Surgeries in the Fundación Jiménez Díaz

This tuesday I visited the Fundación Jiménez Díaz, invited by the new head of department, Dra. Carmen González Enguita, to assist them with their first Greenlight HPS cases.



I first operated a patient with a moderate to big prostate, and then Dr. González Enguita operated a patient with a smaller sized prostate with great ease and mastery. I must be a great teacher!! ;-)

A very pleasant morning and a great honour to step in the surgical rooms of a Hospital with such an important urological tradition.

European Association of Urology - Best video 2008 award

I spent the weekend in Stockholm, Sweden, where the twenty fourth congress of the European Association of Urology was taking place. I had the honour to receive the award to the best video published in European Urology Video Journay in the year 2008.

The video included the recommendations of the IGLU (International Greenlight Laser Users) group on how to perform a Greenlight HPS laser prostatectomy. An important recognition of our work and our efforts to help in the training of new surgeons adopting the greenlight laser for the minimally invasive treatment of BPH (Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia).

The video was projected in the main hall of the congress.

New video series

We are producing a series of comprehensive videos on urologic diseases. This is the first one we have finished, where Dr. Enrique de la Peña, the pediatric urologist working at the ICUA, explains vesicoureteral reflux, and how it is diagnosed and treated. Fot the time being, only in Spanish, sorry.



We hope to help patients improve their understanding of urological disease processes. I will post the videos here as we publish them.

Experts meeting in Barcelona

I flew again to Barcelona to participate in the first meeting of urology experts. A small meeting organised by Olympus, a manufacturer of high quality surgical devices. A very interesting initiative, that gathered a small group of Spanish opinion leaders and experts to comment the current state of minimally invasive surgery. My partner at the Institute of Advanced Urological Surgery, Dr. Castillón, was also invited as an expert in laparoscopy.

I contributed with a talk on Greenlight laser and there I met again Dr. Placer, who presented his experience with the Holmium laser. The treatment of BPH is rapidly changing and the future is very promising. Companies as OLYMPUS have a fundamental role in the advancement of medicine and surgery, because they constantly improve and refine their products, and the interaction with us, the surgeons, is very important. We are operating every day and we generate new needs and ideas. A fantastic initiative from Olympus!

Surgeries at the Hospital Vall d'Hebrón in Barcelona

Today I spent the morning at the prestigious hospital Vall d'Hebron in Barcelona. The urology department directed by Dr. Morote Robles is one of the leading hospitals in the country. They are setting up a laser unit and they wanted to evaluate the greenlight HPS system.

I performed two operations in two patients and I had the opportunity to chat with Dr. Placer, one of the few experts in Holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (in the center of the photo, besides Dr. Carles Raventós, right).


There I met also Dr. Fakiani, whom I had visited recently to help him with his first cases in the Fiatc Hospital, and who told me about his successes with this laser. It has been a great honour to operate in this fantastic hospital, and I was happy to hear from Dr. Placer that both patients did very well postoperatively.

Surgical Marathon in Caracas, Venezuela

Last week I went to Caracas, where I visited five hospitals that have adopted the Greenlight HPS technology for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia, to try and help them start their first cases or to improve their surgical technique and optimize clinical results. It has been a very intense week.

Monday 2nd: Hospital General del oeste, "Magallanes"

We started with this public hospital in Caracas, where there were six patients ready to be operated.

First I gave a talk to the members of the urology department directed by Dr. José Aguillón and then we went to the operating room, where we spent the whole day. We did six operations that were uneventful. The following morning I learned that all patients were OK. It as a long and tough day, but very interesting and intense, and the surgical cases were optimal for such a session.

Tuesday 3rd: Hospital Militar "Dr. Carlos Arvelo"

On Tuesday I woke up with a little bit of Jet-Lag, but a pair of coffees helped me through it. I went to the military hospital directed by Dr. Nirka Marcano.

I also gave a talk in the department initially and we did five operations througout the day, with a lot of people attending at the operating room.

Wednesday 4th: Policlínica Metropolitano

Here I met Dr. Nelson Ramírez and Dr. Jaime Czechowitz, who already had some experience with the Greenlight HPS laser for the treatment of BPH. Dr. Juan Carlos Vargas came to visit us, I met him last year in Caracas and now is the most experienced greenlight surgeon in Venezuela.

We did four operations in a very interesting and fun working session. All patients fared very well. Then we went out for dinner and I enjoyed their company thoroughly as well as the wonderful Venezuelan meat cuts...

Thursday 5th: Clínica El Ávila

At this moment in the week the jet-lag was over, and I went to visit the Clínica El Ávila, one of the most important private hospitals in Caracas. I just did a single operation this time.

Other patients who were programmed for surgery today did have some trouble to make it to the hospital and so we used the opportunity to take it easy and went out for lunch after a brief but intense morning.

Friday 6th: Hospital Domingo Luciani "El Llanito"

On Friday, at last, we finished this surgical marathon visiting Hospital Domingo Luciani. I met the head of the department of urology, Dr. Montes, and after giving a talk to the department, I was able to demonstrate the technique operating two patients.

Then I rushed to the airport, where I took my direct flight to Madrid. It has been a very intense week, I did 18 operations and met more than 30 Venezuelan urologists!!!