Galway University Hospitals showcased the expertise of its interventional radiology department recently when it hosted “live cases” for a major international radiology conference which took place in Germany.
The event, which is one of the biggest meetings of its kind in the world was viewed live by almost 4,000 doctors on the main screen in Leipzig in addition to thousands more around the world.
GUH is the only hospital in Ireland or the UK to be involved in this project - it is its third year taking part in the conference.
The local hospital, a leader in interventional radiology with a world class service in diagnosing and treating patients from Ireland and overseas, was the only hospital in Ireland and the UK to be involved in the project.
Interventional radiology is an independent medical specialty providing minimally invasive image-guided diagnosis and treatment of diseases in every organ system. More than 90 cases were performed from 13 international centres worldwide and transmitted real-time online to a wide medical audience using the latest in high definition television and wireless technology. The audience (remotely ) had the opportunity to ask questions as the operations occurred.
Dr Gerry O’ Sullivan, a consultant interventional radiologist at Galway University Hospitals, said by broadcasting procedures live GUH was able to share its expertise and experience with an extensive group of doctors internationally.
“UHG is one of the leading centres in Europe for acute deep venous thrombosis work and a team of 25 staff, including nurses, radiographers, pathology staff, doctors, porters and administrative staff work in the Interventional Radiology Department. Significant numbers of patients from outside the region travel to Galway for treatment. These procedures are highly advanced using the most cutting edge technology available which results in a much better quality of life for our patients.”
LINC is a comprehensive and interventional live course designed to foster collaboration between colleagues worldwide and to promote the understanding and development of endovascular therapies that can be incorporated into daily clinical practice. This highlights how technological advancements in medicine are contributing to improving practice through innovative online education and training.
