This was a busy week and I flew to Oporto to visit the Hospital in Gaia, to show Prof. Luis Ferraz and Dr. Manuel Pereira the GreenLight laser in action. We did three cases and all went very well. They are planning to implement an ambulatory GreenLight laser center which is a very clever idea in times of economic crisis.
Then I returned to Madrid after a very successful session.
This time I travelled to the north of Italy, in a region of Italy where the main language is German, I did not know this.
I went to the Krankenhous Hospital, with Dr. Gozzi and his team to show the different techniques for treatment of BPH with the new GreenLight XPS 180 watt laser. Dr. Gozzi is well known in the urological world for the development of a prosthesis for the treatment of urinary incontinence in the male (Advance System) that has proven to be extremely useful.
We did four surgeries during the morning that went really well. Then I returned to Madrid after having made a new friend. I loved this region of Italy, I had to drive all the way to Bergamo to take the return plane, and I really enjoyed the spectacular panorama.
This time I flew to Italy, Téramo, near the Apenines. There I had programmed a surgical session with four patients. I accompanied Prof. Vicentini, head of the department of urology as well as the two former heads of this same department, Prof. Miano and Prof. Laurentini (in the photo with me). We also had with us Dr. Naccarato.
I operated the whole day, and I also gave a talk on GreenLight technology to the members of the urology department. I showed them the GreenLEP technique, anatomic vaporization as well as vaporization with enucleation of the median lobe. All cases went very well.
At the end of the session we had this photo taken with the rest of the urology department members. It was an intense and fun session, a beautiful day. Then I returned driving to Bergamo, and slept there before coming to Madrid in the morning the following day.
Today we received the visit at Clínica CEMTRO of three french urologists, Dr. Weidman, Faure and Schneider. They all have experience in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperpplasia with the new GreenLight XPS 180 watt laser, but they wanted to refine some surgical technique aspects and to witness the work we carry out in Madrid.
We had a very interesting session with four surgical operations, that went very well. I showed them the enucleation as well as the anatomic vaporization techniques. We had a great time and we could share experiences. A very fruitful session!
I took the opportunity of a Bank Holiday in May to visit my friends. Dr. Daniel Porto and Dr. Javier Zeballos in Montevideo, Uruguay. There we had prepared two days of surgeries. When I arrived at Montevideo, the local press already knew about my trip.
We operated in the British Hospital several patients with BPH (Benign Prostate Hyperplasia) and the objective of the two sessions is to help Dr. Zeballos to familiarize himself with the GreenLEP technique (GreenLight Enucleation of the prostate).
Everything went fine. I had a great time once again with my friends in Uruguay and we all learned a lot. In July we agreed to meet again for the GRILUR (Iberoamerican urological laser group) meeting that will take place in Ecuador in July.
Yesterday I received a message that made me happy. I have been invited by the United Arab Emirates Urological Society to give the closing talk of their annual congress. Although I have travelled extensively, I never went to Dubai, and I really look forward to it.
My brother Enrique, who works as a pilot for Etihad, one of the airlines from the UAE, lives in Abu Dhabi, close to Dubai. I hope to see him there soon.
I spent thursday and friday in Rabat, Morocco, where I had to train Prof. Karim Tazi on the use of the GreenLight laser for the treatment of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia.
We worked at the Clinique Souissi. It was a special pleasure to meet Prof. Tazi.
This time I visited the Ospedale di Reggio Emilia where I worked with Dr. Francho Bergamaschi and with the new GreenLight XPS 180 watt laser.
It is a very modern and well equipped hospital, and Dr. Bergamaschi is very interested in laser treatment of BPH.
After the surgical session we had a meeting where I explained to the members of the urology department all the basic science behind this laser. Then I returned to Madrid, that same day, late at night.
This was published in the local press after my visit.
This monday I operated with Dr. Francisco Juarez del Dago, from the Gabinete de Urología y Andrología of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. We collaborate often and it is always a pleasure to share with him. After a wonderful sunday together in Gran Canaria, we did two complex PVPs in San Roque Clinic.
As every month I flew to Sofia for a weekend surgical session. In this occasion we had a foreign visitor. Dr. Jan Ebbing, from the Klinik für Urologie Charite - Universitätsmedizin Berlin. He wanted to learn the GreenLEP (GreenLight enucleation of the prostate) technique, and as do a lot of these operations in two days at the Hill Clinic in Sofia, it was a good opportunity.
We were both interviewed for the Standard Newspaper, the most important diary in Bulgaria.
In this photo with Dr. Ebbing at the end of the surgical weekend.
In this occasion I flew to San José to join an international experts committee where we discuss how should new lasers for the treatment of BPH evolve.
This committee is composed by Dr. Benjamin Choi (USA), Mayo Clinic Professor emeritus Dr. Reza Malek (USA), Dr. Mahmood Hai (USA), Dr. Karl Kemberling (USA) and Dr. Henry Woo (Australia), who could not be in this photo. It is always fascinating to think about the future of surgery of BPH and these are very interesting meetings.
When I arrived at Torino I went for dinner with Prof. Cesare M. Scoffone, an international expert in percutaneous renal surgery with a great interest in endourology.
We enjoyed a wonderful time tasting the local fish. The next morning we woke up early to go to the theatres of the Ospedale Cottolengo, where he had programmed four cases. I did three vaporizations and one prostate enucleation and I was delighted with Prof. Scoffone's reaction. He was amazed with the technology and the evolution of the surgical technique.
I also had the privilege of listening to Prof. Scoffone presenting his experience in percutaneous renal surgery and combined intrarenal surgery (double access to the kidney, both ureteroscopically and percutaneously). I talked to him about my colleague at ICUA, Dr. Luis Llanes, who is the newly appointed head of department of urology at the new hospital in Torrejón Madrid, a great expert in the same techniques and we thought to invite Prof. Scoffone soon to operate with us.
Finally I came back to Madrid, a little tired after 23 surgeries in the last six days.
After landing in Rome I took a taxi to go to the Policlinico Umberto Primo, Dipartimento Bracci, to operate two patients in the urological department of Prof. Gentile.
The session was shorter than usual, but also very interesting.
From Rome I flew again to Torino for the last day of this long italo-bulgarian roadshow.
This time we had a busy surgical program me at Hill Clinic in Sofia. We operated 10 patients in two days, all of them with big, bulgarian prostates.
We did 9 enucleations and one vaporization. I still learn a lot with this sessions, every prostate is different and facing the challenge of making surgeries safer, faster, more efficient, patient after patient, makes me learn and evolve. There were two patients with prostates specially big, with 150 and 220 grams, that went very well.
I was interviewed for bulgarian TV.
On Saturday night I went to a restaurant where I could see the folk group Asen & Milena. A wonderful and totally recommendable music.
After the surgical session in Rome, I flew to Torino and from there I was taken to Cuneo. There I had dinner with the urologists from the Ospedale de la Santa Croce and we enjoyed the cucina piamontesa in a restaurant just in front of the hospital.
The next day we had a busy session with four patients, accompanied by Dr. Arena and Dr. Dadone. They had already experience with the GreenLight HPS 120 watt laser and they were impressed by both the technological advances, with the 180 watt new laser, as well as by the advances in surgical technique. They loved to see how it is possible to perform a full vaporization of the adenoma with the anatomic PVP technique. I also showed how it is possible to enucleate a median lobe in prostates with huge median lobes. We had a great time.
In this occasion I had the privilege to operate at the Ospedale Fatebenefrateli isla tiberina in Rome, Italy, with Prof. Amici. This is the oldest hospital in Rome, surrounded by the Tiber river, wonderful. Under the hospital they discovered archeological ruins of a roman villa and they are exposed for visitors, fascinating.
We did a surgical session with three patients that went really well. I could demonstrate the anatomic PVP technique with excellent results. Later they told me that patients had all fared very well. Dr. Amici expressed his interest in inviting me to operate in Rome more often. I love Rome!
Again we received in Madrid the visit of two italian urologists who came to witness a surgical session at Clinica CEMTRO.
Prof. Mutto y Dr. Romagnoli watched two operations that fared excellently well. That night I went to bed early as I had to fly to Rome early in the morning.
This thursday I flew to Leipzig in Germany to participate in a course on the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia with the GreenLight laser organized by the Universitätsklinikum of Leipzig and the Universitätspital of Basel, Switzerland. There I lectured with Professors Alexander Bachmann, Oliver Reich, Frank Schiefelbein and Jens-Uwe Stolzenburg, Who hosted the meeting at his hospital in Leipzig.
I first lectured on basic science, explaining laser physics and their relevance for the GreenLight surgeon. Then we divided the participants in groups and I was in charge with Prof. Schiefelbein to discuss advanced techniques, the anatomic vaporization of the prostate and the GreenLEP (GreenLight enucleation of the prostate) procedure.
Then I performed a surgical operation precisely demonstrating the principle of anatomic vaporization, with the presence in the operating room of many german colleagues.
Professor Jens-Uwe Stolzenburg is a world famous urological laparoscopist, an exceptional surgeon, a wonderful person and a great host.
After the meeting I had a chance to visit the Porsche factory in Leipzig, with Dr. Bachmann and Dr. Reich and a professional pilot drove us fast in an spectacular Porsche Panamera...
Then I returned to Madrid and to try and enjoy the bank holiday.
Today I spent the morning with my colleagues at the Hospital Gregorio Marañón, the biggest public hospital in Madrid. I had been invited to show the GreenLight XPS 180 watt anatomic vaporization of the prostate. It is always nice to meet my friends again.
I did the first case of the morning, a patient with a moderately large prostate, where I showed them the way of identifying the prostate capsule to achieve a radical vaporization of the adenoma. Everything went smooth and nice.
Dr. Carlos Hernández performed the second case. He had previous experience with GreenLight and it was easy for him to reproduce the technique. He was very satisfied with the possibilities this new laser offers and surprised to see the radicality and elegance of the technique.
Dr. Hernández has always been in the avant gardé of technology and modern techniques in urology, pioneered many techniques in our country, specially laparoscopy and is a loved and respected reference for us spanish urologists. I had a great time with him and the urologists of his department. It is always a pleasure to share my experience and surgical tips with my colleagues.
This year the European Congress took place in Paris. In this ocasion my contribution for the congress was to participate in a observed advanced techniques observation session on GreenLight vaporization of the prostate in which we showed other colleagues how to operate with this laser with a computerized surgical simulator.
The simulator is fantastic, as it allows urologists without experience with GreenLight to train for hours before operating on patients. This way, their understanding of the technique improves a lot and any mistake is committed in a computer, rather than in a patient.
A very interesting session with my friends, Dr. Oliver Reich, Shiefelbein and Alivizatos.
Again we received the visit of some italian urologists, and Dr. Miguel Angel García, from Salamanca. In this occasion I did two vaporizations and one enucleation with the GreenLigth XPS laser in a patient with a big prostate, all operations were uneventful and successful.
A very interesting session. I love to see the reaction of my colleagues when they come to visit, they leave convinced that this laser, well used, can work wonders on the treatment of BPH patients.
Urologist. HoLEP and robotic surgery specialist. Head of Urology at Clínica CEMTRO, Madrid. I have operated in over 50 countries and performed more than 10,000 laser procedures.
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