Baltic25 celebrates 10 years of discoveries, breakthroughs, and solid fundamentals in the region

Steering Committee Board Members Dr. Marius Kincius (LT) and Prof. Mindauguas Jievaltas (LT) led the meeting, with support from Dr. Martin Kivi (EE) or Dr. Juris Plonis (LT). Baltic25 commemorated a decade of urological discoveries, breakthrough research, and solid fundamentals in the region. 

A record-breaking 450 participants from the Baltic region and countries such as Denmark, Finland, Poland, Portugal, and Turkey convened in Vilnius, Lithuania from 30 to 31 May 2025. The meeting added an extra poster session to accommodate the number of abstract submissions. Additionally, to feature the capabilities of promising urologists, the popular Young Urologists Competition was also part of the Baltic25 programme. Meet the winners of the Best Posters and the Competition here. 

All 18 sessions using the da Vinci robot from Intuitive of the Hands-on Training (HOT) course on Robotic Surgery — led by Dr. Tiago Manuel Ribeiro De Oliveira (PT) — were fully booked with some participants on the waiting list. For more about the meeting’s coverage on robotic innovation, click here. 

Furthermore, the hot topic of artificial intelligence (AI) was also part of the Baltic25’s programme. When asked where will AI have the most disruptive short-term impact in urological practice, Prof. Stenzl stated, "In shared decision-making; getting literature to answer questions for the individual patient as we have platforms where you can get fast, almost point-of-care information; and imaging in combination with imaging with robotic and minimally invasive surgery or intervention."

Other experts also share their insights on underdiscussed aspects of AI use, and how the urological community can prepare for the evolving role of AI such as in this Instagram reel. 

Baltic25 commenced a day early for a select few. On 29 May 2025, seven participants attended the ESU Urology Boot Camp, which aimed to strengthen their competencies in laparoscopy, lower tract endoscopy, upper tract endoscopy, and transurethral resection, and andrology. To ensure immersion and familiarity, the boot camp’s format was conducted on a one-on-one basis. Check out the full boot camp report here.

The European School of Urology (ESU) course on penile and testis cancer began with an overview of the current and future activities of EAU Scientific Congress Office (SCO) led by the Course Chair and SCO Chair Prof. Maarten Albersen (BE). He was joined by Dr. Oscar Brouwer (NL) and Dr. Thomas Van den Broeck (BE), who co-moderated the course and engaged the audience throughout. 

The presentations on the penile cancer centred on topics such as the human papilloma virus (HPV), treatment of the primary tumour, and the staging of groins and treatment of lymph node metastasis. 

Dr. Van den Broeck provided expert insights on the diagnosis and treatment of the primary tumour and metastatic testicular cancer. This was followed by the presentation on fertility considerations in testicular cancer diagnosis and therapy by Prof. Albersen. Check out the ESU course presentations here for more information.

Video session

The Video Session: Kidney stones (urolithiasis) featured demonstrations of retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) in contrast to mini percutaneous nephrolithotomy (mini PCNL), as well as videos of a laparoscopic removal of a massive ureteral stone, and endoscopic combined intrarenal surgery (ECIRS).

The colour pink was everywhere in the Lithuanian capital that weekend as the city celebrated its iconic Pink Soup Festival. Fittingly, pink was also Baltic25’s signature hue.

(Re)discover the scientific highlights of the meeting. (Re)watch the presentations here. See you in Riga, Latvia for Baltic26!