The EAU’s Endourology Section, led by Prof. Olivier Traxer (Paris, FR) is working on the second edition of the International Conference on Endourology. ICE26 will take place in Valencia, Spain on 8-10 October, 2026. Registration and abstract submission are currently open!
We spoke to Prof. Traxer about what participants can look forward to at ICE26.
All aspects of endourology
“Our scientific programme will deal with all aspects of endourology: mainly kidney stones, the surgical but the medical part too. Stone formation is a disease, and we need to have a comprehensive evaluation of that. But of course we will cover lower tract problems associated with the bladder, specifically the endoscopic approach.”
“When it comes to the prostate, it’s mainly benign problems like BPH. The EAU Endourology section also includes focal therapy, so there’s a small part of oncology for kidney and prostate but it’s mainly stones, bladder tumours and BPH.”
According to each disease we will talk about the medical, but also the technology associated with each procedure/problem. We have reorganised the programme in a ‘disease-first’ manner, and then addressing all equipment or medical approaches to each disease rather than highlighting instruments or technology on their own.”
Hot topics in 2026
“I would say that there are two main developments in endourology at the moment. For stones, the main issue is suction, as associated with retrograde intrarenal surgery and flexible ureteroscopy. We are able to break stones without any problem, but to make the patient stone-free is still a challenge. According to the EAU Guidelines, if you treat stone patients, you must do your best to make the patient stone-free.”
“So a current challenge is the matter of suction. It’s a very complex topic. It’s not just a tube on which you put negative pressure to aspirate. It’s a much more complex concept associated with intrarenal pressure and intrarenal temperature due to the laser. It affects many facets of our treatment and people are very passionate about different approaches. When we will solve this problem, it will be a huge, huge step.”
“A second hot topic is treatment of BPH. This also comes from the industry side, there are a lot of developments and motivation around BPH. The companies are still doing a lot in stones of course, but it is clear that BPH is a huge potential market. Dealing with BPH with different techniques is therefore also a hot topic. It’s not necessarily the same urologists who treat stones and BPH, so it’s an interesting mix of audiences as well.”
- Do you want to present and discuss your research on endourology at ICE26? You can submit your abstract by 1 June, 2026.
Lessons from ICE25
“This year we will try to have fewer talks, and create more room for discussion. We want depth and quality over quantity. This will be a small change in emphasis of the scientific programme.”
“When it comes to attracting both beginning and experienced endourologists: it has to be a mix. We cannot produce a scientific programme that caters only to key opinion leaders or to the ‘regular’ urologists. We want expert speakers but discussion and exchange with all.”
Giant of the day
“We are introducing a new session type that will open each day of ICE26, the so-called “Giant of the Day”. We are inviting three fantastic, high-profile speakers from around the world (names to be announced!) to give a state-of-the-art lecture, but a very personal one based on their experience.
“We want to keep in mind what people have already accomplished in the past, that way we can really move into the future. Becoming older, I realise that sometimes we forget what some people did, 10, 15, 20 years ago. There is no need to rediscover some concepts or some topics. I think it’s important to give time and recognise what some of these giants have done in their professional lives.”
Semi-live surgery
“The semi-live surgery sessions are one of the most, if not the most important parts of ICE26. We are using the same AV team for all recordings, so in terms of quality, there’s a consistency and it feels like we’re in the same OR. We will have even more cases than last year: companies saw the popularity of the sessions and we have been able to offer more slots for cases.”
“Similar to last year, the audience in Valencia will follow the cases with headsets. Each case will be moderated on-site, in discussion with the surgeon who will also be there. Any sound and commentary recorded during the case will be muted but remain available for when the videos are presented online at a later point.”
The contestants of the 2025 edition of the “Clash of the Titans”.
Clash of the titans
“Last year we had a series of “Best Endourologist of 2025: Clash of the Titans” sessions in which five experts from around the world competed in presenting on a series of topics across the congress days. We will slightly tweak the format. Rather than five individuals, we will have two people per team: one person more dedicated to upper tract and stones, one more for BPH. If possible, a man/woman pairing would be perfect. We are still inviting candidates, we are looking for top, top experts from North and South America; Africa and Middle East; Asia and Europe.”
International appeal
“We are noticing that ICE has international appeal. Last year we had a session for Turkish endourologists. This was well received and we will repeat that. At ICE25 we also had a live link-up with the Asian Urological Society of Endoluminal surgery & Technology (AUSET), who were hosting their own congress at the same time. This year, their representatives will be present in Spain for a joint session.”
“Some other countries came to us to ask if they could do a special dedicated session. Specifically urologists from Central Asia. Recently we had a very successful Central Asian Endourology Congress in Uzbekistan, and we know that there is a desire to connect to the EAU’s activities. We are offering a special one-hour session in which they can request speakers and topics.”
“The Polish Urological Association of Urology is already very closely connected to the EAU, they will also have a special session in Valencia. And finally, we are also hosting a session with speakers representing the Endourological Society and the World Congress of Endourology and Uro-Technology.”
“I think ICE26 will be a big success. We hope to see all of our colleagues in Valencia this October!”
- Registration for ICE26 is currently open! The discounted early registration is available until 1 July.
