Editor's Letter December 2025

Dear IUGA Members,

Welcome to this edition of the IUGA Spotlight that captures the scientific excellence, innovative spirit, collaborative backbone and global perspective that was the cornerstone of the 2025 annual IUGA meeting conducted in partnership with EUGA in Barcelona. This issue brings together a collection of articles and videos that reflect the breadth of what was discussed in the meeting.

We start with a highlight video of Professor Anna Rosamilia’s deeply evocative Presidential Address that reflects on IUGA’s shared values and her inspiring  journey from her childhood as the daughter of Italian immigrants to Australia to the Presidentship of IUGA and her current august position in the world of Urogynecology. The subtle interplay in her talk between the personal and professional lessons she has learned throughout her life will connect with each of us.

We then follow with the piece on the keynote lecture by Professor Juan Luis Arsuaga written by Dr.  Ipek Betul Ozcivit Erkan. The lecture was a fascinating exploration of the evolution of childbirth and how evolutionary trade-offs have shaped the human body. Ipek has also written on the exciting surgical masterclass by international experts that focused on the tips and tricks of repairing constricted/ obliterated vagina (Professor John B. Gebhart), repair of large urethral diverticulum with Martius flap ( Professor Yasakuni Yoshimura) and complex urogenital fistula repair in resource-limited settings (Professor Judith Goh).

The Spotlight then has three detailed articles by Dr. Leon Plowright: on the global health session which made a strident case for including chronic maternal pelvic morbidity as a part of maternal health, the round table on complex UTIs, and the thought-provoking session on sexual health and urogynecology.

Kazibe Koyuncu then follows with a detailed summary of the EUGA Linda Cardozo lecture by Dr. Stefan Salvatore on the current role of Urodynamics in modern urogynecological practice. Dr. Sarah Kozycki also wrote on the award winning best abstract and the most innovative abstract at the annual meeting.

We end with two pieces on the Fellows, Trainees and Early Career Professionals session and Surgical Masterclass by Dr. Ilias Liapis and the Allied Health Session by Dr. Cristiane Carboni respectively.

Collectively, the content in this issue of the Spotlight reflects the extent of academic and research acumen, intellectual curiosity and inspiration displayed at the annual meeting. We hope that these articles inspire reflection, discussion, and collaboration as we carry the momentum of Barcelona forward into our daily practice and future research.