Report and impressions: CUA-EAU 2025 Exchange

The programme involves a team consisting of 3 junior urologists and a senior urologist working within the academic or mixed (hybrid) academic setting. In alternating years, Canadian and European urologists visit about 3 academic programmes within the 2 weeks prior to the respective annual association meetings. 

This year, the junior urologists were:

• Dr. Jennifer Bjazevic - Assistant Professor Surgery/Urology at the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University in London, Ontario, who specialises in endourology, stone disease, and minimally invasive surgery
• Dr. Udi Blankstein - Assistant Professor Surgery/Urology at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, who has interests in erectile dysfunction, BPH, and male infertility
• Dr. Rano Matta - Assistant Professor Surgery/Urology at the University of Toronto, Ontario, who is actively engaged in functional and reconstructive urology. 

I, Dr. Sender Herschorn, was the senior urologist who guided the aforementioned junior urologists. I am a Professor of Surgery/Urology and Chair in Functional Urology at the University of Toronto in Ontario, Canada, with a focus on urinary incontinence, functional urology, and reconstruction.

The team visited 3 centres in Europe, including the Martini-Klinik in Hamburg, Germany; the Fundació Puigvert in Barcelona, Spain; and Hospital Universitario La Paz in Madrid, Spain. The programme culminated at the 40th Annual EAU Congress in Madrid.

Dr. Markus Graefen, medical director of the Martini-Klinik, hosted the visit from 12 to 14 March. The clinic treats 7,000 outpatients and performs about 2,600 radical prostatectomies annually –  the highest number of any single institution. 

The Canadian team began with a tour of the new clinic (Figure 1), which was designed to facilitate the comprehensive management of prostate cancer patients throughout their treatment journey. For 2 days, the team was included in the clinical management discussions, viewing the surgical procedures (Figure 2), including intraoperative assessment of surgical margins (Figure 3).

From 15 to 18 March, the team flew to and stayed in Barcelona, where they were welcomed by Prof. Joan Palou Redorta, Chairman of the Department of Urology at Fundació Puigvert, and Professor of Urology and Robotics at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona.

The next 2 days were spent at the Fundació Puigvert (Figure 4), founded in 1961 by Prof. Antoni Puigvert i Gorro as a single-speciality healthcare institution in urology, nephrology, andrology, and reproductive medicine. Members of the department gave a series of lectures covering all key areas (Figure 5). Dr. Palou conducted a tour of the institution, outlining its unique history and importance in urological care in Barcelona.

From 19 to 20 March, the team went and visited the Hospital Universitario La Paz, which is affiliated with the Autonomous University of Madrid. The hospital opened in 1964 as the first modern hospital centre in the country. It currently serves a population of more than 500,000 people. The Urology Department is chaired by Prof. Luis Martínez-Piñeiro who hosted the visit.

Dr. Martinez-Piñeiro organised morning presentations on urethral reconstruction and renal transplantation. The surgical procedures observed included rectourethral fistula, percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL), laparoscopic donor nephrectomy and renal transplant (Figure 6). The team visited the National Oncology Research Centre (CNIO, Figure 7) and the Radiotherapy unit that uses MRI prostate radiation.

The tour was enhanced with dining at wonderful restaurants and visits to the Miniatur Wunderland and Saint Pauli district in Hamburg, the Hospital de Sant Pau and La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, and the Prado Museum in Madrid.

The team attended the EAU Congress from 21 to 24 March. Each member was presented with a commemorative plaque at the EAU President’s & International Friendship dinner held in the Crystal Gallery of the Cibeles Palace (Figure 8).

The Canadian team valued the experience that exposed them to the best of European urology. The discussions largely focussed on similarities and differences in meeting clinical and academic challenges. We thank the associations for providing this unique opportunity.