A Review of Aging and the Lower Urinary Tract: The Future of Urology

Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) are common among elderly people, with significant effects on individuals, caregivers, and the wider health care system. As the elderly population with multiple comorbidities is increasing, the burden of LUTS will increase. This review describes the demographic trends in the aging society, changes in lower urinary tract function with aging, and deterioration of physical and cognitive function in aging, as well as what has been done regarding geriatric urology and what urologists should do to meet the health care needs of the aging population. Frailty and dementia are unmissable factors in the evaluation of elderly patients. Numerous reports have described associations between LUTS and frailty and between LUTS and dementia. Urologists must be aware of the multiplex physical, cognitive, and social characteristics of elderly people. Maintaining a geriatric viewpoint in the diagnosis, treatment, and management of elderly individuals with LUTS will fulfill the unmet needs of elderly people. It is also essential to discuss the treatment and management goals of LUTS with patients and caregivers. Active case identification, appropriate evaluations of LUTS and comorbidities, and a multidisciplinary approach with other health-care professionals are recommended for better treatment and management.

The Aged Lower Urinary Tract: Deficits in Neural Control Mechanisms

Bothersome urinary symptoms plague many older adults and disproportionally affect women. Underreporting of symptoms and general stigma/embarrassment associated with incontinence has negatively impacted the availability of treatments, as research cannot be championed if the severity of the problem is not apparent. Available therapeutics have limited efficacy and are often not recommended in aged patients. Lower urinary tract function has a long and rich history in animal studies; while much of the underlying anatomy has been described, including neural control mechanisms, the impact of aging has only just begun to be addressed. Recent work has provided strong evidence that neural control over micturition is significantly impacted by aging processes. This mini review discusses recent findings regarding how aging impacts the neural control mechanisms of micturition.

Urodynamic utilization in the adult spina bifida patient: An institutional review

PURPOSE: To characterize common clinical indications for urodynamic, a bladder function test, in adults with spina bifida. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was performed for 215 patients seen in an adult multidisciplinary spina bifida clinic who were registered with the National Spina Bifida Patient Registry from October 2011 to October 2018. Descriptive statistics were used for statistical comparisons. RESULTS: A total of 52 of 215 patients developed a clinical indication for urodynamics. Of these, 71 (33%) patients (8 of whom underwent testing twice) had urodynamics performed, resulting in a total of 79 urodynamic study encounters that were analyzed. Thirty-four (43%) urodynamic testing cases were performed due to a symptomatic change in lower urinary tract function; 14 (18%) were due to declining renal function or concern for upper tract deterioration based on imaging. The data obtained from urodynamic investigation led to new recommendations for urinary tract management in 59 (75%) of the urodynamic studies performed. A total of 32 of the 90 (35%) recommendations made were surgical interventions and 30 (33%) were for a change in medical management. Interestingly, 8 of the 18 (44%) routine or baseline urodynamic tests performed led to new recommendations in urinary tract management. CONCLUSION: A total of 24%of patients in the multidisciplinary spina bifida clinic developed an indication for urodynamic testing over a 7-year period which resulted in new recommendations for urinary tract management in most. As more patients with spina bifida enter adulthood, the indications for urodynamic evaluation may become more defined, since the results often lead to alterations in bladder management.

A rare cause of bladder outlet obstruction: Vesical diverticular calculus

Vesical diverticula are herniations of the bladder mucosa and submucosa through the muscular wall of the bladder. A calculus in diverticulum is an unusual finding. It is usually secondary to bladder outlet obstruction [1]. The patient typically presents with lower urinary tract symptoms, lower abdominal pain or abdominal distention. The present case is a 64-year-old male with a giant vesical diverticulum calculus. Cystolithotomy was done with primary closure of bladder, with repair of bladder diverticulum. Post-operatively, he recovered well with improved lower urinary tract function.

Association of Age With Lower Urinary Tract Function in Adult Men Presenting for Urodynamics: A Database Analysis

Background: Knowledge regarding lower urinary tract function in adult men could help in making informed choices. Few studies have examined the entire spectrum of adult males. Methods: This is a retrospective analysis of all adult men with refractory non-neurogenic urinary symptoms presenting to a tertiary center over 9 years. International Continence Society defined indices bladder outlet obstruction index (BOOI) and bladder contractility index (BCI) were calculated with established classification. Storage abnormality was defined as presence of detrusor overactivity, poor compliance (< 20mL per cm H20) or both. Data were analyzed by non-parametric tests using SPSS (version 20.0.0, Armonk NY ) (P < 0.05 significant; 2-tailed). Where appropriate, correction for multiple hypothesis testing was applied. Results: A total of 1596 men (range 18 to 91 years, median 51.0 years; IQR 34 to 64 years) were eligible. Median BCI and BOOI were 99.5 and 37.0, respectively, and a storage abnormality was noted in 41.7%. On multivariate analysis, age was significantly associated with urodynamic findings. While not strictly linear, for each 10 years increase in age, on average, the BCI fell 2.4 points and the BOOI increased by 2.4 points. Increasing age was also associated with increasing odds of finding a storage abnormality (OR 1.015; 95%CI 1.008 to 1.022; P < 0.001). On post hoc analysis (Bonferroni correction), men under 30 years were least likely of any group to show obstruction (30.3%; median BOOI 26). Conclusions: Adult men with refractory urinary symptoms show age-associated differences in urodynamic findings. An awareness of these trends can help take more informed decisions in clinical care.

Lower Urinary tract function following Radical Cystectomy and Orthotopic neobladder Urinary diversion

The aim of the study: Orthotopic neobladder reconstruction is the preferred method of urinary diversion after radical cystectomy. We evaluated lower urinary tract function outcomes in patients after orthotopic neobladder using a patient questionnaire. Material and Methods: 40 patients who do radical cystectomy and orthotopic neobladder in EZ Aldean Al-Shi-Bany hospital at Sana'a Yemen between 2010-2018 patients with bladder cancer were included in a clinical trial, randomly assigned to Camey II pouch diversion after radical cystectomy. The patients were mailed a questionnaire 12-24 months after radical cystectomy including items on function, intermittent catheterization, and incontinence. Results: During the study between 2010-2018, 40 neobladder diversion were performed, day incontinence was 55% ((22 cases)) in the first 6 months post-surgery but improved to 12.5% ((5 cases)) after 1-year post-surgery also night incontinence was 62.5% ((25 cases)) in first 6 months postsurgical but improved to 15% ((6 cases)) 1-year post-surgery. Mean age at surgery of 40 patients were sub-segments analysis <50yeas was 12.5 % (5 case), 50-70 years was 65% (26 case), >70 years 22.5% (9 case). Conclusion: Ileal orthotopic neobladder have good lower urinary tract functional result, daytime and nighttime incomitance is coming in neobladder patients following surgery but improved with time. CIC is less common following surgery and improved with time. Keywords: Neobladder; Orthotopic; Lower Urinary Tract Function; Incontinence

Anesthetic protocols for urodynamic studies of the lower urinary tract in small rodents—A systematic review

Urodynamic studies in rats and mice are broadly used to examine pathomechnisms of disease and identify and test therapeutic targets. This review aims to highlight the effects of the anesthetics on the lower urinary tract function and seeks to identify protocols that allow recovery from anesthesia and repeated measurements while preserving the function which is being studied. All studies published in English language, which compared the data obtained under various types of anesthesia and the urodynamics performed in awake animals were included. It appears that urethane, an anesthetic recommended extensively for the investigation of lower urinary tract function, is appropriate for acute urodynamic studies only. Major advantages of urethane are its stability and ability to preserve the micturition reflex. Due to its toxicity and carcinogenicity, urethane anesthesia should not be used for recovery procedures. This review evaluated available alternatives including propofol, isoflurane and combinations of urethane, ketamine/xylazine, ketamine/medetomidine, and/or fentanyl/fluanisone/midazolam. Different effects have been demonstrated among these drugs on the urinary bladder, the urethral sphincter, as well as on their neuroregulation. The lowest incidence of adverse effects was observed with the use of a combination of ketamine and xylazine. Although the variations in the reviewed study protocols represent a limitation, we believe that this summary will help in standardizing and optimizing future experiments.

Currarino Syndrome: lower urinary tract function, treatment plan and outcomes

Currarino syndrome (CS) is a rare congenital disorder characterized by anorectal malformation, sacral agenesis and presacral mass. We performed video-urodynamics (VUDS) assessment of patients with CS to characterize the lower urinary tract function, individualize management plans and to follow outcomes. We conducted a cross-sectional study on 11 patients diagnosed with CS at the spina bifida multidisciplinary clinic. Lower urinary tract function was assessed by VUDS from three months to 12 months after neurosurgery. All patients had sacral agenesis; nine patients had anorectal malformation (9/11, 81.8%) and five patients had a presacral mass (5/11, 45.5%). The average age at neurosurgery was 7.9 months (range, 2–19). One patient had bilateral vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) with increasing detrusor pressure at the end of filling. In two patients, the detrusor activity showed weakening during urination, while no other lower urinary tract abnormality was identified on urodynamic evaluation. Six patients underwent VUDS before and after surgery; of these, two patients showed improved bladder function after surgery, while the remaining four patients showed no change in urodynamics. The average duration of follow-up was 27.5 months (range, 9–51). Renal function was normal in all patients. We can conclude that patients with CS often exhibit associated neurological abnormalities. VUDS assessment may help detect lower urinary tract dysfunction at an early stage and facilitate timely urological intervention to avoid kidney damage.