Second day in South Africa

This is my second day in South Africa. I visited Hospital Donald Gordon in Johannesburg, where we did three PVPs (photoselective vaporization of the prostate). The objective was to train two local urologists in this technique. As always, I started the first operation and then they took the initiative. All operations were uneventful and the outcome was satisfactory (so I am told, all patients did well postoperatively). Then I went to the airport to take a plane back to Madrid. This time my stay in South Africa was extremely short, there is no doubt I will try to come back...

Mentoring in South Africa

Again I went to Southafrica, this time to mentor two teams in Johannesburg. They are the first surgeons to offer the Greenlight PVP procedure in Africa. We went to Linkinsfield Park Hospital in Johannesburg to operate three patients.


I had the enormous honour of operating the first patient to be subjected to a PVP in the African continent... I shared this honour with Dr. Kevin Fisher, who finished the operation. After this first case, I helped Dr. Fisher to perform two operations that were very successful.

We will have dinner together tonight and tomorrow we will conduct a similar session in another hospital. Today the session was successful and everyone who saw the technique, anaesthetists, nurses, other surgeons, were very impressed by this technique.

In the news - Greenlight HPS

This clip appeared in the news after the presentation of the HPS greenlight laser in Madrid and the world experts summit.

We are on TV

This video was broadcasted by "Madrid Directo", a programme of the regional TV, TeleMadrid. It focuses in patient's experience of PVP. We operated him in the afternoon and he was discharged the morning after, so happy. Yesterday he phoned from the beach to say he was feeling great!!

Presentation of the HPS to the press and world experts summit

This weekend we presented the new HPS system to the Spanish press. We did it using the opportunity of the visit to Madrid of four renowned international experts in Greenlight Photoselective Vaporization of the prostate: Mr. Gordon Muir, from King's College Hospital, London; Dr. Shahin Tabatabei, from Massachussets General Hospital; Dr. Benjamin Choi, from Presbysterian Hospital, New York and Dr. Alex Bachmann, from the Basel University Hospital, Switzerland.


We all have a very broad experience in this operation, among the five of us, we have a combined experience of 3000 patients. The objective of their visit was to meet to carry out a surgical session where we would operate one patient each and use the opportunity to discuss technical aspects, strategies and tips and tricks of this surgical intervention. We wanted to share our points of view and reach a consensus on the best way of doing things. All surgeries were splendid and all patients recovered fast and went home very happy.


This saturday we gathered at the Institute of Advanced Urological Surgery in Madrid to establish a consensus on how this operation must be carried out, what to do and what to avoid, what are our recommendations on training residents and urologists, etc... We reached some conclusions that will be published in the form of one or two papers in an international Journal. It was a real pleasure to host these wonderful people and eminent urologists in Madrid. We have all enjoyed the opportunity to share our knowledge, and we think the papers that will come out of this meeting will be of great help as a guide for those urologists wanting to offer this treatment to their patients.

End of Puigvert training

At last we finished the training sessions for the urologists of Fundació Puigvert. From now on, they are on their own. I was there for a final session in theatres, I have received an invitation to participate at the International Congress they organise in October..

Interview for "La Razón"

Today, one of the most read Spanish Newspapers "La Razón" publishes an interview with me. I present the new Greenlight HPS system (HPS stands for High Performance System) for the first time in my country.

Masterclass with Dr. Gaston in Madrid

This saturday we received a visit from Dr. Richard Gaston, from Bordeaux. He came to visit as part of an ongoing collaboration with the Institute of Advanced Urological Surgery, from Madrid. We did three radical prostatectomies in one day, and then Dr. Gaston returned to Bordeaux at 7 pm. He is considered one of the best laparoscopists in the world, invented the technique of laparoscopic radical prostatectomy, and has performed more than 2000 procedures.

In the photo, Dr. Castillón, the director of the laparoscopy unit of the ICUA, assisting Dr. Gaston. This initiative allows our patients to access being treated by a world class surgeon, while we keep on learning from the best surgeon in Europe.

Invitation to Johannesburg in South Africa

I have also received the confirmation of an invitation to travel to South Africa to help in the training of three surgeons that will perform their first cases of PVP (Photoselective Vaporization of the prostate) with a Greenlight KTP laser. I will travel to Johannesburg from July 16th-19th. They have scheduled 10-12 operations. I guess this time there will be no time for safaris, just for intense work.

Invitation to a State of the Art Congress in Belgium

Today I received the programme of a scientific meeting where I have been invited as speaker. It will take place in November in Belgium. A great honour given the high scientific level of this meeting and the prestige of other speakers: Piechaud, Stolzenburg, Marberger, Emberton, Van Poppel, Dasgupta, etc... The interest of my presentation will be to present my initial results with the new HPS system in the treatment of BPH.

New laparoscopy course of the EELU in Madrid

This weekend, the European School of Laparoscopic Urology has celebrated one of it's basic laparoscopy courses. I was invited again as a teacher. We have enjoyed a fantastic course, all alumni expressed their satisfaction with it and have registered for advanced courses. Dr. Castillón (watching the progress of the alumni in the photo above) keeps on contributing to the development and adoption of laparoscopy in Spain, congratulations!!!.

New training session at Puigvert

This tuesday, just after returning from Bologna, I went to Barcelona to participate in a training session at Fundació Puigvert. We did two cases and everything was uneventful. I believe there is only one session left before the summer holidays to conclude the training of the surgeons of this institution.

Congress of the Italian Society of Urology

Today I travelled to Bologna, Italy, to participate at the Annual Congres of the SIU (Italian Society of Urology), where I was invited to present my experience with Greenlight PV (PVP-Photoselective vaporization of the prostate). The session chair was Prof. Andrea Tubaro, a prestigious urologist from Rome, who is also a Greenlight user.
After an introduction where he has covered the basic physics of lasers, my role was to comment the technical details and surgical tips and tricks that allow for a succesful and safe operation. I have also presented the new HPS (High Performance System). Then Prof. Tubaro closed the meeting with a review of the published data on this laser. Then the turn for questions was opened and we enjoyed a lively discussion. This laser is also very hot in Italy and soon will replace TURP as the gold standard for the treatment of BPH in this country.
Tomorrow I fly to Madrid, and then will jump to Barcelona, where I will participate in a surgical training session at Fundació Puigvert.

Training session in Madrid

Today we received three visitors from Lisboa, Portugal, Dr. Correia, Severo y Gomes, who are about to start to use the Greenlight laser. We first did a theoretical session, where I explained the physical basis of this laser and the important technical details of this procedure, and then we went to theatre, where they could witness a PVP (Photoselective Vaporization of the Prostate). It is very nice to be able to receive a small group, because they allow for ample covering of all the aspects of this operation and they all have a chance to ask questions and see the procedure as it is being performed and grab all the small technical details and tricks.
Then we went for lunch to a very nice seafood restaurant, and we enjoyed the continuation of a very educative session...

Back to Barcelona

On Friday I went to Barcelona again to participate in another surgical training session at TEKNON. This time we performed three cases and everything was again uneventful. I am always impressed by the ability of this laser to operate patients without blood loss. This is a photo of the suction device that accumulates the irrigation fluid used during the operation, there was no blood at all in it.


I then went to visit Clínica CIMA, in Barcelona, because more and more patients from Barcelona want me to operate them with the Greenlight laser, but they do not want to jump to the city of Real Madrid ;-). This hospital is impressive, very modern, and my friend and prestigious urologist Dr. Vargas works there, we will very probably start a collaboration to allow me to operate those patients from Barcelona who want to be operated by me in their own city.

Training session in Barcelona

This wednesday I took a flight to Barcelona to participate in a training session in theatre at TEKNON. We operated two patients, both procedures were uneventful. I then returned to Madrid. I have to operate three of my own Greenlight patients on thursday.

Presentation of the HPS during the Spanish National Congress

Davanzia, the distributor of the Greenlight laser in Spain, invited me to present the brand new HPS (high performance system) during the National Congress Celebrated in Seville. We did it in a wonderful venue, the Hotel Alfonso XIII in Seville. I am looking forward to receiving the HPS in Madrid, apparently the first week of July. The impact of this new laser during the congress was very high.

Congress of the Spanish Urological Association, Seville.

The night of the 8th, after my trip to Paris to participate in a meeting of the Media Office of the European Association of Urology, I travelled to Seville. The morning of the 10th I had to participate at the plenary session of the Annual Congress of the Spanish Urological Association. Dr. Ojea Calvo and I had to debate TURP vs Greenlight laser, with Dr. Carlos Hernández moderating the session. We had 12 minutes to defend our technique and a 3 minute rebate turn. I was aggressive and I used some sense of humour as well, that worked out very well. The session was vibrant!! The moderator did not say who was victorious after the debate, but everybody was telling me that I smashed my opponent. So I guess at least I was the moral winner ;-).... Nothing too difficult, as TURP has nothing to do against Greenlight PV. This was my first slide...

Clínica Universitaria de Navarra

This thursday I took a flight to Navarra, in the north of Spain, to perform a Photoselective Vaporization of the Prostate. The prestigious Clínica Universitaria de Navarra, a nation-wide reference hospital in Oncology, is interested in this technique and they wanted to see it in their own hospital. They prepared a relatively difficult case, to judge the real utility of this technique. The patient had a diagnosis of prostate cancer that had been treated with external beam radiotherapy, and he had developed a urinary retention, so he could not void on his own and had to carry a catheter. But, as I anticipated, the operation was uneventful... everyone was impressed by the absence of bleeding and by the endoscopic result after the operation. I was told later on that the patient voided well without the catheter and went home, very happy. His wife could not believe he had been operated on, as the urine was so clear. This is the beauty of the Greenlight laser, it can be used in all patients, no matter how weak or difficult the patient might be...

Tomorrow I will travel to Paris, to participate in a committee meeting of the Media Office of the European Association of Urology, and from there I will fly to Sevilla, where I will participate in a face to face debate at the plenary session of the Annual Meeting of the Spanish Association of Urology, defending Greenlight Photovaporization of the prostate against TURP.

Puigvert once again

Tuesday morning I operated two of my patients in Madrid and then I took a plane to Barcelona. We are finishing the training period of the urologists at Puigvert Foundation in Barcelona. We will carry out two additional surgical sessions and they will be competent to carry on alone. It is important that they learn the technique properly, because they will soon initiate a clinical study that will compare TURP (Transurethral resection of the prostate) with Greenlight PV (Photoselective Vaporization of the Prostate). This study will not only look at clinical results, but also will take into account economical issues, performing a cost analysis. We did two cases in this session and the second one was relatively difficult, so we decided to use a suprapubic trocar to enhance irrigation and to allow us to finish the case with ease... this is a good trick for difficult cases. Then I returned to Madrid, to send the patients I operated the same morning home...