The 2023 Society of Genitourinary Reconstructive Surgeons congenitalism panel featured the work of Drs Molly Dewitt-Foy, Hadley Wood, and Lindsay Hampson and stood out as a highlight of the meeting.

Dr Dewitt-Foy started off the section by discussing the preoperative optimization of patients with congenital urologic conditions. She stressed the unique nature of this patient population’s anatomy and physiology and emphasized the need for an individualized approach to optimizing these patients preoperatively. Dr Dewitt-Foy advocated for the use of imaging to ensure a thorough understanding of each patient’s anatomy preoperatively.

Dr Hadley Wood next discussed the intricacies of taking care of these patients in the inpatient setting. She made a very strong case for the use of cystatin C in this patient population where a lack of muscle mass makes measuring renal function using creatinine a major challenge. Dr Wood also discussed the importance of following a patient’s fluid balance on physical exam for congenitalism patients where subtle findings like urine color and casts may be more helpful than the general population.

Finally, Dr Hampson made a case for thoughtful prospective study of this population. The follow-up of these patients is lifelong, yet longitudinal studies in transitional urology are sparse. Dr Hampson also stressed the importance of addressing the mental health of these patients in order to better understand not only their urologic needs but also their other health issues and how they may affect the agency of these patients.

The biggest takeaway from the congenitalism panel was its presence and its attendance. The panel was both well attended and headlined by some of the giants of the Society of Genitourinary Reconstructive Surgeons. Transitional urology’s placement in the program served as further evidence that the treatment of this special group of patients is becoming a pillar of reconstructive urology.