www.venousnews.com
SEPTEMBER 2023 / Issue 15
Featured in this issue:
6 Thrombectomy
‘Remarkable results’ presented for peripheral system
9 Pulmonary embolism 10 Profile Nicolas J Mouawad, MD, on vascular surgeons' role in PE care
An interview with Erin Murphy, MD
By Jocelyn Hudson
The pursuit of a cure for deep venous valvular reflux—long considered to be the “holy grail” of deep venous disease—is underway, with new technologies set to address a longstanding unmet clinical need across the globe.
“The population is large, it is being treated most of the time with conservative therapy, so I think there is a large demand—untreated, unmet and underdiagnosed,” said Glickman in summary of the overarching issue. “This is a large unmet need worldwide.” Moving beyond the US statistics, he stressed that countries such as India, China and Brazil have even larger patient
Raghu Kolluri, MD, on ‘toolbox’ of options
The UIP 2023 World Congress in Miami Beach, Florida (Sept. 17–21) will bring professionals from different countries and regions to share knowledge, exchange ideas, and discuss the latest advances in venous and lymphatic medicine. However, the language barrier can often be a significant obstacle for non-native English speakers to engage effectively. To address this challenge, the American Vein & Lymphatic Society and co-hosts [the American Venous Forum, the Canadian Society of Phlebology, and the Mexican Academy of Phlebology and Lymphology] have decided to use an artificial intelligence (AI) technology called Wordly to provide translation services.
YEARS IN THE MAKING
C
vein ablation
Erasing language barriers at the UIP 2023 World Congress
DEEP VENOUS VALVES
hronic venous disease affects nearly 25 million in the USA alone, and among those patients, the deep venous reflux population is close to two million people. Erin Murphy, MD, and Marc Glickman, MD, put forward these figures to set the scene for a deep dive into deep venous valvular reflux during a discussion at the 2023 Charing Cross (CX) Symposium in London, England (Apr. 25–27). They were joined by Ramon Varcoe, MBBS, to outline the scale of the issue, as well as potential solutions in the pipeline.
13 Saphenous
populations with deep venous reflux. Varcoe, a vascular surgeon at Prince of Wales Hospital in Sydney, Australia, concurred that deep venous reflux represents an “enormous global burden,” but not only in terms of healthcare costs, but also in patients’ livelihoods. To this point he described the difficulties associated with living with venous ulcers, and the fact that vascular surgeons “really struggle” with these patients in terms of applying compression therapy and using other conservative measures. Murphy, director of the venous and lymphatic program at Atrium Health’s Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute in Charlotte, North Carolina, noted that there has been “considerable progress” over the last 10 years in treatment options for patients with reflux in the superficial system, and also in the deep venous obstruction space, with various new stents now available. “Why do you think it is taking so long to establish new
technology in the deep venous valve realm?” she posed to the panel. “For the last 50 to 60 years, everyone has considered finding a cure for deep venous valvular reflux as the holy grail of deep venous disease,” remarked Glickman, highlighting the importance of, and difficulty associated with finding a solution to, the problem. He put forward two issues at play here—one is
“I am seeing huge interest in venous disease now and it is a really great time to be involved in the field.”— RAMON VARCOE
WORDLY IS AN AI-POWERED translation service that can translate speech in real-time in over 25 languages. Attendees can listen to audio translations or read written translations, which are accessible by QR code. One of the key benefits of using Wordly is that it provides a seamless attendee experience. Attendees can use their smartphones or other devices to access the translation service; nothing needs to be downloaded or installed in advance. Moreover, free WiFi will be provided in session rooms, ensuring attendees can access the translations without incurring additional costs. All educational sessions will offer translations, making it easier for attendees to follow the presentations and engage in discussions. To use the translation services, attendees must bring a WiFi-enabled mobile device or laptop and headphones. Once they have selected their language, they can listen to audio translations or read written translations in real time. Virtual attendees will also be able to access the translation services Continued Continued on on page page 24
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