Page 59 - NEWSLETTER 37

ΣΥΝΈΝΤΈΥΞΗ
Tεύχος 37 | Σεπτέμβριος - Οκτώβριος 2025
Η ακόλουθη συνέντευξη πραγματοποιήθηκε μέσω Zoom. Απομαγνητοφώνηση & επιμέλεια κειμένου: Θεόδωρος Σπίνος, ειδικευόμενος Ουρολόγος & Φίλιππος Νικητάκης, μέλη συντακτικής ομάδας του Newsletter.
Theodoros Spinos: Why did you decide to become a urologist? What initially motivated you to pursue a career in urology?
Ioannis Kartalas Goumas: My father was a doctor, but he was a neurologist and psychiatrist, so I grew up in an environment closely connected to medicine. From a young age I was fascinated by anatomy and extremely curious about the human body. During medical school, I discovered my passion for surgery. While studying general surgery in the medical school, I found Urology particularly captivating because of its variety-it involved the abdomen, kidneys, the pelvis, the genitals, and it also had neuro-urology. That breadth and diversity drew me specifically to Urology.
T.S.: What factors influenced your decision
to relocate from Greece to Italy? Could you mention any legendary urologists you have met throughout your career who have significantly inspired you?
I.K.G: In Greece, there is somehow this mentality that we go abroad to study. Also, here there was also the influence of my family. My father had studied in Milan, so from a young age I envisioned studying abroad. I chose Italy. It was complicated for me to go the States at the time, so Italy became my choice. Many of my classmates also went abroad, so it wasn’t unusual. During medical school in Italy, I met Professor Edoardo Austoni, an emerging star of Italian Urology. He was charismatic, demanding, and he encouraged me to pursue Urology, promising a PhD if I followed him. So, I hollowed him. He shaped my career profoundly, especially in the operating room. He taught me a lot about traditional open surgery. Another important mentor was Franco Gaboardi, who introduced me to laparoscopy.
T.S.: What inspired you to develop your expertise in Endourology? What aspects
of this subspecialty do you find most fulfilling or engaging?
I.K.G: In some ways, it was luck. During my residency, laparoscopy was not widespread, so opportunities in oncologic surgery were limited. I was initially assigned extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy, which I thought would be boring. But through it I began placing
ureteral stents and nephrostomies, and I learned to use ultrasound. That experience drew me into Endourology. Later, an Assistant Professor (Prof. Emanuele Montanari) guided me in the operating room and he taught me about percutaneous procedures. It was there that I realized Endourology was not routine. You have to be a little bit of engineer, as it requires creativity, problem-solving, and sometimes improvisation with limited instruments, despite being standardized. That combination of precision and ingenuity fascinated me.
T.S.: You had the opportunity to observe at the Long Island Jewish Medical Center. How did this experience, particularly your interactions with the esteemed Dr. Arthur Smith, influence the trajectory of your urological career?
I.K.G: I smiled, because it was a unique coincidence that I met two legends at once (if he hears this, he might laugh but it’s true): Dr. Arthur Smith, the guy that invented Endourology, and I met also Evangelos Liatsikos, who was also there at the time. Observing them was an extraordinary experience. I saw firsthand the resources and system in the United States. What impressed me most about Dr. Arthur Smith was his secure, confident approach. He taught not to be afraid but to get the job done, no matter how challenging (number of tracts, etc.). As a final-year resident, that mindset convinced me of my path forward.
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