Dear Colleagues,
Welcome to the October issue of UroToday International Journal. As the global economy continues its shift into uncharted territory burdened with challenges, it may appear that anxiety remains on the horizon. The truth is that although there are hurdles, there is always hope and eventual progress. We at UIJ remain at the forefront of progress, showcasing the most up-to-date advances in the field and sharing them with our ever-thriving community. Serving that community with a wealth of support is our newest editor, Jennifer Bennett, who works out of our offices in California. I know you will find her as helpful as she is friendly.
In this issue, an original study by Sallami brings up the very same socio-economic encounters expressed by many, detailing the current state of urology and urology training in Tunisia, its various limitations in education and equipment availability, and a lack of sub-specialty recognition prevalent in other countries. The author concludes with optimism, outlining ways to overcome these limitations while emphasizing review of economic and health care policies.
Khan and Baig review the successful results of ultrasound-guided lymphocele surgery following kidney transplantation. They stress meticulous surgical techniques where all lymphatics are carefully ligated, along with the reduction of known risk factors, in order to avoid recurrence.
Denewer et al. explore the minimally invasive techniques of hand-assisted cystectomy on forty patients with bladder carcinoma. The authors conclude that hand-assisted cystectomy combines the merits of open radical cystectomy with a decrease in blood loss, hospital stay, and complications. It also results in fewer treatment costs for the patient.
In an article by Soliman et al., the authors investigate obesity as an important risk factor for stress urinary incontinence in women. By comparing a group of 100 obese women with a control group of 100 normal-weight women, the authors discovered a significant difference in urinary bladder control in the two groups. They present a possible explanation of this relationship via ultrasound of the urethrovesical angle and bladder neck descent.
Daneshmand et al. express the importance of photodocumentation in bladder cancer surveillance based on fifteen patients who underwent flexible cystoscopy. During the fifteen-month surveillance period, photodocumentation proved a supportive and cost-effective tool for the observation and eventual biopsy of lesions in six patients.
We also present a series of case reports that provide various insights into multiple urologic complications, including giant bladder calculi and squamous cell carcinoma of multiple types.
As always, we offer free manuscript submission, peer review, and publication to our authors. Finally, without the continued loyalty of our authors and readers, UIJ would cease to be the success it is. Thank you for your continued support in all that we provide for the urology community.
Sincerely,
Karl-Erik Andersson
Editor-in-Chief
UIJ