Preventing stone migration during ureteroscopy: The Stone Cone "rules"

Robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy requires a new set of skills to perform an old operation. The primary goals of the procedure are to obtain cancer-free margins and a watertight anastomosis. Approximation of the bladder neck is a challenging but essential step, since the anastomosis may leak if the bladder neck is not in close approximation without tension.

Many types of urinary diversion have been described for reconstructing the urinary tract in patients after complete cystectomy. A continent urinary diversion procedure—such as creation of an orthotopic neobladder—is considered the preferred alternative in patients who are in good general condition and have a reasonably long life expectancy. In patients who are at high surgical risk or who have a poor prognosis, incontinent urinary diversion with stoma formation is generally considered the preferred alternative because of its simplicity. Incontinent urinary diversion can be performed using bowel interposition (ileal or colon conduit) or by connecting the ureters to the skin (cutaneous ureterostomy).

Electrothermal bipolar vessel sealer facilitates simple retropubic prostatectomy

Electrothermal bipolar vessel sealer facilitates simple retropubic prostatectomy

Laparoscopic nephrectomy has increased in popularity to the point where it is now being performed for both malignant and benign disorders. Several drawbacks remain, however. Specimen morcellation and removal through a small port site are currently less than ideal—due to the risks of contamination from tumor spill and bacterial spill and due to risk of injury to other intraperitoneal organs. Morcellation also reduces the ability to obtain any useful information, such as the pathologic stage of the specimen and determination of tumor margins.

Use of continuous local infusion pumps in urologic surgery

Complete primary repair of exstrophy

Preservation of the anterior vaginal wall during radical cystectomy