ESC Congress 2017 - By Dr. Rohan Wijuserendra
Bursary recipient, Dr. Rohan Wijuserendra reports from Barcelona on the European Society of Cardiology Congress 2017.
I am immensely grateful to have received a travel bursary from the British Cardiovascular Society to co-fund my attendance at this year’s ESC Congress.
My previous experience has been that the ESC Congress is an excellent conference, and this year was no exception. The tone was set immediately in the Inaugural Session, the highlight of which was a very thought-provoking Keynote Address on The Future of Cardiovascular Medicine in the Digital Era by Professor Eric Topol.
Undoubtedly the most eagerly anticipated scientific session was the first Hotline which featured, amongst others, late-breaking results from the CASTLE-AF, COMPASS and CANTOS trials. Each of these trials did not disappoint, and several results are likely to translate directly into an impact on clinical practice and guidelines.
I took the opportunity to attend sessions in a variety of disciplines from arrhythmias to valvular heart disease, contributing to my continuing medical education. It was often difficult to choose which session to attend, but fortunately the online ESC365 feature allows viewing of missed sessions throughout the year. I also gave an oral abstract presentation of some of my recent research work in an Advances in Science session. This was entitled “The interplay between left ventricular function and diffuse fibrosis in patients with atrial fibrillation undergoing ablation: insights from a prospective longitudinal cardiac magnetic resonance study“, and was well received, prompting several questions.
Several breakout sessions and drinks receptions offered opportunities to catch up with friends and meet new colleagues, and whilst the conference days were long, there was also an opportunity to see a little of Barcelona by night.
I would like to thank the British Cardiovascular Society for this excellent opportunity, and would encourage others to apply for this generous programme.
Information on how BCS members can apply for support to attend conferences can be found on the Travel Bursaries page
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