Robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RALP) is a well-accepted surgical treatment modality for localized prostate adenocarcinoma. Over the past decade, it has become the primary surgical treatment for prostate cancer in the United States and abroad. While more expensive than traditional open prostatectomy, it does confer less operative blood loss and shorter hospital stay at many institutions. Comparative prospective randomized data are lacking, but many studies have demonstrated that RALP confers at least equivalent oncological and functional outcomes compared to open. The surgical steps include peritoneal access, release of the bladder from anterior abdominal wall, ligation of the dorsal venous complex, dissection of the bladder neck and seminal vesicles, ligation of the vascular pedicles, transection of the urethra, and creation of a vesicourethral anastomosis. For patients with intermediate or high-risk prostate cancer, a pelvic lymph node dissection is also performed.

Massively parallel sequencing technologies such as exome sequencing are increasingly applied across medicine. Connaughton report a high diagnostic yield of exome sequencing among adults with hereditary nephropathy or nephropathy of unknown cause. Their findings support broader use of genomic sequencing in nephrology and highlight key associated questions, including how to identify those patients for whom testing is indicated, pinpoint pathogenic variants, and balance the resultant health care benefits and clinical follow-up burden.

In children and adolescents underweight is a significant risk factor for infection especially in developing countries, probably reflecting malnutrition and poor hygienic standards. Data from industrialized countries suggest that infection rate is also increased in obese children and adolescents. Similarly, several studies suggest a U-shaped increased infection rate in both underweight and obese adults. In the latter, infections of the skin and respiratory tract as well as surgical-site infections have consistently been reported to be more common than in normal-weight participants. Paradoxically, mortality of critically ill patients was reduced in obesity in some studies.

A retrospective review of patients undergoing flexible URS for renal stones only with subsequent CT scan within 3 months. Meticulous basketing of all stone fragments was performed whenever possible. A “true” zero-fragment stone-free rate was determined by reviewing the CT scan and radiologist's report. Patients with nephrocalcinosis (as determined by visual inspection of papilla at the time of URS) were assigned the “stone-free” category.

 

 

To study calcium and phosphorus metabolism in patients of sickle cell nephropathy, presenting to a Tertiary care hospital in a series of patients with sickle-cell anaemia, serum phosphate and magnesium concentrations were elevated. Serum calcium concentrations were normal. Urinary excretion of calcium was decreased. The maximum tubular reabsorption of phosphate per litre of glomerular filtrate (TmP/GFR) was significantly increased in these patients.The increase in phosphate reabsorption explains the elevated serum phosphate observed in these patients.