Congress on History of Urology joins forces with Andrology Update 2011

European andrologists and urologists with an interest in the history of medicine will convene this summer in Budapest, Hungary, to continue a number of fascinating discussions on the history of urology and to look into today’s most relevant topics of men’s sexual health.The 5th International Congress on the History of Urology in conjunction with Andrology Update 2011 is a meeting organised by the EAU History Office and the EAU Section of Andrological Urology (ESAU). The meeting will take place on 3-4 June 2011. The first day will be entirely dedicated to andrology, while the second will feature the presentations related to the history of urology in Europe and beyond its borders.

“The decision to join these two fields comes from the fact that andrology and the history of urology are indeed intertwined. When we look at the path which led urology to become an independent medical speciality, we see that in the 19th century there was a huge wave of interest amongst medical practitioners who wanted to gain in-depth scientific knowledge about male sexual health and fertility,” said Prof. Dirk Schultheiss, Chairman of the EAU History Office. “This field has certainly played an important role here, and also at the meeting in Budapest we will be covering many historical subjects that overlap with andrology.”

Andrology Update 2011 will cover the latest trends in the field of men’s sexual health, discussing both latest data from relevant studies, as well as practical implications of these finding for urologists sub-specialising in andrology.

“Among the topics that are of most interest to the urological community today are those related to sperm function and the various factors that affect it,” said Dr. Zsolt Kopa, who heads the Andrology Centre of the hosting Semmelweis University and chairs the Andrology Update 2011 together with Prof. Wolfgang Weidner.

“There will be a wealth of new information presented here covering the subject from various angles. Just to mention a few, ‘Genetic background of male infertility’ will provide new understanding of the context for infertility treatment, whereas ‘Reconstructive surgery and sperm retrieval in male infertility’ will summarise key insights and couple them to very practicable therapeutic solutions,” Kopa emphasised. "We are also looking forward to the presentation by Prof. G. Dohle who will discuss practical implications of EAU Guildelines on Male Infertility."

On the second day of the joint meeting, the 5th International Congress on the History of Urology will bring together history experts and enthusiasts from all over the world, to reveal the findings of the latest projects conducted by the EAU History Office and their various partners.

“This congress is a regular event which we organise every two to four years in partnership with our American colleagues. It has a strong tradition, and is fuelled by the dedication of many truly excellent urologists and historians,” said Schultheiss. “The discussions we raise through our historical research are relevant to urologists today – with the rapid development of new technologies and approaches, it is important that we don’t forget where it all began, and that there were huge individual efforts behind the technology that we enjoy today.”

The scientific programme of this year’s International Congress on the History of Urology will focus on the latest findings in historical research dedicated to the influence of National Socialism on the fate of urologists in Europe, portray the lives of several outstanding urology surgeons and researchers and give insights into how urology is depicted in art.

“Of course there will be a number of presentations dedicated to the history of andrology,” said Prof Imre Romics, who chairs 5th International Congress on the History of Urology. “We expect some fascinating reports on diagnostics of ED in medieval Europe, milestones in sexual medicine, the collection of the Semmelweis Medical Historical Museum, and more.”

The meeting will be hosted by Semmelweis University, home to one of the oldest urology departments in Europe and a centre that brings together tradition and innovation – a perfect setting for the event which looks at the past while aiming for the future.

Abstract submission and registration are now open for the 5th International Congress on the History of Urology in conjunction with Andrology Update 2011.

For more information, please visit the website of the meeting.