Sakineh Hajebrahimi

• MD, Specialist, Fellowship in femal urology and neurourology
• Managing Director at Tabriz University of Medical Sciences

BACKGROUND Despite all of the positive effects that are considered for clinical guidelines, according to studies, it has been determined that there is a gap between the development of clinical guidelines and their implementation. This study was conducted to explore the practical solutions to smooth the way of implementing clinical guidelines in thi...

Our main objective is to first characterize the current status of the research field of interstitial cystitis and bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS). This is achieved by mapping, analyzing, and sub-analyzing the field with a scientometric approach, which provides insights into future research. In September 2023, the Scopus database was searched without...

Background: Using mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is an emergent strategy in the neuro-urology field. This study aimed to investigate whether intra-detrusor injection of MSCs is a possible therapy for spinal cord injury (SCI)-induced neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction (NLUTD) by measuring c-Fos as a proto-oncogene and brain-derived neurotroph...

Background Cancer during the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has changed, leading to challenges in the management of the two serious health conditions of cancer and COVID-19. This study was conducted to explore the experiences of cancer care among hospitalized patients with cancer and oncology nurses in the COVID-19 pandemic envi...

Background Urinary tract infection (UTI) is a recognized complication of shock wave lithotripsy (SWL) for urolithiasis. Evidence guiding antibiotic prophylaxis remains of low certainty, contributing to substantial practice variation and conflicting guidelines. A well-powered, blinded randomized trial is essential to provide trustworthy evidence for...

This study aimed to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of stretched, erect, and flaccid penis length as well as circumference according to geographic WHO regions. PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Cochrane Library were searched for articles published until February 2024. Studies in which a healthcare professional evaluated the penis size were...

This Umbrella Review aims to gather high-quality evidence on urolithiasis outcomes and complications, comparing extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (ESWL), ureteroscopic lithotripsy (URSL), and retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS). We incorporated systematic reviews, some containing meta-analyses, into two separate reports, focusing on quantitativ...

When adopting new methods, surgeons may experience a period of complexity and longer operation times because of their inexperience. This period is known as the “learning curve." This study was aimed at systematically reviewing the current literature on functional urology learning curves. A comprehensive search was conducted across multiple database...

Background: Effective cancer treatments are among the most challenging research goals in the field. Cancer cells have diverse characteristics, including the ability to suppress antitumor immune responses and resistance to apoptosis. The upregulation of CD73 in cancer cells has been suggested in recent studies, promoting proliferation, angiogenesis,...

Background and Aims According to the World Health Organization (WHO), an Adverse Drug Reaction (ADR) is defined as “a response to a drug which is noxious and unintended, and which occurs at doses normally used in humans for the prophylaxis, diagnosis, or therapy of disease, or for the modification of physiological function.” The aim of this researc...

Objectives: To evaluate the quality of systematic reviews and meta-analyses conducted by the Cochrane Urology Group on urinary incontinence (UI). Design: A systematic review. Setting: Cochrane Urology Group on UI. Participants: 37 systematic reviews, which included a total of 611 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) based on searches until July 2023...

Introduction: To enhance the assessment of the systematic reviews and meta-analyses performed by the Cochrane Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Group. Methods: Our study was conducted on 57 systematic reviews and meta-analyses related to MS, published by the Cochrane database until July 2023. Results: We found that the most encountered risk of bias was the l...

Background and Objective This study aimed to assess the prevalence of urinary incontinence (UI) and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in five selected low and middle‐income countries to provide appropriate evidence for other related studies. Materials and Methods In this multinational population‐based cross‐sectional survey between August 2019 a...

Background Neurogenic dysfunction of the lower urinary tract is one of the challenging diseases with high burdens in urology. Our study aims to evaluate the efficacy of a 4‐week treatment with Solifenacin and Trospium chloride and assess their safety and impact on quality of life. Methods Following the selection of 206 stroke patients from two cen...

Introduction Falling out of bed is the most common unintentional cause of injury among patients and is a major safety problem in health care facilities. Current practices for fall prevention may not always be aligned with established best practices, leading to variability in patient outcomes. This uncertainty underscores the need to assess and impr...

Introduction Falls are the main cause of disability among psychiatric patients, as well as being the most common adverse event in hospitals. Aim The aim of this evidence implementation project was to improve fall prevention and management among psychiatric patients in a neurology ward in an Iranian tertiary psychiatric hospital. Methods This proj...

Trauma complications have been one of the most serious public health concerns worldwide. In most reports, urogenital injuries (UGIs) are seen in approximately 10% of adult traumatic patients and less than 3% of children with multiple/severe trauma to the abdomen or pelvis. Traffic accidents are the most common cause of UGIs. The purpose of this stu...

Background Many genitourinary tract disorders could be attributed partly to the microbiota. This study sought to conduct a systematic review of the role of the microbiota in urinary chronic pelvic pain syndrome (UCPPS). Methods We searched Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed with no time, language, or study type restrictions until December...

Introduction and objectives Basic life support (BLS) is foundational to the care delivered to cardiac arrest victims. This study evaluated current practices and implemented best practices related to BLS training for intensive care unit (ICU) nurses in a general hospital in Tabriz, Iran. Methods This interventional before-after study was informed b...

Purpose: The exact molecular and cellular processes that cause benign urological diseases in the stromal and epithelial components of the urinary tract are yet unknown. Reviewing and analyzing the data linking microRNAs (miRNAs) expression in the pathophysiology of benign urological conditions, including overactive bladder (OAB), bladder outlet ob...

Purpose: The quantitative objective of the current systematic review was to identify the potential role of urinary microbiota in bladder cancer (BC) carcinogenesis, invasiveness, progression, and metastasis. Materials and Methods: The proposed systematic review was conducted in accordance with critical review according to the Preferred Reporting I...

This study was aimed at validating the Persian version of the International Female Coital Incontinence Questionnaire (IFCI-Q). In the current study, 150 sexually active women with complaints of any kind of sexual dysfunction from January 2022 to July 2023, who were referred to urogynecology outpatient clinics, completed the IFCI-Q. Age ≥ 18 years a...

Introduction and objectives Health care providers need a high level of communication skills in dealing with pediatric patients and their carers. The objective of this project was to evaluate current practice and implement best practices promoting health care provider communication with pediatric patients and carers in a children's hospital in Tabri...

Introduction This systematic review evaluated the prevalence of delayed posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following road traffic crashes (RTC). Materials and Methods The sample was RTC survivors, and PTSD was assessed by clinician- administered measures for at least six months (in line with DSM-V standards). Results The search resulted in 1008...

Genitourinary fistula is a devastating ailment that has an impact on women's physical health, mental health, emotional health, and financial security. The management of genitourinary fistula depends on the type, size, and duration of fistula formation. The purpose of this study is to report the features of genitourinary fistula in Iranian women and...

Background There is little economic evidence on different modalities among patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in Iran. This study aimed to assess the cost-utility of peritoneal dialysis (PD) and hemodialysis (HD) among ESRD patients in Iran. Methods From the health system perspective and with a 10-year time horizon, we conducted a cost-u...

Background: This study set out to conduct a thorough review of the effects of electrical tibial nerve stimulation in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with bowel dysfunction. Methods: Several medical databases were searched comprehensively from inception to September 2023. Studies with available English full texts and results for bowel dysfunction...

Background Lower urinary tract dysfunction (LUTD) is a common, troublesome condition that often negatively affects patients' quality of life. Current literature has long been interested in how posterior tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS) can affect this condition. Aim To extensively and systematically explore how PTNS affects LUTD based on the most r...

The COVID-19 has been a great challenge for healthcare providers all over the world which overwhelmed patients and healthcare providers by postponing many outpatient appointments and surgical procedures for months. Interestingly, COVID-19 can cause de novo lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in some affected patients or exacerbate underlying LUTS i...

Background/Objective(s): Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) is prevalent among patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Material(s) and Method(s): This study was conducted following the PRISMA statement. Systematic review studies which reported the efficacy and/or safety of a method for LUTS in MS are considered for inclusion in this study. A syste...

Background and aims: Oxybutynin is an antimuscarinic utilized as a treatment for overactive bladder. This study aims to investigate the effects of oxybutynin on cognitive function. Methods: Following the PRISMA statement, clinical trials which assessed the cognitive effects of oxybutynin in cognitively-intact individuals were included. A systematic...

Introduction During the unprecedented COVID-19 lockdowns, road traffic was limited, and a change in the traumatic emergency admission pattern was anticipated. We conducted the current systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on hospital admissions due to road traffic crashes. Methods This systematic review...

Objective: Patients suffering from multiple sclerosis (MS) frequently experience lower urinary tract (LUT) dysfunction, which significantly impacts their quality of life. This study’s objective was to conduct a scientometric analysis of the literature on MS-induced neurogenic LUT dysfunction. Methods: Using bibliometric methods, we examined the lit...

BACKGROUND Work relative value unit (wRVU) is a tool for assessing surgeons’ performance, compensation, and productivity. It appears that wRVU for cardiovascular procedures does not consider complexity and its value for lengthy operations is low. The aim of the study is to determine wRVU for cardiovascular procedures in Iran according to the propos...

Introduction: Patient identification, defined as the accurate matching of a patient to intended interventions while communicating identity information consistently throughout care, is critical for patient safety. Incorrect patient identification is a leading unintentional cause of patient harm and poses a significant safety challenge in healthcare...

Physiotherapy is the most commonly used treatment for stress urinary incontinence including pelvic floor muscle training, biofeedback, and electrical stimulation. This systematic review evaluated the effects of physiotherapy in patients with stress urinary incontinence compared with no treatment, placebo, sham, surgery, or other inactive control tr...

Purpose Evidence on the efficacy of desmopressin in nocturia in patients with neurological diseases is still very limited except for multiple sclerosis (MS). Our aim was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of desmopressin treatment on nocturia in patients with underlying neurological diseases. Methods Studies were identified by electronic search o...

Purpose: This study aimed to summarize relevant data from previous systematic reviews (SRs) and conduct comprehensive research on the clinical effects of posterior tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS), via the transcutaneous posterior tibial nerve stimulation (TPTNS) or percutaneous posterior tibial nerve stimulation (PPTNS) method on fecal incontinenc...

Purpose This study aimed to review the functional urology guidelines, relate the level of evidence (LOE) of their recommendations and highlight the discrepancies between the LOE and grade of recommendation. Materials and Methods The electronic search was conducted in May 2019 and updated in February 2021. Three researchers separately reviewed the...

Background: Given the importance of epistaxis in elder patients, this systematic review was conducted to determine the best non-surgical treatment of epistaxis in elder patients. Methods: A systematic search of references was performed to investigate non-surgical methods in administering epistaxis in elder people in March 2022 for relevant articles...

Objective: We systematically assessed all available evidence on the efficacy and safety of sacral neuromodulation (SNM) in pregnancy. Methods: On September 2022, a thorough search was done on Ovid, PubMed, Scopus, ProQuest, Web of Science, and The Cochrane Library. We chose studies that included pregnant women who had SNM previously. Two authors...

Objective: To design an ontology-based clinical decision support system based on a clinical guideline for urinary incontinence.Materials and Methods:The study will be conducted in four phases: Updating the adapted clinical guideline for urinary incontinence for Iranian clinicians; Developing an ontology based on the adapted guideline; Developing a...

Introduction and objectives: Telephone follow-up (TFU) is a method that can be recommended for patients with chronic disease, including patients with nonmuscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) after transurethral resection of the bladder (TURB). This project aimed to improve postdischarge TFU of patients with TURB in a tertiary care system and refe...

Unlabelled: Anticholinergics (ACs) are among the most prescribed drugs. Investigating the impaired cognitive domains due to individual ACs usage is associated with controversial findings. Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of individual ACs on different aspects of cognitive function based on clinical trial stud...

Background: Febrile convulsion (FC) is the most common and preventable seizure in children. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of the diazepam and phenobarbital for preventing recurrent FC. Materials and methods: In this systematic review study, literature published in English language were carefully searched in biological databases (C...

Objective This study aimed to evaluate retrospectively the outcomes of Abobotulinumtoxin-A (Dysport®) intravesical injection in refractory interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome patients to first- and second-line treatment. Materials and Methods From March 2016 to 2021, 44 adult patients with bladder pain syndrome who were refractory to first...

Objective: This study was performed to systematically review the current literature on the effects of transcutaneous tibial nerve stimulation and percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation on multiple sclerosis-induced neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction. Materials and methods: Medical databases including PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Scien...

Objective: This study was performed to systematically review the current literature on the effects of transcutaneous tibial nerve stimulation and percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation on multiple sclerosis-induced neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction. Materials and Methods: Medical databases including PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Scienc...

Actions that are taken to preserve effective antibacterial agents and eliminate transmission of resistant organisms are crucial to prevent a catastrophic postantibiotic era. In this systematic review, we searched and appraised relevant texts and expert opinions to determine effective strategies to tackle bacterial resistance worldwide. We considere...

Background: The main objective of this study is to provide the first characterization of the current research field of the clinical microbiome in LUTSs. Methods: First-of-its-kind scientometric insight into the historical development and structural state of the discipline is provided by a field analysis, mapping, and sub-analysis of articles for fu...

Purpose of Review Bladder pain syndrome (BPS)/interstitial cystitis (IC) can also be classified as either non-ulcerative or ulcerative, corresponding to the characteristic cystoscopic findings under hydrodistention. Promising therapeutic effects, including decreased bladder pain, have been reported from recent clinical trials using botulinum toxin...

Purpose Management of nephrolithiasis is unique in pregnancy and requires multidisciplinary care. To identify the effectiveness or safety of temporary drainage or definitive treatment methods to manage urolithiasis in pregnancy. Methods The search strategy aimed to find both published and unpublished studies was conducted in August 2021. Studies p...

Purpose The objective of this meta-synthesis was to identify, appraise, and synthesize patients and provider’s experiences while using telemedicine in cancer care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods The databases Medline, Embase, Cinahl, PsycInfo, Web of Science, and other related databases were searched. Reviewers followed the Joanna Briggs Ins...

Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically affected the Female and Functional Urology (FFU) practice, leading to massive waiting lists, while patients’ quality of life remains severely impaired. The aim of the present study is to develop consensual recommendations to guide clinicians on the management of FFU patients. The present paper foc...

Objectives Spinal cord injury (SCI) is one of the most debilitating and expensive traumatic conditions. Chronic complications after SCI have a particularly negative impact on patients’ functional independence and quality of life. Urodynamic study (UDS) provides a quantitative assessment of lower urinary tract function in these patients. In many fie...

Objectives: Concerning the impact of neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction (NLUTD) on quality of life, besides the lack of standard psychometrically-analyzed Persian tools, the present study investigated the validity and reliability of the Persian version of the neurogenic bladder symptom score (NBSS) questionnaire. Methods: A total of 279...

Objective Only a few numbers of studies have been published on the use of abobotulinumtoxinA (Dysport) in idiopathic detrusor overactivity (IDO). This study reported the long-term follow-up of women with IDO who were treated with intravesical Dysport® injections. Methods Two hundred and thirty-six patients with IDO who had failed first-line conser...

Background Clinical practice guidelines are statements which are based on the best available evidence, and their goal is to improve the quality of patient care. Integrating clinical practice guidelines into computer systems can help physicians reduce medical errors and help them to have the best possible practice. Guideline-based clinical decision...

Introduction: The first case of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Iran was officially announced on February 19, 2020, in Qom city. The prevalence of COVID-19 is higher among frontline healthcare workers (HCWs) due to their occupational exposure. Objective: The aim of this evidence implementation project was to improve the protection of...

Background Patient engagement in patient safety is aimed at increasing the awareness and participation of patients in error-prevention strategies. The aim of this project was to improve the patient safety with the patient engagement within the local context of a maternity hospital by implementing best practice. Methods A clinical audit was conduct...

Purpose: Gynecological cancers are common neoplasms in clinical settings with a high impact on the economy of communities. The medical literature is an essential resource to guide clinical decision-making, and misconduct in researches undermines the credibility and integrity of research in general. We aimed to evaluate the quality of Cochrane gyne...

Introduction and hypothesis: This study aimed to compare anterior sacrospinous ligament fixation (SSLF) with the standard posterior SSLF concerning complications and outcomes in patients with apical compartment pelvic organ prolapse (POP). Methods: This is an observational descriptive study using prospective data collected from two referral urog...

Vaccine-related adverse events have been increasingly reported as the COVID-19 vaccination campaign progresses worldwide. Urological symptoms after COVID-19 vaccination are reported rarely. Herein we report a case of urinary retention following the second dose of Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine injection.

Objectives: This study aimed to report sacral neuromodulation (SNM) outcomes in detrusor underactivity (DU). Methods: A multicentric, multinational, retrospective case series was conducted between March 2017 and June 2021 in three different referral centers. Initial test phase stimulation included either a percutaneous nerve evaluation (PNE) or...

Objectives Percutaneous and transcutaneous posterior tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS and TTNS) showed a promising effect on overactive bladder (OAB) and interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome. We aimed to give a systematic review and meta-analysis on the efficacy and safety of these therapeutic methods as well. Methods We searched studies a...

What is the prevalence of lower urinary tract symptom (LUTS) among public hospitals staff and association with shift working? The aim of the current study was to evaluate the prevalence and bothersomeness of LUTS and the impact of shift working on its symptoms among the staff of public hospitals. Job condition is one of the main risk factors for LU...

Objectives Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused a massive cutdown in outpatient urological investigations, procedures, and interventions. Female and functional urology (FFU) has been probably the most affected subspecialty in urology. Several scientific societies have published guidelines to manage this new situation, providing g...

A placebo is an inert substance normally used in clinical trials for comparison with an active substance. However, a placebo has been shown to have an effect on its own; commonly known as the placebo effect. A placebo is an essential component in the design of conclusive clinical trials but has itself become the focus of intense research. The place...

Objective: To investigate an adapted enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocol in adult augmentation cystoplasty (AC). Material and methods: A total of 33 consecutive cases with a history of refractory idiopathic detrusor overactivity (IDO) or neurogenic bladder (NGB) with low capacity, poor compliance, high sustained detrusor pressure, an...

Introduction and hypothesisThis review aims to investigate the effect of stem cell (SC) therapy on the management of neurogenic bladder (NGB) in four neurological diseases, including spinal cord injury (SCI), Parkinson’s disease (PD), multiple sclerosis (MS), and stroke, in the clinical setting.Methods An electronic database search was conducted in...

Introduction and aims: Pelvic floor dysfunctions are common complications during the childbirth process. Pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) has been used as a conservative treatment in both prenatal and postnatal women. The aim of this project was to assess the compliance with evidence-based criteria regarding PFMT among prenatal and postnatal wo...

Introduction and hypothesis To study the mid-term safety and functional outcomes of transvaginal anterior vaginal wall prolapse repair using polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) mesh (DynaMesh®-PR4) by the double trans-obturator technique (TOT). Methods Between 2015 and 2020, we prospectively included women with symptomatic high-stage anterior vaginal w...

Objectives To determine the outcome of combined transobturator tape sling (TOT) and low dose intradetrusor injection of Abobotulinumtoxin-A (Abobot-A, Dysport®) in women with mixed urinary incontinence (MUI). Methods This randomized, active comparator-controlled, parallel-group, two-part clinical trial was conducted on women who had positive Valsa...

Context: The choice of the most efficacious drug for patients with idiopathic overactive bladder (IOAB) remains challenging. Objective: The aim of this network meta-analysis was to determine the most efficacious oral antimuscarinic or β-adrenoceptor agonist accounting for adverse events for the management of IOAB. Evidence acquisition: A compr...

Background: Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) and stress urinary incontinence (SUI) are common conditions affecting women's health and quality of life. In 50% of cases, SUI occurs after POP surgery, which is called de novo SUI. Predicting the risk of de novo SUI is a complex multi-attribute decision-making process. The current study made available a Dec...

Objective Urinary incontinence has a profound impact on women’s quality of life. Studies have shown that changes in urinary protein levels could be a potential diagnostic biomarker in some urological diseases. The aim of present study is to determine the diagnostic value of nerve growth factor (NGF) in women with mixed urinary incontinence (MUI) as...

Background: The relative value unit is the main method of calculating physician reimbursements and a tool for measuring the work of surgeons. Existing evidence shows that work RVU does not accurately represent the surgeon's work. Therefore, the current study attempts to develop a local model to measure surgeons' work. Methods: This study was conduc...

Background The type of pneumonia that is caused by the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has spread across the world in a pandemic. It is not clear if COVID-19 patients have any lower urinary tract signs or symptoms. Methods The effect of COVID-19 on lower urinary tract function was studied in a prospective multi-centre, observational study including 2...

Introduction and hypothesisThe objective was to translate the International Consultation of Incontinence Questionnaire (ICIQ) bladder diary into Persian and validate it among the Iranian population with lower urinary tract symptoms.Methods After obtaining permission from the ICIQ group to translate the ICIQ bladder diary into Persian, we translated...

Recent investigations are seeking a novel treatment to control the new pandemic of coronavirus 19 (COVID-19). The aim of this systematic review was to study the effect of ozone therapy on COVID-19 patients and the available supporting evidence. Electronic databases including MEDLINE (via PubMed), EMBASE, Cochrane Library (CENTRAL), and TRIP, clinic...

Background: The normal function of filling and emptying of the lower urinary tract depends on a healthy and intact nerve axis. Spinal cord injury (SCI) blocks signals from the brain micturition center to the urinary sphincters and leads to the dysfunction of the lower urinary tract. The consequences of the neurogenic bladder (NGB) include kidney fa...

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Iran is part of the worldwide pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The present study aimed to demonstrate the clinical characteristics of patients affected by COVID-19, in our tertiary teaching hospital. Medical records and compiled data of 668 patients...

Purpose: Severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has proven to be a diagnostic challenge. Early studies have shown that computed tomography (CT) imaging may be useful in diagnosis of these patients. We aim to report CT findings in a series of hospitalized patients. Material and methods: A total of 81 patients were included i...

Background: The type of pneumonia that is caused by the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has spread across the world in a pandemic. It is not clear if COVID-19 patients have any lower urinary tract signs or symptoms. Methods: The effect of COVID-19 on lower urinary tract function was studied in a multi-centre study including 238 patients who were admit...

Context: The role of a placebo response in the management of overactive bladder (OAB) remains unclear. Objective: The aim of this review is to methodically study the placebo response extracted from the control arms of randomized clinical trials assessing therapy in patients with OAB. Evidence acquisition: Medline (PubMed), The Cochrane Library...

Purpose: Until recently, the urine of healthy individuals was assumed to be sterile. However, improvement of bacterial detection methods has debunked this assumption. Recent studies have shown that the bladder contains microbiomes, which are not detectable under standard conditions. In this review, we aimed to present an overview of the published...

Objectives To present an overall picture of the evidence regarding the association of erectile dysfunction (ED) with cardiovascular disease (CVD). Methods Systematic reviews and meta‐analyses that studied the association of ED with any CVD were included in this umbrella review. We did not restrict the population to a particular group or age. PubMe...