Originally posted September 30, 2012

This time I went to Sofia to operate at the Hill Clinic, and we started a study to evaluate the performance of the new Vmax blades for the Piranha Morcellator, from Richard Wolf.

We did 10 GreenLight Enucleations of the prostate in two days, and we took the opportunity to register the time it took to morcellate the tissue with the new blades. It was really impressive, in one of the patients we could morcellate 70 grams of tissue in 5 minutes!!

I firmly believe this improved morcellation is going to make enucleation more easy and affordable for surgeons, as the morcellation step of the operation was so much shortened that we could operate the 10 patients in less than an hour!

We will submit the results of the study to the European Association of Urology congress that will take place next year in Milan.

Originally posted September 21, 2012

After my trip to Morocco, I flew to Milano and from there I drove to Genoa, where I participated at the AURO (Hospital urologists association) congress in Italy.

It was a very interesting session where we spoke of Holmium Laser, Tulium Laser and GreenLight laser for the treatment of BPH. I always learn so much from my colleagues...

I specially enjoyed a video of an enucleation en bloc of a bladder tumor presented by Dr. Migliari, a very interesting technique, maybe with a bright future.

Originally posted September 20, 2012

This time I went to Morocco to show the Urologists at the Military Hospital in Rabat the wonders of the GreenLight laser for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia.

We did a surgical session with two patients, one with a 60 gram prostate and another one with 100 grams, that went very well.

After sleeping that night in Rabat, I departed from Casablanca to Milano, to participate at the AURO Congress.

Originally posted September 14, 2012

I am in Minnesota, USA participating in a meeting with a group on experts in BPH. In one of the recesses I was looking up papers in Pubmed and found this. It is an editorial comment I was invited to do on a recent paper. It has already been published online by the prestigious journal Actas Urologicas Españolas.

Originally posted September 11, 2012

Again I travelled to Modena, Italy, to the Hospital Hesperia. I was invited to help Dr. Giovanni Ferrari to operate his first patients with BPH with the new GreenLight XPS 180 watt laser.

We did three cases during the morning that went really well.

Dr. Ferrari told me that this hospital has the best statistics in cardiac surgery in the country, and he proposed me to collaborate with him and travel regularly to Modena to treat his patients. Then I returned to Madrid.

Originally posted September 7, 2012

After my trip to Pordenone, finally I made it to Brescia, and Dr. Alessandro Marano took me out for dinner to a fantastic restaurant.

The next morning we woke up early to go to the Instituto Clinico Santa Ana for the surgical session. 

There he introduced me to his colleague, Dr. Alessandro Gatti, who was with us all morning. We did three operations. The first was more difficult and I did it, and in the second I assisted Dr. Gatti and in the third I assisted Dr. Marano. They are two great endoscopists and they got it all very fast.

Then I returned to Madrid to rest with my family over the weekend. The summer stayed behind... all the good things pass fast ;-)

Originally posted September 6, 2012

After my visit to Pordenone in July, the local urologists were convinced of the wonders of the GreenLight laser for the treatment of BPH, and this time they asked me to mentor them with their first cases.

We did three morning cases that went very well. Normally in the teaching sessions I try to teach my colleagues two things. Firstly the physics regulating the interaction of laser and prostatic tissue, and the correct application to surgical technique. Secondly, the surgical strategy that allows to perform these procedures safely and efficaciously. Also I am by their side in these first cases to be able to assist them if any problem arises and to confirm that the endpoint of the operation is the best possible.

That same day I took the train to Brescia, where I would participate in another training session the following day.

Originally posted September 5, 2012

Yesterday I performed a live surgery at the World Congress of Endourology that took place in Istanbul, Turkey.

In the same session there were other surgical procedures that were transmitted to the congress auditorium and there I met old friends, like Dr. Martov (Moscow), Dr. Erol (Istanbul), Dr. Aho (Cambridge), and I did new ones, as Dr. Hermann (Germany). We had to operate with different technologies on patients with Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH).

I had to operate a high risk patient, with a cardiac problem and with a prostate of about 90 cc, that went very well. I showed the capsular localization technique in detail and during the operation I answered to the questions of the expert panel at the auditorium.

It is always an honor to participate in this kind of activity in such important congresses. Live surgery allows us to show the truth of each surgical technique to the audience. I left very happy and satisfied. It was a pity that I had to return immediately to Madrid and I could not stay for the remainder of the congress.

With Tev Aho before departing to Madrid

Originally posted July 30, 2012

Today I received an invitation to perform a live surgery at the second congress "Innovations and Classics in Endourology and Imaging" from the ESUT (European School of Uro-Technology) that will be celebrated in Manheim. This meeting was chosen as this year's popular "Winter forum".

I have been asked to perform a GreenLEP procedure (GreenLight Enucleation of the Prostate). An operation that is generating more and more interest. It will be an honour to participate!

Originally posted July 30, 2012

Yesterday I returned from Quito, Ecuador, after participating at the third congress of the GRILUR (Iberoamerican group of laser in urology), organized by Dr. Ricardo Yépez and Dr. Saskia Suarez at the Hospital Carlos Andrade Marín.

My participation consisted in giving two talks and performing thres live surgeries, two vaporizations and one GreenLEP procedure. The surgical rooms at Hospital Carlos Andrade Marín are amazingly good and allowed for live transmission to the conference room.

There, among other friends, I met Dr. Marcelo Baptistussi, from Brasil. A great expert in endourology for the treatment of stones. He did several cases of flexible ureteroscopy and percutaneous renal surgery, he is a true master of the field.

In sum, a very interesting congress, very well organized and a great opportunity to share knowledge with other international experts. The next year congress of GRILUR probably will take place in Buenos Aires, or if this is not possible, in Lima. I encourage all urologists with interest in laser surgery to join us, they can also join the GRILUR facebook group.

Originally posted July 24, 2012

Yesterday I received the visit of Dr. Ricardo González, from Houston, Texas, at Clínica CEMTRO. Dr. González is one of the most relevant surgeons in GreenLight laser prostatectomy in the US and a very respected urologist at the American Urological Association.

I performed two surgeries, an enucleation and an anatomic PVP and we had a good chance to comment the differences and similarities between our techniques. We had a great time together.

Originally posted July 22, 2012

This weekend I worked at the Hill Clinic in Sofia, Bulgaria. We had an intense surgical session with many operations that went really well.

The connector of the electrical cable of the morcellator's motor got broken and in order to be able to finish the session I had to ask my nurse Vanesa to fly to Sofia with another motor to be able to complete the session.

The operations went really well, and all patients were recovering well when I came back to Madrid.

This is the urology team at Hill Clinic. After almost three years collaborating we can say that we are a very experienced team! 

Originally posted July 13, 2012

I have received an invitation to participate in the 30th World Congress of Endourology that will take place in Istanbul in September. I will have to perform a live operation that will be transmitted live to the audience. I love live surgery!!!

Originally posted July 6, 2012

This time, after sleeping in Venice I went to Pordenone, to visit the Ospedale Santa María Degli Angeli, to train the local urologists in greenlight PVP for the treatment of BPH (Benign prostatic hyperplasia).

There I operated with my colleagues, Prof. Garbeglio, Dr. Maruzzi, Dr. Ruggera and Maura, the fantastic urology nurse.

We did three operations that took place wonderfully... I think this is my last trip to Italy before the summer, I feel like resting a little!!

Originally posted June 29, 2012

Today I found some time to put my voice to this video on GreenLEP (GreenLight Enucleation of the Prostate). I hope you enjoy it.

Originally posted June 28, 2012

Again we had the pleasure of receiving the visit of Dr. Richard Gaston, from Clínique Saint Agustín in Bordeaux, France. He came to operate with us at Clínica CEMTRO. We did two laparoscopic radical prostatectomies.

Dr Gaston is a true master of laparoscopic surgery and has been coming to operate with us monthly for the last five years to perform radical prostatectomies, nephrectomies and cystectomies.

He told me that they have a GreenLight laser in Bordeaux, and that they will invite me in September to operate with them.

Originally posted June 23, 2012

Again I travelled to Sofia to operate at the Hill Clinic. We had another surgical session where we operated seven patients... I am delighted to see that GreenLEP (GreenLight Enucleation of the Prostate) keeps offering excellent results.

I am very grateful to the help provided at Hill Clinic by Dr. Kochev (right), Bochevski (left) and Georgiev, who is not in the photo. They look after patients when I leave and they are two top urologists in Bulgaria!

Originally posted June 20, 2012

Yesterday we received the visit of two italian urologists Dr. Darvinio Melloni, from Palermo and Dr. Sergio Valenti, from Bérgamo. We also had the pleasure to host Dr. Elbikri, from Morocco.

I did two operations at Clínica CEMTRO to demonstrate the technique of anatomic vaporization of the prostate with the GreenLight XPS laser. The session was very fruitful as we had time to comment on all technical aspects of this operation. Dr. Melloni is an expert with the GreenLight HPS 120 watts and he was impressed with the performance of the new 180 watt laser. I think he also enjoyed the tips and tricks I shared.

Originally posted June 15, 2012

This weekend I went to Casablanca to operate in three hospitals. First I went on friday afternoon to the  Clinique Lina, with Dr. Benani, Dr. Tahiri, Dr. Haisam and Dr. Boueb, I did two anatomic vaporizations with greenlight that went very well.

Then I went to Clinique Massira, with Dr. Touabi and Dr. Bakali, who was trained in Fundació Puigvert in Barcelona. He told me that our common friend Dr. Ricardo Regalado had died some time ago and it was a hard blow for me. I had been time without news from him, but I did not know the cause. He was a good friend and a great person, I was extremely sad to learn this. I also did two surgeries that went out very well.

Finally, I did another case at Clinique Dar Salam, with Dr. Chefchaouni, that was also successful.

On Saturday afternoon I took the opportunity to make a tour around Casablanca, which to me is a city full of contrasts. I was very impressed by Hassan II's Mosk, an amazing building by the sea. Then I returned to Madrid to rest a little on sunday afternoon.

Originally posted June 14, 2012

Today I went to Torino in Italy to visit the Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Molinette S. Giovanni Batista, where I had to demonstrate the GreenLight XPS laser to Dr. Fontana and Dr. Ceruti, who prepared four surgical interventions of patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia.

The session was very good although we had some challenging cases, as an anticoagulated patient and a patient with a huge prostate. I also did a talk for the urology department. A tough working day, I had great fun.

This department has a lot of experience in Andrology and I enjoyed watching a presentation they showed me on a new technique for penile lengthening with penile implant insertion...