Frequency and nocturia after successful renal transplantation: a normal situation?

Factors related to nocturia-specific quality of life in renal transplantation patients

OBJECTIVES

Patients following renal transplantation (RTX) may experience nocturia exacerbation due to polyuria and reduced bladder capacity, thereby impacting the specific quality of life (QOL) associated with nocturia. The present study aims to investigate factors associated with the deterioration of nocturia-specific QOL in RTX patients.

METHODS

The study cohort comprised 59 consecutive patients who had undergone successful RTX. Nocturia-related QOL questionnaires (N-QOL) were employed to evaluate the specific QOL related to nocturia. The Bother/Concern and Sleep/Energy domains of the N-QOL were also assessed. The primary outcome measure was to explore factors related to the aggravation of nocturia-specific QOL in patients post-RTX.

RESULTS

The mean nocturia frequency post-RTX was 1.3 ± 1.0. Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed a significant reduction in the Bother/Concern domain score associated with increased nocturia (p = .042). Aging significantly decreased the total N-QOL score and the Sleep/Energy domain score (p = .001 and .0002, respectively). Prolonged duration after RTX significantly reduced the scores of both the Sleep/Energy domain and the Bother/Concern domain (p = .018 and .037, respectively). However, the duration of dialysis prior to RTX was not significantly associated with the total score or subdomains of N-QOL.

CONCLUSIONS

Nocturia-specific QOL affected not only the nocturia itself, but also aging and the prolonged duration after RTX. Thus, comprehensive approaches to the RTX patients were needed to improve the Nocturia-specific QOL in RTX patients.

Current Evidence on Surgical Management for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia in Renal Transplant Recipients: A Systematic Review

Background: Patients who have undergone renal transplant may have a concomitant benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), a condition that can potentially hinder the recovery of the renal graft and necessitate surgical intervention. However, endoscopic treatment of BPH should be performed carefully because of the associated perioperative risks. We aimed to systematically assess the factors affecting surgical indications and perioperative outcomes of BPH surgical treatment in renal transplantation (RT) recipients. Methods: A systematic literature search was performed on January 28, 2023, using Scopus, PubMed, and EMBASE with no date limit. Preclinical and animal studies, reviews, letters to the editor, case reports, and meeting abstracts were excluded. Results: Eighteen articles were accepted and included. Clinical BPH has a high incidence rate after RT, particularly in elderly men. Secondary events associated with BPH, such as acute urinary retention and urinary tract infections, can lead to a gradual decline of renal graft function and patient survival. BPH procedure can prevent these events and guarantee improvements in serum creatinine levels, voiding parameters, and lower urinary tract symptoms. When the urine culture is negative, the endoscopic procedure of the prostate may be performed within 1 month of the initial procedure, particularly in older patients, more prone to develop voiding dysfunction. Alternatively, a transurethral incision of the prostate may be recommended for patients with smaller prostates who wish to preserve ejaculatory function. Data on comparative BPH surgical procedures are lacking. Conclusions: BPH procedure should be offered in RT recipients who develop bladder outlet obstruction owing to BPH. Endoscopic treatment should be performed after a few weeks from RT to avoid further graft deterioration.

Spectrum of lower urinary tract symptoms after renal transplant among adult non-urologic anuric patients and their management in a tertiary care center

INTRODUCTION

Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in a post-transplant patient can lead to several complications including recurrent UTI and deterioration of the graft kidney function. The aim of this study is to investigate the spectrum of LUTS, possible complications resulting from it and its management after renal transplant in pre-transplant anuric patients operated in our tertiary care institute.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

It was a retro-prospective observational study done on post-transplant patients operated in this institute from December 2016 to December 2020. Among 165 patients operated during this period 50 male and 21 female patients were finally included in this study. Urinary symptoms were evaluated using the IPSS Questionnaire. Pre and post-surgery Uroflowmetry findings were compared. Urodynamic assessment was done at least 6 months after surgery to determine the cause behind such symptoms. The data was analyzed with the help of standard statistical methods and SPSS 21 software.

RESULTS

The most common LUTS among the post renal transplant patients were frequency and nocturia. There was a marked improvement in voided volume and urinary flow in most of the patients. In 11 male and 7 female patients LUTS symptoms were moderate to severe and were seldom associated with recurrent UTI and graft compromise. A cautious approach in these patients helped in early diagnosis of the etiology behind LUTS, which were treated accordingly.

CONCLUSION

LUTS should be carefully evaluated before renal transplantation. Postoperatively moderate to severe LUTS symptoms should be thoroughly investigated so that graft compromise and related complications can be prevented by early intervention.

[Lower urinary tract symptoms and urinary incontinence in renal transplant recipients and candidates: The French guidelines from CTAFU]

OBJECTIVE

To propose surgical recommendations for the management of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and urinary incontinence in kidney transplant recipients and candidates.

METHOD

Following a systematic approach, a review of the literature (Medline) was conducted by the CTAFU focusing on medical and surgical treatment of LUTS and urinary incontinence in kidney transplant recipients and candidates. References were assessed according to a predefined process to propose recommendations with levels of evidence.

RESULTS

Functional bladder capacity and bladder compliance are impaired during dialysis. LUTS, related to pre-kidney transplantion alterations, frequently improve spontaneously after kidney transplantation. LUTS secondary to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) may be underestimated before kidney transplantation due to oliguria, low bladder compliance and low bladder capacity. In LUTS associated with BPH, anticholinergics require dosage adjustment with creatinine clearance. If surgery is indicated after kidney transplantation, procedure can be safely performed in the early post-transplant course after removal of ureteral stent. Surgical management of urinary incontinence does not seem to be associated with an icreased risk for infectious complications in kidney transplant recipients. Particular attention should be paid to the management of postvoid residual and bladder pressures in case of neurological bladder disease. Optimal care of neurological bladder should be provided prior to transplantation: with a cautious management, and despite an increased occurrence of febrile urinary tract infections, transplant survival is not compromised.

CONCLUSION

These recommendations must contribute to improve the management of lower urinary tract symptoms and urinary incontinence in kidney transplant patients and kidney transplant candidates.

Factors Associated With Postoperative Voiding Dysfunction Post Renal Transplantation

INTRODUCTION

Renal transplantation offers a better quality of life and survival rate for patients with end-stage renal disease. However, voiding dysfunction may have results such as decreased bladder capacity that have been observed in patients with prolonged oliguria or anuria, impacting a patient's quality of life. This study aimed to investigate preoperative factors associated with the occurrence of voiding dysfunction after renal transplantation.

METHODS

Seventy-one patients' data who had undergone successful renal transplantation at Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital in Jakarta were collected. Preoperative characteristics including age, sex, history of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, preoperative anuria, and duration of renal substitution therapy were obtained. Multivariate analysis were performed examining the correlation of preoperative characteristics with postoperative voiding dysfunction measured by International Prostate Symptom Score storage (IPSS-s) sub-score > 5, overactive bladder symptom score (OABSS) > 5, maximum flow rate (Qmax) > 15 mL/cc, and postvoid residual volume (PVR) > 50 mL.

RESULTS

A significant correlation of IPSS-s score suggesting storage problem with duration of preoperative dialysis was observed (odds ratio [OR] 1.052; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.006-1.1001, P = .027). Older age and preoperative anuria were positively correlated with OABSS score > 5 (OR 1.104 and 33.567, P value .004 and .002, respectively). Negative correlation was observed between male sex and Qmax > 15mL/s (OR 1.73; 95% CI 0.033-1.907, P = .038). Male sex was negatively correlated with PVR > 50 mL (OR 0.231; P = .043) but positively correlated with the presence history of diabetes mellitus (OR 8.146; 95% CI 1.548-42.864, P = .013).

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrated that assessment of patient age, sex, and past medical history could help determine patients' risk for developing voiding dysfunction after renal transplantation.

[LOWER URINARY TRACT SYMPTOMS AND FUNCTIONS AFTER RENAL TRANSPLANTATION AT OUR HOSPITAL]

OBJECTIVE

We investigated lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and function in patients who had undergone renal transplantation (RTx).

METHODS

Fifty patients (34 males and 16 females; age 16-68 years) undergoing RTx at our hospital were included in this study. Average follow-up after RTx was 6.1 years (range 0.5-28). The pre-transplant dialysis period averaged 2.5 years (range preemptive-18.6 years). We conducted the evaluation of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and function using uroflowmetry (UFM) , residual urine measurement, 24h bladder diary, International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), QOL score, Overactive Bladder Symptom Score (OABSS) and Core Lower Urinary Tract Symptom Score (CLSS).

RESULTS

Average first desire to void and maximum desire to void were 89.9 mL and 185 mL respectively in cystometry before RTx. Atrophy of the bladder before RTx showed a correlation with the dialysis period. UFM of post-RTx was maximum urinary flow rate of 21.8 mL/s and a voided volume of 287.6 mL. Severe cases of IPSS, QOL, OABSS and CLSS were not observed. Average 24h voided volume, urination times and nocturia were 2,329 mL, 8.2 times and 0.9 times respectively. Polyuria after RTx was observed in 21 patients (42%). Aging and vascular lesions such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease were the most important factor of LUTS.

CONCLUSIONS

After RTx, LUTS were present in a number of cases after RTx. Patients undergoing RTx has been aging, it is considered necessary to perform the evaluation of LUTS before RTx.

[Urological follow-up and development of cancer after renal transplantation]

BACKGROUND

The number of renal transplant recipients is rising, as well as graft and recipient survival. The mainstay of urological follow-up is to ensure urine transport and voiding function; also, the diagnosis and treatment of urological malignancies following renal transplantats is growing in importance. As urological malignancies are one of the three most common tumors following renal transplantation (RT), meticulous and regular urological evaluation is a central part of follow-up care after RT.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Urological evaluation following RT must ensure correct urine transport and voiding function. Transplant ureter strictures, relevant ureteral reflux and voiding dysfuntion (e.g., neurologic dysfunction, benign prostate hypeplasia) must be excluded or treated. Urinary tract infection (UTI), which can be life threatening in the immunosuppressed transplant recipient, must be diagnosed and treated consequently and for an adequate period of time. Prophylaxis of UTIs is indicated in patients with recurrent symptomatic UTI as well as in the initial 6 months following renal transplantation. Asymptomatic bacteriuria must not necessarily be treated. The incidence of urological malignancies like renal cell carcinoma, urothelial cancer of the bladder, and penile carcinoma is increased following RT, while the incidence of prostate and testis cancer is the same as in the nontransplant population. Surgical and nonsurgical treatment options do not differ from the normal population. Adaptation, cessation, or switching of the immunosuppressive regimen in case of urologic malignancy must be decided on the individual recipient basis.

Urological Consequences following Renal Transplantation: A Review of the Literature

Renal transplant (RT) represents the treatment of choice for end-stage renal disease (ESRD) but harbours a wide range of possible complications and therapeutic challenges of urological competence. Dialysis years and clinical medical background of these patients are risk factors for sexual dysfunction and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). On the contrary, RT itself may have a number of possible surgical complications such as ureteral stenosis and urinary leakage, while immunosuppressive treatment is a known risk factor for de-novo malignancies.

The present review describes the main urologic problems of RT patients and their up-to-date treatment options according to the most recently available literature evidences.

Reduction of cystometric bladder capacity and bladder compliance with time in patients with end-stage renal disease

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE

Reduced bladder capacity and compliance in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) may affect storage and voiding function after kidney transplantation. This study evaluated the bladder capacity, compliance, and lower urinary tract dysfunction in ESRD patients with duration after dialysis and anuria.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Adults with ESRD on kidney transplantation waiting list were consecutively enrolled. The survey items included videourodynamic study (VUDS), renal ultrasound, and cystoscopy. The analytical variables assessed included the duration of dialysis, the duration of anuria, cystometric bladder capacity and bladder compliance, voiding phases in VUDS, and cystoscopic findings.

RESULTS

A total of 62 patients with a mean dialysis duration of 58.9 ± 6.3 months were enrolled. The mean cystometric bladder capacity was 178 ± 14 mL and decreased significantly with duration of dialysis (p < 0.001). Anuria was diagnosed in 26 patients, and the mean cystometric bladder capacity decreased significantly with the duration of anuria (p = 0.002). Among the 26 patients with anuria, 16 had a poor bladder compliance. VUDS revealed abnormal storage function in 44 (71.0%) patients and bladder outlet obstruction due to bladder neck dysfunction or urethral narrowing in the voiding phase in 32 (51.6%). Abnormal cystoscopic findings were also noted in 30 (48.4%) patients.

CONCLUSION

Cystometric bladder capacity and bladder compliance decreased with longer duration of dialysis, and the presence of anuria contributed to further decreases in cystometric bladder capacity and bladder compliance. More than two-thirds of patients with ESRD had abnormal findings on VUDS.

Bladder dysfunction following renal transplantation is it predictable?

Dysfunction of the urinary bladder is often faced in kidney transplantation due to various structural, neurological, infectious, or other pathologies. As the goal is to obtain a well functioning urinary bladder or at least, a low-pressure reservoir without reflux, specific urologic examinations and therapies should be performed. This review based on a Medline and PubMed search as well as on international guidelines and personal experience, reflects the actual knowledge in the field of pretransplant urologic evaluation as well as pre- and posttransplant optimal therapeutic options. The evaluation of these factors and interventional strategies will help to improve long-term transplant outcomes.

Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) after renal transplant in non-urologic anuric patients

We assessed LUTS at least 12 months after RTx in patients without evidence of lower urinary tract dysfunction (non-urologic) that had been anuric for at least six months before RTx. No bladder recycling was performed before RTx. LUTS were evaluated using a questionnaire. Clinical records were also reviewed. LUTS in anuric patients were compared with those in non-anuric patients. Fourteen anuric patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Median age at RTx was 11 (5-21) yr, median duration of anuria before RTx 24 (7-46) months, and median post-RTx follow-up 2.7 (1.9-10.2) yr. Daytime symptoms were exceptional. Nocturia was the most common symptom (10 patients). Only one patient reported symptoms to affect her quality of life. One patient experienced a febrile UTI and none graft failure. LUTS (nocturia) proved unrelated to duration of anuria, length of follow-up, and presence of (nocturnal) polyuria. LUTS were not statistically different in patients anuric and non-anuric before RTx. Non-urologic patients suffer from long-term storage symptoms, particularly nocturia. LUTS, however, do not seem to increase the risks of urinary infections or graft failure and appear to occur irrespective of the presence of anuria before RTx. Bladder recycling before RTx seems unnecessary.

Bladder function of end-stage renal disease patients

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the bladder function of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients by using video H(2)O cystometry (CM) before renal transplantation (RTx).

METHODS

A total of 92 patients (57 men and 35 women; mean age 45.4 years; mean period of renal replacement therapy (RRT) 60.2 months) were divided in two groups based on the presence of detrusor overactivity (DO). In each group the following parameters were recorded during CM: first sensation (FS), maximum cystometric capacity (MC) and compliance. The effect of the duration of RRT on the H(2)O cystometric results was also assessed.

RESULTS

There were 25 patients (27.2%) who had DO before their operation, this ratio being higher than the general Japanese population. Subjects with DO were observed independently for the duration of RRT and there was no difference in the prevalence of DO based on this variable. In contrast, 50 patients kept their bladder compliance in the normal range. The numerical value of FS, MC and compliance decreased proportionally for the duration of RRT.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients undergoing RTx frequently present with bladder dysfunction in terms of low capacity, low compliance and also DO. This bladder dysfunction has a negative impact on patients' quality of life. Thus, bladder function and its related symptoms require specific attention during the management of transplant patients.