Center of Excellence: Department of Urology, AMC University Hospital
City: Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Director: Prof. Jan de la Rosette
Urotour Coordinator: Prof. Theo M. de Reijke
Visit Dates: 10-17/10/2010
Traineesι: Gritsios Pavlos (Thessaloniki)
Kazantzidis Stavros (Thessaloniki)
What the Trainees said
Evaluation of the Center
The hospitality and welcoming we received was great. The behaviour and helpfulness of the staff members of the Department unique. The AMC Department of Urology is a Center of Reference covering all aspects of Modern Urology. The only negative point was the small number of cases (18 beds). As a result, we had the potential to attend only a limitied number of procedures within our one-week stay.
Description of the Department of Urology of the AMC Hospital in Amsterdam
It is a University Hospital and therefore it is located next to the Medical Faculty of the University. It is a huge building settlement which keeps expanding more and more. It comprises multi-storey buildings that are interconnected with bridges-corridors and are all covered with one single roof-shelter. In the common space between buildings, there are a number of restaurants, cafés, stores.The Department of Urology occupies the 5th floor of one of these buildings. Our first meeting took place at 8:00 am in the meeting room of the Department. We found it very easily since the hospital stafff had given us even a map with instructions as as not to get lost. There we were welcomed by Professor Reijke, who introduced us to the other staff members of the Department. Professor De La Rosset was the Director. mainly interested in Endourology; Professor Laguna, mainly dealing with laparoscopic procedures. Dr Meibner, the Andrologist of the Department. Professor Reijke specializes in prostatic diseases and bladder cancer. There are also 4 Residents and many scientific collabolators. After the initial briefing, followed the morning visit to the patient wards and then every Physician took their position. The first day, there were cystoscopies and prostate biopsies performed. The following days, we visited the Hematurea Clinic, Urodynamic Lab and Outpatient Clinics. The Department constantly received emergency calls (when being on-call). A Resident stayed on-call after the morning shift and was 'on-call alert'. Surgical procedures were performed every day. The Department had one operating theater available every day. The procedures that we attended during our stay ware Radical Nephrectomy, Partial Nephrectomy, PNL, Ureteroscopic Lithotripsies. From what we have learnt, all kinds of laparoscopic interventions are performed, as well as Laser Prostatectomies. In the evenings, the Department had scheduled meetings with Physicians from other Departments to discuss the running cases. We attended meetings with the Radiologists, Pathologists and Nephrologists. In the end of the day, all Physicians of the Department would meet once again. In the beginning they talked about the cases of the Department patients, the on-call cases that had emerged and the surgical cases scheduled for the following day. It is worth mentioning the major role of scientific collabolators of the Department. We could not make out exactly how many of them there were, for we could not see them gathered all together. They must be 5-6 from different countries. Some of them were conducting their PhD, while others dealing with a specific field attached to some Professor. Each one of them had a specific research and surgical task. They also participated in Protocols of Companies running in the Department, in order to have financial support.
Evaluation of the Center
Our welcoming and hospitality at the Department of Urology of the Amsterdam University was one-of-a kind. All members of the Department treated us in the best possible way and involved us in the daily activities of the Department. Our communication with them was exceptional as all discussions were carried out in fluent English.
The Department has only 18 beds and therefore a smaller "flow" of weekly surgical procedures compared to larger Departments. However, there is no doubt that the exemplary organization, systematic work, competent staff and effective operating conditions render the AMC Department of Urology one of the top Reference Centers in European Urology.
