Grant D. Taylor

Applications of laparoscopic surgery in urology: Impact on patient care

From its first use as a diagnostic tool, urologic laparoscopy has developed into a complex therapy for both benign and malignant disease. Most procedures are still performed at large centers with experienced laparoscopists but nonacademic urologists are starting to gain the necessary training and skills. With the clear advantage that laparoscopy shows over open procedures in terms of decreased perioperative morbidity and quicker recovery times, patients are increasingly asking for this approach. The urologic community must meet this challenge and train future urologists to meet the expected demand.

Training for renal ablative technique using an agarose-based renal tumour-mimic model

To assess whether a recently developed porcine tumour‐mimic model can serve as a training model for radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of renal masses, as the increased diagnosis of small occult renal masses has led to the development of nephron‐sparing treatments, including RFA, and the techniques required for effective tumour ablation can be difficult to master.