by Kristinha M. Anding

The 2008 Advanced Practical Symposium from the American College of Phlebology will feature in-depth seminars and practical demonstrations—enhanced for the first time by high-definition video technology—to suit the needs of the professional already practicing phlebology. This year’s event will be held Sept. 12–13 at the Greensboro-High Point Marriott Airport in Greensboro, N.C.

“The ACP’s Advanced Symposium is specifically designed for the skilled practitioner who is looking to learn successful techniques, tips and pearls on advanced procedures from known experts in the field,” said Bruce Sanders, executive director of the ACP. We hold the symposia in a smaller, more intimate environment allowing for one-on-one interaction between the attendees and the faculty.”

Michael Krusch, M.D., is serving as the program chair for the event. In addition to running Carolina Vein & Laser Specialists PA, with locations in Greensboro and Winston-Salem, N.C., Krusch is on the board of directors for the ACP and is currently the organization’s representative to the American Medical Association.

“The Symposium is really for physicians who are already out there, essentially practicing phlebology or doing some level of vein treatment,” Krusch said. “This is an opportunity for them to get more in-depth exposure to concepts that have more meat to them.”

Krusch said seminars and demonstrations for the 2008 Symposium will focus on specialty topics including the evaluation and treatment of patients with perforating veins, venous stasis ulcers, incompetent calf-muscle veins and pelvic sources of reflux. Presenters will also address how to treat those who have had prior vein stripping. Endovenous chemical, laser frequency and thermal ablation and catheter-directed thrombolysis will be among the featured procedures.

There will be some discussion related to the pragmatism of the consulting world, as well. “Now that phlebology is becoming more and more recognized, phlebologists are increasingly being asked to act as consultants to other physicians for vein issues,” Krusch. “So another topic we’re planning on offering is ‘The Phlebologist as a Consultant.’”

At press time, the ACP had not yet opened registration for the 2008 Symposium, but a spokesperson from the organization said last year’s event was limited to 50 attendees, primarily physicians, who hailed from 23 states and Canada. This year’s event will again be limited to a maximum of 50 participants in order to maximize interaction with the faculty.

The Symposium will have a slightly different format than it did in years past. Previously, according to Krusch, 15 to 20 people would crowd into a room to watch a specialist perform a live procedure. This year, to improve visibility, the Symposium will run high-definition video of a pre-recorded procedure while a speaker talks the audience through what is happening on the screen. Krusch said, in addition to allowing attendees to see treatments more easily, the new format will enable presenters to pause and rewind when necessary and permit audience members to ask candid questions that would have been inappropriate to pose in front of patients in a live setting.

Krusch said there will also be a live segment, during which sonographers will scan patients having “complex anatomy or more interesting variations” while video screens showcase ultrasound images for all to see. “We’ve tried to get the best of both worlds: to have some live patients, but really in the area of treatment, to take it to another level,” he explained.

Individuals interested in attending the ACP Advanced Practical Symposium should visit www.phlebology.org/meetings.