Maria Middelares demonstrates AI and AR capabilities during live-streamed operations

EAU24 , the annual congress of the European Society of Urology, was held in Paris from 5 to 8 April 2024.

EAU24 is the largest urology event in Europe, bringing together specialists from around the world for a critical review of clinical practices and key research developments. This year, the theme of the conference was AR, AI and big data.

On Saturday 6 April, there was a live surgical session in which some world-renowned urologists demonstrated their state-of-the-art expertise to colleagues and addressed the challenges and practical problems they face in practice. The operations were performed at several Belgian hospitals, including Maria Middelares General Hospital.

The operations were broadcast live and streamed to Paris, where more than 3,500 urologists from around the world followed along. On duty were urologists Prof Dr Karel Decaestecker and Dr Marjan Waterloos.

In line with the theme of AI, Prof Dr Decaestecker performed a robotic-assisted operation to remove a kidney tumour while striving to preserve as much of the kidney as possible. He was supported by a team of engineers from UGent and Orsi Innotech, led by Dr Pieter De Backer. The engineering team is at the forefront of current surgical AI. Specific to this case, the team provided assistance via AI-generated 3D anatomical models and augmented reality (AR) to guide the robotic-assisted operation. The models and AR act as a GPS to guide the surgeon through the operation. That way, the team chooses the best surgical strategy to achieve the ideal outcome for the patient. The live streaming gave urologists from all over the world a chance to follow this innovative technique.

Healthcare is in the midst of transformation. Value-driven healthcare, innovation and digitalisation play an increasingly important role. With the innovative Health Value Space Ghent (HVS), Maria Middelares is joining forces and taking a leap towards the future of healthcare. EAU24 provided a great opportunity to showcase to the world the innovative strengths of our hospitals.