KOCHI: To engage discussions and debates on most modern trends in the management of vascular diseases, the 24th annual conference of Vascular Society of India (VSI) will be held in Kochi from September 14 to 17. During the conference, the organisers will also fulfil their social responsibilities by conducting ‘Run for your legs’, a 10-km marathon, on September 16. The marathon will spread awareness about vascular diseases and about ways to prevent amputation of limbs.
Vascular diseases are a leading cause of lower limb amputations with a person losing a limb in India every 30 seconds due to diabetes despite a majority of the cases being preventable. The proceeds from the marathon will be utilised for the rehabilitation of amputees affected by vascular diseases and of army personnel who lost one or more limbs in military action. Runners from different states will line up on the day. The marathon will be flagged of at 5.30 am from Le Meridien, the venue of the conference.
The conference’s scientific sessions will include presentations by eminent surgeons from around the world. Live demonstrations of open surgical and interventional vascular procedures will be held. The conference will provide young vascular surgeons an opportunity to present their work and interact and learn from national and international experts.Delegates from the US, Singapore, UK, Malaysia, Austria, Saudi Arabia, Ireland and New Zealand will participate in the conference alongside their Indian counterparts.
Established 24 years ago, VSI is the sole organisation of vascular surgeons from the country. It is an active partner of the World Federation of Vascular Societies and the Vascular Society of Kerala. “The public is unaware of the vascular surgery, a super-speciality division in medical field. We should save our legs like our face,” R C Sreekumar, VSI secretary and Head of the Department of Vascular Surgery, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute of Medical Science and technology, Thiruvananthapuram, told reporters.
Sunil Rajendran, the Head of the Department of Vascular Surgery at Aster MIMS, Kozhikode, and the organising secretary of the conference said the general assumption is amputation is the lone cure of vascular diseases. “This is not true. The diseases can be cured by getting timely and appropriate treatment. In India, most government medical college hospitals and super-speciality hospitals can treat it. But many people do not know this,” he said.
The general assumption is amputation is the lone cure of vascular diseases. This is not true. The diseases can be cured by getting timely and appropriate treatment. In India, most government medical college hospitals and super-speciality hospitals can treat it.