Rodrigo Barros - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Rodrigo Barros

Research paper thumbnail of Penile Fracture: Diagnosis, Treatment and Outcomes of 150 Patients

Research paper thumbnail of Simultaneous laparoscopic nephroureterectomy and cystectomy: a preliminary report

International Braz J Urol, 2008

Purpose: Patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer and concomitant upper urinary tract tumors ... more Purpose: Patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer and concomitant upper urinary tract tumors may be candidates for simultaneous cystectomy and nephroureterectomy. Other clinical conditions such as dialysis-dependent end-stage renal disease and non-functioning kidney are also indications for simultaneous removal of the bladder and kidney. In the present study, we report our laparoscopic experience with simultaneous laparoscopic radical cystectomy (LRC) and nephroureterectomy. Materials and Methods: Between August 2000 and June 2007, 8 patients underwent simultaneous laparoscopic radical nephroureterectomy (LNU) (unilateral-6, bilateral-2) and radical cystectomy at our institution. Demographic data, pathologic features, surgical technique and outcomes were retrospectively analyzed. Results: The laparoscopic approach was technically successful in all 8 cases (7 males and 1 female) without the need for open conversion. Median total operative time, including LNU, LRC, pelvic lymphadenectomy and urinary diversion, was 9 hours (range 8-12). Median estimated blood loss and hospital stay were 755 mL (range 300-2000) and 7.5 days (range 4-90), respectively. There were no intraoperative complications but only 1 major and 2 minor postoperative complications.

Research paper thumbnail of Comparison of radical prostatectomy techniques: open, laparoscopic and robotic assisted

International Braz J Urol, 2008

INTRODUCTION: To review the current status of laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (LRP) and roboti... more INTRODUCTION: To review the current status of laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (LRP) and robotic assisted radical prostatectomy (RALP) in relation to radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP) in the management of localized prostate cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between 1982 and 2007 published literature was reviewed using the National Library of Medicine database and the following key words: retropubic, laparoscopic, robotic, robot-assisted, and radical prostatectomy. Special emphasis was given to the technical and cost considerations as well as operative, functional and oncologic outcomes. In particular, reports with pioneering work that have contributed to the evolution of the technique, presenting comparative outcomes and with large series encompassing intermediate/long term follow-up, were taken into account. RESULTS: After intermediate term follow-up, LRP and RALP achieved similar oncologic and functional results compared to RRP. However, LRP and RALP were associated with decreased blood loss, faster convalescence and better cosmetics when compared to RRP. The RALP technique is undoubtedly more expensive. CONCLUSIONS: The oncologic and functional outcomes for LRP and RALP are similar to RRP after intermediate term follow-up. Long term follow-up and adequately designed studies will determine the inherent advantages and disadvantages of the individual techniques in the management of localized prostate cancer.

Research paper thumbnail of Biocomplexity of deforestation in the Caparo tropical forest reserve in Venezuela: An integrated multi-agent and cellular automata model

Environmental Modelling and Software, 2007

A multi-agent model of social and environmental complexity of deforestation was developed for the... more A multi-agent model of social and environmental complexity of deforestation was developed for the Caparo Forest Reserve, Venezuela. It includes three types of agents: settlers, government, and lumber concessionaires. Settlers represent people of limited economic resources that deforest and occupy reserve land to grow crops and eventually claim property rights of this land. Their agricultural practices generate unintended environmental problems. The concessionaires extract lumber using management plans approved and monitored by the government. The agent model links to a cellular automata simulation of the natural system. Representational tools include Galatea (multi-agents), Actilog (rule description), and SpaSim (cellular automata). Three scenarios were explored for government policies: hands-off, pro-forestry and agro-forestry. Results agree qualitatively well with history of land-use change in the area. Old-growth forest is replaced by logged and secondary forest but the rate at which this transformation occurs varies by scenario. These results suggest that some of the agent's behaviours and forest management plans should change to promote sustainability of the forest reserve; e.g., broadening government's role to improve management plans and monitoring, and to prevent invasion of reserve land by improving living conditions of potential settlers outside the reserve. These and other alternatives will be modelled in future work.

Research paper thumbnail of A Model of the biocomplexity of deforestation in tropical forest: Caparo case study

Environmental Modelling and Software

This paper presents some preliminary results with a multi-agents modeling approach to understand ... more This paper presents some preliminary results with a multi-agents modeling approach to understand the complexity of deforestation in tropical forests. The approach was applied to the study of the deforestation of the Caparo Forest Reserve, in the western part of Venezuela. The model includes, among others, the following types of agents: several instances of settlers, government and lumber concessionaries. Settler agents represent people of limited economical resources that occupied land of the reserve with the aims of improving their socio-economical status and obtaining in the future the property of the occupied land. They use subsistence agriculture and they try to maximize the benefits from the land occupation, without knowing that they could generate ecological or environmental problems such as soil exhaustion, due to inexistent or poor management practices. The lumber concessionaires are represented by companies that are constantly supervised by the State; their work is to exploit the forest using management plans previously approved in agreement with the Government. In addition to the dynamical interactions of the agents, the used approach includes also a cellular automata model for the simulation of the dynamic of the natural system. Both aspects use representational tools developed in house: Galatea for the multi-agents aspects, Actilog a logic language for the description of rules, and SpaSim for the Cellular automata aspects.

Research paper thumbnail of Penile Fracture: Diagnosis, Treatment and Outcomes of 150 Patients

Research paper thumbnail of Simultaneous laparoscopic nephroureterectomy and cystectomy: a preliminary report

International Braz J Urol, 2008

Purpose: Patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer and concomitant upper urinary tract tumors ... more Purpose: Patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer and concomitant upper urinary tract tumors may be candidates for simultaneous cystectomy and nephroureterectomy. Other clinical conditions such as dialysis-dependent end-stage renal disease and non-functioning kidney are also indications for simultaneous removal of the bladder and kidney. In the present study, we report our laparoscopic experience with simultaneous laparoscopic radical cystectomy (LRC) and nephroureterectomy. Materials and Methods: Between August 2000 and June 2007, 8 patients underwent simultaneous laparoscopic radical nephroureterectomy (LNU) (unilateral-6, bilateral-2) and radical cystectomy at our institution. Demographic data, pathologic features, surgical technique and outcomes were retrospectively analyzed. Results: The laparoscopic approach was technically successful in all 8 cases (7 males and 1 female) without the need for open conversion. Median total operative time, including LNU, LRC, pelvic lymphadenectomy and urinary diversion, was 9 hours (range 8-12). Median estimated blood loss and hospital stay were 755 mL (range 300-2000) and 7.5 days (range 4-90), respectively. There were no intraoperative complications but only 1 major and 2 minor postoperative complications.

Research paper thumbnail of Comparison of radical prostatectomy techniques: open, laparoscopic and robotic assisted

International Braz J Urol, 2008

INTRODUCTION: To review the current status of laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (LRP) and roboti... more INTRODUCTION: To review the current status of laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (LRP) and robotic assisted radical prostatectomy (RALP) in relation to radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP) in the management of localized prostate cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between 1982 and 2007 published literature was reviewed using the National Library of Medicine database and the following key words: retropubic, laparoscopic, robotic, robot-assisted, and radical prostatectomy. Special emphasis was given to the technical and cost considerations as well as operative, functional and oncologic outcomes. In particular, reports with pioneering work that have contributed to the evolution of the technique, presenting comparative outcomes and with large series encompassing intermediate/long term follow-up, were taken into account. RESULTS: After intermediate term follow-up, LRP and RALP achieved similar oncologic and functional results compared to RRP. However, LRP and RALP were associated with decreased blood loss, faster convalescence and better cosmetics when compared to RRP. The RALP technique is undoubtedly more expensive. CONCLUSIONS: The oncologic and functional outcomes for LRP and RALP are similar to RRP after intermediate term follow-up. Long term follow-up and adequately designed studies will determine the inherent advantages and disadvantages of the individual techniques in the management of localized prostate cancer.

Research paper thumbnail of Biocomplexity of deforestation in the Caparo tropical forest reserve in Venezuela: An integrated multi-agent and cellular automata model

Environmental Modelling and Software, 2007

A multi-agent model of social and environmental complexity of deforestation was developed for the... more A multi-agent model of social and environmental complexity of deforestation was developed for the Caparo Forest Reserve, Venezuela. It includes three types of agents: settlers, government, and lumber concessionaires. Settlers represent people of limited economic resources that deforest and occupy reserve land to grow crops and eventually claim property rights of this land. Their agricultural practices generate unintended environmental problems. The concessionaires extract lumber using management plans approved and monitored by the government. The agent model links to a cellular automata simulation of the natural system. Representational tools include Galatea (multi-agents), Actilog (rule description), and SpaSim (cellular automata). Three scenarios were explored for government policies: hands-off, pro-forestry and agro-forestry. Results agree qualitatively well with history of land-use change in the area. Old-growth forest is replaced by logged and secondary forest but the rate at which this transformation occurs varies by scenario. These results suggest that some of the agent's behaviours and forest management plans should change to promote sustainability of the forest reserve; e.g., broadening government's role to improve management plans and monitoring, and to prevent invasion of reserve land by improving living conditions of potential settlers outside the reserve. These and other alternatives will be modelled in future work.

Research paper thumbnail of A Model of the biocomplexity of deforestation in tropical forest: Caparo case study

Environmental Modelling and Software

This paper presents some preliminary results with a multi-agents modeling approach to understand ... more This paper presents some preliminary results with a multi-agents modeling approach to understand the complexity of deforestation in tropical forests. The approach was applied to the study of the deforestation of the Caparo Forest Reserve, in the western part of Venezuela. The model includes, among others, the following types of agents: several instances of settlers, government and lumber concessionaries. Settler agents represent people of limited economical resources that occupied land of the reserve with the aims of improving their socio-economical status and obtaining in the future the property of the occupied land. They use subsistence agriculture and they try to maximize the benefits from the land occupation, without knowing that they could generate ecological or environmental problems such as soil exhaustion, due to inexistent or poor management practices. The lumber concessionaires are represented by companies that are constantly supervised by the State; their work is to exploit the forest using management plans previously approved in agreement with the Government. In addition to the dynamical interactions of the agents, the used approach includes also a cellular automata model for the simulation of the dynamic of the natural system. Both aspects use representational tools developed in house: Galatea for the multi-agents aspects, Actilog a logic language for the description of rules, and SpaSim for the Cellular automata aspects.