Following the success of the 2003 hands-on training day, held in association with the Charing Cross International Symposium at London's Millennium Gloucester Hotel, the 2004 European Association of Vascular Surgeons in Training (EAVST) day promises to be even better.
This year's course was fully booked by February. Last year the course was restricted to 70 places, but this year will see an increase to 100 trainee surgeons, who will attend the day to help prepare for their European Board of Vascular Surgery Examination (EBSQ), the FRCS examination, or simply to update their vascular knowledge and get some hands-on endovascular training experience.
In a similar format to last year, the morning session will begin with the Vascular Revision Course, with presentations on topics such as epidemiology and medical treatment by Janet Powell, vascular anaesthesia by Tina Ainley, and a 15-minute guide to the EBSQ examination and third part by Charing Cross Hospital's Ian Franklin.
The afternoon session will be split into two parts - interactive vascular case studies and endovascular hands-on training with Cordis and Guidant.
The case studies session will include two presentations by the training day Programme Director, Alun Davies, who will look at venous disease and difficult renal access. Other areas being covered in this session include carotid and subclavian, lower limb, aortic, renal, and AV malformation.
"This year a similar programme to 2003 is offered with an initial plenary session, followed by case studies and hands-on endovascular simulation," says Alun Davies. "A few different speakers and an increased topic base with case discussions to include arteriovenous malformations and renal access issues have been included in addition to last year's programme". Once again the vascular part of the course has the generous support of Vascutek.
All attendees will be taking part in the interactive case studies session, and will either go to Cordis or Guidant for endovascular hands-on training.
This year, Cordis will be using a mixture of flatbed and silicon models for their training, which will run in three parts - renals, carotids, then AAA. The day is being organised by Leane de Laigue of Cordis who says: "Those attending the Cordis workshops will be testing their newest endovascular technology for AAA, carotids and renals. Following a technical presentation, participants will have the opportunity to deploy real devices in a variety of training models."
Guidant's hands-on training will focus around the Mentice virtual training tool. Jacky Melikian, the event coordinator for Guidant says, "These workshops will offer interventional training for renal artery stenoses and carotid artery stenoses on a virtual training tool provided by Guidant. After a technical introduction, the participants will practice on the virtual reality machine under the guidance of an assistant from the company. Demonstration products will be available to enable participants to familiarise themselves with the handling of renal and carotid stent systems as well as embolic protection devices."
"I hope that the enthusiasm shown by the attendees last year and the fact that the course has this year been oversubscribed will mean that this annual event goes from strength to strength, evolving to give the participants the training they want," said Alun Davies.
A review of the event will be published in the June issue of Vascular News.
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