Chandigarh:
The Department of Pediatric Surgery at Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, hosted one-day monothematic Continuing Medical Education (CME) program on Vesicoureteral Reflux (VUR) on Friday, April 10, 2026, from 8:00 AM to 2 PM at the Advanced Pediatrics Centre. This pivotal event offered 4 CME credit hours to pediatric surgeons, urologists, nephrologists, radiologists, and trainees nationwide. It was followed by the prestigious 6th Prof. I.C. Pathak Oration, delivered by globally acclaimed pediatric surgeon Prof. Prem Puri, Newman Clinical Research Professor, University College Dublin, Ireland and past president of European association and World federation of Pediatric Surgeons. He spoke on the “Global Impact of Pediatric Surgery: Innovations beyond specialty” discussing how pediatric surgeons have made impact beyond their specialty.
Prof. I.C. Pathak, revered as the father of pediatric surgery in India, founded the country’s one of the first dedicated pediatric surgery unit at PGIMER in the 1960s, pioneering neonatal surgeries and training countless specialists. Prof. R.K Ratho Dean academics PGIMER, highlighted the oration’s significance in honoring Prof Pathak’s legacy while advancing modern pediatric care innovations.
VUR, a leading cause of pediatric urinary tract infections (UTIs), and involves the abnormal backflow of urine from the bladder into the ureters and kidneys due to an incompetent vesicoureteral junction, often congenital in nature. In children, UTIs secondary to VUR are particularly alarming, as reflux promoter bacterial ascent during urination, leading to pyelonephritis, renal scarring, hypertension, and even end-stage renal disease in severe, untreated cases. Diagnosis hinges on voiding cystourethrography after a first or second febrile UTI, supplemented by radionuclear scans.
The CME, delved deeply into management strategies tailored to VUR grades and UTI burden: Various national and international faculty delivered state of the art talks on this topic. The CME also focused on open, laparoscopic, or robotic cure for this disease and showcased long-term data on renal preservation and breakthroughs in antibiotic stewardship amid global antibiotic resistance trends. Prof. J.K. Mahajan, Head, Department of Pediatric Surgery and the Organizing Chairperson of the CME mentioned the CAKUT (Congenital Anomalies of Kidney and Urinary Tract), has emerged as the leading cause of renal failure and end stage renal disease in children. Several patients of VUR & CAKUT from neighboring states and all across the country are seen and treated at PGI on a daily basis.
