The annual meeting of the Pan Arab Interventional Radiology Society took place in Dubai from February 10-13 this year.
CIRSE was again invited to take part in a CIRSE at PAIRS session, and representatives from CVIR, the EBIR, and IASIOS travelled to the UAE to share more about CIRSE’s initiatives with attendees onsite at CIRSE’s booth and throughout several dedicated workshops.
PAIRS President Dr. Ayman Al Sibaie moderated this session alongside CIRSE President Prof. Christof Binkert. Prof. Binkert opened the session with a talk titled “CIRSE global IR efforts.” He spoke of CIRSE’s aim to provide clinical care to patients and work together as IRs on a global scale to increase awareness of IR around the world. He also gave a second presentation focusing on nutcracker syndrome with ovarian vein reflux.
Prof. Stefan Müller-Hülsbeck then spoke on the results of the IMPERIAL RCT, Prof. Philippe Pereira presented on CIREL, and Prof. Afshin Gangi spoke on cryoablation for parietal endometriosis.
The presence of the European Board of Interventional Radiology (EBIR) at the PAIRS congress in Dubai, emerged from the collaboration that CIRSE and PAIRS had entered into previously, aimed at advancing interventional radiology expertise across borders.
Potential candidates could not only ask their questions at the CIRSE booth but also had the unique opportunity to attend a dedicated workshop to learn about the EBIR examination. Facilitated in collaboration with PAIRS’ Head of Educational Committee Dr. Refaat Salman, EBIR Chairperson, Dr. Colin Nice, and one of the Editors-in-Chief for question writing, Prof. Tiago Bilhim, provided valuable insights into the examination structure, question formats and evaluation. The workshop also featured Head of Certification and Accreditation, Ms. Maria Weren, who explained how candidates could optimise their preparation with the CIRSE study tools, such as the CIRSE Academy, and Dr. Ali Rajeh, a successful candidate who recently sat the exam shared his personal experiences, tips, and tricks for preparation, offering invaluable guidance to aspiring candidates.
One notable trend observed over the last months was the increasing number of applicants from the Middle East aspiring to acquire the EBIR diploma. This reflects the growing interest and recognition of interventional radiology as a vital specialty in the region. The EBIR representatives and team were delighted to interact with these candidates in person, providing them with firsthand information and support to enhance their exam preparation.
The engagement didn’t stop there. The CIRSE booth at the congress garnered significant interest, serving as a hub where participants could seek information about the EBIR examination, registration processes, and available study tools. Attendees had the opportunity to engage with expert representatives, clarifying their every query.
Moreover, the event shed light on the EBIR-ES certification, designed for Endovascular Specialists who have already obtained the EBIR diploma and furthered their training and experience in advanced endovascular therapies. This certification underscores the commitment of EBIR to support continuous professional development and recognize specialist knowledge of interventional radiologists.
The presence of EBIR at the PAIRS congress facilitated knowledge sharing, collaboration, and support for interventional radiologists, particularly those in the Middle East region. It is the EBIR’s ongoing commitment to advance the field of interventional radiology and to nurture the next generation of skilled practitioners by providing workshops, interactive sessions, and informational booths.
For the second year in a row, CVIR held a scientific writing workshop at PAIRS in collaboration with AJIR, the official journal of the Pan Arab Interventional Radiology Society.
In two 90-minute workshops, hosts CVIR Editor-in-Chief Prof. Klaus Hausegger, AJIR Editor-in-Chief Dr. Mohammad Arabi, CVIR Deputy Editor-in-Chief Prof. Raman Uberoi, CVIR Section Editor for Embolization Prof. Tiago Bilhim and CVIR Regional Editor Refaat Salman shared their years of experience and knowledge of what makes a good paper.
The workshop covered key issues, such as improving manuscript structure, international reporting guidelines, defining a research question, the peer-review process and article promotion.
The workshop room was filled to capacity at each session, proving once again that the CVIR scientific writing workshops have a lot to offer. They are suitable both for researchers early in their careers who would like to acquire practical skills as well as experienced researchers wishing to refine their writing. You can stay up to date with all upcoming CVIR writing workshops via CVIR’s social media channels and website.
CVIR instant feedback, an opportunity offered at CIRSE congresses for authors who wish to submit their work to CVIR, was offered this time at PAIRS 2024 as well. At the CIRSE booth, authors were able to discuss the paper they are currently working on or their ideas for a future paper with none other than the CVIR editors. They could bring their paper printed out or on a USB stick, or simply explain their idea, and the editors were happy to give them instant feedback and tips on what they should improve or change to increase their chances of getting published. At PAIRS 2024, the CVIR editors available for discussion were CVIR Editor-in-Chief Prof. Klaus Hausegger, CVIR Deputy Editor-in-Chief Dr. Raman Uberoi, CVIR Section Editor for Embolization Prof. Tiago Bilhim, and CVIR Regional Editors Prof. Gerard Goh and Dr. Refaat Salman. At the CVIR instant feedback, the CVIR editors provide useful tips tailored to your work, so make sure to take advantage of this opportunity at the ECIO, ET and CIRSE congresses in 2024!
IASIOS, the International Accreditation System for Interventional Oncology Services, has had a busy year already. Fresh off presentations in Rome at MIO Live, IASIOS travelled straight to PAIRS to offer a workshop and answer questions at the CIRSE booth.
This was IASIOS’s first time offering a workshop onsite at PAIRS. The workshop provided a comprehensive overview of the latest standards and advancements in interventional oncology through the lens of IASIOS and fostered discussions to broaden the participant’s understanding of the application and accreditation process. Speakers at the workshop included Prof. Christoph Binkert, CIRSE President and the first IASIOS Accredited Centre in Switzerland, Prof. Philippe Pereira, CIRSE Vice-President and the first IASIOS Accredited Centre in Germany, and Mardis Karlsdottir, IASIOS Chief Operating Officer.
Physicians from participating IASIOS centres were well represented throughout the scientific programme as well, with Prof. Athanasios Diamantopoulos (Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust) presenting on CLI, Prof. Afshin Gangi (University Hospital of Strasbourg) speaking on MSK interventions, and Prof. Marc Sapoval delivering a lecture on BPH embolization. (Click here to read testimonials from these hospitals and more.)
IASIOS has experienced unprecedented growth over the past year, a fact that was reflected in the high level of interest and questions from attendees onsite in Dubai both during the workshop and at the booth. IASIOS would like to thank their current and future community members for their interest and participation!
All CIRSE initiatives, including the above three, will be present in full force at ECIO 2024, ready to answer any questions you have. Register today!
