ESUT16: The latest in technology and surgical technique
The EAU Section of Uro-Technology is gearing up for its fifth meeting, its first since becoming an EAU Section. From July 8-10, Athens will welcome surgeons and other delegates from across the world to ESUT16. ESUT Chairman-elect and local organiser for the meeting, Prof. Evangelos Liatsikos (Patras, GR) gave us an insight into the preparations of the meeting.
“Registration is already open, and we’ve received a lot of interest from abroad. It’s promising to be a very interesting meeting.” The last standalone ESUT meeting took place in 2003, when what was then still the European Society for Uro-Technology met in Paris.
One of the reasons for holding the ESUT meeting in 2016 is the change in chairmanship which is scheduled for the 31st Annual EAU Congress in March. Prof. Liatsikos will be taking over from Prof. Rassweiler, the current ESUT Chairman. “We thought this would be a good occasion, as a farewell to Jens,” said Liatsikos. “It won’t be easy to take over from him, as he did a great job over the years. We’ll certainly do our best!”
Hot topics in Uro-Technology
Being the Section of Uro-Technology, the ESUT is committed to offering the delegates all the latest in technical developments and tools for the urologist. Liatsikos: “The meeting will showcase everything that’s new in the fields of benign or cancerous prostate surgery, stone surgery, laparoscopy, and laser treatment. All the biggest companies will showcase their latest products.”
More important still than having and using the right tools is technique. Many of the debates that will be held at ESUT16 revolve around different approaches that surgeons may wish to take when operating on patients. Debates are scheduled on the merits of miniaturised instruments for use in PCNL, as well as “the big fight” on prone or supine position.
Live surgery
ESUT16 features six different live surgery sessions, covering a range of topics. Prof. Liatsikos: “At the moment, there are three different approaches to live surgery. Local, from a hospital in the same city as the presentation; long-distance, from across the world; and finally pre-recorded, ‘as live’ cases. At ESUT16, we will be featuring all three.”
Local procedures will be conducted in Athens, and local patients will be matched with surgeons, with most of them coming from abroad. The pre-recorded procedures will be screened in between the live surgery, making sure the sessions are filled with cases.
Hands-on Training
For delegates hoping to hone their skills, or perhaps ask specific questions of the expert tutors, two different hands-on training courses will be available at ESUT16: endo-urology and laparoscopy. More details will be available on the meeting website as the meeting nears. “Opportunities for hands-on training always attract young urologists,” Liatsikos explains. “We hope to stimulate their interest in endo-urology.”
Delegates can also look forward to taking part in the E-BLUS Examination. The European training in Basic Laparoscopic Urological Skills (E-BLUS) is a programme offered to residents and urologists who want to improve the basic skills in laparoscopy. It is a unique opportunity to train with international experts in laparoscopy and includes an online theoretical course, intensive hands-on training, finished off with an examination and certification.
“We hope this meeting will take place regularly, perhaps in cooperation with other EAU Sections. Basically, anything to do with new technology is our concern. The faculty is almost ready and will be announced soon,” Liatsikos concludes. “We look forward to welcoming everyone to Athens next July!”
Registration for ESUT16 is now open! The early fee registration deadline is April 8th. Please visit the meeting website for more details on registration and the different fees.