Stockholm to host 10th Anniversary ERUS Meeting

Dr. Magnus Annerstedt, UroClinic, Sophiahemmet, SwedenThe EAU Robotic Urology Section (ERUS), formerly a non-affiliated society, will hold in Stockholm, Sweden the 10th anniversary of its yearly congress. It all started back in 2004 in Paris with about 50 participants, and since then the ERUS Congress has grown steadily with last year’s meeting in London attracting over 900 participants. For the second time in its history, Stockholm will host the ERUS meeting on September 3 to 5, 2013.

With its ambitious plans, ERUS aims to be the scientific platform for every urologist interested in the latest development in urological robotic science and practice with the ultimate goal of improving the level of patient care. Currently, the section has several projects in the pipeline.

Within the working group of science there are several plans such as designing new studies and securing data collection. A lot of effort is done to achieve and maintain a high level of surgical science within robotic urology, while incorporating traditional open surgery as a core expertise or comparison for skills acquisition.

Thus, we are proud to present a robotic master course and curriculum to establish and standardise education and training in an efficient and safe way. E-learning, master classes and fellowships are all part of this programme. For instance, we have organised hands-on training courses during the recent EAU congress in Milan which were well-attended. Our Junior ERUS section also attracts young urologists interested in robotic urology. They have their own programme at the annual congress and a separate working group within the ERUS. We highly encourage our young colleagues to actively take part in different working groups to develop the necessary skills.

The Stockholm meeting will present 10 live surgeries including standard procedures, prostate, kidney and bladder, as well as new indications in high-definition (HD) and 3D by renowned international experts in robotic surgery. These will be complemented by state-of-the-art lectures, workshops and roundtable discussions on the latest developments.

The venue will be in central Stockholm at the Stockholm Waterfront Congress Centre, which is located near the city’s major attractions. With its stunning architecture, meeting participants will not only benefit from this very exciting meeting but will also have the opportunity to explore Stockholm at the best time of the year in early September.

ERUS exerts efforts to present high quality robotic surgery by international experts with interactive moderation to prompt discussions and careful examination of these procedures. All live surgery will comply with the EAU’s new ethical guidelines.

New devices from the industry will also be on display in the exhibit section. On the opening day, a junior ERUS meeting will be held to educate and inspire the next generation of minimally invasive surgeons, followed by courses on individual robotic procedures as well as a separate overview of current robotic urologic surgery. A day-long course for nurses will also be part of the programme to provide tips on robotic surgical support and peri-operative patient care. We look forward to see you in Stockholm!

This article was first published in the March/May edition of European Urology Today