You have accessJournal of UrologyCME1 Apr 2023MP18-02 "TORN BETWEEN MICROSURGERY AND EMBOLIZATION -- PLEASE HELP": APPLICATION OF NATURAL LANGUAGE PROCESSING TO UNDERSTAND ADOLESCENTS' PERCEPTIONS ON AN ANONYMOUS VARICOCELE INTERNET FORUM Grace E. Sollender, Tommy Jiang, Vadim Osadchiy, Ilana Finkelshtein, Michael H. Zheng, Jennifer S. Singer, and Sriram V. Eleswarapu Grace E. SollenderGrace E. Sollender More articles by this author , Tommy JiangTommy Jiang More articles by this author , Vadim OsadchiyVadim Osadchiy More articles by this author , Ilana FinkelshteinIlana Finkelshtein More articles by this author , Michael H. ZhengMichael H. Zheng More articles by this author , Jennifer S. SingerJennifer S. Singer More articles by this author , and Sriram V. EleswarapuSriram V. Eleswarapu More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1097/JU.0000000000003238.02AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookLinked InTwitterEmail Abstract INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Varicoceles affect up to 30% of postpubertal adolescent males. Studying this population remains difficult due to this topic’s sensitive nature. Using the popularity of social media in this cohort & natural language processing (NLP) techniques, our aim was to identify perceptions of adolescent males on an internet varicocele forum to inform how physicians may better evaluate & counsel this pediatric population. METHODS: We extracted posts from the Reddit community r/Varicocele (5100 members) from founding to 6/2022 with criteria of discussant age ≤21 & word count >20. We employed qualitative thematic analysis using validated constant comparative method & an NLP technique called the meaning extraction method with principal component analysis (MEM/PCA) to identify discussion themes. We then interrogated 150 random posts to further characterize content based on NLP-identified themes & calculated Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) statistic & Bartlett’s test. RESULTS: 1103 posts met eligibility criteria. MEM/PCA & qualitative thematic analysis separately revealed key themes: varicocele overview (27%), management (19%), post-procedural experience (19%), seeking community (17%) & second opinion after visiting a physician (18%). KMO>0.60 & Bartlett’s test <0.01 indicated appropriateness for MEM/PCA. Mean age was 17.5 y/o (range 14-21) trending toward higher grade (89% were 2+), left-sided varicoceles. Figure 1 describes provider & procedure type most commented on by discussants. 60% of discussants described symptomatic varicoceles (90/150) with 69% (62/90) reporting pain, 27% (24/90) reporting hypogonadism symptoms & 50% (45/90) reporting aesthetic as the primary concern. CONCLUSIONS: We applied a mixed methods approach to identify uncensored concerns of adolescents with varicoceles. Adolescents often turned to social media as an adjunct to doctors’ visits & to seek peer support. This population prioritized symptom control with emphasis on pain, aesthetics, sexual function & hypogonadism. This data highlights how adolescents may approach varicoceles uniquely, informing urologists how to better interface with this pediatric population. Limitations include self-reported, non-standardized data & skew toward higher grade varicocele. Source of Funding: NA © 2023 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 209Issue Supplement 4April 2023Page: e222 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2023 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.MetricsAuthor Information Grace E. Sollender More articles by this author Tommy Jiang More articles by this author Vadim Osadchiy More articles by this author Ilana Finkelshtein More articles by this author Michael H. Zheng More articles by this author Jennifer S. Singer More articles by this author Sriram V. Eleswarapu More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement PDF downloadLoading ...