The Basics of Laparoscopy & Robotics Course, organized by Koç University Hospital's Department of Urology, is a comprehensive hands-on training program designed to enhance the skills of urologists in minimally invasive surgical techniques. The course will take place on June 28, 2024, at the RMK AIMES (Rahmi M. Koç Academy of Interventional Medicine, Education and Simulation) in Istanbul, Turkey.

The course aims to provide participants with a solid foundation in laparoscopy and robotic surgery through a combination of didactic lectures and practical training sessions. The program is structured to follow the European Basic Laparoscopic Urological Skills (E-BLUS) and European Basic Robotic Urological Skills (E-BRUS) training guidelines.

The course faculty consists of highly experienced urologists from Koç University Hospital, including Dr. Yakup Kordan, Dr. A. Erdem Canda, Dr. Ersin Köseoğlu, Dr. İbrahim Can Aykanat, Dr. Barış Esen, Dr. Kayhan Tarım, and Dr. Ahmet Furkan Sarıkaya.

The course program is divided into two main sessions:

Laparoscopy EBLUS Training:

Hands-on training on basic skills exercises using training boxes

Practice in depth perception, dexterity, instrument handling, and pattern cutting

Exercises include peg transfer, cutting a circle, needle transfer and guidance, and knot tying and suturing

Robotic Simulator Training:

Hands-on training on the Da Vinci robotic simulator

Practice in sea spikes, 0-degree camera, vessel energy dissection, three-arm relay, energy pedals, knot tying, and vertical defect suturing

The course is designed to provide a supportive learning environment, with a maximum of two participants per training box to ensure personalized attention and feedback from the faculty.