Dear Colleagues,

The most recent CIRSE meeting in Lisbon was another record-breaker: over 6,600 delegates travelled to Europe’s most westerly capital to join us for 4.5 days of science, education and innovation. The unique programme offered by CIRSE allows participants to stay abreast of technological advances and new indications for image-guided therapies, and exchange high-level scientific information in an international setting.

Endovascular Programme

Last year featured both an expansion of the venous intervention sessions on offer, and the introduction of a parallel multidisciplinary EVAR/TEVAR programme, the Interdisciplinary Endovascular Aortic Symposium (IDEAS). Based on the enthusiastic response of those participating, the SPC has decided to repackage the vascular sessions into an Endovascular Programme, which will be clearly stratified into three distinct categories: arterial interventions, venous interventions and arterial interventions, aortic interventions, the latter being presented within the framework of IDEAS 2016.

Core themes

Another prominent feature of the meeting will be interventional oncology, which is rapidly gaining the recognition of other specialists, and accruing valuable efficacy data. A special Hot Topic Symposium will examine the paradigm shift in clinical treatment of colorectal liver metastases, and the new ESMO guidelines that have recently been published.

One of the fastest-growing areas of IR practice is embolisation. Alongside robust educational coverage of long-standing therapeutic applications such as trauma or uterine fibroid embolisation, newer clinical areas such as prostate embolisation will be prominently featured, and a Controversies in embolisation session will debate bariatric embolisation, haemorrhoid therapies, and the transradial approach for visceral interventions.

Clinical involvement is something that CIRSE has been strongly advocating for. As ever, the CIRSE 2016 programme will feature a large number of clinical management talks, not just within the
IR Management track itself, but as an integral component of all sessions generally.

Stroke therapy will also be a highlight of the 2016 programme. Several sessions, including a Hot Topic Symposium, will examine the current evidence, treatment options, collaboration, and how to optimise service provision and ensure that the treatment window is not missed.

Of course, ample time will also be devoted to non-vascular interventions, which remain an important foundation stone of the specialty. Biliary interventions, drainage, vertebroplasty and more will all be rigorously examined.

Back to Barcelona

Barcelona has continually ranked among the five best conference destinations in Europe, and offers excellent facilities, exceptional flight connections and a wealth of quality accommodation. The International Convention Centre Barcelona (CCIB) is ideal for our needs, boasting ample lecture space and an easy-to-navigate layout. It is easily reached by metro, tram and bus services, and has four hotels in the immediate vicinity.

The versatile design of the CCIB will be put to good use: to improve delegate flow and ensure a convenient floor-plan, the technical exhibition will be centrally located between the two main lecture rooms. The poster exhibition will also be expanded, to ensure as much cutting-edge research as possible is available to our congress delegates.

We are delighted to announce our Scientific Programme for 2016 and are confident that it will meet the educational needs of all who perform image-guided therapies. Congress registration is now open, and we remind everyone that reduced early-bird fees are available until June 2. We look forward to welcoming you to CIRSE 2016 in Barcelona!