Yamanouchi Center Offers Intensive, Hands-on Training for New Surgical Techniques

Irvine, Calif., Aug. 20, 2003 — The UC Irvine College of Medicine has created the first mini-residency program for teaching practicing urological surgeons the latest techniques in minimally invasive surgery.

The program is offered by the Yamanouchi Center for Urological Education and includes hands-on training with the most up-to-date surgical techniques and technologies for treating patients. Instruction will be given by UCI’s urologic surgeons, many of whom pioneered these same techniques and procedures.

“This is a new paradigm in urological surgical education, where there is a real need to train people in the latest techniques with the newest technology,� said Dr. Ralph Clayman, co-director of the Yamanouchi Center and professor and chair of urology. “Urologic surgeons only 10 years out of their residencies still haven’t mastered some of the more technically demanding minimally invasive procedures. Our program will give them the skills to use these techniques in their own hospitals.�

During the five-day mini-residency program, practicing surgeons receive basic and advanced laparoscopic skills training for performing all types of minimally invasive procedures on the kidney, bladder, prostate and ureters. The surgeons engage in both laboratory and clinical activities, including work on virtual reality simulators and animal models, and complete their residencies by either assisting or observing a surgical procedure with one of the Department of Urology’s surgeons. They also receive hands-on training with cutting-edge technology such as the da Vinci System surgical robot, which uses a three-dimensional computer vision system to manipulate robotic arms.

“Minimally invasive surgery reduces the trauma of traditional open surgery and quickens the patient’s recovery,� said Dr. Elspeth McDougall, director of the Yamanouchi Center and professor of urology. “Having the surgeons learn and ultimately practice minimally invasive procedures in this mentored environment will clearly benefit their patients.�

The center is funded with a $3 million grant from Yamanouchi Pharma America, Inc., with further support from Karl Storz Endoscopy-America, Inc. and the Simbionix Corp. This support covers the cost of tuition, so participating surgeons only pay for travel and housing. The center accommodates two surgeons for each week-long residency and enrollment is capped at 40 surgeons a year.


For more information, call (714) 456-3429, or visit www.ucihealth.com/urologyseminar.