Formación de la residencia de Urología en Grecia. Resultados de la primera encuesta nacional

Background and objectivesThis is the first national survey assessing Greek Urology residency programs. The main objective of this study is to assess the level of confidence and perception of Greek Urology residents regarding their educational program and detect areas of improvement.Material and methodsA 51-question survey was developed via an electronic platform and answered by 91 out of 104 Greek residents from March 2019 until May 2019. Fisher's exact test, chi-squared test and Kruskal–Wallis test were used with statistical significance set at p = .05.ResultsThe median overall satisfaction regarding surgical training was 6/10 regardless of working schedule, working in a University Department, PGY or number of residents in clinic. Most residents have not performed any scrotal ultrasound or pressure-flow-studies; however, they are more familiar with KUB ultrasound. Double-J stent insertion and cystoscopy were common procedures for residents. Bureaucracy was reported as a major issue by 70.4% of residents. ESWL has not been performed by 80.2% of residents, 58.2% residents performed less than 10 ureteroscopies, and only the last year trainees performed more than 10 TURBT and TURP. Most residents mentioned to rarely perform basic steps in many open or laparoscopic urological procedures. Surprisingly, 59.3% of residents have not published any study in peer-reviewed journals. Regarding satisfaction, 44% rarely feel satisfied at work and 59.3% sometimes suffer from burnout. Response rate reached 87.5%.ConclusionsConsidering the results from this survey, regulatory authorities should join forces to establish a structured curriculum of clinical, surgical and research training in Urology across Europe.     

Impacto de la pandemia sobre la actividad quirúrgica en cáncer colorrectal en España. Resultados de una encuesta nacional

IntroductionThe pandemic has had an impact on colorectal cancer surgery in hospitals. In 2020, up to 75% of colorectal cancer patients are estimated to require surgery. No objective data on the impact of the pandemic on the management of surgical waiting lists is available. We conducted a survey in colorectal surgery units to assess the impact on colorectal cancer surgery waiting lists.MethodAll personnel in charge of colorectal surgery units nationwide received a survey (from February to April, 2020) with eight questions divided into three sections—cessation date of colorectal cancer surgeries, number of patients waiting for treatment, and use of neoadjuvant therapy to postpone surgery.ResultsSixty-seven units participated in the study, with 79.1% of units ceasing some type of activity (32.8% total and 46.3% partial cessation) and 20.9% continuing all surgical activity. In addition, 65% of units used or prolonged neoadjuvant therapy in rectal cancer patients and 40% of units performed at least five emergency colorectal cancer surgeries. It was estimated that at least one month of intense surgical activity will be required to catch up.ConclusionsCurrently, patients from units with a long waiting list must be redistributed, at least within the country. In the future, in the event of a second wave of the pandemic, an effective program to manage each unit's resources should be developed to prevent total collapse.     

Práctica actual de la inducción de secuencia rápida en adultos: una encuesta nacional entre anestesiólogos en España

BackgroundRapid sequence induction (RSI) in adults has undergone changes in recent years due to pharmacological and technological advances. The objective of this survey was to evaluate current practice among Spanish anesthesiologists.MethodsA 31-item questionnaire regarding RSI practice was sent to anesthesiologists working in Spanish public hospitals. Differences in responses according to the type of hospital or experience of the respondent were compared for all data using the chi-square and Fisher's exact test.ResultsApproximately 15.89% of Spanish anesthesiologists participated in the survey (1002 questionnaires). The results show considerable heterogeneity in most aspects of RSI. Less than 20% of respondents administer sodium citrate. Sixty-four percent place a nasogastric tube in patients with intestinal obstruction. Gastric residue is assessed by ultrasound in 6% of cases. Only 25% of respondents measure ETO₂ to check the effectiveness of preoxygenation, and 22% use nasal oxygen insufflation with nasal prongs or THRIVE. Sixty two percent of respondents apply cricoid pressure, but only 50% release the pressure when encountering intubation difficulty. Up to 40% of respondents reported cases of aspiration despite applying cricoid pressure. Propofol was the most commonly used hypnotic (97.6%), but there was no clear preference in the choice of neuromuscular relaxant (suxamethonium versus rocuronium ratio of approximately 1:1). Only 44% of respondents calculated the dose of sugammadex that would be required for emergency reversal of rocuronium.ConclusionsThe survey showed significant variation in RSI practice, similar to that of other countries. Quality prospective studies are needed to standardize clinical practice.     

Diferencias de género en Anestesiología. ¿En qué punto nos encontramos en España? Resultados de una encuesta nacional

ObjectivePublications of diverse medical specialties confirm that gender differences still exist in the medical field. This particular study aims to investigate whether this problem exists in the specialty of Anaesthesiology in Spain.MethodsAn anonymous survey was distributed among anaesthesiologists in Spain. It had 39 questions and was designed to investigate professional position, work conditions, personal situation, and individual perceptions. The goal was to target the majority of anaesthesiologists working in Spain.ResultsCompleted surveys were received from 1,619 respondents which represents 17.6% of the total number of anaesthesiologists in Spain; 654 respondents were male (40.4%) and 965 were female (59.6%). The greater differences were found in the following areas: 70.0% of the respondents advised that their head of department is male. When asked about management and leadership positions, 25.2% of female respondents had ever had any management role in contrast to 46.1% of men (p < 0.001). Regarding academic positions, 10.3% of male respondents are university professors in contrast to only 4.8% of women (p < 0.001). 46.0% of the women surveyed believe that gender discrimination exists in the workplace whereas only 12.6% of men reported the same. A third of women (36.6%) consider their gender a barrier to promotion and fear losing their job due to pregnancy. Furthermore, both genders have witnessed patients and colleagues treating staff differently according to gender.ConclusionThe results of the survey show the existence of a gender gap among Spanish anaesthesiologists. Of particular note, women are under-represented in academic and leadership positions. Additionally, a considerable percentage of respondents perceive gender-based discrimination to be active in their workplaces. This study could serve as a template for future research in other neighbouring countries and as a means to monitor any changes in coming years.     

Desgaste profesional o burnout en los residentes de Cirugía General. Encuesta de la Asociación Española de Cirujanos

IntroductionPhysicians, especially surgeons, are significatively affected by burnout. Duty-hour violation, as well as discrimination, abuse and sexual harassment may contribute to burnout. A study about this topic has been published in residents from United States, demonstrating a high incidence of burnout. Our objective is to know which is the situation in Spain and to compare it with United States.MethodsCross-sectional observational study carried out in January-February 2020, based on the responses to a validated survey administered to General Surgery residents in Spain.ResultsThere are 931 General Surgery Residents. 739 have entered in the survey and 452 (61.2%) eventually responded to it. In any occasion during the training period, 55.1% reported discrimination based on their gender, 8.8% reported racial discrimination, 73.9% reported verbal/psychological abuse, 7.1% reported physical abuse and 16.4% reported sexual harassment. Attending surgeons are the most frequent source of sexual harassment and physical and verbal abuse, whereas patients are the most frequent cause of gender discrimination. Burnout symptoms were reported by 47.6% of residents and 4.6% reported suicidal thoughts. 98% of residents reported duty-hour violations and 47% of them do not have the day off after to be on call. Both of these issues are burnout predictive factors.ConclusionsMistreatment (discrimination, abuse and harassment) occurs among General Surgery residents during their training period in our country. Every kind of mistreatment is more frequent in Spain than in the United States, with the exception of racial discrimination. It is associated with exceeding weekly duty-hour. It is necessary to know these problems and to avoid them in order to improve work environment of General Surgery training period.     

Encuesta nacional sobre el tratamiento de los sarcomas en España

Surgical units attending sarcomas in Spain are poor studied. The aim is to know the management of this pathology to identify areas of improvement through multicenter study based on a voluntary survey.The survey was completed by 74 surgeons of different hospitals, which 32.4% is exclusively dedicated to sarcomas. Only 24.3% declared to receive specific training in sarcomas. The most frequent type of hospital was the third level (56.8%), where 38.1% of the surgeons belong to societies or working-groups in sarcoma fields vs. 9.4% in first-second levels. The number of surgeons with specific theoretical training and papers published in this field are higher in third level hospitals. 55.4% belonged to a multidisciplinary unit. A multidisciplinary team was available in 57% of third level hospital vs. 28% in others.Most services in charge of these patients are characterized by deficient specialization, low workload and the absence of a multidisciplinary team.     

Resultados a largo plazo de la cistoplastia de ampliación: una evaluación retrospectiva de 54 niños

Introduction and objectivesThroughout the years, clinicians dealing with pediatric urology disorders have resorted to bladder augmentation (BA), a demanding surgical procedure, to preserve renal functions in sundry congenital urinary tract defects. This study aimed to reveal the very long-term outcomes of BA in a large sample of pediatric patients and the role of underlying disease on renal prognosis after BA.Materials and methodsA retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted on 54 children with congenital urinary defects who underwent BA. The utilized augmentation technique, the location of ureter implantation, complications, and ultrasonography findings were analyzed. Data on serum creatinine levels were collected from preoperative records and anniversaries following BA.ResultsAmong 54 children, 33 (61.1%) were boys. Diagnoses were spinal dysraphism (SD) (n = 13), posterior urethral valve (PUV) (n = 8), bladder exstrophy (n = 32) and trauma (n = 1). The median follow-up duration was 18 (3-31) years. The comparisons of serum creatinine levels between groups revealed that, despite no meaningful difference was present between bladder exstrophy and PUV group in the preoperative period and postoperative 1^st year, cases with PUV had significantly higher levels of serum creatinine levels in the following postoperative years. Therewithal compared with the SD group, subjects with PUV had significantly higher levels at the postoperative 2^nd year (P = .035) and 10^th year (P = .006).ConclusionsIn our study, significantly long-term follow-up outcomes could facilitate the pre- and postoperative approach for enterocystoplasty in children. According to our results, it is noteworthy that kidney functions are at high risk of worsening in subjects with PUV and underwent BA.     

Factores relacionados con la resistencia a la castración precoz en el cáncer de próstata metastásico. Resultados del Registro nacional de cáncer de próstata en España

IntroductionThe objective of the study was to determine the factors independently related with the development of castration resistance (CR) in prostate cancer (PC) in the medium term.Material and methods155 patients diagnosed with metastatic PC with a follow-up of up to 39 months. Data taken from the National PC Registry.The evaluated variables were age, PSA, nadir PSA, Gleason, perineural invasion, TNM stages, and ADT type (intermittent/continuous).ResultsMean follow-up 26,2 ± 13,4 months. 47.1% developed early CR, with mean time until onset of 12,2 ± 8,7 months.Univariate analysis the mean PSA was correlated with CR (290 ± 905,1 ng/mL in non CR, 519,1 ± 1437,2 ng/mL in CR, P < .001), mean age (73,3 ± 8,3 years in non CR, 69,1 ± 9,3 in CR P = .01), mean PSA nadir (15,5 ± 57,3 ng/mL in non CR, 15,9 ± 23,7 ng/mL in CR, p < 0,001), Gleason (in ≥8, HR:2,11. 95% CI: 1.22-3.65, p = 0.006), and T stage (in T3-T4, HR: 2.85. 95% CI: 1.57-5.19, P < .001).Multivariate analysis the independent variables associated to CR are age (HR: 0.96. 95% CI: 0.94-0.99, P = .01), PSA nadir (HR: 1.65. 95% CI: 1,43-1,91, P < .001), and T3-T4 stage (HR: 2.11. 95% CI: 1.10-4.04, P = .02).ConclusionsPSA nadir and T3-T4 tumor stage at diagnosis are associated to an increased risk of developing CR. In addition, age at diagnosis is shown as a variable that decreases risk. Therefore, an older age would be associated with lower risk probability of CR in the medium term.     

Tratamiento de la fisura anal: algoritmo de actuación. Documento de consenso de la Asociación Española de Coloproctología y la Sección de Coloproctología de la Asociación Española de Cirujanos

The Spanish Association of Coloproctology and the Coloproctology Division of the Spanish Association of Surgeons propose this consensus document with a treatment algorithm for anal fissure that could be used for decision making. Non-surgical therapy and surgical treatment of anal fissure are explained, and the recommended algorithm is provided. The methodology used was: creation of a group of experts; search in PubMed, MEDLINE and the Cochrane Library for publications from the last 10 years about anal fissure; presentation at the 21st National Meeting of the Spanish Association of Coloproctology Foundation 2017 with voting for/against each conclusion by the attendees and review by the scientific committee of the Spanish Association of Coloproctology.     

Impacto de la pandemia en la actividad de las unidades de cirugía reconstructiva urológica y de andrología en España durante el estado de alarma (COVID-19) en 2020: resultados de una encuesta nacional

IntroductionIn Spain the state of alarm secondary to COVID-19 dramatically changed the medical and surgical assistance activity of other pathologies. Regarding urological pathologies, those considered as «non-urgent» (andrology and reconstructive surgery) were postponed or even unattended.Material and methodsIn May 2020, once the first COVID-19 wave was almost over and still in the state of alarm, a 24-item survey was sent to 120 urologists from the Andrology Group and the Urologic Reconstructive Surgery Group of the Spanish Urological Association (AEU). Its aim was to determine the impact on clinical and surgical practice in both subspecialties.ResultsWe observed a response rate of 75.8% with 91 answered surveys. Before the state of alarm, 49.5% of urologists had 1-2 weekly surgical sessions available, surgical waiting list was 3-12 months for the 71.4%, and 39.6% attended between 20-40 patients weekly in office. During the state of alarm, 95.6% were given any kind of surgical guidelines, prioritizing emergency and oncologic pathologies. In the 85.7% of the hospitals neither andrology nor reconstructive surgeries were performed. In office, around 50% of patients were attended not on-site, most of them through telemedicine (phone calls and e-mails).ConclusionsThe negative pandemic implications in relation to the andrology and reconstructive surgery pathologies were truly important. After almost 2 years from the start of the pandemic, the true final impact on our health system has yet to be determined.     

Tendencias en el manejo de la litiasis urinaria en América Latina,España y Portugal: resultados de una encuesta en la Confederación Americana de Urología (CAU)

Objective

To describe the trends in the current management of urolithiasis in the Confederación Americana de Urología (CAU) setting to recognise patterns of clinical practice and identify educational needs.