World's largest Urology Congress in 2021 in Stuttgart

The German Association for Urology chose the ICS International Congress Center Stuttgart as the venue for the first attended Congress since the start of the pandemic. 

At the end of September 2021, the world's largest Urology Congress in 2021 at the ICS International Congress Center Stuttgart heralded the resumption of attended congresses after a long break. The German Association for Urology (DGU), the organiser of the Congress, welcomed 4,600 delegates from home and abroad. They were all pleased to finally have the opportunity again to exchange views and information on specialised topics during personal discussions. Since the 73rd DGU Congress was simultaneously broadcast all over the world via a live stream, the programme could also be followed virtually. The Congress President was Prof. Dr. med. Dr. h.c. Arnulf Stenzl, Medical Director of the Urology Clinic in Tübingen.

"We are delighted that we managed to again provide the customarily constructive and personal framework for scientific exchanges in our field. We combined the best of both worlds with the live stream. The DGU therefore implemented an event model of the future that fulfils the requirements of modern medical congresses," summarised Congress President Prof. Stenzl.

Stefan Lohnert, President of Messe Stuttgart, also added: "This event represented a successful restart for us in the congress business. It was shown that both our Safe Expo hygiene concept and the technical facilities in our rooms for world-class events such as the DGU Congress offer ideal general conditions."

The Congress motto this year was "e-Urology". According to the organiser, the aim of the motto was to illustrate both "eurology" in the sense of European cooperation in urology, e.g. in regard to the preparation of European guidelines, and digitalisation in everyday urological practice, and also focus with €urology on the relationship between medicine and economics. The Congress was opened by Jens Spahn, the German Health Minister, with a video message to the urologists. The focal points of the scientific programme of the 73rd DGU Congress were the latest findings from all areas of urology. Other key topics included specialist medical training projects and DGU projects on patent-based telemedicine, e.g. extended urology e-consultation, which represents another digital step towards improvement in uro-oncological patient care.

In Hall 4 around 160 exhibitors presented medical equipment for urology and provided information on the latest developments in medical technology.

The Annual DGU Congress was accompanied by a Nursing Congress for urological nursing and assistance professions, as well as a Students' Day for young urologists of the future. In the election to the Executive Committee during the DGU General Assembly at the start of the Congress, Prof. Dr. med. Margit Fisch from Hamburg was chosen as the new President. She is the first woman to hold this position in the over 100-year history of the DGU.