Purpose: To investigate the effects of pure binaural beats on anxiety and pain scores in male patients undergoing diagnostic cystoscopy (DC) and ureteral stent removal (USR) under local anesthesia. Materials and Methods: This was a prospective randomized, placebo-controlled study. Patients in the DC group (DCG) and USR group (USRG) were divided into three subgroups according to interventions applied; DCG-1 and USRG-1, patients listened to binaural beats; DCG-2 and USRG-2, patients listened to classical music; DCG-3 and USRG-3, patients no audio only headphones (control group). State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and Visual Analog Scale (VAS) are used for measuring anxiety and pain scores, respectively. Demographic data, initial STAI (STAI-I), tolerance rate of interventions, terminal STAI (STAI-T), differences of STAI ( delta STAI: STAI-D) and VAS scores were compared. Results: Between July 2019 and March 2020, a total of 252 and 159 eligible male patients for DCG and USRG were included, respectively. After exclusions, remaining patients were; DCG-1, n = 61; DCG-2, n = 73; DCG-3, n = 75; USRG-1, n = 41; USRG-2, n = 50; and USRG-3, n = 52. The tolerance rate in binaural beats groups was significantly lower than in other groups (p<0.05 for all). There were significant decreases in terms of STAI-T when DCG-1 and DCG-2 compared with DCG-3 and, USRG-1 and USRG-2 compared with USRG-3 (p<0.05 for all). There were significant decreases in STAI-D scores when DCG-1 and DCG-2 compared with DCG-3 and when USRG-1 and USRG-2 compared with USRG-3 (p< 0.001 for all). Binaural beats groups had significantly lower VAS scores than other groups and classical music groups had significantly lower VAS scores than control groups (p<0.05 for all) Conclusions: Listening to pure binaural beats may be a simple and effective method to reduce anxiety levels and pain scores associated with the DC and USR procedures in males.

Background: The aim of the study is to compare the results of early urinary continence (UC), pathological results, console time (CT), and perioperative morbidity in patients who underwent transperitoneal robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (TR-RARP) and Retzius-sparing robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RS-RARP) surgeries in the treatment of clinically localized prostate cancer. Methods: A total of 120 patients, 60 (Group 1) with the TR-RALP technique and 60 (Group 2) with the RS-RALP technique, who had no statistical difference in their preoperative demographic data, were selected retrospectively. Perioperative and postoperative data, and continence rates in the first, third and sixth months were compared between the 2 groups. Results: There was no significant difference between the groups in terms of CT, hemoglobin change, and perioperative and postoperative data. There was a statistically significant difference between the 2 groups in favor of RS-RARP in terms of UC in the first and third months, whereas there was no statistically significant difference between the groups at month 6 ( P = .001, P = .002, and P = .245, respectively). Conclusion: This study demonstrates that the RS-RARP technique is a promising approach to achieve early continence without compromising oncological principles and without increased complication rates.

Objective: In this study, we aimed to present the perioperative and postoperative outcomes and early continence rates of the first 50 patients who underwent Retzius-sparing robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RS-RALP) in our clinic for prostate adenocarcinoma. Material and methods: Between December 2018 and December 2019, 50 patients who underwent RS-RALP by 2 surgeons in our clinic were enrolled in the study. Preoperative, perioperative, and postoperative clinical data were analyzed retrospectively. Procedure-specific complications were graded according to the Clavien-Dindo classification. The continence status of the patients was recorded in the 1st week, 1st month, and 3rd month after catheter removal. Zero pads or 1 safety pad per day was accepted as total continence. Results: The mean age of the patients was 66.6 (57–75) years. According to the D’Amico classification, 36% of patients were at low risk, 48% at intermediate risk, and 16% at high risk. Bilateral or unilateral nerve-sparing procedure was performed in 76% of the patients. There were no intraoperative complications. A total of 9 (18%) patients had a postoperative complication (7 with grade 1, 1 with grade 2, and 1 with grade 3 complications). Whereas 32% of the patients had an extraprostatic extension, 22% had seminal vesicle invasion. The overall positive surgical margin rate was 26%. At 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months after surgery, 64%, 80%, and 92% of men who underwent RS-RALP were continent, respectively. Conclusion: Our study showed that this new surgical technique can be a safe and feasible method because high rates of early continence were achieved in the patients who underwent RS-RALP without increasing the risk of complications. Cite this article as: Yılmaz K, Özsoy Ç, Ölçücü MT, Aksaray EE, Okuducu Y, Ateş M. Is Retzius-sparing robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy effective in early continence? A single-center experience of the first 50 patients. Turk J Urol 2021; 47(2): 125-30.

Gelmis M, et al. Investig Clin Urol. 2026 Jan;67(1):43-51. https://doi.org/10.4111/icu.20250218

Background To compare long-term oncological and renal functional outcomes of laparoscopic and robotic partial nephrectomy for small renal masses. Methods A total of 103 patients who underwent laparoscopic (n = 31) and robotic (n = 72) partial nephrectomy between April 2015 and November 2018 were included in the study. Perioperative parameters, long-term oncological and functional outcomes were compared between the laparoscopic and robotic groups. Results No significant differences were found in terms of age, tumour size, RENAL and PADUA scores, pre-operative estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), and presence of chronic hypertension and diabetes (P = .479, P = .199, P = .120 and P = .073, P = .561, and P = .082 and P = .518, respectively). Only estimated blood loss was significantly higher in the laparoscopic group in operative parameters (158.23 +/- 72.24 mL vs. 121.11 +/- 72.17 mL; P = .019), but transfusion rates were similar between the groups (P = .33). In the laparoscopic group, two patients (6.5%) required conversion to open, while no conversion was needed in the robotic group (P = .89). There were no differences in terms of positive surgical margin and complication rates (P = .636 and P = .829, respectively). No significant differences were observed in eGFR changes and post-operative new-onset chronic kidney disease at 1 year after the surgery (P = .768, P = .614, respectively). The overall mean follow-up period was 36.07 +/- 13.56 months (P = .007). During the follow-up period, no cancer-related death observed in both group and non-cancer-specific survival was 93.5% and 94.4% in laparoscopic and robotic groups, respectively (P = .859). Conclusions In this study, perioperative and long-term oncological and functional outcomes seems to be comparable between laparoscopic and robotic partial nephrectomies.