The world of interventional radiology convened for the Society of Interventional Radiology’s (SIR) Annual Scientific Meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia, from April 2–7 with the goal of placing innovation at the forefront of improving patient care. The meeting highlighted many of the medical tools of tomorrow.
SIR 2016 brought together the minimally invasive, image-guided specialty’s leaders and industry experts to share ideas, highlight clinical and technological breakthroughs in interventional radiology, and plot a path to better patient outcomes. More than 5,000 interventional radiologists, scientists, and allied health professionals attended the 400 scientific presentations and viewed research posters describing research to tackle some of medicine’s most pressing issues.
The synergy of innovation, research and technology was a theme repeated throughout SIR 2016. The specialty’s leaders presented not just the cutting edge of IR but also the challenges and—sometimes—the controversial solutions to our specialty’s most vexing problems. One thing is for sure, the information generated a ton of material to help us all identify growing trends and to address the implications of these trends for practitioners and patients in the rapidly evolving world of health care.
On the morning of April 5, Scott O. Trerotola, M.D., FSIR and Stanley Baum, Professor of Radiology and professor of surgery at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in Philadelphia, presented the Dr. Charles T. Dotter Lecture. His talk titled “CompetItoR” encouraged colleagues to consider how competition spurs innovation for better patient outcomes.
Trerotola is known for his commitment to evidence-based practice, with research and educational publications topping 250, many of them prospective randomized trials. This year’s annual scientific meeting was very much aligned with Trerotola’s vision as it set the stage for expert, peer-reviewed research presentation.
Educational highlights
Leading experts including physicians, scientists, clinical associates, residents and trainees in interventional radiology and from other areas of clinical care participated in plenary sessions, categorical courses, workshops and lectures on diverse subjects in a variety of formats and environments. Topics were arranged into daily seminars that allowed attendees to have a tailored experience. There were also tracks based on level of training or skills. The meeting showcased SIR’s focus on future physicians, with tracks available for both medical students and IRs-in-training.
Venous was certainly in evidence during SIR 2016: Lawrence V. “Rusty” Hofmann, M.D., FSIR, coordinated a plenary session highlighting inspiring innovation and he also gave attendees a chance to share their innovative ideas during one of the meeting’s a case-based workshops.
Venous experts from the American Venous Forum were on hand at SIR 2016 for the “SIR meets the AVF” session. Anne W. Giuliano, M.D., of St. Vincent Wound Healing Center in Billings, Montana, presented on the evolving area of wound care through two case-based workshops. Another hands-on workshop, led by Suresh Vedantham, M.D., FSIR, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, covered the latest on mechanical thrombectomy.
Varicose vein management including venous ablation was also an important topic, in sessions led by Neil M. Khilnani, M.D., FSIR, of Weill Cornell Vascular, New York City, while Mark J. Garcia, M.D., FSIR, Founder of EndoVascular Consultants, LLC (Wilmington, Delaware), and chief medical officer at Merit Medical Systems, spoke on acute arterial thrombosis as well as treating chronic venous occlusive disease.
And the award goes to …
The Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology (JVIR), SIR’s peer-reviewed publication, presented the 2015 JVIR Editor’s Best awards on April 3. Dong Il Gwon, M.D., an associate professor at University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea, received the award for outstanding clinical research paper for “Vascular Plug-assisted Retrograde Transvenous Obliteration for the Treatment of Gastric Varices and Hepatic Encephalopathy: A Prospective Multicenter Study.”
The editor also bestowed outstanding laboratory investigation honors on Ron C. Gaba, M.D., a faculty member in the interventional radiology division of the University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System, Chicago, for his work on gene expression in hepatocellular carcinoma.
SIR’s Gold Medals, the society’s highest honor, which acknowledge extraordinary service in the organization and specialty, were also presented in Vancouver. SIR honored Ernest J. Ferris, M.D., FSIR, who retired from his position as professor and chair of radiology at the University of Arkansas Medical Center, Little Rock, a position he held since 1977. Ferris is known for his work on the anatomy and embryology of the inferior vena cava (IVC) and with IVC filters.
Ho-Young Song, M.D., Ph.D., who refined stents for the treatment of benign and malignant strictures involving the esophagus, stomach, duodenum, colon, rectum and bile ducts also received recognition with a Gold Medal. Song is currently professor of radiology at Asan Medical Center (AMC) at the University of Ulsan College of Medicine in Seoul, South Korea.
The society also bestowed this accolade on Robert L. Vogelzang, M.D., FSIR, who has served as chief of vascular and interventional radiology at Northwestern Memorial Hospital Chicago for more than 30 years as it developed into one of the country’s premier academic IR centers. A past-president of SIR, Vogelzang is the author of 100 scientific papers and an expert in vascular malformations, uterine fibroid embolization and the placement and retrieval of IVC filters.
SIR’s focus on the future was evident at the meeting, with robust tracks available for both medical student and IRs-in-training. SIR Foundation, the society’s research arm, presented
the Leaders in Innovation Award posthumously to Renan Uflacker, M.D., FSIR. Uflacker, who passed away in 2011, was recognized for his decades-long contributions to interventional oncology and for the treatment of liver disease, peripheral vascular disease and aneurysms.
The foundation’s Dr. Gary J. Becker Young Investigator Award went to Sarah White, M.D., M.S., associate professor of radiology at the Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, for her work in vascular interventional radiology research. Alexander Pasciak, Megan Sue, Richard Boyer and Tianshen Hu received Dr. Constantin Cope Medical Student Research Awards and Ali Alian, Paul M. Haste and Olaguoke Akinwande earned Resident/Fellow Research Awards.
Networking and beyond
Industry players met in halls B and C of the Vancouver Convention Centre West to demonstrate more than 110 technical exhibits and products, where attendees also participated in exhibitors’ interactive experiences. Hands-on Learning Labs were led by SIR faculty members and, this year, a corporate theater was added.
Hundreds of interventional radiologists and friends joined together on April 3 at SIR Foundation’s annual Gala to celebrate and support the limitless potential of the specialty. During the event, which took place at Vancouver’s historic Commodore Ballroom, Gordon S. McLennan, M.D., FSIR, was honored for his unwavering support of the foundation and the specialty’s initiatives with this year’s Philanthropist of the Year Award.
For those who could not attend in person, more than 10 hours of live session streaming, featuring select international sessions, was available online. VIRtual SIR 2016 also enabled real-time interaction with the session faculty. There was a virtual New Product ShowcaseTM highlighting IR and imaging technologies. SIR’s social media outlets—Facebook, Twitter and the SIR 2016 community via SIR Connect—all continued to enhance coverage and networking at the event.
The interventional radiology community enjoyed a diverse, comprehensive meeting that proved to be as multidimensional as the specialty itself. Members are already anticipating an exciting visit to Washington, D.C., for SIR 2017, March 4–9. Visit SIR 2016 for more information.
