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CIRSE - Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiological Society of Europe, Neutorgasse 9/6, Wien (2025)

06/11/2025

with Dr. Sara Lojo
In interventional radiology, the term “IR-TRASH” is sometimes used ironically to describe the most routine procedures: drainages, biopsies, paracenteses, and catheter changes. The ones we perform every day without headlines or applause.

But I find it hard to accept that term. Because there’s no such thing as a “rubbish” procedure when it improves a patient’s life: A well-done drainage can prevent open surgery. A paracentesis can bring immediate relief. A biopsy can completely change a medical — and personal —story.

These are small clinical acts with a huge impact: less pain, shorter hospital stays, lower costs, better care. And often, they’re the moments when we’re closest to our patients.

Perhaps the problem isn’t the type of procedure, but the context.
➡️ Are we all destined to be “stars”?
➡️ Do we need to perform the most complex procedures to be valued?
➡️ Who decides what’s worthy?

Maybe we should reserve the term “IR-TRASH” for when we lose sight of our medical purpose — when we act without context, without communication, without empathy.

The debate shouldn’t be about whether a procedure is “big” or “small,” but rather whether it’s well indicated, well executed, and well integrated into a clinical pathway that truly adds value.

True IR-VALUE happens when the interventional radiologist:
• participates in clinical decision-making,
• prioritises according to impact and cost-effectiveness, and
• accompanies the patient before, during, and after the procedure.

And yes — there’s always time to thank the technician who gets nervous during biopsies… because they did everything right! 🙌

06/11/2025

Make sure to register for the upcoming webinar: Eight years of real-world evidence on TARE
📌 November 20, 2025, 17:00-18:15 CET
📄 Programme: https://t.ly/rmRJk
✔️ Registration: https://t.ly/CitP8

Join us for this CIRSE webinar, which marks the conclusion of eight years of data collection from the CIRT and CIRT-FR studies on transarterial radioembolization (TARE), as we share key findings with the wider IR community.

This webinar will highlight major findings, explore new research directions, and encourage broader member engagement through interactive discussions and live voting. Key topics include the clinical application of TARE in real-world settings, its role in downstaging strategies, the potential of underexplored predictors of treatment effectiveness, and TARE’s application in non-colorectal liver metastatic tumours. This is an opportunity to reflect, engage, and shape future research within the CIRSE community.

05/11/2025

with Dr. Sara Lojo
I know sustainability isn’t the most exciting topic.
Some of my friends even joke that I’ve become “the Swedish tree-hugger” of interventional radiology.

But the truth is, sustainability is not an option. There is no Planet B.

Every day in the angio suite, we use gloves, drapes, catheters, syringes, sterile covers… plastic wrapped in more plastic.

For aortic stent grafts, the amount of disposable material is staggering — multiple kits, introducers, sterile fields, packaging layers.

By the end of a single procedure, the waste can fill an entire bin, and almost none of it is recycled.

Studies show that up to 90% of IR waste is non-contaminated, and that a single procedure can emit more than 200 kg of CO₂e — the same as driving 800 km by car.

These numbers are not abstract; they are ours.

And because there is no Planet B, we need a better Plan A — starting with small, practical steps:

▪️Turn off unused equipment (ultrasound, monitors, lights) when not in operation.
▪️Go digital. Avoid paper: Minimize printed protocols, consent forms, and reports.
▪️Separate waste correctly. Distinguish between contaminated and uncontaminated materials to reduce the amount of special waste.
▪️Reduce single-use plastics whenever a safe reusable alternative exists (e.g., protective eyewear, lead aprons, positioning aids).
▪️Plan procedures efficiently. Combine compatible interventions to reduce patient transfers, imaging time, and energy use.
▪️Optimize tray preparation. Open only the materials needed for each case to avoid unnecessary disposal of unused sterile items.
▪️Manage inventory responsibly. Avoid over-ordering or letting consumables expire.
▪️Recycle packaging. Many device wrappers, saline bottles, and paper boxes are recyclable if properly segregated.
▪️Engage the whole team. Include nurses, technologists, and secretaries in sustainability discussions and ideas.
▪️Track progress. Start small: one initiative per month, measure its impact, and share results.

Check out these articles on the topic, as well as the session from .
➡️ "Green radiology: How to develop sustainable radiology."
by Sara Lojo, Alex Rovira, and Angel Morales
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38908886/

➡️ "A Greener Path for Interventional Radiology" by Sara Lojo, Jose María Abadal Villayandre, Elena Lonjedo Vincent, Ángel Morales Santos, Àlex Rovira
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40386929/

➡️ CIRSE 2024 "Sustainability and environmental protection in IR" https://t.ly/dvEsT

05/11/2025

The Saudi Interventional Radiology Society (SIRS) and CIRSE recently signed a memorandum of understanding setting the framework for SIRS’ group membership starting in 2026. We spoke with SIRS President Dr. Hassan Alshehri about his society, the status of IR in Saudi Arabia, and future plans to advance IR in the region.
Read his interview in the CIRSE Insider! https://t.ly/y7q36

05/11/2025

with Dr. Sara Lojo
One of the current challenges in interventional radiology is how to position ourselves within the overall clinical landscape. Too often, we see debates centred on who owns a procedure, as if medicine were a territory to defend rather than a field to share.

In reality, every collaboration teaches us something. Working with colleagues from other specialties allows us to see cases from new perspectives, refine our techniques, and build a stronger foundation for patient care.

Today, I had the opportunity to collaborate with a neurointerventionalist on a complex case that required both of our skills. What initially seemed like an overlap turned into a mutual learning exercise: we discussed approaches, compared devices, and combined our procedural expertise to achieve the best possible outcome. This is especially important given that our procedures are not homogeneous and we sometimes cannot even agree on long-term antiplatelet therapy.

Our patient had a renal aneurysm measuring approximately 2.8 x 2.6 cm, which was a chance finding in a study conducted for another purpose. We agreed that the most appropriate course of action was to place a pipeline to redirect the flow, trying not to lose renal perfusion.

It wasn't easy, and I recognise that we were fortunate to have the skills of a neurointerventionalist like Dr. Carlos Rodriguez Paz. The experience that a neurointerventionalist has in managing complex aneurysms with millimetre-sized outlets cannot be questioned.

Thanks also to Alfonso Ares Pires and Luis Capitolina for their support. Ultimately, commercial companies sell products, but having their engineers and support during cases is essential.

The future of our field depends on how well we continue to build those bridges, not only between specialities, but also between perspectives.

04/11/2025

2026 is coming up fast and CIRSE is once again offering all the events you need to stay on the cutting edge of minimally invasive image-guided treatments. Make sure to mark your calendar!

Abstract submission for ECIO 2026 has already begun, so submit your work today!

⭐ European Congress of Interventional Oncology ➡️ ecio.org/
⭐ European Conference on Embolotherapy ➡️ etconference.org/
⭐ CIRSE Annual Congress ➡️ cirsecongress.cirse.org/
⭐ European School of Interventional Radiology ➡️ esir.org/

04/11/2025

with Dr. Sara Lojo
Some of the most meaningful contributions of interventional radiology happen beyond the procedure itself — when we collaborate with other specialties to design new solutions for complex cases.

One of the best examples in our practice is our collaboration with the general surgery team on the prehabilitation of the abdominal wall in patients with giant ventral hernias or loss of domain. These are conditions that often develop after complex oncologic surgeries.

These cases remind us that our role as interventional radiologists goes far beyond tumour-directed procedures such as ablations or TACE. We can also support patients in managing the secondary consequences of traditional surgery, helping restore function and improving overall recovery.

Together with our surgeons, we evaluate patients in consultation and plan a two-step interventional approach:

First step: Botulinum toxin infiltration of the abdominal wall, five injection points on each side, to relax the lateral musculature and increase abdominal wall compliance.

Second step: (If it's needed!) Placement of an iatrogenic pneumoperitoneum catheter to progressively insufflate air into the peritoneal cavity, expanding intra-abdominal volume prior to surgery.

This combined strategy allows the surgical team to achieve tension-free abdominal closure, reducing postoperative complications and improving recovery.

Beyond its technical value, this experience illustrates how multidisciplinary collaboration broadens the impact of interventional radiology — from treating tumours to facilitating complex surgical repairs.

Innovation, in the end, often begins with conversation and the willingness to see each patient’s problem through more than one lens.

04/11/2025

Check out the latest topic package in the CIRSE Library on dialysis vascular access interventions, compiled by Prof. Stavros Spiliopoulos
👉 https://t.ly/Jl32T

Reliable vascular access is the lifeline of hemodialysis. It is used in nearly 90% of all kidney replacement therapies. When AV fistulas or grafts fail due to stenosis or thrombosis, percutaneous, endovascular interventions offer a fast, effective solution. Backed by KDOQI, SIR, and ESVS guidelines, these minimally invasive treatments are setting the gold standard in restoring function and improving patient outcomes.

04/11/2025

with Dr. Sara Lojo
“Thirty per cent of patients die within the first three years of life, and of those who survive, 90% do so with serious or very serious sequelae. In most cases, one of the parents stops working to care for the dependent patient.”

These were the data I found on PubMed in December 2023, hours after receiving the diagnosis of my 5-month-old daughter.

How many times have you shared statistics with your patients?
How many times have you been impersonal, distant, or built —perhaps unintentionally— a wall between you and them?
How many times has it made you uncomfortable when a patient cried in your office, or have you filled that silence with a cold stillness because you didn't know what to say?

Humanising hospitals, especially wards where patients receive devastating diagnoses or undergo invasive tests, is not just about painting the walls pastel colours. It's about getting closer to your patient, being aware that your information is probably the only thing they can hold on to at that moment. It's about understanding that sometimes, as patients, we are overwhelmed by information and don't understand everything we are told (even if you are a doctor); but above all, it's about BEING THERE. It's not just about prolonging life, but about improving its quality.

The devastating diagnosis I received almost a year and a half ago plunged me into a very dark place. And even though I’ve always considered myself an extremely empathetic person, that experience made me far more aware of how deeply patients and their families need to feel accompanied. Heard. Understood.

It's not about inviting us for a coffee; sometimes it's enough to look someone in the face, to show compassion, to be patient. Sometimes, it's enough to really put ourselves in the shoes of the person in front of us.

This post may not be what you're used to, you may even find it uncomfortable, or you may think it doesn't apply to you. Ask yourself why, and remember that, with a very high probability, tomorrow you could be the patient.

03/11/2025

The IDEAS Scientific Programme Committee met today in Vienna to begin shaping an outstanding scientific programme for !

Held annually alongside the CIRSE Annual Congress, the Interdisciplinary Endovascular Aortic Symposium fosters multidisciplinary collaboration in aortic treatment, uniting leading experts in interventional radiology and endovascular surgery.

Mark your calendar:
📍September 7–8, 2026, in Copenhagen, Denmark

Help us spread the word with the promo material! https://t.ly/Rul4b

03/11/2025

with Dr. Sara Lojo
Behind every successful procedure, there’s always a team and not just the one you see inside the angio suite.

When we started this unit a year ago, our nurses and radiographers were completely new to interventional radiology. Together, we learned, adapted, and built everything from the ground up. Their patience, curiosity, and dedication turned uncertainty into strength — and what began as a project soon became a shared purpose.

But creating a team is not only about training skills; it’s about understanding people — their realities, motivations, and emotional needs.

True leadership in medicine means helping each person not only perform well but also grow in an environment where they genuinely want to keep learning, contributing, and reaching new goals.

And behind the scenes, our secretaries make sure everything runs smoothly: scheduling, reorganising last-minute changes, and keeping both our days and our patients in balance.

This unit is a living example of what can happen when we invest in people, not just in procedures.

Make sure to check out these two blog posts from CVIR Endovascular - CIRSE's open access journal on IR nurses:
✨ "Interventional radiology nursery: why should we be part of the team?" by Ana Gutiérrez Siles https://t.ly/D8jkZ
✨" Interventional radiology nursery: why they should be part of the team" by (me) Sara Lojo Lendoiro https://t.ly/d86Pa

03/11/2025

Hi everyone 👋 I’m Sara Lojo, an interventional radiologist passionate about patient-centred care, sustainability, and the human side of medicine. I’m deeply interested in interdisciplinary collaboration, management, teaching, and the world of publishing.

For the past seven years, I’ve had the privilege of working in interventional oncology — a field where precision, technology, and empathy intertwine every day. It’s a speciality that demands not only technical skill and concentration, but also presence, patience, and compassion.

Most of the people we care for are oncology patients. Their paths are often long and uncertain, marked by moments of hope, fear, and resilience. Being part of those journeys, whether guiding a catheter, performing an ablation, or simply taking the time to listen, constantly reminds me that our work is never purely technical. Every procedure carries emotional weight, not only for them, but also for us as physicians.

This week, as I take over CIRSE’s social media accounts, I’d like to open a small window into that everyday reality: what it means to practise interventional oncology from the inside — the teamwork, the challenges, and the quiet moments that shape us as clinicians and as people.

I hope to share not only what we do, but also why it matters and how compassion can become part of the technique.

CIRSE - Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiological Society of Europe

06/11/2025

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