EAU experts join 5th IFFU in Beijing
Led by European Association of Urology (EAU) Secretary General Prof. Chris Chapple, a team of EAU representatives joined the 5th International Forum on Frontiers in Urology (IFFU), an annual event which gathers Chinese and international urology experts in Beijing, China for a wide-ranging discussion of current issues and developments in urology.
Held and organised annually by the Wu Jieping Medical Foundation, the four-day event from April 21 to 24 marked the fifth-year death anniversary of Prof. Wu Jieping, considered as one of China’s most outstanding and pioneer urologists and educators who founded the Chinese Urological Association (CUA) and the Chinese Journal of Urology.
Chapple was joined by European School of Urology (ESU) Chairman Prof. Joan Palou (ES), Chairman of the EAU Scientific Congress Office Prof. Arnulf Stenzl (DE) and Prof. Peter Alken of the Urological University Clinic Mannheim and the Heidelberg Medical School in Germany.
Chapple remarked on the excellent programme of the event and congratulated the CUA officers for their efforts to strengthen ties with international urology groups. The Scientific Programme consisted not only of panel discussions, lectures, masterclasses and skills training, but also Live Surgery sessions. Chapple participated in one of the surgery sessions and performed a urethroplasty for posterior urethral stricture, while Palou demonstrated a robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy.
Stenzl, for his part, gave a well-attended and comprehensive update on European urology, providing insights on the latest developments in both medical and surgical strategies in topics such as onco-urology and bladder diseases.
“It was impressive to see the organizational effort and results, as well as the level of the presentation of our Chinese colleagues,” said Stenzl. “I look very much forward to a continuous future collaboration between Chinese and European urologists. We will in the future continue the involvement of our Chinese colleagues in EAU activities and meetings.”
“This annual event is to continue and highlight the contributions and examples of Chinese urology pioneers and also encourage the current and future generations to integrate with the world and explore new developments,” the Wu Jieping Medical Foundation said in a press release. Aside from highlights in endourology, functional urology, onco-urology, urolithiasis, and the nearly 20 live surgeries, there were abstract presentations and masterclasses in onco-urology and stone disease.
Simulation Competition winners
The 5th International Simulation Competition for Young Urologists and International Young Urologists Sub-Session were also held to offer a platform for academic professionals and enhance the skills of young urologists through an international competition.
Since 2012, around 12 to 15 young urologists recommended by international urological organizations such as the CUA, the EAU, the Urological Association of Asia (UAA), Chinese Urological Association (CUA), Royal Society of Medicine (RSM), Korean Urological Association (KUA) and the Hong Kong Urological Association (HKUA) join the simulation competition which tests the contestants’ endoscopic skills and techniques.
Procedures with virtual reality simulation are evaluated, including TURP, laparoscopy, flexible ureteroscopic intral renal inspection, rigid ureteroscopic stone management and PCNL.
Twelve young urologists from UK, Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, Korea, Nepal, Iran, Hong Kong and mainland China took part in the competition. Under the auspices of the EAU, Drs. Roderick Van Den Bergh (NL), Alessandro Larcher (IT) and Pawel Salwa (DE) joined the competition. Van Den Burgh was also the recipient of the first prize for Best Abstract poster at the International Young Urologists Sub-Session.
The Simulation Competition winners were Li Kai Man (first prize), Rick Catterwell and Liu Hao (co-winners, second prize) and Meng Yisen, Hide Yamamoto and Anil Shrestha, co-winners of the third prize. The jury was composed of representatives from the CUA, HKUA, RSM and UAA.