highest efficiency at 39.68±3.57 g/min (p=0.0268). Conclusion In this ex-vivo study comparing four different commercially available morcellators, the Piranha had the highest aspiration power. No significant differences were found in morcellation efficiency using microwave-cooked chicken breast. The Piranha was felt to be the safest and most effective morcellator.