After a challenging year, it is with great anticipation that we all await the return of in-person conferences, most notably the American Urological Association’s (AUA’s) upcoming Annual Meeting. This year, it will be held on September 11, 2021 in the entertainment capital of the world–Las Vegas! The American College of Surgeons (ACOS) will be holding its annual Urological Surgery Discipline Mid-Year Meeting in conjunction with the AUA meeting in September, offering a full day of lectures from national experts in the field of urology. Led by co-chairs Drs. David Cahn, Mary McHugh and Gregory Diorio, viewers will be presented with a wide variety of discussions on leadership, robotics, pediatrics, oncology, infertility, men’s health and more.

Dr. Amy Pearlman of the University of Iowa will be presenting about men’s health. Dr. Pearlman completed her residency training at the University of Pennsylvania and her fellowship in reconstruction and infertility at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. She is an active member of the urology community and has published multiple recent works discussing data on penile prostheses, anterior urethral strictures and treatment of urinary incontinence in the aging male.

A urologic oncologist based at the Medical University of South Carolina, Dr. Gregory Diorio will be reviewing surgical optimization for cystectomy patients, including incorporation of the extended recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocol. Dr. Diorio completed his residency at the Einstein Healthcare Network and fellowship at Moffitt Cancer Center. He has published multiple articles on genitourinary (GU) oncology in his career, with his most recent work in Urologic Oncology in 2020.

Dr. Marc Rogers of the Medical University of South Carolina will be discussing recent topics in infertility. Dr. Rogers completed his residency at the University of Pittsburgh and a fellowship in male infertility and sexual medicine at the University of Washington. He recently published a review of the effects of Y chromosome copy number variation on fertility in Translational Andrology and Urology.

From Detroit Medical Center, Dr. Barrett Anderson will focus on retroperitoneal robotic surgery, discussing indications, relevant retroperitoneal anatomy, and surgical tips and tricks. Dr. Anderson attended residency at Detroit Medical Center, and fellowship for minimally invasive urological surgery and endourology at Washington University.

Dr. Laurence Belkoff, program director of the Main Line Health Urology Residency, honored recipient of the AUA 2020 Residents and Fellows Committee Teaching Award, and previous ACOS president, will be reviewing the pathways and experiences of surgical leadership and mentorship.

Dr. Ronak Gor completed his residency at Einstein Healthcare Network and a reconstructive and genitourinary trauma fellowship at the University of Minnesota. He will be examining the underrepresented area of transitional urology and expanding on his recent paper in Current Urology Reports, which discusses the unique role of adult reconstructive urologists in the management of these challenging urology patients.

Dr. Carmen Tong of the University of Alabama and Children’s Hospital of Alabama will be discussing pediatric urology, specifically vesicoureteral reflux and pediatric urinary tract infection (UTI). Dr. Tong completed her residency at Einstein Healthcare Network and her fellowship in pediatric urology at Vanderbilt University. As an engaged participant in the pediatric community, she recently represented the Section on Pediatric Urology at the American Academy of Pediatrics meeting regarding access to surgical care for children in rural communities.

Finally, Dr. David Cahn will be presenting on the topic of regionalization of oncologic and surgical cancer care. He will be highlighting the benefits and challenges of regionalization, as well as available opportunities for improving quality of care for GU oncology patients, namely by reorganizing processes and structures of cancer services. He completed his residency training at Einstein Healthcare Network and urologic oncology fellowship at the Fox Chase Cancer Center. He recently published an editorial discussing this topic in the context of radical cystectomy in Translational Andrology and Urology.

The members of the ACOS and speakers participating in the Urological Surgery Discipline Mid-Year Meeting are pleased to be presenting, and welcome your participation!