The COVID-19 pandemic may have restricted the interventional radiology community’s ability to travel, but it couldn’t diminish the enthusiasm of attendees, faculty and corporate partners as they participated in the SIR 2021 Annual Scientific Meeting.
Even though the venue had changed from a high-profile city to attendees’ own living rooms or offices, the meeting’s content remained engaging and thought-provoking, with research that continued to push the envelope of improving patient care. The innovative format brought with it new opportunities:
- A 7-day format built around topical themes to help attendees plan their week
- 2 full days dedicated to section programming
- Chatting with presenters and each other during presentations
- Jumping from session to session in a moment’s time
- Networking receptions held almost every evening
- Quickly reviewing the day’s presentations after a full clinic day
The society thanks the Annual Meeting Committee, faculty, volunteers, corporate supporters, attendees and all others who made the meeting such a success!
Below are excerpts from previews and recaps of the events and research presented at the meeting. Read the full articles at SIR Today.
Find a session you missed and want more? You can still purchase access to recorded content via the Digital Video Library dvl.sirweb.org.
SIR and SIR Foundation awards Dotter Lecture
IRS at the University of Virginia Hospital watch Dr. Dake's address.
In the 2021 Dotter Lecture, “The reluctant cowboy: Moving past myth and dogma,” Ziv J Haskal, MD, FSIR, deconstructed commonly held IR “myths” and dogmatic practice approaches, calling for a more rigorous culture of data and research. “We need to be accountable and adopt a skeptical approach that can only be satisfied through repetition and replication,” Dr. Haskal said.
In the 2020 Dotter Lecture, “Why Are We Doing This Procedure? Asking the fundamental question in interventional radiology,” Karim Valji, MD, FSIR, said, “We enter the pathway of care after a long series of complications has unfolded,” comparing the sensation of joining the care team of a complex case to jumping on a runaway train that seems impossible to stop. “Questioning the procedure at this stage can be awkward and difficult, especially in private practice.”
WHO, WHAT, WHERE: SIR Gold Medalists
Each year, SIR Today salutes the Gold Medalists with a look at their outstanding careers, asking them to describe an important person, place or thing that shaped his or her life and career.
2021 Gold Medalists
- Michael Darcy, MD, FSIR
- David Sacks, MD, FSIR
- Richard Towbin, MD, FSIR
2020 Gold Medalists
- James F. Benenati, MD, FSIR
- Michael C. Soulen, MD, FSIR
- David M. Williams, MD, FSIR
Abstracts of the Year
In “Radiofrequency ablation for the palliative treatment of osseous metastases: Final results from a multicenter study (OPuS One),” Jason R. Levy, MD, presented the findings of a 3-year study on the efficacy of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) as a palliative treatment to provide pain relief in cancer patients with metastatic bone lesions. “A few weeks represents a large portion of the remaining life in these patients,” said Dr. Levy, the lead researcher on the study. “RFA may be able to give them the best quality of life possible in the time they have left.”
In “Y90 Radioembolization to the Prostate Gland: Proof of Concept in a Canine Model and Clinical Translation,” Samdeep Mouli, MD, MS (who also received the 2021 Gary Becker Young Investigator Award for this abstract) presented on the feasibility and safety of prostate artery radioembolization in a canine model in advance of human application. According to Dr. Mouli, “Patients are essentially faced with a difficult choice between oncologic efficacy and preserving gastrointestinal, urinary and sexual function. Unfortunately, up to 60% of men regret their treatment choices.”
Frederick S. Keller, MD, Philanthropy Award
Before SIR 2021, SIR Today spoke with 2021 Frederick S. Keller, MD, Philanthropy Award recipient and GEMS founder Alan H. Matsumoto, MD, FSIR, about the importance of SIR Foundation, how to advocate for IR and where he thinks the field should go next: “Our specialty has begun to understand that if we want to keep IR vibrant and exciting, we need to engage more medical students, particularly students from more ethnically and socially diverse backgrounds.”
Women in IR (WIR) Champion
IRs presented live during SIR 2021.
Last year, Meridith J. Englander, MD, FSIR, was given the first Women in IR Champion Award. This year, the SIR Women in IR (WIR) Section will officially honor Dr. Englander at SIR 2021. SIR Today spoke with Dr. Englander about the award, women in IR and her work in advocacy: “Our specialty does incredible things, yet we are one of the best-kept secrets in medicine. As a new independent specialty, it is so important for us to build our presence on Capitol Hill and with regulatory agencies. Decision-makers need to know about IR. Since I have always been interested in politics and how the government works, this was a great way to merge my interests with my passion for IR.”
Leaders in Innovation Award
SIR Today spoke with 2021 Leaders in Innovation Award recipient Andrew H. Cragg, MD, FSIR, about the future of IR and what innovation looks like to him: “When I began my career, most of the tools and techniques we now take for granted had not yet been developed. I was fortunate to be able to contribute some ideas in the efforts to develop self-expanding stents, aortic endografts and embolization devices. Along the way, I have been able to extend minimally invasive IR concepts to other conditions such as spine disease, obesity and sleep apnea.”
SIR Foundation Research Awards
SIR Foundation is dedicated to advancing the clinical needs of interventional radiology by specializing in developing investigators trained in conducting basic and clinical trials research, which provides the foundation for innovative therapies delivered through image-guided techniques. The foundation expands the innovative field of interventional radiology through research that contributes to the advancement of scientific knowledge; training of skilled investigators; and development of new devices, better medications and enhanced procedures. Every year SIR Foundation’s award program recognizes outstanding achievements in research and innovation.
JVIR Editor’s Awards
On Friday, March 26, Ziv J Haskal, MD, FSIR, presented the JVIR Editor's Awards for 2020 and 2019, for outstanding clinical and laboratory research. He then presented the awards for top JVIR reviewers of 2019 and 2020. SIR Today asked the paper award recipients to share more details on their research and the anticipated impact of their findings.
Scientific/clinical sessions
Daily science previews
- Monday, March 22
- Tuesday, March 23
- Wednesday, March 24
- Thursday, March 25
- Friday, March 26
Preview: PAD: Getting in the game
The session offers an overview of the essential therapies and techniques used in treating PAD, as well as tips for setting up a practice. “We have an all-star panel of vascular experts who are passionate about vascular disease, and I am excited to learn from them,” says Geogy Vatakencherry, MD, FSIR, who will moderate the session alongside Daniel Leung, MD, FSIR.
Preview: Management of calcium in PAD
“Calcium is the enemy of any endovascular procedure,” says Dr. Fanelli, of Careggi University Hospital at the University of Florence in Italy. Prevalent in the elderly, diabetics and those with kidney disease, the presence of calcium can act as a barrier to optimal dilation and make any procedure more difficult and dangerous.
Recap: Controversies and challenges in IO
To radioembolize or not to radioembolize—that was one of the many questions asked during Tuesday’s “Controversies and Challenges in IO” session. Co-moderators Nadine Abi-Jaoudeh, MD, FSIR, and Julius Chapiro, MD, PhD, were joined by five experts in the field who presented alternative approaches and treatments.
Preview: Controversies in UFE
This session features for six lectures discussing opposing techniques and approaches in uterine fibroid embolization (UFE)/uterine artery embolization (UAE), including difficult fibroids, fertility and pain management.
Recap: Update on PAE
Prostate artery embolization (PAE) hasn’t gained universal support yet—but the tide may be changing, according to Wednesday’s “Update on PAE” session, moderated by Clare Bent, MD, and Ari Isaacson, MD. In five presentations, experts discussed the status and practice of PAE as a treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Bonus: Read a Q&A with the co-moderators.
Recap: GAE appears safe, effective and durable at providing osteoarthritis-related knee pain
On Monday, March 22, Siddharth A. Padia, MD, FSIR, presented “Genicular artery embolization for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis: Final results from a prospective investigational device exemption trial.” The abstract presents the results of a prospective, single-center, open-label FDA-approved study, which indicated that genicular artery embolization (GAE) is safe and effective at providing long-term pain relief for osteoarthritis of the knee. The study included 40 patients with moderate to severe arthritis of the knee which had not responded to conventional treatments and who were not eligible or interested in total knee replacement. Beginning in March 2019, patients received GAE during a 2-hour outpatient procedure, with a 2-hour recovery period. According to follow-ups, patients saw pain relief as soon as 3 days post-procedure.
Recap: The growth of pediatric IR
Physicians celebrate the 2020 Gold Medalists.
Pediatric IR is a small but growing section of the specialty, according to faculty who presented during “Pediatric IR” on Tuesday, March 23. The session, coordinated by Eric J. Monroe, MD, and Aparna Annam, DO, featured six presentations on the techniques and options used in treating pediatric patients.
Plenary sessions
IR Wellness
“IR Wellness,” moderated by Grace Knuttinen, MD, PhD, featured a panel of IR leaders including Matthew S. Johnson, MD, FSIR; Janice M. Newsome, MD, FSIR; Charles E. Ray Jr., MD, PhD, FSIR; and Barbara Nickel Hamilton, MD. “Physician burnout is associated with increased medical errors, decreased patient satisfaction and decreased career longevity,” says Dr. Knuttinen. “Yet the conversation around burnout in interventional radiology has been lacking. Instead of shying away from the topic, now is the time to understand burnout better. Through a greater understanding of the causes and effects of burnout, we as individuals and as a society can make meaningful changes to improve our wellness in IR.”
We are IR: Bridges Not Barriers
There are many barriers to true equity—but there are ways to build bridges, according to panelists during the “We are IR” plenary discussion on Wednesday, March 24. The panel discussed health disparities among Latin-American populations, the need for more D&I data and representation for LGBTQ+ IRs, and how IR can become more diverse, accepting and accessible.
View the other plenary sessions online at the SIR 2021 Digital Video Library.
Section programming
Did you miss your section’s programming? On Saturday and Sunday the follow sections presented educational content and discussions:
- Medical students and residents
- Early Career Section
- NP & PA
- ACIR leadership
- APDIR (invite only)
- Women in IR
View the section programming online anytime via the Digital Video Library.
