Today Dr. Alberto Breda (ES) welcomed over 400 participants to Dusseldorf for the 18th Meeting of the EAU Robotic Urology Section, this year held in conjunction with the 13th Meeting of the German Society of Robotic Urology.
Dr. Breda warned participants of the “intense programme” ahead over the next three days. “I am very pleased to welcome you here and thank you all for being here. This marks the end of a two-year wait.”
Prof. Jörn Witt as Chair Host Faculty thanked the behind the scenes faculty and staff, particularly those involved with the logistics around live surgery. “Let’s have two and a half good days. Three things to focus on: First, stay safe. Secondly, have productive, good scientific discussions. And thirdly, enjoy the meeting and have some fun.” Prof. Stöckle welcomed the delegates on behalf of the German Society of Robotic Urology.
On Thursday morning, three meetings started simultaneously. Next to the “regular” ERUS which started with Live Surgery, the Junior ERUS-YAU meeting also kicked off, as did the ERUS-EAUN Robotic Urology Nursing Meeting. Over the coming days, several satellite meetings will be taking place, mainly German-language for a local (nursing) audience but also specialised courses by the European School of Urology.
ERUS-DRUS21 promises to be a major in-person urological event in 2021, one of the first organised by the EAU since the global pandemic. Stringent checks and health protocols have allowed organisers to safely welcome an international audience to Dusseldorf. After a virtual ERUS20, this is the first in-person ERUS meeting since ERUS19 in Lisbon. An online-only option was made available to accommodate people who preferred to not make the trip, and several faculty members are speaking remotely. Live surgery will be a mix of procedures carried out in Germany, Belgium and China.
The morning of ERUS-DRUS21 will start with live surgery, covering nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy (in three varieties), and a comparison of three wholly different approaches to the radical prostatectomy (Retzius-sparing, nerve-sparing and extraperineal). Other scientific sessions will cover the latest developments in robotic urology in the “Newsroom” (Plenary Session 4), as well as the most controversial current issues in robotic urology (Plenary Session 5).
ERUS-DRUS21 will take place over the next three days, ending Saturday afternoon.
