Live Surgery at EAU16: From robots to smart instruments

Live Surgery sessions explore future technologies

With an eye to exploring the potentials of future technologies, the Live Surgery sessions annually organised by the EAU Section of Uro-Technology (ESUT) during the Annual Congress will explore the potentials of new video technology, smart instruments and how these technologies improve or further expand minimally invasive procedures.

“This year, with the theme “Robots, Videotechnology and Smart Instruments” we want to focus on novel technology improving the performance of video-assisted surgery and diagnostics in all fields of endourology. This session is conducted in collaboration with the EAU-section Robotic Surgery in Urology (ERUS) and the EAU-section of Urolithiasis (EULIS),” said ESUT chairman Prof. Jens Rassweiler.

The day-long surgery sessions, which present both live and pre-recorded surgical procedures, will be held on 12 March, 2016 Saturday, following the more than 10-year tradition of live surgery sessions organised by the ESUT.

“We always aim to present novel techniques in percutaneous, endourological, laparoscopic, and robotic-assisted procedures. The programme we have prepared will focus on a direct comparison of robot-assisted versus classical endoscopic procedures of the kidney, prostate, and ureter. Since the sessions will be held on a Saturday, we do expect a high number of attendance,” said Rassweiler.In Munich the ESUT have the participation and full support of an international faculty and well-known experts serving as surgeons and moderators. “The procedures will be transmitted in high-definition and 3D-quality from Klinikum Rechts der Isar Technical University Munich, thanks to the effors of its current chairman, Prof. Gschwend and his Vice-chairman Dr. Straub,” added Rassweiler.

The programme will be divided in three parts with the first part presenting robot-assisted partial nephrectomies, and two retrograde intra-renal surgery (RIRS) procedures for the diagnosis of upper tract transitional-cell carcinoma (TCC).

Part 2 will consists of both pre-recorded and live procedures in the upper urinary tract such as flexible ureterorenoscopy (FURS) using digital Cobra and Green light laser enucleation of the prostate. 3D-laparoscopic extraperitoneal radical prostatectomy and a robotic nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy using Da Vinci XI will also be transmitted live to the auditorium. This allows the delegates to compare state-of-the-art laparoscopic /endoscopic with robot-assisted procedures.

The third and last part will present six procedures covering a range of techniques such as supine percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) plus FURS of a renal stone using digital endoscopic technology (pre-recorded), MIP-L, which is a new concept of PCNL, and a laparoscopic radical prostatectomy using new technology, among others.

The Live Surgery programme is supported by unrestricted educational grants from Karl Storz, Olympus, Intuitive Surgical, Richard Wolf, American Medical Systems, Cook, Boston Scientific, SurgiQuest, Siemens, Coloplast, Luminis, B&K-Medical, ROCAMED and Elmed.