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Explore stroke care with Society of Interventional Radiology's CLOTS

Stroke is third leading cause of death in the United States; SIR course Oct. 24–28 in Dallas, Texas, covers all aspects of acute stroke management; online registration now open

FAIRFAX, Va.—Catheter Lysis of Thromboembolic Stroke (CLOTS)—an intensive five-day course offered by the Society of Interventional Radiology Oct. 24-28 in Dallas, Texas—provides interventional radiologists, neurointerventionalists, vascular neurologists and fellows-in-training with the unique educational opportunity to review, observe and discuss all aspects of acute stroke management.

"Stroke is the third-leading cause of death in the United States, with about 600,000 new strokes reported each year. The good news is that treatments to reduce damage caused by a stroke are available, but that treatment has to be delivered quickly—and CLOTS covers related topics for those doctors looking to incorporate acute ischemic stroke care into their practice and/or upgrade their knowledge," said Carl M. Black, M.D., an interventional radiologist/neuroradiologist at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo. "The Society of Interventional Radiology and its CLOTS stroke experts will focus on the pathophysiology, assessment and medical management of stroke patients; cerebral vascular imaging; review of evidence from major clinical trials; technique; and the stroke team concept," he added.

CLOTS—with an emphasis on appropriate patient selection—includes lectures, panel discussions, teaching files, case scenarios and hands-on interaction with flow models. The course is also useful for nurses and technologists who want to increase their knowledge concerning the fundamentals of stroke and emergency stroke therapy. CLOTS provides educational content that a physician is required to know to meet the SIR Training Guidelines for Intra-arterial Catheter-directed Treatment of Acute Ischemic Stroke.

Extensive case presentations will be highlighted with workshops that include training in clinical neurological assessment and the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale; hands-on personalized training on CT perfusion workstations; and hands-on full-scale training on vascular flow models utilizing sheaths, guide catheters, microcatheters and clot retrieval devices from leg to brain. Multiple computer simulators will also be available for practice. Course topics also include imaging triage of stroke; drugs used in interventional procedures; how "time of onset" enters into treatment decisions; and the nuts and bolts of setting up a stroke center.

CLOTS, which is endorsed by the American Society of Neuroradiology, will be held Oct. 24-28 at the Grand Hyatt DFW in Dallas, Texas. Discounted room rates are avilable for attendees. Deadline to reserve a discounted hotel rate is Oct. 1; be sure to mention "SIR" when making a room reservation. SIR designates this educational activity for a maximum of 25.5 AMA PRA Category 1 credits. While noninterventionalists will not be required to participate in the hands-on catheter-based workshops, they are welcome to observe and handle the equipment during scheduled times outside of the required workshops to better understand the function and physical limitations of various catheters and devices. Workshop registration is limited to the first 72 participants. For more information or to register, visit online at www.SIRweb.org/CLOTS or phone (703) 691-1805.

Besides Black, CLOTS program coordinators are John W. Cole, M.D., M.S., vascular neurology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore; J.J. "Buddy" Connors, M.D., FSIR, interventional neuroradiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tenn.; and David Sacks, M.D., FSIR, interventional radiology, Reading Hospital and Medical Center, West Reading, Pa.

Steering Committee members include Rishi Gupta, M.D., neurology, neurosurgery and radiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tenn.; Vance E. McCollom, M.D., interventional radiology, Mercy Hospital, Oklahoma City, Okla.; Howard A. Rowley, M.D., neuroradiology/neurology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, and secretary of the American Society of Neuroradiology; M.J. Bernadette Stallmeyer, M.D., Ph.D., interventional neuroradiology, Our Lady of Lourdes Regional Medical Center, Lafayette, La.; and Joan C. Wojak, M.D., interventional neuroradiology, Our Lady of Lourdes Regional Medical Center, Lafayette, La.

More information about the Society of Interventional Radiology, interventional radiologists and how to find an interventional radiologist in your area can be found online at www.SIRweb.org.

Interventional radiologists are physicians who specialize in minimally invasive, targeted treatments. They offer the most in-depth knowledge of the least invasive treatments available coupled with diagnostic and clinical experience across all specialties. They use X-ray, MRI and other imaging to advance a catheter in the body, such as in an artery, to treat at the source of the disease internally. As the inventors of angioplasty and the catheter-delivered stent, which were first used in the legs to treat peripheral arterial disease, interventional radiologists pioneered minimally invasive modern medicine. Today, interventional oncology is a growing specialty area of interventional radiology. Interventional radiologists can deliver treatments for cancer directly to the tumor without significant side effects or damage to nearby normal tissue.

Many conditions that once required surgery can be treated less invasively by interventional radiologists. Interventional radiology treatments offer less risk, less pain and less recovery time compared to open surgery. Visit www.SIRweb.org.

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