Stone Busters: Mastering Laser Endourology

Dr. Olivier Traxer is currently Professor of Urology at the Sorbonne University, Paris, France, and works in Tenon Hospital (academic hospital). After training in general urology in Paris, Professor Olivier Traxer did a research fellowship at Southwestern Medical School, University of Texas, Dallas, Texas (under the supervision of Professors Charles Y.C. Pak and Margaret Sue Pearle) to specialize in endourology and kidney stone management, which represent his main fields of interest. As an endourologist, his main goal is to improve the knowledge of urinary stone disease and endourology, to optimize the quality of treatment given to patients, and to promote the role of his specialty in that field. Prof. Traxer published more than 450 peer-reviewed papers, mainly on stone disease and conservative treatment of upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC). He has received many awards and organized several meetings including the World Congress of Endourology (2018).

Dr. Pablo Contreras is a distinguished urologist specializing in endourology, currently serving as the Chief of the Endourology and Stone Disease Section at Hospital Alemán in Argentina. He is Editor in Chief of the Revista Argentina de Urología and directs the Endourology and Stone Disease Working Group within the Confederación Americana de Urología (CAU). Additionally, he is a board member of the Endourological Society, an editor for the Urology Video Journal, and an active participant in the ESEUT International Associate Members and its Working Group on relations with companies and meetings.

Dr. Contreras completed his medical degree at Universidad Nacional de Córdoba in 1997 and earned his urology specialization from the University of Buenos Aires in 2003. He is currently pursuing a Magister in Uro-Oncology at Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. His expertise and contributions to the field have been recognized internationally, with memberships in the Paraguayan Society of Urology (March 2022), the Central American and Caribbean Urology Association (July 2023), and the Mexican Society of Urology (November 2023). A renowned educator and speaker, Dr. Contreras has delivered over 120 invited lectures worldwide, highlighting his influence and leadership in the global urology community.

Dr. Esteban Emiliani is currently a Professor of Urology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and the Chief of Endourology at NYU Langone Health - Brooklyn. He completed his urology residency at Fundació Puigvert. He was named a fellow of the European Board of Urology, which recognizes those who excel in urology knowledge and practice across Europe.

Dr. Esteban Emiliani then completed his subspecialization in endourology and medical–surgical treatment of kidney stones at two of the world’s most prestigious institutions: Tenon Hospital, affiliated with Sorbonne University in Paris, and Muljibhai Patel Urological Hospital in Nadiad, India. Upon returning to Barcelona, Dr. Esteban Emiliani obtained his PhD in international urology from the Autonomous University of Barcelona and Sorbonne University, focusing on the development of laser technologies for treating kidney stones.

He serves on editorial boards of the World Journal of Urology, Actas Urológicas Españolas, Turkish Journal of Urology, and BMC Urology. Additionally, Dr. Esteban Emiliani is a member of several esteemed international organizations shaping the future of urology, including the Endourological Society and the European Society of Urology.

Prolific in his academic work, Dr. Esteban Emiliani has published 130 articles in indexed and nonindexed urology journals and contributed to four international book chapters.

Dr. Florencia Frascheri is a urologist, affiliated with University Hospital Southampton NHS Trust, Southampton, UK, who has published and presented research on topics such as prostate biopsies, laser lithotripsy, and the use of AI in urological treatments. She is known for her academic work and has presented research at conferences like UROBESTT2025.

Dr. Karen Stern is a urologist in Scottsdale, AZ and is affiliated with Mayo Clinic Hospital. She received her medical degree from University of Arizona College of Medicine and completed her Urology residency at Mayo Clinic Arizona and fellowship in Advanced Stone Disease and Endourology at Cleveland Clinic. She has been in practice 5 years. She specializes in minimally invasive surgery and stone disease and is experienced in ureteroscopy, percutaneous nephrolithotomy, percutaneous renal access, and laser ablation. She has more than 50 publications and over 250 citations.