Advancing New Frontiers at AICT-AsiaPCR 2024

2025/03/17

Advancing New Frontiers at AICT-AsiaPCR 2024

Fostering closer ties within the cardiology community in Asia to advance cardiovascular outcomes

PULSE Issue 44 | January 2025

From 3 – 5 October 2024, Singapore hosted the landmark Asian Interventional Cardiovascular Therapeutics (AICT)-AsiaPCR 2024 conference, the region’s premier interventional event. Attended by over 1,000 leading cardiologists and medical professionals from around the world, the conference underscored the dynamic growth of this annual gathering. What began as a regional meeting at the National University Heart Centre, Singapore (NUHCS) in 2014 has since evolved into the official scientific meeting of the Asian Pacific Society of Interventional Cardiology (APSIC) and is now held alongside EuroPCR, the official meeting of the European Association of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (EAPCI)¹.

AICT-AsiaPCR
Formed in 2019, AICT-AsiaPCR is an educational platform built by local practitioners, with the support of centres of excellence in Asia Pacific and Europe, to focus on the diverse needs of patients in the landscape of iinterventional cardiology (diagnosis and treatment of heart and blood vessel conditions using catheters).

A global meeting hosted in the Asia Pacific region, this platform allows knowledge exchange between peers and the opportunity for healthcare professionals to showcase research and innovation, aimed at contributing to the latest developments in treatment and care possibilities to better serve the region’s patients.

Held at Suntec City Convention Centre, the event kicked off with the popular Fellows Course, offering early-career practitioners an opportunity to network, exchange ideas, and attend five educational sessions packed with practical insights they could apply in the catheterisation lab.

SHINING ON THE GLOBAL STAGE
This was followed by two days of immersive learning, including seven live demonstration cases from three leading centres in Sydney (Australia), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) and Singapore. As the only LIVE transmission centre in Singapore, NUHCS showcased three educational cases of complex heart procedures - including Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI)² and Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI)³ - to the global cardiology community.

These live cases provided attendees with real-time demonstrations of advanced techniques, delivered with step-by-step guidance from some of the leading experts in the field.

INNOVATION THROUGH COLLABORATION
At the core of the conference were diverse presentations, workshops, and panel discussions aimed at advancing knowledge and clinical practice in interventional cardiovascular medicine. Keynote sessions conducted by renowned experts delved into cutting-edge research across a broad spectrum of topics, including coronary and structural heart interventions, imaging and diagnostic techniques.

Yet another highlight was the Training Village, a hands-on programme by industry partners. Themed training sessions provided attendees with practical experience using the latest medical devices and technologies for managing hypertension, heart failure and valvular diseases. Expert-led tutorials and workshops further allowed participants to refine their skills and gain personalised guidance on the latest tools and techniques, empowering them to confidently apply them during patient care.

SHAPING THE FUTURE OF CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH
The conference also spotlighted international collaboration, with eight national societies from China, Hong Kong, Japan, India, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore participating in sessions on core topics such as intracoronary imaging⁵, physiology, left main⁶ and calcified lesions⁷. These sessions offered an invaluable opportunity for attendees to share knowledge and uncover global solutions to local challenges.

Panel discussions on hot topics, such as artificial intelligence in cardiology and managing complex clinical cases, facilitated dynamic exchanges and collaborative problem-solving among participants.

A high-level meeting of peers, mentors, and industry leaders, the conference not only brought together diverse
approaches from the Asian-Pacific community, but further fostered a collaborative environment for knowledge sharing and innovation, towards the advancement of patient care.

1. European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI) – a registered branch of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).
2. TAVI – Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation is a procedure used to treat severe aortic stenosis, a condition in which the aortic valve becomes narrowed and obstructs the outflow of blood from the heart.
3. Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) – a minimally invasive procedure whereby a catheter is inserted into one of the arteries through a small incision, also commonly known as stenting or ballooning.
4. Aortic annulus – fibrous ring at the aortic orifice to the front and right of the atrioventricular aortic valve and is considered the transition point between the left ventricle and aortic root.
5. Intracoronary imaging – the use of a catheter to provide a detailed view of the coronary artery from within.
6. Left main – the Left Main Coronary Artery (LMCA) that supplies blood to most of the left ventricle.
7. Calcified lesions – areas of tissue in the body that have accumulated deposits of calcium salts, leading to the formation of hardened or calcified regions.