With the aim to study key controversies from its Main Programme in technical detail, the Charing Cross Symposium is launching the CX Edited Live Cases, a session that will focus on aortic and carotid procedures. Delegates will have the opportunity to explore the application of different techniques in complex situations, which perhaps could not have been broadcast in a live case because of patient’s safety. Roger Greenhalgh (Imperial College, London, UK), chairman of the CX Programme Organising Board, explains the details of this new session.  

Why are the CX Edited Live Cases focusing on the aortic and carotid fields?
The CX Programme Organising Board decided that live cases will be broadcast only in situations where the patient’s life is not at risk and where the surgeon is doing something which is not life-threatening, hence the existence of the CX Live Peripheral Arterial Cases. In peripheral procedures the risk is not as high as in aortic or carotid interventions so we thought it was legitimate to have live cases only for lower limb procedures.  

The CX Edited Live Cases are being offered in situations in which the patient’s life or condition could in some way be made worse through having the operator concentrate on filming rather than focusing on the patient. In aortic procedures the slightest slip could be very disastrous for the patient. In this kind of intervention the surgeon requires complete concentration on the patient. Another example is in carotid procedures where there is a risk of embolisation to the brain.


What makes the CX Edited Live Cases different from edited live cases presented at other conferences?
The difference in our Edited Live Cases is that we are relating this session systematically to our Main Programme (Aortic and Carotid) and at all points we will be stressing the evidence that the procedure works. For example, a short presentation in the Main Programme could include a specific device for abdominal aortic aneurysm treatment. In the CX Edited Live Cases that same product can be exposed to show in more detail what is special about it, compared to other aortic devices, and how and why it can be used in that specific case. The topics in the Main Programme normally give the evidence on how to fix a certain condition, but there will always be discussions about why it is thought it works and for the audience to cross question any person. The CX Edited Live Cases will bring an additional space to expand on these discussions and show the technical details.


What kind of procedures should delegates expect to see in the CX Edited Live Cases session?
Delegates should expect to see cases addressing endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR), thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) and endovascular aneurysm sealing (EVAS). The cases will include thoracic complex procedures and abdominal procedures of different types. A carotid mesh procedure, which is aimed to reduce embolisation to the brain to prevent stroke, will also be presented. In addition, we are going to have an Edited Live Case about how to control infection, which you could not do in a live case. We will have approximately 10 Edited Live Cases.


Could you explain what the format of the session will be?
Similar to the Main Programme sessions, the panel of the CX Edited Live Cases will include a chairman, the operator in the Edited Live Case, the phycisian who will be explaining it to the audience and two invited discussants. The speaker will present the case including patient characteristics, reason for the procedure, the necessary investigation undertaken (eg. X-rays), the choice of devices available, the strategies of treatment proposed and all of the pitfalls and concerns raised before the procedure.

After this presentation, a 10-minute edited video will be presented. In order to allow room for discussion about a specific technique the video could be stopped—this is an added benefit you could not have in a live case presentation. This approach will help to improve the educational basis of this session. After that, the aim will be to engage the audience in discussion.

Delegates will also have the opportunity to see these cases post Charing Cross 2015 from a video library that will be created from this initiative.


The CX Edited Live Cases (Aortic and Carotid) will take place at the Charing Cross Symposium on Tuesday 28 April – Grey Learning Centre, Olympia Grand, London, UK

Click here to see the CX Main Programme Sessions

Click here to see the CX Parallel Sessions 


Click here to register