Cent European J Urol
April 2025
Introduction: Minimally-invasive partial nephrectomy (MIPN) is the standard treatment for kidney tumors with a diameter smaller than 4 cm. It is also performed in selected cases of tumors reaching 7 cm, but it may lead to potential complications. We investigated the current literature for simulators that could be used to teach urologists alone or within the boundaries of a course or a curriculum.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Simulation-based training (SBT) has become an essential component of surgical education. However, the definitive evidence for dissrect patient outcomes remains inconsistent. This prompted us to conduct this systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate Kirkpatrick Level 4 evidence on whether SBT translates into clinical benefits and improves patient outcomes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: To perform a systematic review (SR) to examine the application of classification systems (CS) used to report intraoperative adverse events (iAEs) in urological surgery and to evaluate the crude incidence and type of iAEs.
Materials And Methods: This review was published via PROSPERO (CRD42024549954) and conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA). MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane CENTRAL were searched using a predefined PICO framework: (P) patients with benign and malignant urological diseases, (I) all types of urological surgery, (C) none/any, (O) intraoperative complications classified with grading systems.
Background: Urology is one of the most rapidly evolving and technologically advanced surgical specialties. However, training programs in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) face unique challenges. This study aimed to assess the current status of urology training in SSA and identify areas for improvement, providing crucial insights into the strengths and limitations of these programs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNon-technical skills (NTS) are crucial in healthcare, encompassing cognitive and social skills that support technical ability. Traditional NTS training is evolving with the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) models that can intelligently converse with their users, known as large language models (LLMs). This study investigated the capabilities and limitations of a popular model named generative pre-trained transformer 4 (GPT-4) in NTS training, comparing its performance to that of human evaluators.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEur Urol Open Sci
January 2025
Background And Objective: Radiation-induced cystitis (RIC) is an important consequence of pelvic radiotherapy that can cause high morbidity and, in extreme cases, mortality. The lack of a widely accepted classification system makes it difficult to compare treatment regimens. Our aim was to develop a new classification system covering the RIC spectrum to improve treatment comparisons and accurate incidence estimates for systematic use in clinical and research settings.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe aim to enhance the reporting of complications in surgical operations by establishing a classification for patient complexity. Current comorbidity assessment tools are insufficient due to their reliance on physiological parameters. The proposed patient surgical class category (PSCC) aims to address these limitations and enhance results by incorporating relevant aspects of a patient's surgical history.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To perform endoscopy in patients with urinary diversions requires specific endoscopic skills, which can currently only be gained in clinical practice. We created a 3D-printed ex vivo ileal conduit model (stoma and conduit with ureters and 2 kidneys) to simulate "conduitoscopy" and evaluated the realism and limitations of the model.
Methods: Accurate anatomical features were represented using an appropriate reusable design, realistic mechanical qualities with several material types, and 3D-printed components.
Objectives: To assess the feasibility of performance enhancement coaching (PEC) for newly appointed Urology registrars (ST3s), specifically: whether the concept appealed, and which areas beyond technical skills acquisition were felt to be most relevant or useful.
Subjects And Methods: All delegates on the Urology Bootcamp 2023 were invited to take part in an online survey before and after a 2-hour PEC workshop, collecting: basic demographic data, performance challenges, and the important aspects to include in, and consider with, a coaching programme. The workshop was delivered by a surgeon with a professional coaching qualification, to groups of four delegates at a time over 4 days.
Objective: To develop and validate a low-cost, portable, and reusable simulation model for optical internal urethrotomy (OIU) training.
Methods: A 3D-printed low-cost simulation model for OIU was designed locally and the final model was evaluated by trainees and trainers at the urology boot camps (UK, Belgium, Portugal, Poland). Participants were asked to complete a questionnaire, using a 6-item 5-point Likert Scale, to assess the model's anatomic realism.
Background: Surgical treatment of small renal tumours remain gold-standard for individuals who are suitable candidates. Over the last decade, minimally invasive surgery has provided significant advancements within the field of urological surgery. However, there is still a debate on which surgical modality is superior.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: This study aimed to develop and evaluate a virtual reality (VR)-based nontechnical skills (NTS) training application for urology trainees and assess its effectiveness in improving their skills and confidence.
Design: A mixed-methods study was conducted to develop and evaluate a VR-based NTS training application for 32 urology trainees. The development process involved collaboration with 5 urology experts, 2 medical education specialists, and a human factors researcher.
World J Surg
November 2023
Background: Urological conditions are a cause of diminishing quality of life, hence affecting productivity. Despite the need for urological treatment, it was excluded from receiving priority in both United Nation and Lancet commission. Most of the surgeries in sub-Saharan Africa are open surgeries.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Urology trainees experience high burnout, and there is an urgent need for acceptable and effective interventions. The current study evaluated Reboot coaching workshops (Reboot-C), a tailored intervention based on cognitive-behavioural principles, with urology trainees.
Objective: Our primary objective was to evaluate the acceptability of Reboot-C among urology trainees.
Purpose: To present the seven-year experience of a multi-component and interactive module on female, neurological and urodynamic urology (FNUU) training at the UK National Urology Simulation Bootcamp Course (USBC) and demonstrate trainee satisfaction and competency progression.
Methods: During the week-long USBC, a four-hour module on FNUU was designed which consisted of short interactive presentations with an emphasis on practical stations in urodynamics, intravesical botulinum toxin injection, urethral bulking injection, female pelvic examination and, initially, mid-urethral tapes (subsequently replaced with percutaneous sacral nerve evaluation). The trainee's level of knowledge, operative experience and confidence were assessed pre- and post-course.
Background: The Essential Surgical Skills Course (ESSC) is a multi-specialty induction "boot camp" style course that has been run successfully for five years. The aim of the current paper is to create an accurate guide for the replication of the course by other teams and assess the course's fitness for purpose, through the survey feedback provided by trainees.
Methods: The course's fitness for purpose was assessed through cumulative five-year survey feedback from trainees.
Background: Minimally invasive (MI) surgery has revolutionised surgery, becoming the standard of care in many countries around the globe. Observed benefits over traditional open surgery include reduced pain, shorter hospital stay, and decreased recovery time. Gastrointestinal surgery in particular was an early adaptor to both laparoscopic and robotic surgery.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: The accurate assessment and grading of adverse events (AE) is essential to ensure comparisons between surgical procedures and outcomes. The current lack of a standardized severity grading system may limit our understanding of the true morbidity attributed to AEs in surgery. The aim of this study is to review the prevalence in which intraoperative adverse event (iAE) severity grading systems are used in the literature, evaluate the strengths and limitations of these systems, and appraise their applicability in clinical studies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Standards for reporting surgical adverse events (AEs) vary widely within the scientific literature. Failure to adequately capture AEs hinders efforts to measure the safety of healthcare delivery and improve the quality of care. The aim of the present study is to assess the prevalence and typology of perioperative AE reporting guidelines among surgery and anesthesiology journals.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground And Aims: To obtain opinions from urology trainees and consultants regarding the need for, and structure of, a post-specialty training Urology Simulation Boot Camp (USBC) for consultant practice.
Methods And Results: A survey-based study was conducted, and 'Google Forms' were distributed electronically via social media. Urology specialist trainees (ST) in years 5-7 (ST5-ST7), post-certification of completion of training (CCT) fellows and ST3 boot camp faculty consultants in practice for ≤5 years and >5 years were included.