Essential functional urology summer reads

Summer is here, and if you are enjoying some well-deserved time to relax but would like to keep up to date, our editorial board has hand-picked a selection of summer reads for you. These articles cover various aspects of functional urology, such as voiding dysfunction, BPE and sexual dysfunction. Also, the board share their expert opinion on why these selection articles are essential reading material for you.

Male voiding dysfunction

• The new rulebook. The 2026 EAU guidelines on male LUTS. What changed, what stayed, what you need to know before September. Your essential summer cheat-sheet: Summary paper on the 2026 European Association of Urology guidelines on the management of non-neurogenic male lower urinary tract symptoms
• The young men we keep missing. Primary bladder neck obstruction and dysfunctional voiding, back in focus: Management of primary bladder beck obstruction and dysfunctional voiding in young men: A systematic review and meta-analysis
• Network meta-analysis: Which MIST really delivers? With so many minimally invasive options now on the table, how do they really stack up against TURP? This large-scale network meta-analysis pools data from 47 study cohorts to rank MISTs on efficacy, tolerability, and re-intervention rates. A must-read for anyone counselling patients on which MIST fits which profile: Efficacy and tolerability outcomes of minimally invasive surgical treatments for benign prostatic hyperplasia: A random-effects network meta-analysis

Female voiding dysfunction

• Women with dysfunctional voiding and high-pressure, low-flow urodynamic findings may achieve symptomatic improvement following sacral neuromodulation, however, SNM does not appear to significantly reduce cumulative detrusor pressures. Therefore, despite subjective improvement, these patients may remain at risk of ongoing bladder dysfunction, highlighting the importance of ongoing clinical and urodynamic surveillance. The long-term effects of sacral neuromodulation on urodynamic parameters in female patients with functional high-pressure low-flow voiding: A ticking time-bomb?
• There are several methods to evaluate female bladder outlet obstruction, including the Solomon – Greenwell nomogram. The Barco – Castillo nomogram extends this approach by assessing both bladder outlet obstruction and detrusor underactivity using urodynamic parameters. A promising new tool that now requires broader clinical validation before widespread adoption. A new nomogram for the evaluation of detrusor underactivity and bladder outlet obstruction in nonneurogenic female patients with lower urinary tract symptoms who undergo urodynamic studies
• Female urinary retention and Fowler’s syndrome remain poorly understood and challenging to manage. This multidisciplinary framework provides a practical roadmap for assessment and non-surgical management, emphasising the importance of holistic care beyond surgical intervention. Chronic idiopathic urinary retention and Fowler’s syndrome in women: A multidisciplinary framework for assessment and nonsurgical management

Overactive bladder

• Is mirabegron truly the cognitively safer alternative for overactive bladder? In this large real-world cohort of more than 940,000 patients, both most anticholinergics and mirabegron were associated with an increased risk of incident dementia, while fesoterodine showed no significant association. Pharmacotherapy for overactive bladder syndrome and the risk of incident dementia

BPE and sexual dysfunction

• Function first, sex too. Less cutting, better living? What men care about: Systematic review and pooled analysis of functional and sexual outcomes of minimally invasive surgical treatments for benign prostatic obstruction
• MIST and sexual function: What are we really trading off? Relieving LUTS shouldn’t come at the cost of a patient’s sex life. This systematic review and meta-analysis takes a close look at how MISTs perform when it comes to preserving erectile and ejaculatory function, a conversation that matters as much to patients as IPSS scores do. Essential reading for framing the MIST discussion around quality of life: The impact of minimally invasive surgical therapy for benign prostatic hyperplasia on sexual function: A systematic review and meta-analysis
• Testosterone beyond hypogonadism…In men with chronic spinal cord injury, calculated free testosterone independently predicted long-term mortality, even after adjustment for age, comorbidities, inflammation, nutritional status, and functional independence. Could cFT (calculated free testosterone) become part of routine risk stratification in SCI? Low free testosterone is independently associated with long-term mortality in men with chronic spinal cord injury