Pre-transplant nephrectomy was done in a 25-year-old man for calculous pyelonephritis using a retroperitoneal laparoscopic approach with a newly devised ligature applicator-dissector- kidney retractor.

The start of commercial exploitation of soybean in India is nearly four decades old. In this period, the crop has shown unparallel growth in area and production. Soybean has established itself as a major rainy season crop in the rainfed agro-ecosystem of central and peninsular India. Introduction of soybean has resulted in an enhancement in the cropping intensity and resultant increase in the profitability per unit land area. In India, soybean will continue to remain a major rainfed oilseed crop. A number of varieties that have been bred have resulted in this unprecedented growth. The simulation studies and on-farm demonstrations indicate that with current varieties, the rainfed potential of soybean in India is about 2.1 t/ha against the national average productivity of just 1.2 t/ha. Hence, large yield gaps exist between the potential and the actual yields harvested by the farmers. Narrowing of this yield gap may lead to doubling of soybean production. National Agricultural Research System has so far been successful in meeting the research demands of agrarian and industrial community. Further improvements in the yield of soybean grain and quality of soybean oil are possible by use of new research methodologies and by exploitation of recent advances in biology.

Retroperitoneal laparoscopic pyelolithotomy was successful in 5 of 8 patients using the recently described balloon technique of retroperitoneal laparoscopy. All patients were considered for this new minimally invasive procedure only on economic grounds. However, with improved technique and instrumentation, the retroperitoneal laparoscopic approach could become a practical alternative for the management of patients with medium sized pelvic stones not amenable to extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy nor ideally suitable for percutaneous nephrolithotomy, or when both of these facilities are not available.

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OBJECTIVE To examine the safety and effectiveness of holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP), as a day‐case procedure for selected patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS Thirty‐eight men underwent HoLEP as a day‐case procedure; they were discharged with an indwelling catheter for 48 h with ‘Hospital In The Home’ nursing management. They were evaluated for symptomatic and flow rate improvements after 3 months. Morbidity, length of stay, the duration of catheterization and readmission rates were evaluated. RESULTS The objective symptom score and flow‐rate improvements were equivalent to those previously published for transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP). There were five minor complications, three of which required readmission to hospital and one repeat surgery. The mean stay after surgery was 302 min. CONCLUSIONS Day‐case HoLEP is a safe and effective treatment for symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia. The outcomes are equivalent to those from TURP. Whilst there were three re‐admissions to hospital, two only required an overnight stay and no patient required a blood transfusion.