Registration open for Society of Interventional Radiology's Annual Scientific Meeting

Online meeting registration is open for the Society of Interventional Radiology's Annual Scientific Meeting April 13 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans.

"The meeting's theme, 'IR Reaching Out,' illustrates the many ways the Annual Scientific Meeting provides valuable education to attendees across a broad range of diverse clinical interests and practice settings," said Gary P. Siskin, M.D., FSIR, the meeting's scientific program chair. "Annual Scientific Meeting attendees come from all areas: they are community or university-based physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners and radiology assistants, nurses, technologists, hospital administrators and industry partners. To complement our theme of inclusion, we've designed sessions that will meet the educational needs of all these various groups," said Siskin, who is professor and chair of the department of radiology at Albany Medical College, Albany, N.Y.

Approximately 5,300 attendees are expected to explore the latest interventional radiology research, evidence, techniques and technologies through a host of symposia, workshops and plenary and scientific sessions led by interventional radiology's key leaders. With "Prostate and Bladder Embolization," attendees will have the opportunity to review the current evidence on the use of embolization on the prostatic artery for the treatment of men's enlarged prostates. In "Renal Denervation: A Primer for Radiologists," experts will review the clinical evidence for this possible new way to treat hypertension, cardiac failure and other conditions. "Cosmetic IR: Going Beyond the Norm" explores the demand for minimally invasive cosmetic techniques. With insight from a diverse faculty that consists of academic and private practice interventional radiologists as well as physicians outside of the field, the "Future of IR" will examine the current state of interventional radiology and its short- and long-term outlook.

Siskin noted that this year's meeting includes contributions from several SIR service lines, including interventional oncology, peripheral arterial disease, interventional neuroradiology and venous disease. "This is a successful model of collaboration that promotes interventional radiology's role across disease states and provides attendees with insight into the specialty's clinical and multidisciplinary nature among varied practice settings," said Siskin.

"Annual Scientific Meeting programming will include more evidence-driven, innovative sessions on each aspect of interventional radiology," said Siskin. "So many things combine to make this year's program our most comprehensive to date. For example, there is a concentration on issues and challenges inherent to community-based practice in the new 'In the Trenches' series and the opportunity to spend time with interventional radiology experts during 'Meet the Professors.' In 'SIR Global,' we'll provide insight into the unique contributions that our colleagues in South America are making to the specialty," he noted.

"SIR 2013 will feature 400 abstracts, including 237 oral presentations that will highlight state-of-the-art technology and research evidence of best practices in the management and treatment of disease processes across the spectrum of interventional radiology. These sessions will also include the most current research on clinical trials, evidence and innovation," noted Daniel B. Brown, M.D., FSIR, the meeting's scientific program chair and chief of interventional radiology and interventional oncology at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia.

Source: Society of Interventional Radiology