Microbiota are ecological communities of commensal, symbiotic, and pathogenic microorganisms. The microbiome could be involved in kidney stone formation through hyperoxaluria and calcium oxalate supersaturation, biofilm formation and aggregation, and urothelial injury. Bacteria bind to calcium oxalate crystals, which causes pyelonephritis and leads to changes in nephrons to form Randall’s plaque. The urinary tract microbiome, but not the gut microbiome, can be distinguished between cohorts with urinary stone disease (USD) and those without a history of the disease. In the urine microbiome, the role is known of urease-producing bacteria (Proteus mirabilis, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Providencia stuartii, Serratia marcescens, and Morganella morganii) in stone formation. Calcium oxalate crystals were generated in the presence of two uropathogenic bacteria (Escherichia coli and K. pneumoniae). Non-uropathogenic bacteria (S. aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae) exhibit calcium oxalate lithogenic effects. The taxa Lactobacilli and Enterobacteriaceae best distinguished the healthy cohort from the USD cohort, respectively. Standardization is needed in urine microbiome research for urolithiasis. Inadequate standardization and design of urinary microbiome research on urolithiasis have hampered the generalizability of results and diminished their impact on clinical practice.

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of bladder neck preservation (BNP) on long-term urinary continence after robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy (RALP). We systematically searched the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases to identify studies that assessed the difference in urinary continence and oncologic outcomes between patients who underwent RALP with BNP and those who underwent RALP without BNP. Four trials (1880 cases with BNP, 727 controls without BNP) were considered suitable for meta-analysis. BNP was associated with significantly better urinary continence outcomes at 3–4 months (odds ratio (OR), 2.88; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.52–5.48; p = 0.001), 12 months (OR, 2.03; 95% CI, 1.10–3.74; p = 0.02), and 24 months (OR, 3.23; 95% CI, 1.13–9.20; p = 0.03) after RALP. There was no difference in the rate of overall positive surgical margin (PSM) (OR, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.72–1.39; p = 0.99) and that of PSM at the prostate base (OR, 0.49; 95% CI, 0.21–1.13; p = 0.09) between the two groups. The BNP technique during RALP leads to early return of urinary continence and long-term urinary continence without compromising the oncologic outcomes.

Background and Objectives: We conducted a systematic review and network meta-analysis to evaluate and compare the perioperative, functional, and oncological outcomes of robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) and laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (LRP) with open radical prostatectomy (ORP) in patients with prostate cancer. Materials and Methods: A comprehensive literature search was performed in Pubmed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane library for papers published before May 2021. Only studies of patients with prostate cancer that assessed perioperative, functional, and oncological outcomes and reported outcome values were included. We used a Bayesian hierarchical random-effects model to synthesize data from multiple studies, enabling both direct and indirect comparisons of the three surgical approaches (RARP, LRP, ORP) to provide robust estimates of their relative efficacy. This systematic review was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42021282555). Results: A total of 80 studies were finally included in the present study. Biochemical recurrence (BCR) rates were lower for RARP than for ORP (RR 0.713, 95% CrI 0.587–0.869) and LRP (RR 0.672, 95% CrI 0.505–0.895). Compared with ORP, RARP had a significantly lower positive surgical margin (RR 0.893, 95% CrI 0.807–0.985). When compared to ORP, RARP and LRP showed no significant difference in continence (RR 1.057, 95% CrI 0.997–1.124; RR 0.921, 95% CrI 0.845–1.007). When compared to ORP, RARP was significantly more effective on potency (RR 1.201, 95% CrI 1.047–1.402). The potency rate was significantly higher for RARP than for ORP (RR 1.201, 95% CrI 1.047–1.402) and LRP (RR 1.438, 95% CrI 1.191–1.762). There was no difference in the estimated blood loss or the total and major complication rates between RARP, ORP, and LRP. The operation time was longest for LRP. There was no difference in the operation time between RARP and ORP. Conclusions: RARP may be better or comparable to ORP and LRP in terms of oncologic outcomes (PSM and BCR), functional outcomes (potency and incontinence), and perioperative outcomes (EBL, operation time, and total and major complications).

Jung HD, et al. Investig Clin Urol. 2021 Jul;62(4):462-469. https://doi.org/10.4111/icu.20210039

Jung HD, et al. Investig Clin Urol. 2023 Jun;64:e45. https://doi.org/10.4111/icu.20230102

Introduction: A single dose of preventive antibiotics is known to be sufficient to reduce the rate of infection-related complications in percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL). However, some studies reported that the extended dose showed lower complications for high-risk groups. Therefore, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis comparing single- and extended-dose antibiotic prophylaxis for PCNL. Materials and methods: Relevant studies that compared single- and extended-dose antibiotic prophylactic therapies were identified. Articles were selected from PubMed, EMBASE, KoreaMed, and Google Scholar up to September 2021. Fever and systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) were compared by meta-analysis. A subgroup analysis was performed according to the degree of risk to the patient. Results: A total of 10 articles were included in this study. There were no significant differences between single dose and extended dose in the rate of fever [p = 0.93, OR = 0.96, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.44–2.13, I² = 64%]. Extended dose showed lower rate of SIRS compared to single dose (p = 0.0005, OR = 1.81, 95% CI 1.30–2.53, I² = 53%); in the subgroup analysis, extended dose also showed lower rates of SIRS compared to single dose in high-risk patients (p <0.0001, OR = 3.53, 95% CI 1.91–6.54, I² = 36%). Conclusions: The results of our meta-analysis showed that single-dose antibiotic prophylaxis can be effective for PCNL, but extended-dose antibiotics can be required in high-risk patients to reduce post-PCNL infection-related complications.