RESUMO Objetivo Analisar o motivo pelo qual pacientes procuraram o pronto atendimento oftalmológico durante a pandemia da COVID-19. Métodos Estudo de corte transversal, retrospectivo, realizado a partir da análise de prontuários de pacientes atendidos em um pronto atendimento oftalmológico de um serviço privado da cidade de Santos (SP) entre 11 de março de 2020 e 16 de julho de 2020. Resultados Foram atendidos 386 pacientes no período analisado. A maior parte das consultas (60,36%) deu-se a pessoas do sexo feminino. Pessoas da faixa etária entre 19 e 59 anos foram as que mais procuraram o pronto atendimento (57,25%). Ao se considerar a profissão desses pacientes, estudantes e aposentados apresentaram a mesma proporção (10,26%) seguidos de pessoas do lar (6,99%). Do total de casos atendidos, 59 pacientes foram diagnosticados com conjuntivite, enquanto 58 tiveram diagnóstico de traumatismo de olho e órbita. Conclusão No período analisado, o pronto atendimento oftalmológico recebeu, predominantemente, mulheres na faixa etária entre 19 e 59 anos, e os diagnósticos mais frequentes foram de conjuntivite e trauma.

ABSTRACT Objective To analyze the reason why patients sought emergency eye care during the pandemic of COVID-19. Methods This was a retrospective cross-sectional study based on the analysis of medical records of patients seen at an ophthalmology emergency department of a private service in the city of Santos (SP) between March 11, 2020 and July 16, 2020. Results A total of 386 patients were seen in the analyzed period. Most appointments (60.36%) were attended by women. People between 19 and 59 years old were the ones who most sought the emergency room (57.25%). When considering the profession of these patients, students and retired people presented the same proportion (10.26%), followed by housewives (6.99%). Of the total number of cases seen, 59 patients were diagnosed with conjunctivitis, while 58 were diagnosed with eye and orbit trauma. Conclusion In the analyzed period, the ophthalmology emergency care predominantly received women in the age group between 19 and 59 years old, and the most frequent diagnoses were conjunctivitis and trauma.

ABSTRACT Introduction To assess the feasibility of vacuum physiotherapy meant to decrease graft contraction and recurrent penile curvature (PC), hence successful tubularization and a straight penis in patients underwent two-stage buccal mucosa graft (BMG) urethroplasty, in proximal hypospadias repair. Material and methods Between January 2014 and July 2018, 59 two-stage BMG urethroplasties performed at our referral center, were included in the study. The parents were counseled to use the vacuum device between the two stages. An internal, self-administered, semiquantitative, non-validated questionnaire was designed to record parent and patient adherence to the vacuum physiotherapy and parent satisfaction. Success rate of graft tubularization, curvature correction rates, and status of early (4 months) postoperative urinary stream were evaluated. Results Of 45/59 (76.3%) who returned the questionnaire, 77.8% followed the recommended physiotherapy protocol using the vacuum device. 93.3% of parents replied that the use of the vacuum was easy or moderately easy. None of the parents interrupted the physiotherapy because of perceived difficulty or intolerability. 100% of parents would have repeated the physiotherapy, if they had to. Overall, success rate of tubularization was 98.3% (58/59), complete curvature correction was achieved in 88.2% (52/59) of patients, and 79.7% (47/59) of patients showed a straight and powerful early post-operative urinary stream. Conclusions Physiotherapy with the vacuum device is safe, easy and practically feasible. Our vacuum physiotherapy protocol had high compliance rate. Vacuum physiotherapy should be considered for further assessment in patients undergoing two stage hypospadias repair using buccal mucosa.

ABSTRACT The surgical treatment of bulbar urethral strictures is still one of the most challenging reconstructive-surgery problems. Bulbar urethral strictures are usually categorized as traumatic and non-traumatic strictures depending on the aetiology. The traumatic strictures are caused by trauma and they determine disruption of the urethra with obliteration of the urethral lumen, ending with fibrotic gaps between the urethral ends. Differently, the non-traumatic urethral strictures are mainly caused by catheterization, instrumentation, and infection, or they can also be idiopathic. They are usually associated with spongiofibrosis of the segment of the urethra that has been involved. Worldwide, two different surgical approaches are currently adopted for bulbar urethral repair: transecting techniques with end-to-end anastomosis and non-transecting techniques followed by grafting. Traumatic obliterated strictures require transection of the urethra allowing complete removal of the fibrotic tissue that involves the urethral ends. Conversely, non-traumatic, non-obliterated urethral strictures require augmentation of the urethral plate using oral mucosa grafts. Nowadays, it is still difficult to choose the correct surgical management for non-obliterated bulbar stricture repair. Indeed, different surgical techniques have been proposed (pedicled flap vs free graft, dorsal vs ventral placement of the graft, non-transecting technique using or non-using free graft, etc.) but none emerged as the best solution since all techniques have showed similar success and complication rates. Consequently, the final choice is still based on surgeon’s preferences and patient’s characteristics. Within the current manuscript, we like to present some of our tips and tricks that we developed along our prolonged surgical experience on the treatment of bulbar urethral strictures. These might be of interest for surgeons that approach this complex surgery. Moreover, our suggestions want to be useful regardless the type of chosen technique being adaptable for different scenario.

ABSTRACT Introduction: Pubic hypertrophy, defined as an abnormal and abundant round mass of fatty tissue located over the pubic symphysis, is frequently underestimated in patients with hypospadias. We examined the prevalence of this condition, as well as the outcomes associated with its surgical treatment. Material and methods: Within 266 hypospadias patients treated at our clinic, we assessed the prevalence of pubic hypertrophy, and we schematically described the surgical steps of pubic lipectomy. Multivariable logistic regression (MLR) tested for predictors of pubic hypertrophy. Finally, separate MLRs tested for predictors of fistula and any complications after pubic lipectomy. Results: Of 266 hypospadias patients, 100 (37.6%) presented pubic hypertrophy and underwent pubic lipectomy. Patients with pubic hypertrophy more frequently had proximal hypospadias (44 vs. 7.8%), disorders of sex development (DSD) (10 vs. 0.6%), cryptorchidism (12 vs. 2.4%), and moderate (30°-60°) or severe (>60°) penile curvature (33 vs. 4.2%). In MLR, the location of urethral meatus (proximal, Odds ratio [OR]: 10.1, p<0.001) was the only significant predictor of pubic hypertrophy. Finally, pubic lipectomy was not associated with increased risk of fistula (OR: 1.12, p=0.7) or any complications (OR: 1.37, 95% CI: 0.64-2.88, p=0.4) after multivariable adjustment. Conclusions: One out of three hypospadias patients, referred to our center, presented pubic hypertrophy and received pubic lipectomy. This rate was higher in patients with proximal hypospadias suggesting a correlation between pubic hypertrophy and severity of hypospadias. Noteworthy, pubic lipectomy was not associated with increased risk of fistula or any complications.