Robotic Surgery
The European Association of Urology is committed to support the development of expert groups of young academic urologists with the purpose of boosting research activity in some critical areas and improving academic collaboration among different centres in Europe.
Stemming from the Czech root “robota”, meaning forced labour or compulsory service, the word defines a machine able to replicate certain human movements and to function automatically. Out of the original acceptation, the term robotic has been fortunately related to master-slave systems
designed for minimally invasive surgery. Since its initial introduction, robot-assisted surgery gained an outstanding momentum, with an amazing evolution from the first pioneering platforms to the current thousands of individual systems of that are operational worldwide.
Vision and goals of the working group
The group arises from the union of the YAU working group on robotic surgery and the Junior ERUS board with the intent to combine the scientific and academic potential together with the clinical expertise of emerging opinion leaders in the field of robotic surgery.
The group is responsible for the scientific activity that implies robotic urological surgery. Specifically, the group develops clinical research in areas where consensus and evidence on patient’s management are unclear, aiming to support clinical management with collaborative studies published on the most prestigious urological journals. Moreover, the group’s members are faculty of the Junior ERUS annual meeting and are responsible for its scientific program. Special attention is given to development of training strategies in robotic surgeries, such as the ERUS curriculum. Finally, the group aims to plan and deliver grant application and the member support many other EAU activities, serving in Guidelines panels and as reviewer and editors for the European Urology Journals.
The ultimate mission of all such activities is to create a group of young key opinion leaders in the field of robot-assisted surgery that can collaborate with scientific societies, clinician or patient’s association and companies with an inclusive, open and collaborative approach.
Completed projects
- The ERUS Curriculum for Robot-assisted Partial Nephrectomy: Structure Definition and Pilot Clinical Validation – Larcher et. al, European Urology, 2019 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30979635
- Robot-assisted versus open cystectomy in the RAZOR trial – Larcher et al, The Lancet, 2019 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30782339/
- Virtual Reality Validation of the ERUS Simulation-based Training Programmes: Results from a High-volume Training Centre for Robot-assisted Surgery – Larcher et al, European Urology, 2019 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30827694/
- Robot-assisted Nephroureterectomy for Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma: Results From Three High-Volume Robotic Surgery Institutions – De Groote et al, Journal of Robotic Surgery 2019 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31041588/
- Robot-assisted Versus Open Partial Nephrectomy: Comparison of Outcomes. A Systematic Review – Grivas et al, Minerva Urol Nefrol 2019 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30895768/
- The Impact of Surgical Strategy in Robot-assisted Partial Nephrectomy: Is It Beneficial to Treat Anterior Tumours with Transperitoneal Access and Posterior Tumours with Retroperitoneal Access? – Dell’Oglio et al, European Urology Oncology 2018 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31411997/
- Methods and priorities of robotic surgery training program – Buffi et al, European Urology 2014 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23916694/
- Indication for an extension of pelvic lymph node dissection during robot-assisted radical prostatectomy: an analysis of five European institutions – Suardi et al, European Urology 2014 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24411992/
Ongoing projects
- Validation and improvement of the current training modalities for robot-assisted surgery
- Assessment of the clinical impact of novel platforms for robot-assisted surgery
- Analysis of clinical outcomes following robot-assisted radical nephrectomy and robot-assisted partial nephrectomy
- Investigation of strategies to prevent positive surgical margins during robot-assisted radical prostatectomy
- Definition of the best modalities for digital media-based surgical education for robot-assisted surgery
Board
YAU Working Group Robotic in Urology

A. Larcher
Milan (IT)Chairman
W.L.M. Everaerts
Leuven (BE)Member
S. Goonewardene
Sutton Coldfield (GB)Member
N. Grivas
Ioannina (GR)Member
M. Covas Moschovas
Celebration (US)Associate
R. De Groote
Denderhoutem (BE)Associate
P. Dell'Oglio
Segrate - Milan 2 (IT)Associate
S. Knipper
Hamburg (DE)Associate
A. Martini
Milan (IT)Associate
F.M. Turri
Gallarate (IT)Associate