HYDERABAD: Foreign urology experts speaking at a conference emphasised the need for avoiding complications in urological surgeries to save patients from trauma and also save time.

They explained different methodologies for urological surgeries at the first four-day ‘Hyderabad Urology Conference’ organised by Dr Javed Altaf-led Hyderabad chapter of the Pakistan Association of Urological Surgeons (PAUS) at Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences (LUMHS) on Sunday. The conference was formally inaugurated a day earlier.

Two eminent urologists -- Prof Dr Mahesh Bahadur Adhikari from Nepal and Prof Dr Srinath K. Chandrasekara from Sri Lanka also delivered their lectures, besides their Pakistani counterparts. They performed live surgeries as well.

Welcoming visiting the guests, LUMHS vice chancellor Prof Dr Ikram Din Ujjan said that urology had long been recognised as a keen adopter of new technologies and innovations in surgical practice.

He said that with exponential and rapid perfections in laparoscopic techniques and instrumentations over the last two decades, urologists’ enthusiasm to implement minimally invasive approaches had led to near-elimination of open surgical approaches in urological diseases.

LUMHS hosts first ‘Hyderabad Urology Conference’

The VC said this captivation was driven mainly by morbidity associated with classic open approaches and benefits of less invasive approaches.

Prof Chandrasekara delivered two lectures, talking about how to avoid complications in urological surgeries percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) when removing stone from kidney. He explained the process in detail.

In his second lecture ‘Avoiding nightmares’, he shared how could a doctor extricate himself/herself when stuck up in some complicated surgery that often became nightmare for a true surgeon. He showed of such surgeries experienced by himself.

He taught about saving loss of blood in a surgery while using fogarty catheter surgical input.

Prof Adhikari discussed role of ESWL (extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy) and said it was still relevant in this modern era of technological advancement because the other method involved expensive surgical equipment meant for removal of stone from kidney. He defended ESWL which he said could still be adopted by surgeons when compared with mini-PCNL and retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS). He said that urologists would return to ESWL given the cost of equipment.

He said that ESWL was relevant for removing stone in this era of minimal invasive gadgets and added that patients were discharged within few hours after ESWL was performed. He shed light on RIRS and urological surgeons could use axis sheet in RIRS to avoid trauma on the part of patient. He said that some advancement was also taking place in RIRS.

PAUS president Dr Mohammad Ayaz also hailed the initiative of foreign experts for collaboration with urologists of three countries – Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Nepal. He said that he was glad to see this first ever urology conference in Hyderabad.

PAUS Hyderabad chapter president of Prof Dr Javed Altaf Jat that the event would provide a forum to exchange views on the latest research and knowledge in urology. He said that pre-symposium workshops and live surgeries held at the conference would benefit students. He said that hands-on training performed by visiting urologists was indeed a great achievement. Besides foreign experts, 27 renowned urologists from Pakistan would share their knowledge with the participants, he said.

Published in Dawn, January 23th, 2023