400 cardiologists in Ahmedabad to train in trans radial technique

Ahmedabad, Jan 19 (UNI) Over 400 cardiologists from across the country and abroad will take part in a programme here to train in the 'Transradial Intervention' (TRI) technique, that is being increasingly used for conducting angiographs and angioplasties.

Giving details about the two-day programme, Dr Tejas Patel, a leading cardiologist, said cardiologists from India, the US, Netherlands, France, Germany, Japan, China, Thailand and Sri Lanka will converge here for the Annual International TRICO (Transradial Intervention Course), to train in the technique that allows heart procedures such as angiograms and angioplasties (stent implantation in the coronary arteries) to be performed through a tiny puncture in the patient's wrist, rather than through a large puncture in the patient's groin.

The trans radial procedures will be telecast live from the two cathlabs of a local hospital during the two-day course, he said.

Dr Patel, alongwith Dr Sanjay Shah who practices in the US and Dr Shigeru Saito of Japan, will direct the course.

A 200-page, hard-back surgical atlas, ''Patel's Atlas of Transradial Intervention: The Basics'', written by Dr Patel will be released during the course.

''Traditionally, India has always looked to the West for new medical procedures. But we are proud that this is the first time cardiologists in the West are looking to India for innovation and expertise,'' he said.

About the technique, Dr Shah said though it was always there, cardiologists a cross the world were not too aware of it. ''Now it is being increasingly used. In the US, its use has increased from two per cent to 12 per cent in the past five years, while in India, it is about 20 per cent,'' he said.

About the costs, he said though the procedure was not too cost-effective as equipments used were imported, but the patients definitely have a lower complications rate.

UNI