Marta Santiago González

March 25, 2024

Graduated in Medicine (2010-2016) from the University of Navarra, Dr. Santiago completed her residency in Urology (2017-2022) at the Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal (Madrid). She has been a member of the European Board of Urology (FEBU) since June 2022. She obtained a University Expert degree in Clinical Research Methodology for Residents (2018-2021) at the University of Alcalá de Henares, where she has also been pursuing her PhD in Health Sciences since 2020. During October and November 2021, she completed an external rotation in Functional Urology and Uro-Oncology at the Urology Service of UZ Leuven, under the mentorship of Professor F. Van Der Aa. Since June 2022, she has worked as a specialist urologist at the Hospital Universitario Rey Juan Carlos, being a member of the reconstructive urology, uro-oncology (urothelial tumor section), and open, laparoscopic, endourological, and robotic surgery units.

Project Summary and Importance for Clinical Practice

Title: Learning Reconstructive Urological Surgery Techniques with Special Focus on Kulkarni Urethroplasty Technique

Dr. Santiago will carry out a formative stay at the Urokul Hospital (Kulkarni Reconstructive Urology Center) in Pune, India, during March 2024. It is a tertiary hospital specialized in Reconstructive Urology and Laparoscopy, led by Dr. S. Kulkarni. The hospital is a global reference center for urethral stenosis treatment, performing over 450 urethroplasties annually. This volume has earned the center accreditation for training urologists in urethroplasty through a one-year fellowship program from the GURS (Society of Genito-Urinary Reconstructive Surgeons). In 2008, Kulkarni and colleagues at this center described a new urethroplasty technique with dorsal onlay augmentation for the treatment of panurethral stenosis, performed via a perineal incision and complete penile invagination in a single step. This technique allows for unilateral urethral dissection while preserving the neurovascular supply of the contralateral side.

The main objectives of the stay at Urokul are to learn and refine reconstructive urological surgery techniques for subsequent implementation at the Hospital Universitario Rey Juan Carlos. The main procedures of interest, due to the prevalence of the related conditions in our population, are Kulkarni's urethroplasty technique and minimally invasive treatment of urinary fistulas. The acquired training will aim to offer higher-quality diagnoses and treatments with greater therapeutic alternatives, with particular interest in the one-step surgical reconstruction of complex urethral stenosis, resulting in advantages for both patients (shorter hospital stays) and the hospital (less use of operating rooms and fewer follow-up visits). Another objective is to train in posterior urethral reconstruction with sphincter preservation, given that it is a rare injury, and sphincter preservation would avoid the need for a second surgery for the implantation of an anti-incontinence device.