0000000000737570
AUTHOR
Francesco Porpiglia
Risk of Virus Contamination Through Surgical Smoke During Minimally Invasive Surgery: A Systematic Review of the Literature on a Neglected Issue Revived in the COVID-19 Pandemic Era
Abstract Context The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic raised concerns about the safety of laparoscopy due to the risk of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) diffusion in surgical smoke. Although no case of SARS-CoV-2 contagion related to surgical smoke has been reported, several international surgical societies recommended caution or even discouraged the use of a laparoscopic approach. Objective To evaluate the risk of virus spread due to surgical smoke during surgical procedures. Evidence acquisition We searched PubMed and Scopus for eligible studies, including clinical and preclinical studies assessing the presence of any virus in the surgical smoke fr…
Prediction of significant renal function decline after open, laparoscopic, and robotic partial nephrectomy: External validation of the Martini’s nomogram on the RECORD2 project cohort
Objectives: Martini et al. developed a nomogram to predict significant (>25%) renal function loss after robot-assisted partial nephrectomy and identified four risk categories. We aimed to externally validate Martini’s nomogram on a large, national, multi-institutional data set including open, laparoscopic, and robot-assisted partial nephrectomy. Methods: Data of 2584 patients treated with partial nephrectomy for renal masses at 26 urological Italian centers (RECORD2 project) were collected. Renal function was assessed at baseline, on third postoperative day, and then at 6, 12, 24, and 48 months postoperatively. Multivariable models accounting for variables included in the Martini’s nomog…
Transperitoneal vs retroperitoneal minimally invasive partial nephrectomy: comparison of perioperative outcomes and functional follow-up in a large multi-institutional cohort (The RECORD 2 Project).
Abstract Background Aim of this study was to evaluate and compare perioperative outcomes of transperitoneal (TP) and retroperitoneal (TR) approaches in a multi-institutional cohort of minimally invasive partial nephrectomy (MI-PN). Material and methods All consecutive patients undergone MI-PN for clinical T1 renal tumors at 26 Italian centers (RECORd2 project) between 01/2013 and 12/2016 were evaluated, collecting the pre-, intra-, and postoperative data. The patients were then stratified according to the surgical approach, TP or RP. A 1:1 propensity score (PS) matching was performed to obtain homogeneous cohorts, considering the age, gender, baseline eGFR, surgical indication, clinical dia…
Quality-of-Life Outcomes in Female Patients With Ileal Conduit or Orthotopic Neobladder Urinary Diversion: 6-Month Results of a Multicenter Prospective Study
Radical cystectomy (RC) often affects patients’ life as this surgery is a traumatic and invasive event for the patients, with drawbacks on their daily, social, working, and sex life. Such changes in the quality of life (QoL) of patients are commonly studied through retrospective clinical evaluations and rarely with longitudinal studies. To date, studies focusing on functional outcomes, sexual function, and health-related QoL for female patients are lacking. We evaluated 37 patients using EORTC QLQ-C30 (QLQ-30) and Short-Form 36 (SF-36) questionnaires, before and after surgery, at 3 and 6 months of follow-up. The mean values for the emotional functioning in QLQ-C30 as well as the mental heal…
Predicting positive surgical margins in partial nephrectomy: A prospective multicentre observational study (the RECORd 2 project)
PURPOSE: to evaluate clinical predictors of positive surgical margins (PSMs) in a large multicenter prospective observational study and to develop a clinic nomogram to predict the likelihood of PSMs after partial nephrectomy (PN). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We prospectively evaluated 4308 patients who had surgical treatment for renal tumors between January 2013 and December 2016 at 26 urological Italian Centers (RECORd 2 project). Two multivariable logistic models were evaluated to predict the likelihood of PSMs. Center caseload was dichotomized using a visual assessment adjusted for several predictors of PSMs. A nomogram predicting PSMs was developed. RESULTS: Overall, 2076 patients treated wi…
Pathways for urology patients during the COVID-19 pandemic
The public health emergency caused by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in a significant reallocation of health resources with a consequent reorganization of the clinical activities also in several urological centers. A panel of Italian urologists has agreed on a set of recommendations on pathways of pre-, intra- and post-operative care for urological patients undergoing urgent procedures or non-deferrable oncological interventions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Simplification of the diagnostic and staging pathway has to be prioritized in order to reduce hospital visits and consequently the risk of contagion. In absence of strict uniform regulations that impose th…
How Can the COVID-19 Pandemic Lead to Positive Changes in Urology Residency?
The COVID-19 outbreak, in a few weeks, overloaded Italian hospitals, and the majority of medical procedures were postponed. During the pandemic, with hospital reorganization, clinical and learning activities performed by residents suffered a forced remodulation. The objective of this study is to investigate how urology training in Italy has been affected during the COVID-19 era. In this multi-academic study, we compared residents' training during the highest outbreak level with their previous activity. Overall 387 (67.1%) of the 577 Italian Urology residents participated in a 72-h anonymous online survey with 36 items sent via email. The main outcomes were clinical/surgical activities, soci…
Clinical pathways for urology patients during the COVID-19 pandemic
The public health emergency caused by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in a significant reallocation of health resources with a consequent reorganization of the clinical activities also in several urological centers. A panel of Italian urologists has agreed on a set of recommendations on pathways of pre-, intra- and post-operative care for urological patients undergoing urgent procedures or non-deferrable oncological interventions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Simplification of the diagnostic and staging pathway has to be prioritized in order to reduce hospital visits and consequently the risk of contagion. In absence of strict uniform regulations that impose th…
Urology practice during COVID-19 pandemic
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 and the disease it causes, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is generating a rapid and tragic health emergency in Italy due to the need to provide assistance to an overwhelming number of infected patients and, at the same time, treat all the non-deferrable oncological and benign conditions. A panel of Italian urologists has agreed on possible strategies for the reorganization of urological routine practice and on a set of recommendations that should facilitate the process of rescheduling both surgical and outpatient activities during the COVID-19 pandemic and in the subsequent phases. This document could be a valid tool to be used in rou…
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on urological practice in emergency departments in Italy
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) and the disease it causes, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), are causing a rapid and tragic health emergency worldwide [1,2]. Italy was the first European country to experience a virus outbreak, starting on 21 February 2020. It resulted in a national quarantine, and the official lockdown of the country’s non-essential businesses and services began on 9 March 2020. Although several reports are available in the literature providing recommendations for the reorganization of clinical and surgical activities [3–7], to our knowledge, no data are available on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the outcomes of other medical conditi…