Up next: ICCIR 2023
Since the year 2000, The International Conference on Complications in Interventional Radiology (ICCIR) has allowed interventionalists to discuss interesting cases and help increase awareness of complication management and avoidance in IR.
After a prolonged absence due to the pandemic, ICCIR will at last take place again in Poertschach, Austria, from June 1-3, with an expertly curated programme under the leadership of Prof. Klaus Hausegger.
This year’s congress will play host to a varied group of IRs at different stages of their careers to discuss challenging topics in an open yet discreet environment. Faculty presenters will walk attendees through carefully-selected reports on a wide range of complications, with a focus on collective discussion on managing and avoiding the complications at hand.
Keynote lectures this year will include talks on peri-interventional management of anti-aggregation and anti-coagulation, analgesia and sedation for IR, the when and how of informed consent, and the first steps in avoiding lawsuits.
A particularly interesting format unique to ICCIR is the “One problem – two perspectives” session, wherein two IRs will take opposing or alternative views and present them for each of four cases.
Interested parties can register, browse the programme, or view accommodation options here. To view the full programme in PDF, click here.
Destination: Poertschach
Poertschach am Wörthersee is a small summer resort town located in the Klagenfurt-Land district of Carinthia, Austria. Carved into the valley by glacial ice thousands of years ago and settled as early as Roman times, “Poertschach” was first mentioned by it’s modern name in documents from the 12th century in the records of the Seeberg family. This family built their fortress, the Seeburg, overlooking the town on the location of a Roman watchtower. Remains of the fortress walls can still be seen dotting the hillside.
Located on the north shore mid-way along the Wörthersee, Poertschach experienced its first tourist boom in the 19th century when shipping routes across the lake expanded and a railway station was opened connecting the town to both Vienna and Italy. Well-known guests of the era included Gustav Mahler, Johannes Brahms, and even Emperor Frans Joseph I. Old-world villas and remnants of the grandeur of these times remain scattered throughout the town.
Modern Poertschach, while currently experiencing a trendy revival, aims for a gentler, more sustainable type of tourism for the future. The town is a legally recognized health resort – this designation is awarded by the Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics to localities whose air and climate, according to experts, are conducive to relaxation and health. Factors such as hours of sunshine, pollen, fog, and day and night temperatures are taken into account for this designation.
ICCIR visitors will find no lack of restorative activities to occupy their non-congress time. Golfing, riding, swimming, sailing, hiking, tennis and more are possible in Poertschach and the surrounding areas. For attendees wishing to relax outdoors, there are two accesses to the lake including bathing jetties, sunbathing areas and changing facilities. Those with a more adventurous spirit can hike to the edge of the municipality to visit the so-called “Gletschertopf” – the well-preserved “glacier pot” bored into the exposed rock formation by the dripping of glacier meltwater during the last ice age.
Look for the coat of arms while around town – the motif featuring a leaping silver fish holding a green leaf in its mouth dates back to the oldest surviving seal of the Seeburgers, the very folks who built the fortress on the hill. The reasoning for the choice of motif is lost to the ages.
You can visit the town’s official website here.
