Recent Advances in Endourology – serie

In the 5 years since the publication of Urologic Laparoscopy by the Japanese Society of Endourology and ESWL, the field has moved on apace, particularly technologically. It is with an eye on the need to disseminate the latest information on this progress that this collection has been assembled, highlighting the most recent advances in laparoscopic urologic oncology surgery. With treatment options becoming ever more complicated, it is essential to keep the prime objectives in mind - improved quality of life for the patient, minimal complications, early convalescence, and a better end result. In our effort to cover a broad range of techniques from renal cyst decortication to robotic laparoscopic camera control, we are in debt to surgeons at the forefront of treatment, not only in Japan but worldwide, and to manufacturers who are constantly innovating in their equipment. The contributors are enthusiastic in their expertise, as shown in the quality of the material they have produced.

Recent research and clinical work have demonstrated that the rapid urologic innovation in minimally invasive treatment is creating exciting new horizons in endourology. This sixth volume in the series Recent Advances in Endourology brings that knowledge to a wider audience, focusing on the new concept of endourooncology, which is the merging of endourology and oncology. In the surgical treatment of urologic malignancies, bipolarization - that is, radical extended resection or organ-sparing surgery - is making remarkable advances. Further developments in sophisticated reconstructive surgery using robotic systems and image-guided ablation technology will allow surgeons to formulate minimally invasive, tailor-made procedures for each patient with urologic cancer. In this book, the current status and future prospects of these new technologies are reviewed, illuminating their roles in the future of endourooncology.

In the 6 years since the publication of the first volume of Recent Advances in Endourology by the Japanese Society of Endourology and ESWL, data on long-term oncological or functional outcomes have been collected in several related fields, and advances in surgical techniques and improved instrumentation have led to further development of such complex surgery as laparoscopic partial nephrectomy and radical prostatectomy. This seventh volume in the series focuses on the treatment of urogenital malignancies by endourological procedures, including laparoscopic surgery with robotic assistance. The standard procedures and their relatively long-term outcomes as well as new techniques have been clearly described with detailed references. This book provides a better understanding of the present status of endourological management for urogenital carcinoma and sets the stage for future improvements in both oncological and functional outcomes.

Endourology has developed significantly in recent years as a result of rapid change in surgical techniques and instruments. This eighth volume in the series Recent Advances in Endourology brings together the latest clinical findings regarding various endourological treatment modalities and innovative materials. In the past 30 years, transurethral resection of prostate, bladder, and ureteral tumors has been dramatically refined. Transurethral microwave thermotherapy has emerged as a nonsurgical option for the treatment of benign prostatic obstruction. Percutaneous surgery has changed significantly with the miniaturization of the endoscope, while the needle ablation technique, which decreases pain and shortens hospital stays, has become the treatment of choice for small renal cell tumors. In this book, world-recognized experts outline their techniques clearly and concisely to provide an updated review of state-of-the-art endourological techniques.

In the 6 years since the publication of the first volume of Recent Advances in Endourology by the Japanese Society of Endourology and ESWL, data on long-term oncological or functional outcomes have been collected in several related fields, and advances in surgical techniques and improved instrumentation have led to further development of such complex surgery as laparoscopic partial nephrectomy and radical prostatectomy. This seventh volume in the series focuses on the treatment of urogenital malignancies by endourological procedures, including laparoscopic surgery with robotic assistance. The standard procedures and their relatively long-term outcomes as well as new techniques have been clearly described with detailed references. This book provides a better understanding of the present status of endourological management for urogenital carcinoma and sets the stage for future improvements in both oncological and functional outcomes.

Recent research and clinical work have demonstrated that the rapid urologic innovation in minimally invasive treatment is creating exciting new horizons in endourology. This sixth volume in the series Recent Advances in Endourology brings that knowledge to a wider audience, focusing on the new concept of endourooncology, which is the merging of endourology and oncology. In the surgical treatment of urologic malignancies, bipolarization - that is, radical extended resection or organ-sparing surgery - is making remarkable advances. Further developments in sophisticated reconstructive surgery using robotic systems and image-guided ablation technology will allow surgeons to formulate minimally invasive, tailor-made procedures for each patient with urologic cancer. In this book, the current status and future prospects of these new technologies are reviewed, illuminating their roles in the future of endourooncology.

Laparoscopic surgery is of paramount importance for achieving minimal invasiveness and respect for the quality of life - two hallmarks of contemporary medicine. Laparoscopy is at the forefront of urology today, with dramatic advances in engineering and surgical technique. Because they promise to be less invasive, the innovations presented in this volume will become tomorrows standard. In utero and pediatric laparoscopic surgery are discussed, as are varying approaches to laparoscopic adrenalectomy. Other topics include radical surgery for renal cell carcinoma and transitional cell carcinoma, nephron-sparing laparoscopic surgery for renal cancer, and retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy for testicular cancer. With sections on pyeloplasty, nephropexy, urolithiasis, stress incontinence, kidney transplantation, and dialysis, this book is an especially valuable source in the fields of endourology, laparoscopic surgery, pediatric surgery, and endocrine surgery.

The twenty-first century will be the era of the market economy, a century char­ acterized by the penetration of market forces into every social field, even into government activities, education, and medical care. Guidelines for the provision of clinical care have been developed in recent years chiefly in American health-care services, which are the most thoroughly exposed to the market economy. The problem of escalating medical costs in the United States led the government and consumer groups to introduce clinical practice guidelines. Guidelines were introduced to control medical costs and quality. Initially, guidelines were developed mainly on the consumer side, but professionals, too, soon recognized the importance of clinical practice guidelines. The involvement of diverse groups in the development of guidelines has inten­ sified the need to create and improve scientific methods for drawing up those guidelines. Owing to the development of systematic and structured abstraction methods, evidence-based guidelines have been proposed. Principally, guidelines are a sum­ mary of published treatments created by statistical analysis of clinical outcomes.

In the 5 years since the publication of Urologic Laparoscopy by the Japanese Society of Endourology and ESWL, the field has moved on apace, particularly technologically. It is with an eye on the need to disseminate the latest information on this progress that this collection has been assembled, highlighting the most recent advances in laparoscopic urologic oncology surgery. With treatment options becoming ever more complicated, it is essential to keep the prime objectives in mind - improved quality of life for the patient, minimal complications, early convalescence, and a better end result. In our effort to cover a broad range of techniques from renal cyst decortication to robotic laparoscopic camera control, we are in debt to surgeons at the forefront of treatment, not only in Japan but worldwide, and to manufacturers who are constantly innovating in their equipment. The contributors are enthusiastic in their expertise, as shown in the quality of the material they have produced.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is an age-related, nonmalignant condition that may lead to bothersome lower urinary tract symptoms. The standard treatment of BPH has been ordinary loop transurethral prostatectomy, but new therapies have been developed as a combined result of research, technological advances, and the cumulative experience of urological surgeons. Among the most promising therapeutic alternatives to ordinary loop resection are those that deliver topical or interstitial heat to prostatic tissue. Transurethral microwave thermotherapy, visual laser ablation with the Nd:YAG laser, high-intensity focused ultrasound, and transurethral electrovaporization are some of the techniques described in this book. These innovative procedures, employed by skilled urologists using state-of-the-art instruments, hold forth the promise of improved quality of life for BPH patients and represent significant advances in the field of urology.

Urolithiasis is not only one of the most frequently encountered diseases at uro­ logical clinics; it is also the disorder whose treatment has shown the most rapid progress in the past decade. In that period, medicine has experienced a real revolution, characterized by minimally invasive treatments, improvement of the quality of life, and cost-effectiveness in treatment outcomes. In urology, the revolution started with the development of endoscopic retrograde treatment of urolithiasis in the upper urinary tract, which led to development of the percuta­ neous antegrade maneuver in the latter half of the 1970s. The most remarkable event occurred in 1982, when clinical use of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy was introduced by the Munich group, represented by Dr. Christian Chaussy, at the 18th Congress of the International Society of Urology in San Francisco. With the advent of these new strategies, open surgery for urolithiasis has all but dis­ appeared. Today, with the availability of new technology and equipment, guide­ lines for the treatment of urolithiasis have changed in all developed countries. It is quite timely that the Meeting of International Consultation on Urolithiasis will be held in Paris in June 2001 to establish international guidelines for urolithiasis. Looking through this textbook for urolithiasis, I was greatly impressed to learn that we have already drawn up some guidelines. The book includes all the updated advances of urolithiasis presented by the most prominent and experi­ enced urologists from all around the world.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is an age-related, nonmalignant condition that may lead to bothersome lower urinary tract symptoms. Transurethral microwave thermotherapy, visual laser ablation with the Nd:YAG laser, high-intensity focused ultrasound, and transurethral electrovaporization are some of the techniques described in this book.

Urolithiasis is not only one of the most frequently encountered diseases at uro­ logical clinics; it is also the disorder whose treatment has shown the most rapid progress in the past decade. In that period, medicine has experienced a real revolution, characterized by minimally invasive treatments, improvement of the quality of life, and cost-effectiveness in treatment outcomes. In urology, the revolution started with the development of endoscopic retrograde treatment of urolithiasis in the upper urinary tract, which led to development of the percuta­ neous antegrade maneuver in the latter half of the 1970s. The most remarkable event occurred in 1982, when clinical use of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy was introduced by the Munich group, represented by Dr. Christian Chaussy, at the 18th Congress of the International Society of Urology in San Francisco. With the advent of these new strategies, open surgery for urolithiasis has all but dis­ appeared. Today, with the availability of new technology and equipment, guide­ lines for the treatment of urolithiasis have changed in all developed countries. It is quite timely that the Meeting of International Consultation on Urolithiasis will be held in Paris in June 2001 to establish international guidelines for urolithiasis. Looking through this textbook for urolithiasis, I was greatly impressed to learn that we have already drawn up some guidelines. The book includes all the updated advances of urolithiasis presented by the most prominent and experi­ enced urologists from all around the world.