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"An Intellectual Feast": PICS LIVE 2023 and the 8th World Congress, By The PICS Society Center for Continuing Education Following last year's 25th Anniversary celebration of the PICS Symposium in Chicago, this year we start our next quarter-century with an equally special event: PICS LIVE will be concurrent with the World Congress of Pediatric Cardiology & Cardiac Surgery (WCPCCS). Traditionally held every four years, the World Congress is a meeting of unparalleled depth, scope and size in pediatric cardiology/cardiac surgery. This year PICS LIVE will focus each morning on the live cases that PICS is renowned for, while enabling PICS LIVE attendees full access to the incredible programming of the entire World Congress. We recently interviewed Drs. Ziyad M. Hijazi (PICS President) and Damien Kenny (PICS LIVE Chair and PICS Vice President) about plans for PICS LIVE. Highlights: Is PICS LIVE in effect this year's version of the annual PICS Symposium? (Dr. Hijazi) Great question, and the short answer is yes! The only major difference is that this year we are doing it alongside the World Congress, so that those who come to Washington DC to attend the World congress will have a "two for one" experience. Each morning attendees can attend the live cases portion of the PICS Symposium; we call this "PICS LIVE." Each afternoon, attendees will attend any and all World Congress events they choose, whether those events focus on interventional treatment of CHD (which PICS faculty will be deeply involved with) or any of the dozens of other events offered daily. So, in that sense this is a two-for-one week. That's why we call this an intellectual feast! How do people register, submit abstracts, book hotel rooms, and plan each day ? (Dr. Kenny) We are working with the World Congress staff to make this all very user-friendly, focusing on "one-stop shopping." Simply go to wcpccs2023.org where you will find links for all of these activities. Register for the World Congress, then for a modest additional fee on the registration page you will also be able to sign up for PICS LIVE as well—easily AND affordably! This has been referred to as "the best of two worlds". Tell us more. (Dr. Hijazi) PICS LIVE, although an independent meeting designed by the PICS Society, is happening on four mornings during the World Congress. The live cases will take place at the Marriott Marquis, footsteps from the Washington DC Convention Center. PICS LIVE attendees will enjoy continuous live case transmission from 8:00 am until about 12:30 pm Monday through Thursday. We will beam in and discuss live cases from at least ten cardiac centers around the globe in the US, Europe, Asia and South America. Master operators will treat congenital heart disease cases involving percutaneous valves, stent implantation devices, closure of septal defects as well as balloon angioplasty. As in previous years, panels at PICS LIVE will provide expert commentary, with time reserved for audience Q & A. All afternoon sessions will be held in the Convention Center, focusing on didactic sessions and workshops in our specific specialty, as well as opportunities for you to network—and learn !-- with our colleagues in allied disciplines during sessions on advanced imaging, nursing/technologist science, heart failure, surgery, anesthesia, adult CHD, neonatology and many other areas. (Dr. Kenny) The lynchpin of PICS LIVE will be live case demonstrations from around the world. Seeing how teams perform procedures provides invaluable educational benefit. We will have taped moderated cases with instructor/ attendee interaction. We will have didactic lectures, vigorous debates, and demonstrations. Finally, PICS LIVE will provide many hours of CME, very important for board certification or recertification and, of course, for one's own professional development. Please tell us more about this year's topics of special focus. (Dr. Hijazi) We will cover the gamut of topics in CHD interventional cardiology: septal defects such as ASD closure, VSD closure, PDA closure, special considerations for preemies and fetal interventions, adult CHD, advanced imaging, lymphatics and similar topics. Advances in artificial intelligence and simulation technologies are of growing interest as well. Also, this year will be a session on quality addressing this extraordinarily important area. Everyone in our field knows the basics, but what is important in our field is to focus laser-like on quality in all of its aspects: outcomes, patient satisfaction, infection prevention, patient selection, guidelines-based care, interdisciplinary teamwork, and so much more. In response, Dr. Ralf Holzer, who chairs the PICS Quality Improvement Committee, will lead a session on this vital area. What additional programming will be offered? (Dr. Kenny). Advances in imaging are occurring daily. To help us keep up, Drs. Aimee Armstrong and Gregor Krings will again offer the 3Di3 Advanced Imaging program, providing the latest 'news you can use' in this vital area. As mentioned earlier, there will be many events for our nursing and technologist colleagues, as well as programs for early career interventionalists. Drs. Vivian Dimas and Darren Berman will again chair our two-day Fellows and Early Career Course (FECC), a highly popular program (apply early ! Space for FECC is limited). Tell us about the venue itself. (Dr. Hijazi). Washington DC is an amazing international city for the entire family. DC is served by three international airports. As the capitol city of the U.S., you and your family will experience a week-long living history lesson, where you can view Capitol Hill, the White House, the Smithsonian's huge collection of museums, restaurants of all types and so much more. If you are visiting from outside the U.S., contact our staff to learn about policies for visiting your nation's embassy. Opportunities to interact with industry partners? (Dr. Kenny) This is crucial. CEOs and their representatives will be there to learn our needs. Take time to introduce yourself, interact, learn and avail yourself of opportunities for hands- on demonstrations. The relationship between industry and medical professionals is extremely important: we clinicians have the ideas about what we need to better treat patients. Industry has the engineers, the scientists, and the resources to meet those needs. The World Congress' exhibition hall will be huge! Industry will display the latest products and the tried-and- true. Everything will be on display, with those who developed these products available for discussion. Industry demonstrations in the exhibit hall and expert presentations during industry symposia will focus on advances in imaging and new interventional devices. Dates to Remember/For more information….
More about the World Congress Traditionally held every 4 years, the World Congress is a large international meeting of unparalleled depth, scope and size, affectionately known as "The Olympics of our Profession." Inspired by the incredible precedent set by past World Congress organizers, our goal is to make this the most comprehensive, up-to-date, and technologically advanced meeting for pediatric and congenital heart disease. Organizations from across North America have come together to make this World Congress a momentous event. We are honored by the groundswell of support from these organizations. More than sixty children's hospitals across North America joined the effort as Institutional Partners. Each of these hospitals provided financial support to help fund the effort. More than 50 associations and related organizations have provided endorsements for this World Congress. Thirteen scientific societies and post-graduate meetings have chosen to embed their scientific content into this World Congress. Our scientific program is interdisciplinary and has been developed by leaders in pediatric cardiology, cardiac surgery, cardiac nursing, cardiac anesthesia, cardiac intensive care, perfusion and other experts from around the globe. They have developed a program of unparalleled breadth and depth featuring twenty-two subspecialty tracks. These tracks are designed so that healthcare professionals from all disciplines can customize their learning experience, based on their own needs. More than 1,500 scientific posters will showcase the latest science and research. The interactive Multi-dimensional Anatomy Lab will showcase the evolution of cardiac imaging, procedural planning and simulation, and cutting-edge technology that could revolutionize your practice. The Digital Transformation Hub will showcase advanced technology that can be integrated into your cardiovascular practice to drive innovative care. Future dates2023 - PICS at the World Congress of Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery 2024 - PICS 2025 - PICS at the World Congress of Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery |