Christopher P. Smith, MD, MBA, MSS

Christopher P. Smith, MD, MBA, MSS

Baylor College of Medicine

Houston, Texas

Christopher P. Smith, MD, MBA, MSS, is an associate professor and board-certified urologist specializing in male and female urinary incontinence and voiding dysfunction. Dr. Smith is also a Colonel in the United States Army Reserve Corps and has been deployed three times in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). Dr. Smith attended Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago and completed his residency training in urology at Baylor College of Medicine. He completed his fellowship training under a National Institutes of Health (NIH) K12 Scholarship in Neurology and Female Urology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in Pennsylvania. He earned his MBA at the Katz School of Business, University of Pittsburgh, and his Master of Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

Dr. Smith has published numerous articles in scientific journals, including over 70 peer-reviewed papers and many invited articles to other publications. An active academician and speaker, he has presented many papers at scientific meetings and has served as guest lecturer across the country. Dr. Smith is an international expert on the basic and clinical aspects of botulinum toxin use within urology. He has used botulinum toxin clinically for over a decade. Dr. Smith is a principal investigator on several clinical trials examining the effects of botulinum toxin to treat patients with overactive bladder and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). In 2012, Dr. Smith was awarded a Department of Defense grant to compare the efficacies of onabotulinumtoxinA vs. oxybutynin in spinal-cord injury patients with neurogenic detrusor overactivity and a VA Merit Grant to compare the efficacy of onabotulinumtoxinA vs. tamsulosin in men with BPH and lower urinary tract symptoms.

Dr. Smith was awarded the Paul Zimskind Award in 2006 by the Society for Urodynamics and Female Urology for continuing excellence and leadership in the field of voiding dysfunction. He was awarded a three-year Career Development Award by the Department of Veterans Affairs to study the role of spinal purinergic pathways in the development of bladder overactivity. In addition, he has been honored with the Astellas Rising Star in Urology Award by the American Urological Association Foundation for three years to support his career development research. Dr. Smith received 2nd prize in the prestigious Jack Lapides Essay Contest for a research paper in 2008 investigating the effects of botulinum toxin A in spinal cord injured bladders, as well as the Apple Award from the American Spinal Injury Association. He has also been listed in Castle Connolly’s America’s Top Doctors.

Talks by Christopher P. Smith, MD, MBA, MSS

Implantable Tibial Nerve Stimulators. Where Do They Fit in Advanced OAB Paradigm?

Implantable Tibial Nerve Stimulators. Where Do They Fit in Advanced OAB Paradigm?

Posted by | Oct 2024

Christopher P. Smith, MD, MBA, MSS, explores the evolution and current advancements in tibial nerve stimulation for treating bladder dysfunction. He begins this 19-minute presentation with a brief history of percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS), underscoring its utility in bladder disorder management.

Smith introduces two significant implantable devices, Valencia’s eco, and the Ravi system. Both devices provide customizable treatment and cater to patient preferences, though they differ in implantation methods and patient autonomy over therapy. While these devices offer innovative treatment for urge urinary incontinence, compliance remains a challenge, often due to the time commitment and multiple visits required. Dr. Smith also references the Titan implant by Medtronic, which, while not yet FDA-approved, promises quick activation post-implant and a potential solution to compliance issues.

Dr. Smith reports recent guidelines from the AUA and SUFU now classify these therapies as “minimally invasive,” encouraging earlier intervention, even without exhausting all conventional therapies. The expectation is that new guidelines may support a broader acceptance and earlier access to minimally invasive options, ultimately improving tailored patient care in managing bladder dysfunction.

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A Urologist’s Nightmare: Evaluation and Management of CP/CPPS Patient

A Urologist’s Nightmare: Evaluation and Management of CP/CPPS Patient

Posted by | Jan 2024

Christopher P. Smith, MD, MBA, MSS, discusses the diagnosis and management of chronic prostatitis and pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS). He begins by presenting an algorithm for diagnosis, noting that CP/CPPS is non-specific and often a diagnosis of exclusion with unclear causes.

Dr. Smith presents the UPONT classification system for CP/CPPS as a tool to categorize and diagnose CP/CPPS based on the individual patient’s symptoms. He notes that most CP/CPPS patients have symptoms of at least two domains of the UPONT classification system.

Dr. Smith discusses the role of patient history, labs, and imagining in CP/CPPS diagnosis. He presents tools which can be used by both patient and physician to find a more specific diagnosis.

Dr. Smith concludes by addressing symptom relief and management of CP/CPPS. He reviews the benefits and drawbacks of interventions ranging from dietary and behavioral changes to low-intensity shockwave therapy.

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Minimally-Invasive BPH Therapies

Posted by | Dec 2021

Christopher P. Smith, MD, MBA, MSS, Associate Professor of Urology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, considers data on prostatic urethral lift (PUL) and water vapor therapy for benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH), and analyzes three case studies using the treatments. He begins with an overview of his case studies of men with BPH who all have an International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) above 19 and are on tamsulosin but are struggling with the lack of full relief and side effects of the medication. Dr. Smith then discusses the 2021 AUA guidelines for BPH treatment supporting the use of the IPSS at each patient visit to track symptoms and engage patients in early discussions of surgical options in the case of inadequate medications. He continues by summarizing data on the use and efficacy of PUL and water vapor therapy for BPH: a study on the adoption, safety, and retreatment rates of prostatic urethral lift found an increase in the use of the treatment of 10.4% from 2014 to 2018; PUL has passed GreenLight as a preferred procedure as of 2019, accounting for 30% of all BPH procedures; the L.I.F.T. trial and REZUM II trial found that PUL produced significant improvement in symptom scores, quality of life and flow rate when compared to a control; a prospective, randomized, multinational study of PUL versus transurethral resection (TUR) of the prostate found that PUL patients had a more rapid return to baseline activities than TUR patients by 6 days; the MedLift study showed that PUL patients experienced a 75% improvement in IPSS compared to a 34% improvement in control patients; PUL has also been found to have the lowest complications compared to Rezum, TURP, and GreenLight; a study comparing durability predictors after PUL found that men with worse disease states were found to need retreatment at higher rates; PUL is capable of improving ejaculatory function following treatment, while water vapor therapy reduces it; and there has been no recorded difference in outcomes between groups with or without prior prostate surgery. Dr. Smith concludes by stating that all three of his cases were treated with PUL, leading to their IPSS dropping to below 5 and them being taken off of medication.

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