The Intervention Master Aortic Course (IMAC) Board provides an overview of the most recent iteration of its annual event, which in 2023 took place in Cairo, Egypt. The event featured a Charing Cross (CX) session introduced by the late Roger Greenhalgh.
IMAC, being the regional landmark gathering in the field of aortic interventions in the Middle East and Africa, is primarily entrusted with being the platform through which young vascular surgeons would safely and securely incorporate aortic endovascular interventions into their everyday practice. This event represents more than education; it’s a chance to foster growth, embrace innovation, learn from renowned professionals, and build meaningful connections with peers from around the world.
IMAC 2023 provided vascular surgeons with a unique and exciting format to learn the most current information about what is new and important in the treatment of vascular disease. The three-day event featured presentations, live cases and workshops from nationally and world-renowned vascular specialists.
IMAC, which in 2023 was held 18–20 October at the Intercontinental CityStars Hotel in Cairo, has grown in size, scope and international flavour over the years. It now attracts around 600 attendees, has around 177 faculty members—including 48 international faculty members—and its programme includes upward of 170 talks across more than 21 exciting and provocative sessions, plus 20 workshops. IMAC 2023 was jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) with 32.5 CME hours.
The importance and success of IMAC has been based on several factors, which include the people who join to put it all together, in addition to our devoted and talented core staff who have brought us to this level. Moreover, the IMAC Board is open with and target young vascular surgeons. We are dedicated to having prestigious international partners (who really are essential partners), who come from far and wide to devote their time and effort and make our meeting what it is. In this way, IMAC 2023 included sessions for many cutting-edge international conferences, with the CX Symposium, Paris Vascular Insights, Critical Limb Ischemia Course, Leading Innovative Vascular Education Aortic Surgery Peripheral & Venous “How to do it”, and SITE within the programme. Such meetings are essential to optimal care of patients because of the advances in knowledge and technologies in the vascular arena, and the international basis of these advances. This philosophy puts IMAC as an essential stamp in the calendar each year for Egyptian, Arabic and Middle Eastern vascular surgeons as well as for our European guests.
Unfortunately, Roger Greenhalgh, the surgeon internationally renowned for his unparalleled contribution to vascular education, training and research, died peacefully on 6 October 2023, two weeks before IMAC. He was always a leader in the field and that is why he filmed the introduction video of the CX session at IMAC 2023 entitled ‘Ascending aorta and aortic arch intervention: Consensus update and unmet needs’. This session was a landmark of our programme and weighed in on prioritising early diagnosis, addressing downstream complications, identifying areas of concern, and the future of treatment in ascending and arch disease.
The second day of IMAC 2023 featured the launch of Egyptian vascular surgery guidelines in the presence of the Egyptian Health Medical Council. These guidelines aim to present all the relevant evidence on vascular surgery in order to help physicians to weigh the benefits and risks of diagnosis or therapeutic procedure in vascular diseases. They should be helpful in everyday clinical decision-making. IMAC had the great honour of thanking
the writing and reviewing committee for their time and effort.
We are so excited to announce for the first time a new vascular surgery foundation society entitled the Egyptian Vascular and Endovascular Society (EVES). EVES seeks to advance excellence and innovation in vascular health through education, advocacy, research and public awareness. EVES’ vision is to set standards in preventing and managing vascular disease, leading training organisations with standardised and recognised education pathways, and leading scientific organisations in vascular care.
On behalf of everyone involved in IMAC 2023, we would like to sincerely thank all attendees and speakers for their continued interest and support, hoping they had an enlightening experience over our event, and a very enjoyable stay in the beautiful, bold city that we’ve always been proud to call the land of Pharaohs.
The IMAC will collaborate with well-known bodies in Egypt to conduct the EVES Summit 2024.
Khaled Shawki, Ahmed Gamal, Mohamed Hosni Eldessoki, Sherif Omar Elkerdawi, Sherif Essam and Ahmed Eleshra make up the IMAC Board.
