The first edition of the International Conference on Endourology (ICE25) will be held in Rome on 27-29 November. We spoke to Mr. Oliver Wiseman (Cambridge, GB) urologist and stone specialist and board member of the EAU’s new Endourology Section about the upcoming meeting’s scientific programme.
The conference is the first to be organised by this new section, and features as much innovation in its scientific content as in the way they will be presented. Mr. Wiseman explains how “as-live surgery” in Rome will offer the best of both worlds when compared to a live surgery setting:
“We made a very deliberate choice for this format. One of the great advantages of pre-recording complete cases is that it removes a lot of the logistics and the uncertainty of a live setting. It’s a complex effort of the host centres, involving validating surgeons, scheduling patients, a lot of goodwill is required in the participating hospitals. But then you might still end up in a situation where a certain instrument doesn’t work, or the patient is cancelled, or you cannot access the kidney. Also for the companies who want to demonstrate their equipment, this is not ideal.”
“There’s also the matter of the surgeon. If you’re in a live case and things are getting complex, you cannot be on automatic pilot. You have to focus on your patient and you cannot explain your thought processes to the audience at the same time.”
“If you take a full-length recording of a procedure, without any edits or cherry-picking, and you narrate it in an educational setting like ICE25, you have the full bandwidth to explain your procedure to the audience and answer any questions, and teach any points you want to bring across.”
Mr. Oliver Wiseman
Procedures
As an event organised by the Endourology Section, itself the replacement of the EAU’s former uro-technology and urolithiasis sections, there will clearly be a wide range of technology demonstrated in a wide range of clinical cases. In total, 18 pre-recorded cases will be featured over the course of three days, as well as keynote lectures, panel discussions and other formats.
The programme will cover procedures that urologists face in their daily practice. In that sense, it should have broad appeal to practitioners from across Europe.
Mr. Wiseman: “We will cover day to day stuff that should be familiar to everyone. BPH, renal stone surgery, flexible ureteroscopy, something most urologists in Europe and further afield perform, tips and tricks, and insights into how newer tech should be used. The programme will be relevant for all urologists.”
“At the same time we’re covering a very wide range of topics, technology and innovation we have seen across this kind of surgery is mindboggling. It’s moving at such a pace and it’s a good opportunity for people to keep up with it. People will see demonstrations of what they can have in their own hands now and in the next year or two.”
“The programme will include ureteroscopy, percutaneous nephrolithotomy, some bladder outflow procedures, and a mix of focal and laparoscopic procedures. Delegates can expect a wide range of bladder outflow, upper tract urothelial cancer, stones, laparoscopic and focal treatment.”
“A wide range of technology will be featured too: the newer lasers with different pulse modulations. Smaller ureteroscopes and those with pressure monitoring. Suction devices, and maybe devices that can regulate flow of irrigation into the kidney. In terms of percutaneous procedures, I’m sure we’ll see single probe, lithotripsy devices such as the Trilogy and Shockpulse devices, as well as lasers, and ultrasound and image guided punctures to the kidney.”
“From the bladder outflow point of view, we’ll see different enucleating techniques, different lasers being used. On top of them, some new minimally-invasive treatments for bladder outflow surgery, aquablation, Rezum, Urolift, and iTIND. These are less-invasive technologies for patients with enlarged prostates bladder outflow surgery.”
ICE25 is also taking an innovative approach to abstract sessions. Whereas at some meetings, presenters might have a few minutes to present their poster, ICE25 will feature a rigorous selection of submissions and grant every presenter 15 minutes to present and discuss:
“For scientific meetings of this kind, this is unheard of,” says Mr. Wiseman. “We’re going to have four moderators who will ask some very probing questions, it’s a real chance for people to share their work. This will make the abstract sessions have a greater appeal to all participants: they will get a scientific update on topics that are important to them. People want to know how to translate new developments into practice, and how it’s they’re going to impact their patients.”
Best endourologist in the world
One further novelty in this year’s scientific programme is the “Best endourologist in the world” competition, the finer points of which are still under wraps. Mr Wiseman can reveal:
“Competitors will represent different continents and regions of the globe and compete over the course of two days. An expert panel and the audience will be voting. The exact set-up is still a secret but we think we will have a compelling and educational format for the participants and audience.”
- Registration for ICE25 is currently open! The discounted early fee is available until August 28.
One Section, one mission, one meeting
In 2024, the EAU Sections of Urolithiasis and Uro-Technology (EULIS and ESUT) merged into a new Section, the EAU Endourology Section. Mr. Wiseman was initially a member of ESUT and now sits on the new Section’s board.
“The transition has been easy, I think the two topics are complementary. Stones are very much rooted in technology and new innovation. A lot of what the ESUT did was also replicated within EULIS and we already worked together in scientific formats like UROtech. So to me it made sense to join them. As a single group of experts covering these topics, it makes us stronger, and our meetings more compelling and bigger.”
