More than 300 physicians attend a two-day comprehensive training course on female urology that opened on November 6 at Bình Dân Hospital in HCM City. — VNS Photos Nguyễn Diệp

HCM CITY — More than 300 physicians from across the country gathered at Bình Dân Hospital on November 6 for a two-day comprehensive training course on female urology, featuring advanced treatment updates from leading Vietnamese and European experts.

The event was co-organised by the Việt Nam Urology and Nephrology Association (VUNA), the European Association of Urology (EAU), and Bình Dân Hospital.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Trần Vĩnh Hưng, director of the hospital, said every year the hospital receives and treats tens of thousands of patient visits for urinaray disorders, female urology, and funtional urology.

“Female urinary conditions, pelvic floor dysfuntion, and urinary incontinence are issues that profoundly afect the quality of life, psychological health, family relationships, and self-confidence of millions of women,” Hưng said.

Clinical practice show that female urology healthcare is not simply about addressing a single symptom, a specific pathology, or surgical technique, he said.

“Diagnostic capability, functional evaluation, selecting the appropriate treatment method, and long-term rehabilitation, and therefore standardising profesional processes and updating international practice guidelines, are increasing.”

Through this workshop, the hospital aims to update medical advancements, enhance diagnostic and treatment capabilities, and strengthen professional connections between domestic doctors and international experts to advance the field of female and functional urology in Việt Nam.

The programme, running through November 7, featured 18 specialised lectures by leading international and domestic experts.

Professor Enrico Finazzi Agrò, president of the EAU Functional Urology Section, delivers a keynote presentation on overactive bladder syndrome during the comprehensive training course on female urology on November 6 at Bình Dân Hospital in HCM City.

Professor Enrico Finazzi Agrò, president of the EAU Functional Urology Section, delivered the keynote presentation on overactive bladder (OAB) syndrome.

He cited the International Continence Society (ICS) definition, describing OAB as urinary urgency, usually accompanied by increased daytime frequency and/or nocturia, with or without urgency urinary incontinence, in the absence of infection or other detectable disease.

Focusing on diagnostic and therapeutic guidance for clinical practice, he said invasive urodynamic studies (UDS) should be used selectively rather than routinely in female OAB patients.

“UDS-guided diagnosis enables clinicians to achieve equivalent therapeutic success while reducing unnecessary invasive procedures.” 

He also highlighted the practical value of UDS in guiding targeted care.

Data shows that 57 per cent of women treated in concordance with their UDS diagnosis achieved effective clinical improvement.

Furthermore, targeted management based on UDS yielded significantly higher patient satisfaction rates in OAB cases compared to clinical evaluation alone (77 per cent compared to 65.8 per cent, p = 0.003).

The training focused on several core areas in the field, including advanced OAB therapies, patient safety and pelvic floor surgery complications, robot-assisted surgery for complex cases, and multidisciplinary management of IC and BPS.

Lecturers provided updates on advanced minimally invasive options, such as Botulinum toxin bladder injections and neuromodulation, specifically designed for patients who respond poorly to conventional medical treatment.

The course featured in-depth discussions on personalised medicine, prevention, and modern management techniques for issues related to synthetic mesh in stress urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse surgeries.

Experts shared practical insights from Bình Dân Hospital on applying robotic surgery to reconstruct pelvic floor tissue and treat complex vesicovaginal fistulas, including severe complications resulting from retained vaginal pessaries.

Sessions covered comprehensive diagnostic approaches based on patient phenotypes and combined treatment protocols involving oral medications, bladder instillation, and pelvic floor physical therapy to help relieve persistent chronic pain in women suffering from Interstitial Cystitis and Bladder Pain Syndrome.

With over 70 years of development in specialised surgery and training, Bình Dân Hospital continues to emphasise subspecialisation and international collaboration.

The hospital is currently the only medical institution in Việt Nam operating dedicated departments for both Andrology and Female & Functional Urology, providing comprehensive care for urinary, reproductive, and sexual health conditions nationwide. — VNS