In this special issue dedicated to surgical urology we discuss several aspects of our profession with 8 original articles and 4 reviews. Calculi in the urinary tract are a major topic in day-to-day practice. A comparison between stone fragmentation and dusting using laser technology is discussed. Robotic surgery is increasingly used in urology, mainly for radical prostatectomies and renal pathologies. In this issue, factors that may predict urinary continence following robot-assisted radical prostatectomy are discussed, as well as clinical outcomes following robot-assisted partial nephrectomy for renal tumors ≤ 7 cm in diameter and robot-assisted repair of ureteral-pelvic junction stenosis in adults. Transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) is mainly diagnosed in the urinary bladder and less frequently in the kidney or the ureter. Can we select the best candidate for neo-adjuvant chemotherapy before cystectomy for invasive bladder TCC? What might be the best way for diagnosis and treatment for patients of different risk groups with upper-tract TCC? Those issues are discussed in detail. The place and timing for multiparametric-magnetic resonance imaging (mp-MRI) of the prostate for diagnosis of malignancy is debated and focal therapy for such a malignancy of the gland is reviewed. Vesicovaginal fistulas following obstetric surgery are a known complication and repair requires surgical skill; one Israeli centre's experience is presented. The possibility of predicting painful bladder outcome is discussed and the usage of botulinum toxin in urology is reviewed. Finally, issues regarding gender and urology are discussed.