At PCR, Interventional Cardiology Looks East, Not West

Article preview from IN VIVO - June 1, 2011

For many years, the Paris Course on Revascularization, Europe's largest showcase of devices and technology used in interventional cardiology, more often looked like a mini-TCT, the US-based meeting serving interventional medicine as well. But in the last couple of years, it's been hard to miss a somewhat diminished role for US physicians. While fewer US physicians have made the trip to Paris, interventionalists from China and India have been coming to PCR in greater numbers.

At PCR, Interventional Cardiology Looks East, Not West

Article preview from IN VIVO - June 1, 2011

For many years, the Paris Course on Revascularization (PCR), Europe's largest showcase of devices and technology used in interventional cardiology, more often looked like a mini-TCT, the US-based meeting serving interventional medicine as well. Many US companies used Europe as an early testing ground for technology, making PCR an important forum for talking about new technology. At the same time, the enormous role played by US interventionalists in developing, promoting, and adopting technology made their presence at PCR striking.

But in the last couple of years, anecdotally if nothing else, it's been hard to miss a somewhat diminished role for US physicians. Out of a faculty that numbered more than 1,000 physicians at this year's meeting in May, only around 55 were from the US. In striking contrast was a significantly larger number of physicians from emerging market countries, particularly China. Indeed, there were separate programs at this year's PCR, with titles such as "China Meets PCR" and "India Meets PCR," that focused specifically on cases performed by physicians from emerging markets, with commentary by European and in some cases US doctors. And the closing session at this year's PCR featured a number of live case transmissions from Pacific Rim hospitals.

PCR officials say the trend toward a smaller US presence began a couple of years ago, driven not by clinical considerations but by practical ones: over the past several years, fewer US physicians have made the trip to Paris, perhaps because of the growing number of US clinical meetings. In contrast, interventionalists from China and India have been coming to PCR in greater numbers, and the education isn't just one-way.

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