Hear about the Limitless Potential of Interventional Radiology; Network, Learn at Society of Interventional Radiology’s Premier Meeting in San Diego

SIR’s Annual Scientific Meeting—the world’s most comprehensive interventional radiology meeting—will feature more than 400 scientific presentations and 250 hours in educational programming and host 5,000 attendees from across the globe in the beautiful harbor city of San Diego—California’s second-largest city.

Designed for all professional levels and all practice environments, SIR 2014 will provide attendees with unparalleled access to experts, knowledge-sharing, networking and leadership opportunities. “This is an exciting time for our specialty. The health care landscape is changing, and today—with value and quality often driving treatment choices for patients and health care systems alike—interventional radiology is often the best option for a wide variety of disease conditions,” said Daniel B. Brown, MD, FSIR, SIR’s 2014 Annual Scientific Meeting program chair. “The SIR Annual Scientific Meeting is where we come together to reflect on the breadth of our specialty as a global interventional radiology community,” said Brown, a nationally recognized leader in the field of interventional oncology and professor of radiology and radiological sciences at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville.

SIR 2014’s intensive program is designed to provide more interactivity, more hands-on learning and increased access to experts across the specialty, supplying a competitive edge in an evolving health care environment. Brown notes that this year’s “Convergence” theme “reflects the multidimensional nature of our specialty, the range of environments in which we practice and the array of individuals with whom we collaborate to deliver quality patient care.” SIR experienced a record number of abstract submissions, with a 15 percent increase over its previous high, which is “a clear indication of the interest and excitement surrounding this year’s meeting,” he added.

The SIR 2014 program is designed to meet the educational needs of interventional radiologists, oncologists, diagnostic radiologists, fellows, trainees, clinical associates and other physicians with a special interest in interventional radiology. The Association for Radiologic and Imaging Nursing (ARIN) and the Association of Vascular and Interventional Radiographers (AVIR) will host their annual meetings in tandem with SIR.

“The goal is for attendees to return home with the techniques and skills essential to managing the most challenging cases and providing the best patient care,” Brown said. As part of the meeting’s Convergence theme, attendees will be encouraged to join conversations on Twitter. Tweet your comments to @SIRspecialists using #SIR2014, and on Facebook.

Programming

Plenary Sessions: SIR Thought LeadersExamine Specialty’s Priorities
Attendees will hear at SIR’s plenary sessions directly from the specialty’s top thought leaders on major, and sometimes controversial, interventional radiology issues. SIR Past President James F. Benenati, MD, FSIR, an interventional radiologist, clinical researcher and medical director at Baptist Cardiac & Vascular Institute’s Peripheral Vascular Laboratory in Miami, will deliver the 2014 Dr. Charles T. Dotter Lecture during the “Repositioning IR Through Collaboration and Courage” plenary. This lecture honor, named for one of the founding fathers of interventional radiology, is supported by SIR Foundation and acknowledges an interventional radiologist’s extraordinary contributions to the field, dedicated service to SIR and distinguished career achievements in interventional radiology. Benenati, BCVI’s fellowship program director of interventional radiology, was selected by SIR President Scott C. Goodwin, MD, FSIR, to deliver the lecture. Benenati’s talk, “Thirty Miles East of Samar,” will consider strategic decisions made as a tipping point for SIR.

“The Next Big Thing in IR” plenary will explore new technologies and treatments such as prostatic artery embolization, renal denervation, the use of robotics, ablative cancer therapies and molecular interventional oncology. This session features a variety of renowned presenters including Francisco Carnevale, MD, PhD, University of São Paulo, Brazil; Barry T. Katzen, MD, FSIR, Baptist Cardiac & Vascular Institute, Miami; Bradford J. Wood, MD, National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD; Gary P. Siskin, MD, FSIR, Albany Medical College, New York; Michael D. Dake, MD, FSIR, Falk Cardiovascular Research Center, Stanford, CA; Jeff H. Geschwind, MD, FSIR, Interventional Radiology Center, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore; Constantino S. Peña, MD, FSIR, Baptist Cardiac & Vascular Institute, Miami; Johannes Lammer, MD, University Clinics Vienna, Austria; Lindsay Machan, MD, FSIR, University of British Columbia Hospital, Vancouver, BC; and Alan H. Matsumoto, MD, FSIR, University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville. The Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology and SIR Foundation awards will be presented during this plenary.

IR Debates: Controversies and Opportunities

A panel of interventional radiology luminaries provides insight and authoritative discourse on a wide range of topics including, the impact of Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), Medicare and other regulatory bodies on the character of interventional radiology training as well as the considerations in drafting the new interventional radiology curriculum.

Debaters include:
• Sean M. Tutton, MD, FSIR, Froedert Memorial Lutheran Hospital, Milwaukee, WI
• Stephen L. Ferrara, MD, FSIR, US Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, Arlington, VA
• Katharine L. Krol, MD, FSIR, Indiana University Health Arnett, Indianapolis
• Joseph R. Steele, MD, MMM, FSIR, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
• Ernest J. Ring, MD, FSIR, UCSF Medical Center at Mount Zion, San Francisco
• Laura Findeiss, MD, FSIR, University of Tennessee School of Medicine, Knoxville, TN
• Riad Salem, MD, MBA, FSIR, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago
• Daniel A. Siragusa, MD, FSIR, University of Florida College of Medicine, Jacksonville

Panel members will analyze both positive and negative anticipated effects of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on interventional radiology specialty training and the law’s overall impact on the specialty. Daniel Sze, MD, PhD, FSIR, Stanford University Medical Center, Palo Alto, CA, will serve as moderator. SIR’s two Abstracts of the Year will be presented during this session. Selection as the SIR Abstract of the Year is the result of the review panel’s scoring based on the study’s design, patient numbers and relevance of its conclusions.

Scientific Sessions: Current Research, Limitless Potential

The SIR 2014 scientific sessions are designed to showcase the most current research and results that are propelling interventional radiology forward by improving patient care. Sessions will feature nearly 300 oral presentations (in 30 sessions) and 200 posters. The meeting also includes 17 categorical courses, 90 workshops, four plenaries and two symposia, in addition to trainee- and clinical associatespecific programming.

Abstracts presented during the scientific sessions will span many categories including, arterial interventions (aneurysm/ dissection, angioplasty/stent placement and embolization); interventional oncology (ablation, biopsies, chemoembolization and radioembolization); venous interventions (angioplasty/stent placement, embolization, IVC filters and thrombolysis/thrombectomy); nonvascular interventions (abscess and fluid drainage, biliary, chest, gastrointestinal, genitourinary, gynecology, musculoskeletal and spine); dialysis interventions; education and training; practice management; health care policy; and quality improvement.

Symposia: Quality and Outcome-driven Clinical Immersion

Symposia are half-day learning experiences that focus on the timely clinical topics important in interventional radiology today.

The March 22 session will cover morbidity and mortality with sequential-focused reviews of peripheral arterial disease (PAD), oncology and embolization. Coordinators Sanjay Misra, MD, FSIR, Mayo Clinic & Foundation, Rochester, MN; Charles E. Ray Jr., MD, PhD, FSIR, University of Colorado, Denver; and Brian Funaki, MD, FSIR, University of Chicago, will use the case-based review format to explore complications involving the interventional radiologic treatment of patients with common arterial complications of PAD, cancer and embolization complications involving coils, liquid embolics and particle embolics.

Similarly, the March 27 symposium will feature three sequential “How I Do It” sessions that will highlight venous disease, embolization and oncology. This session’s coordinators are Debra Gervais, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston; Mark J. Garcia, MD, FSIR, Christiana Care Health Services, Wilmington, DE; and Michael D. Darcy, MD, FSIR, Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, St. Louis. The in-depth segments include a view into the complex issues and challenges faced in patients suffering from superficial and deep venous disease and massive pulmonary embolism, featuring Neil M. Khilnani, MD, of Weill-Cornell Vascular; New York; Melvin Rosenblatt, MD, Connecticut Image Guided Surgery, New Rochelle, NY; Keith M. Sterling, MD, FSIR, Inova Alexandria Hospital, VA; and William T. Kuo, MD, FSIR, Stanford University Medical Center, Palo Alto, CA. Constantinos T. Sofocleous, MD, PhD, FSIR, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, will discuss the percutaneous image-guided ablation of liver tumors and Riad Salem, MD, MBA, FSIR, of Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago will cover Y-90 embolization of liver tumors, among others.

Workshops: Inquire, Observe, Act

An integral part of SIR 2014, the workshops will provide ample opportunity for attendees to gain hands-on experience using a variety of tools and techniques, to interact with experts and to see and hear case-specific presentations. SIR 2014 workshop sessions are designed to be intense, specialized learning opportunities that leverage audience interaction.

• Hands-on workshops feature a new and improved approach with practical experience for every aspect of interventional radiology.
• Q&A workshops allow coordinators to teeup one to two case studies and guide in-depth discussion with an expert panel and participants.
• Classic workshops showcase informative slide presentations from the experts with a “how to” focus.
• Case-based workshops delve into specific cases with some audience discussion and Q&A.
• Current affairs workshops concentrate on the newest demands in interventional radiology, with topics such as maintenance of certification, the IR/DR primary certificate and social media tips for practice development.

Categorical Courses: Deep Dives, Valuable Insight

Categorical courses are designed to explore a singular topic in-depth through a “lessons learned” and case-based approach. This year, course topics will include hemodialysis, portal hypertension, practice management and women’s health.

The “Women’s Health” course is coordinated by Anne C. Roberts, MD, FSIR, Thornton Hospital, La Jolla, CA, and SIR President-elect James B. Spies, MD, MPH, FSIR, Georgetown Medical Center, Washington, DC Roberts and Spies will oversee panel members who’ll summarize the interventional management of a range of women’s health conditions including uterine fibroids, ovarian embolization during uterine fibroid embolization and pelvic congestion. Coordinated by Joseph R. Steele, MD, FSIR, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, and Robert Morgan, MD, FSIR, St. George’s Hospital, London, England, “Quality Measures in the US and Abroad” is an interactive session in which interventional radiologists from around the globe will discuss the current status and future plans for local, regional and national quality reporting initiatives.

Suresh Vedantham, MD, FSIR, Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, St. Louis, and Elizabeth Spencer, MD, FSIR, RIA Endovascular Center, Denver, will coordinate a course on venous thromboembolic disease that will feature a slate of experts exploring the ways in which interventional radiologists can stretch beyond basics and address challenging and controversial VTE scenarios.

In the Trenches: A Day in the Life for Every Stage of Practice

The “In the Trenches” series—designed to provide insight into day-to-day practice—will include three indepth sessions. “In the Trenches: Growing My Practice,” features advice from experts such as John Lipman, MD, FSIR, Atlanta Interventional Institute, uterine fibroid embolization; Mahmood K. Razavi, MD, FSIR, St. Joseph Vascular Institute, Irvine, CA, peripheral arterial disease; Mark J. Garcia, MD, FSIR, Christiana Care Health Services, Wilmington, DE, deep vein thrombosis; and Neil M. Khilnani, MD, Weill- Cornell Vascular, New York, NY, varicose veins. In “Working With My Partners (Navigating the IR-DR Relationship),” coordinators Gary P. Siskin, MD, FSIR, Albany Medical Center, New York, and Terence W. Hughes, MD, Advanced Radiology Consultants, Trumbull, CT, will explore the nuances of the relationship between diagnostic and interventional radiologists. “My Financial Challenges” will feature robust discussion regarding the timely issues surrounding interventional radiology and the economics of health care, including decreasing reimbursement, the proliferation of regulations and the attempt to rein in health care costs. Topics within the broader scope of the program will include the use of registries to establish the value of interventional radiology procedures, updates on the sustainable growth rate (SGR) and other US congressional health care initiatives initiated to control costs and enhance quality. Panelists will also explore those factors affecting both private and academic practices and examine the practice of interventional radiology from the payer’s perspective.

Meet the Professors: Sage Advice and Expertise

SIR’s “Meet the Professors” will provide the unique opportunity for informal, thought-provoking discussion with current interventional radiology thought leaders. The three main topic areas are interventional oncology, moderated by Jeff H. Geschwind, MD, FSIR, Interventional Radiology Center, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore; venous interventions, moderated by Mahmood K. Razavi, MD, FSIR, director, St. Joseph Vascular Institute, Orange, CA, and neurointerventions, moderated by Martin Radvany, MD, FSIR, assistant professor radiology, neurological surgery and neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore.

SIR and SIR Foundation Awards

The SIR Gold Medal, the Society of Interventional Radiology’s highest award, this year will be presented to Michael D. Dake, MD, FSIR; Matthew A. Mauro, MD, FSIR; and Lenny Tan, MD, FSIR, for their work in advancing the quality of medicine and patient care ensuring the future of interventional radiology. The Gold Medals will be presented on Tuesday, March 25, during the Film Panel plenary, and James F. Benenati, MD, FSIR, delivers the 30th Annual Charles T. Dotter Lecture during the plenary on Sunday, March 23.

Special Events

SIR Foundation Gala: Ready for Your Close-up? br />SIR members, industry supporters and friends will gather for a glamorous soirée at San Diego’s iconic Hotel Del Coronado. The SIR Foundation Gala is an elegant evening of camaraderie created to benefit advances in IR through research. At the Hotel Del Coronado, which has served as the backdrop for blockbuster movies such as the classic comedy “Some Like It Hot,” starring Marilyn Monroe, and “The Stunt Man,” with Peter O’Toole, attendees will have the opportunity to walk in the footsteps of US presidents, movie stars, authors and other luminaries as they enjoy award-winning cuisine, bid on luxurious auction items, celebrate the specialty and inspire future innovation through charitable support of research in IR. More information and tickets are available at www.SIRFoundation.org/gala.

SIR Expo: The Center of Innovation

The SIR 2014 exhibit hall, SIR Expo, located in Halls A and B on the street level of the San Diego Convention Center, is open to registered attendees and guests who present a badge. SIR hosts coffee break stations and will provide complimentary lunch every day SIR Expo is open. Attendees should watch for chances to try out new tools and devices at the “Hands-on Exhibitor” booths and opportunities to learn more about products and treatments during the “Eat and Be Educated” events at locations throughout SIR Expo.

The Global Clinical Showcase: See Advances From Outside the United States

This new meeting feature (near SIR Central in the exhibit hall) is a series of electronic educational posters submitted by international attendees that reflect the drive to improve communication and learning across geographic borders and throughout the entire interventional radiology community. These posters will provide an exciting window into procedures, techniques, materials or devices that are either not commonly used, used differently or not yet available in the United States.

Safety and Health Project: Assistance Needed

Help develop appropriate occupational guidelines for exposure to low levels of ionizing radiation and determining future risk of radiation cataract development during an SIR Safety and Health Committee screening to examine the type and severity of characteristic radiation-induced posterior lens changes, including potential for posterior subcapsular cataract, in an IR cohort of meeting attendees. Call (703) 691-1805 or email [email protected], for more information.

Networking: Collaboration, Conversation

Throughout the meeting, attendees will be encouraged to attend “Compelling Conversations,” a series of informal Q&A sessions on timely topics to be held at SIR Central in the exhibit hall: see the on-site guide for schedule information. The Tuesday, March 25, Poster Reception will also provide a good opportunity for networking.

SIR Mobile App: SIR 2014 in the Palm of Your Hand
The SIR 2014 mobile app, available for download through all app stores in mid January, will include:
• Passport Contest–visit at least 25 exhibitors to be entered to win one of three amazing prizes
• New Product Showcase– check out the latest devices and products
• Ability to complete session evaluations
• Convenient sync option– connect with attendee’s personal planner
• Special event updates via automatic alert

Register for SIR 2014

For more information about the Society of Interventional Radiology and/or to register for the 39th Annual Scientific Meeting, visit online at www.SIRweb.org or www.SIRmeeting.org. The early-bird registration deadline is Jan. 10. The advanced registration deadline, Feb. 14, is the last chance to register at a discounted rate. Attendees may save $100 on registration if their stay is booked at an official SIR hotel. Make or modify hotel reservations by Feb. 14. After Feb. 14, please contact SIR, [email protected], (703) 691-1805, with questions regarding accommodations.