AUA 2023 Buzz Report
Brittany just got back from attending the American Urological Association Annual Meeting 2023 (AUA 2023) in the windy city–Chicago! It’s known for its beautiful skyline, museums, Da Bears, the Bulls, and the Bean. It was her first time visiting and also her first time trying deep-dish pizza, but Britt admits she might like the architecture of Chicago a little more than its pizza!
The AUA 2023 expo was action-packed, to say the least! The Annual Meeting is in its 118th year and THE largest gathering of urologists in the world–AUA provides unparalleled access to groundbreaking research, new guidelines, and the latest advances in urologic medicine. With 355 exhibitors and over 10,000 attendees this year, you could definitely feel the energy and excitement! The list of exhibitors included some established market leaders such as Coloplast, BK Medical, Laborie, Cook Medical, Karl Storz, and Richard Wolf Instruments.
One of the major trends we continue to see is the focus on the diagnosis of Prostate Cancer and treatment of BPH. According to the American Cancer Society, 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer within their lifetime and the likelihood increases dramatically, as they age. Chances are, most of us know someone who has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, which is why we’re so passionate about the impact that these amazing innovations have on these patients.
Here are 4 impressive uro-expo updates from some of Britt’s favorites:
Profound Medical
A fast-paced growing organization committed to establishing a new standard in cancer care with their transurethral ultrasound ablation technology called the Tulsa Pro. It is safe, precise, durable, and flexible to treat many disease states. The Tulsa Pro keeps the treatment in the MRI suite and leads to predictable outcomes, minimized risk of side effects, and comprehensive applications. Patients love that it’s an outpatient procedure that preserves their natural functioning abilities. They are also looking forward to new A.I. advancements and enhancements to achieve continuous improvement in clinical outcomes.
Clinical Laserthermia Systems (CLS)
Offers a less invasive treatment option with their TRANBERG™ systems that are cleared and marketed in the US and Europe. Focal laser ablation provides an alternative treatment that targets and ablates only specific parts of glands, organs, or other tissue needing treatment while preserving the surrounding and remaining tissue. Their President, Michael Magnani, is excited for CLS to offer physicians a turnkey solution in a mobile services platform.
Signati Medical
They have a truly remarkable way of performing vasectomies with their novel “all outside” technique that can be performed in under two minutes. This procedure is taking vasectomy to a whole new level of comfort, safety, and speed. The best part is that it allows patients to get back to work and activity sooner. Signati was founded in 2018, and they are very close to FDA approval and finally being able to offer this groundbreaking procedure to the world.
Fellow
Has developed a modern and convenient way for men to analyze their fertility with their peer-reviewed, clinical semen analysis that patients can do from home. Their solutions include full semen analysis, post-vasectomy semen analysis, and cryopreservation. Fellow’s goal is to destigmatize reproductive healthcare and improve access to clinical insights. They have seen major growth over this past year and look forward to continuing to serve the millions of men that need access and insight into their reproductive health.
Introducing 4 more incredible advancements Britt learned about for the first time at AUA:
Modernizing Medicine (Mod Med)
A customized practice management software for Urology practices built BY Urologists FOR Urologists. They offer all-in-one suites of integrated health solutions designed for multiple medical specialties, including practice management, revenue cycle management, payment processing, analytics, patient engagement tools, and much more. Mod Med simplifies the tracking of patient health data and provides workflows that allow for the population of urinalysis and lab results into EMA, with the click of a button, giving urologists the ability to focus on providing better patient care faster and giving patients a much better experience with their physician.
Calyxo
Developed the innovative CVAC Aspiration System that utilizes irrigation and aspiration to remove kidney stones with the goal of a surgically stone-free outcome, a challenge that has always been difficult to achieve consistently. Residual fragments left behind are associated with a 20%-44% rate of problems including pain, infection, emergency department visits, hospitalization, and need for retreatment. Calyxo is giving hope to patients who suffer from kidney stones, delivering next-generation treatment solutions that are changing the face of urology.
Exosome Diagnostics
The world’s first liquid biopsy test using exosomes, the ExoDx Prostate Test is a standalone, exosome-based prostate cancer test delivering a unique data point to help guide the prostate biopsy decision. It is a simple urine test that leverages the power of exosomes to detect disease EARLIER in the progression of prostate cancer. Considering the current increasing rate of prostate cancer in men, this is going to continue to be a much-needed tool for patients to make life-altering decisions that will ideally improve and lengthen their life.
Valencia Technologies
A neuromodulation company transforming the standard of care for bladder dysfunction, Valencia’s implantable neuromodulation technology is reshaping the delivery of long-term therapy for bladder control. eCoin® is a tibial implant for Urge Urinary Incontinence, the most common type of bladder control problem in younger and middle-aged women. The coin-sized neurostimulator is placed under the skin near the ankle during a consistent, minimally invasive procedure using only local anesthetic, bringing drug-free relief to these patients = life-changing!
Many more companies demonstrated the transformative power of their technologies– a few to note that are seeing a lot of consistent growth are Axonics, Procept Biorobotics, and Palette Lifesciences. These companies are revolutionizing the way patients are treated and offering more precise and effective solutions that are truly improving lives.
Drop a comment below to share what excites you about these innovations, or to let us know which companies YOU found interesting at this year’s AUA!
