The Society of Urodynamics, Female Pelvic Medicine & Urogenital Reconstruction (SUFU) invites you to join us at the AUA on Friday, April 28, 12:30-4:35 pm. As the program chair, I am excited to share our robust agenda filled with discussions and debates that you will surely find useful for your practice!

It’s no question that many of our practices have changed in response to the pandemic. Two of the biggest changes were telehealth and a shift of certain procedures to the office setting due to lack of hospital and ambulatory surgery center access. Post-pandemic, many of us are wondering if telehealth is here to stay, and if it is, how we can utilize it best in terms of incorporating telehealth in between office visits vs dedicating time exclusively for telehealth. These questions, as well as a discussion of the benefits and disadvantages of telehealth for the patient and doctor, will be included in a lecture. As for office-based therapies, a panel of experts will discuss the setup, “tips and tricks,” billing, and reimbursement for office procedures including laser treatments, benign prostatic hyperplasia procedures, bulking agents, and neuromodulation. Discussions of office-based procedures and telehealth would not be complete without addressing the changes in E/M (Evaluation and Management) codes. A lecture on common mistakes with the new E/M codes will make sure you are billing and coding correctly following the implementation of the revised codes.

SUFU and the AUA have released several guidelines within the past few years, and the meeting will highlight neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction, interstitial cystitis (IC), and recurrent urinary tract infection (UTI) guidelines. A moderated panel discussion will include the evaluation, risk stratification, and treatment options for neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction. An IC session will include a guideline update focusing on new developments and the use of supplements in IC as well as a summary of the MAPP (Multidisciplinary Approach to the Study of Chronic Pelvic Pain) Research Network. Recurrent UTI guidelines will also be discussed in a panel along with information on nonantibiotic strategies for UTI, UTI vaccines, molecular diagnostics, and catheter-related UTI.

As for more controversial topics, there is no better way to approach these than with debates! If you are like many other urologists, then you are concerned about the possible relationship of anticholinergics and dementia. The hot topic of anticholinergics and their potential role in causing dementia will be debated, and the pros and cons of initial use of a beta-3 agonist vs anticholinergic medication will be discussed as well. Another debate sure to generate discussion is the management of bothersome prolapse and incontinence in a woman of childbearing age. The debate will focus on whether to treat these conditions at the time the woman is bothered vs delaying repair until after childbearing.

Continuing the discussion on care for our female patients, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) as it relates to female pelvic medicine will be discussed. While as urologists we are adept at prescribing testosterone, our familiarity with female HRT is much less. It is inevitable that every urologist will treat a menopausal woman whose urological condition is related to hormonal deficiency, ie, genitourinary syndrome of menopause. The basics of HRT will be reviewed, and the concept that we are undertreating our female patients who might benefit from HRT will specifically be addressed.

And since we are SUFU, we would be remiss not to include a voiding dysfunction case such as the optimal management for a man with urinary retention and an enlarged prostate. Does he need urodynamics? If obstructed, is he a candidate for a minimally invasive procedure? A moderated panel will address these questions and discuss general urodynamic principles and how to apply them to clinical situations.

We look forward to seeing you at the SUFU meeting!