Paris, France - 16 May 2016: EuroPCR 2016, the annual course of the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI), will run from 17 to 20 May at the Palais des Congres in Paris, France. More than 12 000 interventional cardiologists, nurses, technicians, scientists and industry innovators from around the world are meeting to share the latest research, developments and best practice in coronary interventions, interventions for valvular disease and heart failure, peripheral interventions and interventions for hypertension and stroke.
EuroPCR 2016 provides a unique opportunity for participants to:
- Hear about research that will change clinical practice and advance interventional cardiology for the future, with 920 abstracts providing new knowledge to improve outcomes for patients.
- Share best practice and develop clinical skills in more than 50 hours of live case demonstrations in which experts demonstrate cardiovascular interventions from 12 state-of-the-art centres in nine countries around the world.
- Improve presentation skills in the innovative 'PCR's got talent' competition that is aiming to revitalise how researchers report their findings. This was so popular when first introduced last year that it is now open to all researchers choosing to enter. More than 120 Course participants have signed up to take part, with those who win through the early rounds receiving coaching in how to really engage audiences and report research with maximum impact.
- Share in keynote lectures from world leaders in interventional medicine, 'all you need to know' updates, practical learning sessions and debates on current controversies in the field. In the 2016 Great Debate top interventionists and cardiac surgeons Darren Mylotte (Ireland), Jean-François Obadia (France), Lars Sondergaard (Denmark), Thomas Walther (Germany), Gerhard Wimmer-Greinecker (Germany) and Stephan Windecker (Switzerland) go head-to-head in the question of the moment: extending transcather TAVI to low-risk patients.
What's hot at EuroPCR 2016: Insights from EuroPCR Course Director Professor William Wijns
"Once again, EuroPCR will be a vibrant testimonial to the commitment and creativity of the interventional healthcare community to improve and expand our knowledge base," says Professor Wijns. Hot topics at this year's meeting include developments in mitral and tricuspid valve interventions, research with new devices for percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) that can be used in a wider range of patients than in the past and interventional approaches to treat heart failure and stroke.
"We are really witnessing a boom in the numbers of research centres and companies working to find percutaneous solutions for mitral and tricuspid interventions," he points out. "The success story of TAVI for treating aortic valves is now moving on to the two other types of heart valves. It's amazing to see how much is going on and we can anticipate that it will deliver benefits to patients."
Professor Wijns adds, "On the practice side, what's really new is the impact of the recent positive trial comparing TAVI to surgical aortic valve replacement in intermediate risk patients. This really means if colleagues haven't engaged in valvular interventional techniques yet, now is the time to do so." Several learning and teaching sessions at EuroPCR 2016 are dedicated to this.
"In terms of coronary devices, there is a continuing balancing act between anticoagulation and bleeding. The LEADERS FREE trial is reporting encouraging results from a sub-study in patients with acute coronary syndromes using a stent without polymer, showing this offers an effective anti-restenosis device that does not need prolonged antiplatelet therapy," Professor Wijns notes. "This is really new and is going to change practice, with a strong impact on the outcome of elderly patients in particular."
He considers new data from a study comparing optical coherence tomography (OCT) and intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) for assessing coronary lesions will be compelling for reimbursement of OCT in Japan and potentially other countries and sets the ground for developments in Europe in the future.
"In terms of expanding the role of PCI, we continue to make progress in what was considered a 'no go' indication for us in the past - chronic total occlusion (CTO) and left main coronary artery stenosis," he explains. He also welcomes new developments in interventional approaches for treating heart failure and stroke. "The emphasis on stroke prevention and treatment is very strong this year, including interventions on the carotid artery and left ventricular appendage closure, even in combination with ablation for atrial fibrillation," but he cautions, "More needs to be done in trying to implement acute interventions for the treatment of ischaemic stroke in the context of a multidisciplinary approach."
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Help for journalists to cover EuroPCR 2016
For any press-related inquiries, please contact:
EuroPCR Press Coordinator, Isabelle Uzielli iuzielli@europcr.com
Register and attend EuroPCR 2016 as a journalist
Press registration for EuroPCR is open to accredited journalists, free of charge. Journalists must hold a valid press card and/or provide a letter of assignment from a recognised publication. To register as press go to http://www.europcr.com/page/press/960-press.html
EuroPCR press releases
EuroPCR press releases can be found at http://www.pcronline.com/
Attend press briefings
For the press briefing schedule check http://www.europcr.com/page/press/960-press.html
EuroPCR abstracts
Abstracts are available online at http://www.pcronline.com/eurointervention/AbstractsEuroPCR2016_issue/abstracts-europcr-2016/
Notes to Editors
What is EuroPCR?
EuroPCR, the official annual meeting of the European Association for Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI), a registered branch of the European Society of Cardiology, is the world-leading course in interventional cardiovascular medicine. PCR has established a distinctive format for educational activities in the field of cardiovascular interventions. Beyond its flagship course in Paris that gathers more than 12,000 participants every year, PCR organises annual courses in Singapore, London UK, Dubai EAU, Johannesburg RSA, Istanbul Turkey, Chengdu China and Tokyo Japan. For further information on EuroPCR, AsiaPCR/SingLIVE, PCR London Valves, GulfPCR-GIM, AfricaPCR, PCR Istanbul Peripheral, PCR-CIT China Chengdu Valves, PCR Tokyo Valves & PCR, please contact: Anne-Sophie Lartigau at aslartigau@europa-organisation.com.
For more information, please visit http://www.pcronline.com/Courses/EuroPCR and follow us on Twitter #EuroPCR