Ralph V. Clayman, M.D.Professor of UrologyInterim Dean, School of MedicineDr. Clayman is world renowned for his clinical and laboratorywork in minimally invasive surgery. He specializes in thetreatment of kidney stones, kidney cancer, strictures of theureter and all other aspects of renal and ureteral diseases.For appointments and referrals, please call: 714.456.7005

Thomas E. Ahlering, M.D.Professor and Vice ChairmanDr. Ahlering is well known for laparoscopic radical prostatec-tomy using the da Vinci® Robotic Surgical System. He spe-cializes in treatments for cancer of the prostate, bladder, kid-ney, and testis. He did his postgraduate fellowship training inurological oncology at University of Southern California, Los Angeles. For appointments and referrals, please call: 714.456.60689:00 am - 3:45 pm

Tony E. Khoury, M.D.Professor and Chief of Pediatric Urology Interim Chairman, Department of UrologyDr. Khoury is world renowned for his expertise in the medicaland surgical management of complex pediatric urologyanomalies. His services include reconstructive surgery forincontinence, genital anomalies, renal transplantation andoncology. He did his postgraduate fellowship training in pediatric urology at the Hospital for Sick Children, in Toronto,Ontario, Canada.For appointments and referrals, please call CHOC Children's Urology: 714.639.3134For Academic Issues: 714.456.6225 or CHOC: 714.639.3134 ext 109

Joel Gelman, M.D.Volunteer Clinical FacultyAssociate Clinical Professor of UrologyDr. Gelman has expertise in male urethral and genital recon-struction and sexual dysfunction. He has a particular interestin the treatment of urethral stricture disease, Peyronie's dis-ease, and hypospadias. He did his postgraduate fellowshiptraining in adult and pediatric GU reconstruction at EasternVirginia Medical Center, Norfolk, Virginia.For appointments and referrals, please call: 714.456.2951

Driving Directions to UC Irvine Medical Center -- From I-5 take the Chapman Avenue exit. Drive westbound on Chapman. Turn left (south)onto The City Drive South. Proceed to Dawn Way. Turn left. The UC Irvine Medical Centervisitor parking structure is on the left side. After parking, exit the structure on foot and continue down the broad walkway until you see Miss Kelly's Coffee Cart on your right side.On your left side is the entry to the Pavilion III urology offices. If you are lost, please call714.456.7005.

Atreya Dash, M.D.Assistant Professor of Urology Chief, Urology Service VA Long Beach Healthcare SystemDirector of Robotic Surgery andUrologic Oncology, Long Beach Memorial Medical CenterDr. Dash completed a fellowship in urologic oncology atMemorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. Hehas experience in all areas of urologic oncology including theadvanced surgical treatment of prostate, renal, testis andbladder cancers. His patient treatment modalities includeminimally invasive surgical technologies such as laparoscopyto improve the care and convalescence of patients with uro-logic cancers.For appointments and referrals, please call: 714.456.7005

Regina M. Hovey, M.D.HS/Associate Clinical ProfessorDirector, Urology Residency ProgramDr. Hovey specializes in female urology, urinary incontinence,neurourology, and lower urinary tract reconstruction. She did her postgraduate fellowship training in female urology,neurourology and reconstructive urology at University ofCalifornia, Davis.For appointments and referrals, please call: 714.456.7128

Elspeth M. McDougall, M.D.Professor of Urology and Director, Surgical Education CenterDr. McDougall specializes in minimally invasive surgery forthe treatment of kidney stones, kidney cancer and stricturesof the ureter. She did her postgraduate fellowship training inendourology and extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy atWashington University Medical School, Barnes Hospital, St. Louis, Missouri.For appointments and referrals, please call: 714.456.7005

Leland Ronningen, M.D.HS/Associate Clinical ProfessorDr. Ronningen is particularly interested in benign diseases ofthe prostate and practices general urology. He received hisurology training at Letterman Army Medical Center, Presidioof San Francisco and at the Portsmouth Naval Hospital inPortsmouth, Virginia.For appointments and referrals, please call: 714.456.7127

Anne R. Simoneau, M.D.HS/Associate Clinical ProfessorDr. Simoneau has clinical trials in prostate cancer preventionand is collaborating with Dr. Zi on research in bladder cancerprevention. She did her postgraduate fellowship training inurological oncology at the University of Southern California.For prostate cancer prevention, please call: 714.456.3330

Aaron Spitz, M.D.Staff PhysicianAssistant Clinical ProfessorMale Reproductive Medicine and SurgeryDr. Spitz has expertise in the treatment of male infertility andsexual dysfunction. He did his fellowship training at BaylorCollege of Medicine, Houston, Texas. For appointments and referrals, please call: 714.456.7005

Michael Louie, M.D.HS/Assistant Clinical ProfessorDr. Louie specializes in the treatment of kidney stones, kidneycancer, strictures of the ureter and robotic-assisted prostatec-tomy. He completed his fellowship training in robotic andlaparoscopic minimally invasive surgery at University ofCalifornia, Irvine.For appointments and referrals, please call: 714.456.7005

Visit the Department of Urology on the Web at -- www.urology.uci.edu

John W. Posey, M.D.Visiting Professorship October 15-17, 2009Tom F. Lue, M.D. Professor and Vice ChairEmil Tanagho Endowed Chair in ClinicalUrology, Department of UrologyUCSF Medical Center, San Francisco, CA

Dr. Lue will be presenting lectures on male sexualdysfunction and Peyronie's disease. He is an inter-nationally recognized expert in penile physiologyresearch and an authority in the diagnosis and treat-ment of male sexual dysfunction. Please contactCynthia Shell at 714.456.5371 or cshell@uci.edu.

Department of UrologyVisiting Professor February 4-6, 2010Craig A. Peters, M.D. Professor of UrologyDepartment of UrologyUniversity of Virginia School of MedicineCharlottesville, VA

Dr. Peters, a pediatric urologist, will be presentinglectures on pediatric laparoscopic surgery and prena-tal diagnosis. His research interests include urinaryobstruction, vesicoureteral reflux, and bladder dys-function. Please contact Cynthia Shell at714.456.5371 or cshell@uci.edu.

Upcoming eventsUC Irvine Department of UrologyClinical, Volunteer and Staff Faculty

Postgraduate Training Programfor Urologic Surgeons

Advanced Laparoscopic and RoboticUrologic Oncology: Curing Cancer

Through Technology and SkillJanuary 21-23, 2010

Hosted by theAmerican Urological Association

Location: University of California, IrvineSchool of Medicine

Department of Urology

This course is designed for urologists who have experi-ence with laparoscopic techniques and are seeking toenhance their abilities to perform advanced standardlaparoscopic oncological procedures. Oncologic sur-geons who are seeking to expand their abilities intorobotic laparoscopic surgery may also benefit from thiscourse.Course Director - Elspeth M. McDougall, MD, FRCSCCourse Co-Director - Thomas E. Ahlering, MDFor more information, please contact - 1.800.908.9414 or e-mail: registration@AUAnet.org

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Your UrologyUNIVERSITY of CALIFORNIA, IRVINE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE

Urology NursingEducation Fund

This nursing education fund was created toenable our nurses and medical assistants totake continuing medical education courses. It is solely supported through philanthropicdonations.

If you would like to support education endeav-ors for our staff, please contact Veronica Razoat 714.456.6726.

Welcome to UC IrvineDepartment of Urology

Center for Urological Care Our team is here to provide you with the bestpossible service. Our medical specialists includeregistered nurses, medical assistants, surgicaltechnicians, appointment agents, surgery sched-ulers and business staff.

Our mission is to support you in all of your uro-logical needs. We care about our patients and doour best to meet your medical care needs in atimely and efficient manner. Our Patient ServicesUnit is our first line of contact where we not onlyprovide our patients with appointments but alsoutilize our state-of-the-art messaging system sothat your needs are met through our clinical staff. We are dedicated to our patients and our physi-cians.

We look forward to meeting you and caring foryour urologic needs.

To contact us please call 714.456.7005 andspeak with our agents in our Patient ServicesUnit.

Sincerely,Julie Limfueco, R.N.

Julie Limfueco, R.N.Administrative Practice Manager

Center for Urological Care

F a l l 2 0 0 9

Patient Services UnitLeft to right - Paula Fagundes; Elissa Wahlenmaier, PSU Supervisor; Anna Gomez;Sarah Gutierrez; Valerie Mata

A word from Dr. Ralph ClaymanSince my arrival as chair of the Department ofUrology, I have focused my efforts on enhancingthe quality of care for patients through innovation. I am pleased to report that the Department ofUrology has been ranked among the nation's top20 by U.S. News & World Report for the last threeyears. Many of the department's doctors are ratednationally as being among the best in their field,placing UC Irvine at the forefront of advances inthe treatment of urological diseases and in mini-mally invasive robotic and laparoscopic surgery.The Urology Department is home to the nation'sfirst urology mini-fellowship program to teach postgraduate surgeons the latest minimally inva-sive surgery techniques.

The university now has asked me to accept a newchallenge within the School of Medicine. I havebeen appointed interim dean of the School of Medicine at the University of California, Irvine. This appointment brings many new responsibilities,and it will require me to curtail my clinical practice.I will be referring my patients to my colleagues andfellow urologists, Dr. Elspeth McDougall and Dr. Michael Louie - both are eminently qualified to take over my practice. I am confident that youwill continue to receive excellent care. You maymake an appointment with either physician by calling 714.456.7005.

I thank each of my patients for the opportunity tocare for you. It has been a privilege to have beenyour physician. My office will be located at theUniversity of California, Irvine on the Irvine cam-pus, and you are always welcome and encouragedto contact me with any questions or concerns youmay have, or to say "hello" and let me know howyou are doing.

I can be reached by e-mail, rclayman@uci.edu or by contacting our Patient Services Unit at714.456.7005, where a message will be sent to my office.

Dr. Tony Khoury will be taking over the reins of the Department of Urology as interim chairman. Dr. Khoury is world-renowned for his work in pedi-atric urology, and he is Chief of the Division ofPediatric Urology at Children's Hospital of OrangeCounty, now affiliated with UC Irvine.

Finally, I would also like to encourage you todonate to the urology lectureship fund. By support-ing this endeavor, we will be able to invite world-renowned surgeons to lecture and provide teachingto our urology staff, fellows, and residents aboutnew and timely updates in urology. For more infor-mation or to make a donation, please contactRosanne Santos at 714.456.8176 or email rtsantos@uci.edu. Your support enables us to continue our progress.

As always, I wish you happiness and good health.

With warmest regards,Ralph V. Clayman, M.D.

Clinical and Business Staff Top row, left to right -Sonia Arestegui, Front Office; Norma Valencia, Surgical Tech; Ruth Aguilar, M.A.; Zenaida Martin, Sr. Medical Records AssistantBottom row, left to right - Roshelli Gementera, M.A.; Lisa Guzman, M.A.; Reina Juarez, M.A.; Jovelyn Cabungcal, M.A.; Ly Dao, Surgery Coordinator; Elvira Mendoza, Front Office; Bernice Martinez, Surgery Coordinator;(not pictured: Isela Mendoza, Surgery Coordinator; Larry Venus,Medical Records Assistant; Susie Miranda, AW Supervisor; Linda Pagan, Office Supervisor)

I expect to pass through this world but once. Any good, therefore, that I can do or any kindness I can show to any fellow human being, letme do it now. Let me not defer nor neglect it, for I shall not pass thisway again.

Stephen Grellet1773-1855, France

Ralph Clayman, M.D.Interim Dean, School of Medicine

Your urology patient care team

www.urology.uci.edu

Nurse CoordinatorsLeft to right - Rosselle Cao, R.N.; Sarah Webb, R.N.; Karen Ann San Diego, R.N.;Angelica Ahonen, R.N., Supervisor

Urological conditions treated at theCenter for Urological Care

Bladder control problems, especially thosedue to neurological conditionsCancer of the bladder, kidney, prostate, testicle and urethraEnlarged prostate glandMale and female incontinenceKidney problems, including stones and obstructionsVaricoceleVasectomies and vasectomy reversalsUrinary tract infectionsMale infertilityMale sexual problemsInterstitial cystitisVoiding problemsUrethral stricture

Important H1N1 updateWithin the last few weeks, UC Irvine Healthcarehas seen a dramatic increase in H1N1 flu cases.According to the Orange County Health CareAgency, as of Monday, August 3, there were 13fatalities associated with pandemic H1N1 Influenzain Orange County alone. Experts are predicting asurge of H1N1 flu cases this upcoming flu season,along with seasonal influenza. UC Irvine Health-care will take every step necessary to protect yourhealth and its patients. All faculty members andemployees are advised to receive flu shots thisupcoming flu season. The U.S. Centers forDisease Control & Prevention recommend takingthe following precautions to prevent spreading theflu:

Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue whenyou cough or sneeze; throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.

Wash your hands often with soap and water,especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread that way.

Avoid close contact with sick people. Influenzais thought to spread mainly person-to-person through coughing or sneezing by infected people.

Valet parking and Patient ShuttleServicesValet parking service fees are $5, or $2 withpatient validation, 5:00 am to 6:00 pm, Mondaythrough Friday. There are two locations -

in front of the Cancer Centerwest entrance of the new hospital

The new hours of operation for the Medical CenterPatient Shuttle will be 7:00 am to 4:30 pm,Monday through Friday. To request a shuttle pick-up, please ask the front desk attendant to alpha-page 506-4116 with your location for the pick up.

Creation of a Fresh TissueLaboratory at UC IrvineMedical CenterTransforming the surgery center into the finest, most complete surgical training facility on the West Coast

In 2008, Dr. Ranjan Gupta, professorand chair, Department of OrthopaedicSurgery, secured $1.5 million fundingfor the fresh tissue laboratory fromArthrex Inc., Naples, FL. Arthrex Inc. is an arthroscopycompany interested in building a facility of this nature atUC Irvine for orthopaedic resident and postgraduatesurgeon training. This facility will also be used routinelyby all of the surgical, endoscopic, and image-guidedservices at UC Irvine. Presently, there are 16 medicaland surgical disciplines in the Center for CreativeClinical Care, Research, and Education in SurgicalTechnology (C3REST® Center). All will benefit from theexpansion of the UC Irvine Surgical Education Center,which was initiated by Dr. Ralph Clayman and Dr.Elspeth McDougall in 2003. The education centerhosts national and international annual symposia andconferences held by various UC Irvine departments.The addition of the fresh tissue laboratory to the surgi-cal education center will transform the center into thefinest, most complete surgical training facility on theWest Coast.

Ranjan Gupta, M.D.Professor and Chair

Department of OrthopaedicSurgery

Department of Urology Faculty and Staff

Department of UrologyTop 20 National Ranking!July 21, 2009 - U.S. News & World ReportU.S. News & World Report analyzed data from4,861 medical centers and ranked the Departmentof Urology at UC Irvine in the top 20 for the thirdyear in a row this year coming in at #18. To besure, this is a reflection of all of the superb workeveryone has done to provide the very best inpatient care as well as teaching and researchthroughout the year. I am so very proud of what themembers of the Department of Urology have creat-ed here at UC Irvine.

Ralph V. Clayman, M.D.Interim Dean, School of Medicine

Water is essential for all general good health, and thisis particularly true for urologic health. It is a key ele-ment in the prevention of stones of the kidney andureter. If not enough water is consumed, tiny crystalsin the urine may stick together similar to snowflakessticking together to form a snowball. By diluting theurine through the increased water intake, these crystalsdissolve and do not combine to become a stone. Patients who form kidney stones should drink at least8-10 glasses of fluid a day or the equivalent of 2 litersof water. Patients can usually determine whether theyare drinking enough water by the color of their urine,which should be clear to very pale yellow. You mayrefer to the color chart to ensure you are drinkingenough liquid to dilute the urine.

An adequate fluid intake is also important for reducingthe chances of getting a bladder infection. Adequateintake of fluids and regular emptying of the bladderevery 2-3 hours helps to flush away any bacteria thatare normally present in the rectum and vagina regionfrom getting into the urethra and then up into the blad-der where they may cause infection. The bacteria thatare normally in the vagina and rectum are usually notharmful unless the balance between the body's defensesystem and these potentially harmful bacteria is upset,or the bacteria get up into the bladder.

Women may be particularly prone to urinary tract infec-tions because the passageway from the bladder to theoutside is relatively short (approximately 1 inch inlength). Therefore, simple techniques to prevent uri-nary tract infections include drinking 8-10 glasses ofwater a day, emptying the bladder every 2-3 hours, wiping from front to back after voiding and particularlyfollowing a bowel movement. Another reason fordrinking water is to maintain good bladder function.

Are you hydrated?Avoid health problems by consuming adequate water

If not enough water is consumed, the urine becomesconcentrated, and this can cause irritation of the blad-der, resulting in a condition known as overactive bladder(OAB) syndrome. This results in the feeling of anurgent need to void very frequently. This condition canoften be resolved or improved by drinking 6-8 glassesof water a day and training the bladder to empty every2-3 hours by the clock while awake. Retraining thebladder with the timed voiding schedule, in addition topelvic floor muscle exercises, can often significantlyimprove overactive bladder syndrome. The pelvic floormuscle exercises are performed by repetitive tighteningand relaxing of the pelvic floor muscles. This techniquecan be learned by stopping or slowing your urinarystream during voiding. However, once the technique ofsqueezing these muscles has been learned, this prac-tice should not be done routinely during voiding, butrather at times when you are sitting or lying at rest. If these measures do not resolve the OAB syndrome,then you should seek treatment from a urologist.

You may be interested in viewing the American Urolo-gical Association's Web site regarding patient informa-tion on urologic health at www.urologyhealth.org.

Your Urology | Fall 2009

Elspeth McDougall, M.D.Professor of Urology

Give the Gift of KnowledgeThe UC Irvine anatomical donation programsupports the education of health professionalsand scientific research at the university. Themedical students learn anatomy from the bestof all teachers...the body itself.

For additional information,please contact --Willed Body ProgramUC Irvine School of Medicine252 Irvine HallIrvine, CA 92697-3950 TEL: 949.824.6061FAX: 949.824.2114E-mail: willedbody@uci.edu www.som.uci.edu/willedbody

The Department of Urology was pleased to host visitingprofessor, Dr. Patrick Walsh, April 2-4, 2009. Dr. Walshprovided lectures over the three days on topics related tohis area of expertise for our department and surroundingcommunity urologists.

History of Nerve-SparingRadical Prostatectomy - Perfecting the TechniqueControversies in ProstateCancer Reminiscences of a Life ofDiscovery, Patient Care, and Education

In addition, Dr. Walsh taught a dedicated, hands-on sur-gery laboratory session for our eight residents to instructthem in the techniques of open nerve-sparing radicalprostatectomy in a cadaveric model.

Visiting ProfessorPatrick C. Walsh, M.D.University Distinguished ServiceProfessor of UrologyThe Johns Hopkins University Schoolof Medicine, Baltimore, MD

Now over 1,000 robotic radical prostatec-tomies performed at UC Irvine MedicalCenterMany thanks to the Department of Urology LeadershipCouncil for coordinating and hosting the MillenniumMan Gala, held at the Beckman Center on the UCIrvine campus. This event focused on heighteningcommunity awareness of prostate cancer and its effec-tive treatment and to inform the public about the latestdevelopments in robotic and minimally invasive sur-gery.

We also celebrated the success of our robotics pro-gram under the direction of Dr. Thomas Ahlering.Robotic surgery in Orange County was initiated by Dr. Ahlering in 2002.

The highlight of the evening was a keynote presentation by Dr. Richard Satava, professor ofsurgery at the University ofWashington and former chief of theDefense Advanced ResearchProjects Agency (DARPA).

All proceeds from this event were used to develop anendowed Chair in Urologic Oncology in support ofresearch and teaching. We welcome your support ofthis endowed Chair in Urologic Oncology.

For more information, pleasecontact Rosanne Santos at714.456.8176 orrtsantos@uci.edu.

Millennium Man Gala -Prostate CancerAwareness, May 30, 2009

Thomas Ahlering, M.D.

High School Student Outreach ProgramWe would like to thank the following restaurants for their generosity in providing lunches for our high schooloutreach program -- Rubio's, Olive Garden, Pat &Oscar’s, Jody Maroni's and Pomodoro. We would alsolike to thank Vital Link for their partnership in our highschool outreach.

Robots Are Cool II, June 20, 2009The future of medicine -- an educationaland interactive eventRobots Are Cool II was a free event held at UC IrvineSurgical Education Center and hosted by the Depart-ment of Urology Leadership Council as an opportunityto introduce young people to the world of robotics andthe latest cutting-edge technologies used for medicalexaminations and surgical procedures. The partici-pants had a hands-on experience with the da Vinci®robot and surgical simulators, which are used for train-ing medical students and surgeons. You may view avideo of the event at www.vimeo.com/5293857.

Donations received from this event will go toward theendowed Chair of Urologic Oncology fund. We wish tothank the following for their support of this event --

Annie Banannie Balloon ArtistRocky Mountain Chocolate StationIn-N-Out Burger CateringDiscovery Science Center

Dr. Thomas Ahlering demonstratesthe ultrasound machine.

Dr. Elspeth McDougall has assumed the position ofchair of the Office of Education for the AmericanUrological Association, commencing May 1, 2009.The chair of education is responsible for the quality andmedical accuracy of the content of all educational courseofferings of the American Urological Association. Dr. McDougall will work with the AUA/ABU ExaminationCommittee to produce the ABU Qualifying Exam, theAUA In-service Exam and the Self-Assessment Examand educational materials related to Maintenance ofCertification (MOC). Along with the director of the Officeof Education, Dr. McDougall will identify and implementany evolving educational technologies in order for theOffice of Education to maintain its acknowledged excel-lence in providing education to the urologic community.She will serve several committees which include theAUA Annual Meeting Program Planning and InternationalRelations committees.

Elspeth McDougall, M.D.

The St. Paul's Medal award of distinction forinternational urologists is awarded by TheBritish Association of Urological Surgeons. At its annual meeting in Glasgow, Scotland,June 22-25, 2009, the BAUS Council present-ed this prestigious award to Dr. Ralph V. Clayman. In1989, Mr. Richard Turner-Warwick kindly presented theBAUS Association with the template or mold of a medalto be known as the St. Paul's Medal. The medal isawarded to distinguished international urologists whosecontributions to urology the BAUS Council particularlywishes to appreciate and honor.

Anne Simoneau, M.D.

Dr. Anne Simoneau, associate clinical professor of urol-ogy, reports a “take home message” from the AUA annu-al meeting highlighting uroradiology. It is important to beknowledgeable about the safety issues with ionizing radi-ation. PET-AC shows promise for evaluating renallesions larger than 1.5 cm, and contrast enhanced ultra-sound may be useful in patients with complex renal cystsand impaired renal function. Work with PET scans toevaluate occult prostate cancer metastasis is ongoing, asis local imaging to improve cancer detection withprostate biopsy.

First retroperitoneal robotic-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy and first robotic-assisted colovesi-cal fistula repair performed atUC Irvine Medical Center

Michael Louie, M.D.

Faculty Updates

Ralph Clayman, M.D.

Your UrologyFall 2009, Issue 12The urology newsletter is published biannually. We welcomeyour comments and ideas for stories. Please send them to Dr. Elspeth McDougall, editor, at cshell@uci.edu. Make sureto let us know if we have permission to reproduce your com-ment in full or in part in Your Urology. Copyright © 2009 TheRegents of the University of California. All rights reserved.Department Interim ChairmanTony E. Khoury, M.D.Newsletter EditorElspeth M. McDougall, M.D., FRCSCNewsletter Coordinator - Cynthia ShellIf you do not want to receive further communications from theDepartment of Urology, please contact Cynthia Shell.UC Irvine Medical CenterDepartment of Urology333 City Blvd. West, Suite 2100Orange, CA 92868Tel: 714.456.5371

Dr. Clayman awardedSt. Paul’s Medal

Dr. McDougall takesthe cakeAmerican UrologicalAssociation Chair of Education

Uroradiology diagnosticimaging education sessions

Dr. Michael Louie recently performed UC Irvine's firstretroperitoneal robotic-assisted laparoscopic partialnephrectomy for a small kidney tumor. The retroperi-toneal, or flank approach, is not often preferred for laparo-scopic surgery because of the decreased operative spaceand lack of surgical anatomic landmarks. However, withrobotic-assistance these problems are less intrusive as thesurgeon controls the camera angles and the robotic instru-ments are more easily maneuverable in the tight space.The retroperitoneal approach allows the surgeon to avoidentering the abdomen and decreases the risk of boweland organ injury and prolonged ileus (when the bowelstays "asleep" after surgery).

In another first at UC Irvine, Dr. Louie and his colleague,Dr. Steven Mills from the Division of Colorectal Surgery,performed a robotic-assisted colovesical fistula repair dueto diverticulitis. There has been only one other casereported in the urological literature, while the colorectal literature has only a handful of cases reported. Robotic-assisted, minimally invasive surgery allows the surgeon toperform complex procedures, giving the surgeon a magni-fied view of the operative field, decreased tremor from hishands, and articulated full range motion of his instruments.These advantages provide faster patient recovery anddecreased blood loss. UC Irvine and the Department ofUrology are committed to providing the best availabletechnology toward the advancement of patient care.