Benign prostatic hyperplasia, urolithiasis, recurrent urinary tract infections, and chronic prostatitis are diseases that are commonly diagnosed worldwide. Carotenoids, including lycopene, are widely available in fruits and vegetables, and it is postulated that they can be used in the prevention and treatment of benign urological conditions. The aim of this review is to familiarize doctors and their patients with the current knowledge on carotenoids and their conversion products in selected urological diseases. Most of the experimental and clinical trials show a moderate effect of lycopene and vitamin A on studied parameters. Lycopene was shown to improve the IPSS score in BPH patients, and alleviate symptoms in those with chronic prostatitis. Intake of Vitamin A was associated with decrease of urinary tract reinfection rates. In studied rat models retinol also decreased urolithiasis formation. Although the results of the cited studies are generally promising, it is evident that more detailed and extensive research must be done in this field of medicine.

Incidences of kidney cancers are steadily increasing. The surgical resection of renal tumors remains the treatment of choice, and different techniques provide similar oncological outcomes. Minimally invasive methods, especially partial nephrectomy (PN), have emerged as the preferred method of tumor resection, both in traditional and robot-assisted laparoscopy. PN may be performed as an open or laparoscopic operation. On-clamp PN is a variant of PN that includes the clamping of renal vessels; off-clamp PN is performed without any ischemia. Objectives: To assess the short-term loss of eGFR after on-clamp and off-clamp PN. Methods: Data from 2021 to 2024 were retrospectively collected from a hospital database. The patients included in the study had a diagnosed kidney tumor that was confirmed by MRI or CT imaging. The patients were divided into two groups depending on the type of treatment they received: on-clamp PN or off-clamp PN. Hematocrit (HCT), hemoglobin (Hb) and eGFR were measured and compared. Results: Both groups had comparable preoperative HTC, Hb, and eGFR. eGFR loss 24 h after the procedure was 35.4% lower in the off-clamp group compared to the on-clamp group (p = 0.027). Conclusions: Off-clamp PN is a safe and viable method for kidney tumor resection, both in traditional and robot-assisted laparoscopy. This technique results in a smaller perioperative loss of eGFR, which relates to better short-term functional outcomes than on-clamp PN.