Joseph Coselli (Houston, USA) reflects on the return of in-person meetings and the value they offer in terms of exchanging new information, learning from other healthcare professionals, expanding collective knowledge of the field and ultimately “improving what physicians can do for their patients”.
Coselli briefly maps the history of aortic and vascular surgery, signposting the clinical and technical evolution of the field—“we started with homographs”, developing through to extensive open repairs. He highlights that this process of updating is heading toward “total endovascular repair of virtually any extent of the aorta”.
Discussing the key topics he believes to be currently stirring the field, he conveys the move toward endovascular treatment and the number of emerging, competitive devices for the aortic arch and the thoracoabdominal aorta. Noting the significance meetings have to disseminate knowledge and new research, Coselli asserts—“we are in a process of moving ahead technologically”, and looks to future meetings to continue this practice of essential learning.
