Purpose Inguinal hernia is a common male surgical disease. Intervention carries a wide range of complications such as scrotal haematoma and seroma which may require surgical re-intervention or predispose patients to developing infections, pains or feeling of mass. This could lead to long hospital stay. Scrotal tamponade by bandaging or wearing of tight pants and elevation are practiced to reduce bleeding and haematoma formation. These methods require prolong use. Closed suction drains are scarcely used in resource-deprived communities due to high cost and non-availability. Aim This study was to determine the effectiveness of a closed non-suction drain in preventing scrotal collection requiring further surgical intervention and the predisposition to developing surgical site infection following nylon darn repair of inguinoscrotal hernia. Methods Forty (40) participants were recruited for a preliminary study and assigned into control and interventional groups (CG, IG) for purposes of inserting flexible feeding tube (FFT) wound drain after nylon darn (ND) repair. Daily measurement of drained scrotal collection was carried out in the IG till the day drainage was zero. Residual volumes in IG and wound collection in the CG who were not candidates for re-intervention were determined at 14th and 28th post-operative days using ultrasound scan. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 25. Results Three (3) patients (15.8%) in the CG required re-intervention. Surgical site infection rates for the CG and IG were, respectively, 2/19 versus 0/21 (ρ = 0.134).There was a numerical significant difference in the mean volumes of scrotal collections between the control (0.95 ± 0.42 ml) and the intervention group (0.44 ± 0.33 ml) [p value of 0.041] but with no clinical impact. Conclusion Simple inexpensive flexible feeding tube placement significantly reduced scrotal collection which forms a base for larger sample size in subsequent studies. This could reduce the feared risk of re-intervention, wound infection and long hospital stay post-operative.

Objective: This study was aimed at identifying Ghanaian traditional medicines used for the management of prostate diseases and their constituents. Reviews of studies conducted on them are also presented. Methodology: This was a prospective study. Traditional Medicine samples from consecutive patients with either lower urinary symptoms (LUTS) presenting at the Urology Unit of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) in Accra from January 2015 to June 2016 and had a prior treatment with traditional medicines, had the samples retrieved. Additionally, all the 58 licensed pharmaceutical shops in Okaishie, a whole sale and retail depot for medicines in the main business district of Accra, were visited and traditional medicines for the management of prostate diseases acquired. The products constituent as labeled were documented and entered once on a proforma. This study was part of a study on the management of benign prostate hyperplasia at the KBTH approved by the Medical Directorate. The findings were analyzed and presented using descriptive statistics and presented as a table. Results: Eleven products were identified with the main indigenous medicinal plant identified being the root extract of Croton membranaceus. This was the constituent in four products (Uro 500 ® , UR-Quick mixture ® , Prostacure® and prostat®60). Although studies on the basic pharmacology and animal studies have confirmed its effect on the prostate, only one clinical study was identified. Conclusion: Croton membranaceus was the indigenous traditional medicine identified for relieving LUTS due to prostate disease. There is the need for empirical evidence on its efficacy in treating Prostate cancer.

Testicular torsion is a urologic emergency that requires surgical intervention. Its diagnosis is rarely made in elderly men especially the subset of men on urethral catheter. As a result, delayed diagnosis and surgical exploration occur leading to testicular infarction with necrosis, abscess formation and ultimately orchidectomy. We report a 73-year-old urologic patient referred with a 2-month history of transurethral catheterization to relieve retention of urine with subsequent scrotal pains and fever. Physical examination showed left hemi-scrotal swelling and normal right hemi-scrotal findings. A Doppler scan done showed an intratesticular fluid collection with no blood flow in the left testes. This case illustrates the need to include testicular torsion when diagnosing geriatric men with transurethral catheter presenting with any acute scrotal pains. We, therefore, recommend a detailed history and physical examination in addition to a colour Doppler ultrasound scan in making a diagnosis.

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Clinically, the cephalic vein is preferred for haemodialysis in patients with chronic renal failure (CRF), to remove waste products from blood. The cut-down of cephalic vein in the deltopectoral groove is preferred when superior vena caval infusion is necessary. However, cephalic veins exhibit a wide array of developmental variations in terms of formation, course, and termination. In this report, we describe a case of an anomalous cephalic vein with a bifid course of terminations on both left and right upper limbs which has not been described by previous literature. During routine gross anatomy dissection of the neck, we observed a rare case of variation of the termination of the cephalic vein in both right and left upper limbs, of a male cadaver. Knowledge of the variations of cephalic vein is important not only for anatomists but also for surgeons and clinicians as the vein is frequently used for different surgical procedures and for obtaining peripheral venous access as well.