Letter from the Editor - August 2012

Dear Colleagues,

With new changes come new challenges and we at UroToday International Journal have seen our share. I want to thank our devoted readers and dedicated authors who continue to count on us for our broad content and urologic focus—the basis of which could not be possible without our many reviewers striving to make sure you get the information you need and the articles that matter most in the field. The future of UIJ is bright and we look forward to expanding our readership as the year progresses.

We would also like to encourage everyone to view the new social media outlets promoting the UIJ on both Facebook and Twitter. We hope you’ll take the time to visit our pages, like us, and follow our breaking news.

In this issue, Pereira et al. review medical records of five consecutive patients undergoing retroperitoneal sarcoma excision. Demonstrating that surgery is the only potential curative treatment, urologists can successfully approach these kinds of tumors.

By presenting the results of a large multi-institutional series of patients treated with ureteroscopic holmium laser lithotripsy (UHLL) for ureteric stones, Safwat et al. demonstrate that the use of holmium laser lithotripsy is a safe and effective modality in the treatment of ureteral stones regardless of sex, age, stone location, or stone size.

Siddaiah et al. analyze the clinical presentation, investigations, and outcome of the surgical treatment of penile fractures. Ultrasonography poses a positive adjunct to clinical examination, and the long-term outcome of surgical repair is good for all groups.

El-Tabey examines the management of urethral strictures utilizing the Memokath 044 stent, proving it is straightforward to insert and to remove, it can relieve the symptoms of bladder outlet obstruction due to recurrent bulbar urethral strictures in surgically risky patients. It maintains urethral patency without affecting sexual intimacy and improves quality of life.

Falahatkar et al. explain their primary experiences with laparoscopic pyeloplasty as the new probable gold standard in the treatment of ureteropelvic junction obstruction in comparison to open pyeloplasty. Through their research, they show that laparoscopic pyeloplasty is an excellent substitute due to its cosmetic advantages, faster returns to normal activity, and comparable results.

We also present a series of case studies that include various topics, including foot drop, ovarian dermoid cysts, and ureteric endometriosis with adenomyosis.

It is our primary goal to publish original studies, and we encourage you to submit the results of clinical or basic science research in all areas of urology. I personally thank the authors and reviewers for their valuable contributions to this issue.

Warm Regards, 

Karl-Erik Andersson