CEM16: Looking beyond surgery to boost urology
It is essential to look beyond the boundaries of surgery and instead focus on organ-based management approaches if urology has to hurdle future challenges.
This was the challenge highlighted by Prof. Manfred Wirth, EAU Treasurer and Communications head during his remarks at the first plenary session of the 16th Central European Meeting (CEM16) which opened today in Vienna, Austria.
“We can be organ specialists or we can be surgical specialists. We have a choice to make if we are to strengthen our specialty and be willing to expand the boundaries of urology,” said Wirth in his opening remarks at CEM16.
Reiterating that urological management approaches have now evolved into other non-surgical management therapies, Wirth emphasized that challenges in the future will require urologists to possess skills other than that of traditional surgery.
More and more, urologists today are using non-surgical techniques to treat urological diseases and malignancies such as prostate, bladder and kidney cancers. These technologies involve image-based procedures, new radiotherapy strategies and medical approaches that combine drug and chemo-based treatments.
According to Wirth, urologists can boost the reach of urology as a specialty if the emphasis is not limited to surgery but also include medical approaches such as targeted therapies, high-resolution imaging diagnostic procedures and combination medical regimes such as hormone-based therapy.
More than 200 participants gathered at the opening session of the two-day CEM16, which is the last meeting under its current format. Dr. Michael Rauchenwald, president of the Austrian Urology Association, Prof. Bob Djavan and Dr. H. C. Klinger welcomed the CEM participants to Vienna. They also acknowledged that Central European urologists have not only posted significant growth in their field but have also contributed to the progress of European urology.
“We have not only seen continued growth among urologists in this region but have also seen their tremendous contribution in terms of research,” said Djavan.