Behind the Scenes

Western Section of the American Urological Association

In 2020, the Western Section of the AUA (known for their long and strong interest in history) contacted the Didusch Center to ask if we would be interested in adopting their collection of medical instruments. This collection includes such rare urologic artifacts as an ivory-handled urethrotome with dilators (c. 1800), an early Kelly cystoscope set with incandescent bulbs, and a Young/Leiter lithotrite with telescope (c. 1906).

The instrument collection goes back to at least 1995, when Dr. Robert De Klotz first donated the items to Circon ACMI, who sponsored an exhibit that was later transferred to the Western Section AUA. Other items were donated by Frank Hinman’s wife, Marion, after her husband’s death. Dr. Earl Nation contributed more instruments from his private collection.

L-R: Robert De Klotz, MD, Pat Hanson, RN (for Circon ACMI), Lila De Klotz, and Sakti Das, MD, in the offices of the Western Section AUA; Dr. Larry and Mireya Jones at the exhibit onsite in 2008. Images Courtesy Kathy DeSantis, Western Section AUA

The Didusch Center has been the grateful recipient of other significant urologic artifacts from the Western Section – notably this Desormeaux endoscope, featured in numerous AUA History Exhibits and in the AUA Headquarters display on the Development of the Cystoscope.

Please thank the Western Section AUA and its members for this extraordinary donation! We will take excellent care of the artifacts.

Desormeaux Cystoscope