Originally posted November 8, 2023

I traveled to Buenos Aires to visit the urology department run by Bernardo Noris. The facility is located at UroVivo. During my stay, I met with the clinical team to review their setup. I observed their workflow and discussed current protocols. The staff provided hospitality throughout the visit. I thank Bernardo and his colleagues for the warm welcome. The department operates with high standards in patient care. This trip allowed for direct contact with specialists in the region. We exchanged information regarding our shared practices. The visit provided an opportunity to meet with these professionals. The interaction was professional and productive.

Originally posted November 8, 2023

I observed a significant bladder stone specimen in the library of Hospital de Clinicas José de San Martín in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The stone was extracted from a young patient previously diagnosed with a hypotonic bladder. The case was displayed during recent activities at the institution.

The size of the stone was remarkable given the patient's age. I examined the material on site personally. The event involved a display of clinical cases. I noted the dimensions during the visit. I discussed the extraction technique with the colleagues.

Originally posted November 8, 2023

I performed a live HoLEP surgery today at UroVivo in Buenos Aires. The procedure was conducted using the Quanta System laser platform. I streamed the enucleation to an online audience during the event. The surgery focused on the anatomical removal of the prostate tissue using the laser. The broadcast was organized by the UroVivo team in Argentina. I shared the technical steps of the operation throughout the session. The case involved standard enucleation techniques with the holmium laser. It was a live demonstration of the procedure.

Originally posted October 29, 2023

Nice session in Sofia with visitors from Mexico, Croatia, and Valencia, Spain. We discussed many challenging cases and focused extensively on En bloc HoLEP techniques. It was a productive exchange with my new colleagues.

Originally posted October 24, 2023

Tomorrow, I will present and moderate at the UROLAP meeting in Madrid. The programme is organised by the Department of Urology of Hospital La Paz. This event promises to be an exciting exchange of knowledge and experiences.

Originally posted September 30, 2023

This weekend I performed several HoLEP cases using Holmium laser enucleation. I also observed the Andromeda Surgical robotic enucleation system. I discussed the technology with Nick Damian. The system enables robotic enucleation procedures. I examined the specific technical features of the platform. We reviewed the instrument capabilities and the surgical workflow. The weekend was dedicated to clinical work and technical education regarding this equipment. I noted the procedural steps involved in the robotic approach. I reviewed the documentation provided by the manufacturer.

Originally posted September 22, 2023

I presented a live surgical case at the Canary Islands urology society meeting. The patient presented with a 250 cc prostate. I performed a smooth enucleation using the Holmium laser. During the morcellation phase, the procedure became challenging due to the presence of large stones, which I describe as beach balls. Despite the volume, the enucleation proceeded without complications. I completed the morcellation safely. The surgical video is available online for review. I demonstrated specific techniques to manage the difficult morcellation in large glands. This case covers the management of high-volume prostates.

Originally posted September 22, 2023

I attended the Canary Islands Urology Society Conference. The organization was excellent. I listened to outstanding presentations by Drs. Rodriguez Socarrás and Richard Gaston. Both shared complex clinical cases and discussed updated surgical techniques. The explanations were clear and direct. The session was very dynamic and allowed for an exchange of experiences with colleagues from the region. I actively participated in the discussion following the presentations. The atmosphere was professional and focused on daily clinical practice. The quality of the presentations justified my attendance.

Originally posted September 17, 2023

I registered on the ERUS23 website to view the live surgical cases scheduled for the congress. During my search, I was checking the archive for my presentations from the previous EAU meeting. I found a profile page where the photo displayed was not mine. I do not recognize the person shown in the image. It appears the organizers used a different picture for my session details on the Uroweb platform.

There seems to be an error with the attendee identification on the site. The event features multiple live surgical cases from international centers. This is a minor administrative issue during a large international gathering. The surgical content remains the focus of the event. I will continue to follow the program as planned.

Originally posted September 15, 2023

Visitors this week to our operating room came from Barcelona, Cádiz, and Galicia. We performed a Re-do procedure, an ejaculation-preserving median lobe resection, and four En-bloc HoLEPs. The visitors observed these procedures firsthand.

Originally posted July 29, 2023

I hosted a specialized course on En bloc HoLEP at HillClinic in Sofia, Bulgaria. A group of urologists attended from Mexico, Uruguay, and Spain. The curriculum emphasized the technical steps of the procedure using the Quanta System laser platform.

During the practical sessions, we addressed several unusual cases that presented specific anatomical challenges. These cases went really well and allowed the participants to practice difficult scenarios. The laser settings were adjusted for each case to ensure safety and efficiency.

The attendees engaged actively with the material throughout the day. We covered the necessary skills for HoLEP enucleation and mucosal preservation. The session concluded with a review of the cases performed. This event facilitated direct teaching on the specific technique.

Originally posted July 2, 2023

Visitors from Perú, Mexico, Philippines, and Italy came to our operating room at Hill Clinic in Sofia. They observed 30 En bloc HoLEPs, which provide a comprehensive understanding of the technique.

Originally posted May 12, 2022

Today I participated in the SIU Live congress of the Italian Society of Urology. We have broadcasted a case of anatomic En bloc endoscopic enucleation of the prostate with a new pulsed Thulium laser. This Revolix HTL laser is a new generation laser with interesting laser-tissue interaction properties.

The operation went very well, we could fit the 8o gram prostate enucleation in the 30 minutes of our slot. It is incredible to be able to participate in a congress that is celebrated in Italy from our operative room. It is a very popular congress as 4 surgeries take place at once. Urologists can watch in situ or online.

It is great to be able to contribute to these congresses and not have to go through all the travelling, hotels etc... it is fantastic.

Originally posted May 11, 2022

Yesterday I participated in the prostate cancer course organized by Dr. Luis Llanes, Head of the Department of Urology of the Hospital Universitario de Getafe.

I was asked to talk about the convenience or not to perform systematic biopsies during fusion biopsies for the diagnosis of prostate cancer.

I presented as well our experience with combining MRI with systematic biopsies and micro-ultrasound targeted biopsies, which we are presenting this week during the American Urological Association congress.

Originally posted May 11, 2022

It has been a while since I publish here... my workload is quite heavy and I haven't stopped, could not find a moment to publish. I did not stop participating in courses and congresses, to receive visitors to our operating room during this lapse.

In October I participated at the Panhellenic Virtual Congress with a talk on HoLEP. We carried out a HoLEP course at Hospital San Juan Grande, Jerez de la Frontera, and I also participated in the Fundació Puigvert urology course and participated in the Brasilian congress on prostate enucleation virtually.

In November I presented a semilive surgical case in the T&T in Endourology course, virtually. We received visitors in our operating room, I participated virtually in the congress of the Philippine Endourological Society, and in a Masterclass of the Peruvian Society of Urology.

December was a quieter month, although we received visitors in a surgical session at the Hospital Juan Grande, in Jerez de la Frontera.

In January I prepared a talk for the World Venezuelan Urologists, online. I also visited the Quanta System factory, to prepare a video that will be published soon. 

In February we launched courses of HoLEP where we do 5 HoLEPs in one afternoon, receiving visitors to our operating room, sponsored by LACER. We did the first course and also organised a live transmission of two HoLEPs from our operating room.

In March I did an online talk for the Turkish Society of Endourology. We received visitors to our operating room and we did a Course on Microultrasound for the diagnosis of prostate cancer.

In April we did two HoLEP courses sponsored by LACER, and I participated in the Masterclass on BPH organised by the European Scool of Urology, that took place in Heilbronn, Germany, performing a live surgical case. That same week I participated in the MEMIS virtual congress, organized in Bulgaria.

This month I also travelled to Berlin to participate in another Masterclass in BPH, where I also performed a live surgery.

The activity does not stop. I just hope to find time to update this blog. It is an online CV of sorts and I love to look at the old posts and remember my trips around the world... Lately I travel much less, thanks to the widespread of online congresses and the possibility of transmitting live surgeries from the operative room... but it is still a fascinating trip. I. published photos and info in my Twitter, just in case someone wants to have a peek.

Originally posted September 11, 2021

This year I was invited to lecture during the AUA Congress, invited by the CAU (Confederación Americana de Urología), to speak about different types of lasers and their advantages and disadvantages for endoscopic enucleation of the prostate.

The congress was going to take place in Las Vegas, but the AUA decided to make it fully virtual due to COVID and the difficulty to travel to the US. I had to send a video with my presentation.

Almost every year, the industry of medical devices launches new products and I have the privilege to be able to try all technologies for Endoscopic Enucleation of the prostate. At ICUA-Clínica CEMTRO we work with cutting-edge technology and in this talk, I discuss my conclusions after trying all different surgical tools.

Originally posted September 10, 2021

This time I received and invitation to participate in a webinar explaining the En bloc technique for HoLEP in a forum called PURE Urology in Facebook, via Youtube. 

This is the video:

Originally posted July 11, 2021

This time I participated in the European Urology Congress with a semilive presentation of a surgical procedure. I did a Holmium laser en bloc enucleation of the prostate using a pulse modulation laser (Virtual Basket).

During the presentation I spoke about three big steps forwards in prostate endoscopic enucleation, the en bloc approach with early apical release and preservation of sphincteric mucosa, published by our group, the enormous advantages of pulse modulation like Virtual Basket and the high speed of newer morcellators, that has changed the paradigm of Holmium laser enucleation. It is now a very fast surgery, usually less than 1 hour, very safe and it allows for a fast return to a normal life, significantly reducing the risk of temporary stress urinary incontinence postoperatively.

Originally posted July 7, 2021

This time, trying to adapt to the worldwide situation, we performed a live transmission from our operating room at ICUA-Clínica CEMTRO, of several en-bloc HoLEP cases. It was a pilot experience, open to everyone, without any commercial support from any company.

211 urologists registered, who could watch our work and specially the en-bloc endoscopic enucleation of the prostate with early apical release using a pulse modulated laser.

We are exploring the option to retransmit our operations via ZOOM to urologists who wish to learn these techniques. Before we would receive visitors from all over the world to our operating room, so now we feel obliged to offer them a chance to visit us virtually in times of COVID.

Originally posted June 4, 2021

We have a great team of urologists at ICUA, always learning and so motivated to work and publish new papers...