From a mild fever to complicated surgery, when patients seek medical help, they place their faith in the expert and the outcome, positive or negative, always falls on doctors. In a bid to tackle the complexities in interventional pulmonology, bring transparency, and foster learning, the 4th Annual Conclave of Advanced Pulmonary Interventions (CAPI 2025), which took place recently, introduced a unique concept – the Complication Museum.
The initiative, inaugurated on Sunday, featured medical experts brought together by course directors Dr Ravindra Mehta, Dr VR Pattabhi Raman and their teams. The experts shared insights on navigating complications in pulmonary interventions.
Dr Mehta shared the idea behind the museum – to create a space where experts could learn from each other’s mistakes. “We talk about our achievements, but we never talk about the complications,” he said, adding, “We wanted to make it complication-savvy and start a conversation.” The event witnessed attendees, including international faculty members Dr Pyng Lee and Dr David Fielding.
Through hands-on exhibits and video presentations, attendees had the opportunity to understand cases and explore strategies for effective management of future cases. “A complication story is never an endpoint in itself; it is a beginning of a long journey which ultimately leads to a change in so many endpoints,”
Dr Mehta emphasised. The museum featured videos from across the world, available through QR codes. “Each person who contributed has an experience of 20-30 years, and that’s encapsulated in 1-2 minutes. It will also be available later on our website,” he added.
With an array of medical equipment that resulted in complexities during procedures and a detailed explanation of each case, the museum provided a learning experience, especially to those in the early stages of their careers. “As told by one of my professors in the US, everybody tells you what to do, but only a very few tell you what not to do,” Dr Mehta stated.