HealthManagement, Volume 14 - Issue 3, 2014
Author
Uta Melzer
CIRSE Office
Vienna, Austria
As always, this year’s Annual Meeting in Glasgow offers a first-rate, comprehensive scientific and educational programme covering all aspects of interventional radiology. An exceptional group of specialists will deliver lectures, lead workshops, teach courses and participate in debates on a broad range of topics in this ever-evolving sub-specialty.
Improved Structure
The Annual Meeting’s programme has traditionally been split into six tracks that each focus on core themes in IR: vascular interventions, interventional oncology, transcatheter embolisation, non-vascular interventions, neurointerventions, and IR management. CIRSE 2014 will again adhere to this structure, only with a minor but important improvement: sessions will now run parallel, making it easier for delegates to seamlessly follow the clinical tracks.
Vascular IR
The Vascular Track will again be a major focus, encompassing a wide range of pathologies. The event will offer more than 50 hours of vascular education in various formats, including 15 Special Sessions, 12 Workshops, 4 Fundamental Courses and more than 10 Hands-on Workshops.
This year’s Evidence Fora promise to be particularly intriguing. These sessions provide an opportunity for experts to present the most up-to-date research on a particular treatment option, using trials and evidence to support their case. The topics addressed this year include abdominal and thoracic aortic treatments, discussing whether practitioners have sufficiently scrutinised the drawbacks and benefits of recent breakthroughs in the field.
The Controversies Sessions, which provide a forum for spirited discussions on controversial issues that divide the IR community, have also been consistently popular. Featuring three sets of cutting-edge debates each, these sessions encourage practitioners to re-think their presumptions by confronting them with the best arguments both for and against particular aspects of the chosen topics. This year’s discussions will focus on superficial femoral artery revascularisation and below-the-knee interventions.
Interventional Oncology
Minimally invasive procedures are playing an increasingly important and multi-faceted role in the fight against cancer, and this year’s programme reflects that reality. The interventional oncology track will explore various new clinical applications, such as neuroendocrine tumours, and will offer a range of case-based Workshops and Hands-on Workshops on the basic skills needed to treat liver, kidney or bone tumours.
One of the Hot Topic Symposia will also be of particular interest to participants interested in oncology, tackling the topic of high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), with presenters addressing whether this promising treatment option may offer benefits beyond those provided by more established ablation modalities.
Transcatheter Embolisation
Transcatheter embolisation is another area in which interventional radiologists have become more active in recent years. Embolotherapy will be comprehensively discussed in a number of key sessions and workshops, including the Controversies in transcatheter embolisation debate and an Interactive Case Session on iatrogenic bleeding.
Neurointerventions
The programme will also offer up-todate information on image-guided stroke therapies, with studies and trials a crucial component. A Special Session entitled Interventional acute stroke treatment: trials update and outlook will be dedicated to evaluating both completed and ongoing trials, including a close examination of patient selection. Other focus sessions include a Special Session on Chronic ischaemia of the brain: revascularisation, and an Interactive Case Session on Revascularisation in acute stroke: technical problems and solutions.
Non-Vascular Interventions
This year’s Non-Vascular Track will address a variety of important nonvascular interventions that remain an important part of every IR’s repertoire. Offered sessions include five workshops and two handson workshops, which will provide participants the opportunity to practice vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty techniques. In addition, four Special Sessions will address the essential skills needed for enteral and parenteral nutrition, biliary interventions and pancreatitis treatment, as well as the field of spine interventions.
IR Management
The IR Management Track will centre on safety and education. Sessions will address optimal care, how hospitals and health boards can assess patient safety, and what role regulatory agencies and professional bodies can play. IR education and training will be addressed in workshops exploring IR training and accreditation and providing information on Taking the EBIR.
Finally, tying in with CIRSE’s Radiation Protection Campaign, a session on minimising radiation hazards (Practical issues in dose management) will nicely complement an exciting new feature of CIRSE’s Radiation Protection Campaign – the Radiation Protection Pavilion, which will make its debut in Glasgow.
As always, the programme will include honorary lectures by individuals who have consistently distinguished themselves in the field of IR. This year’s Josef Roesch Lecture will be delivered by Dr. Francisco Carnevale, who will present a speech entitled, “Prostatic artery embolisation: familiar concept, new indication and state-of-the-art methods”. Prof. Philippe L. Pereira will deliver the Andreas Gruentzig Lecture, addressing “Standard clinical guidelines for interventional oncology: where are we at present?”
We are delighted to be returning to the UK for this year’s Annual Meeting, and are convinced that CIRSE 2014 will once again be an event that showcases the very best of interventional radiology.
