India is facing a massive shortage of Interventional Cardiologists, Interventional Radiologists and Vascular Surgeons having keen interest in Endovascular/Peripheral Interventions to treat Aneurysms, an over-inflated blood vessel condition that can be fatal. The disorder is asymptomatic and grossly undetected with physical examination and the diagnosis needs to be confirmed with an ultra sound screening. The treatment is expensive and there are also only a few centres conducting Endovascular & Peripheral Interventions in the country.

Therefore the scope of this treatment in India is immense as there are more than 400,000 cases whereas only 60 to 70 cases are treated. In the US, though the annual incidence of the disorder is only 40,000, 15,000 to 16,000 are treated every year, stated Dr. Sanjay Mehrotra, Senior Consultant Interventional Cardiologist, Narayana Hrudayalaya.

Globally, aneurysms occur in 5 to 7 per cent of people over age 60. In India, 10 per cent of men suffer from this disorder. Although the incidence is probably 9 times lesser in women but problems of aneurysm are higher than in men.

Endovascular/Peripheral Interventions is only seven years old and practised only in the last three years in India with only around 10 centres offering this speciality.

The reason for the growing incidence is attributed to the lack of awareness about the nature of the disorder not only among patients but also in physicians or cardiologists who cannot recognise it easily.

"Treatment is more expensive than bypass surgery but can be brought down once the intervention procedures are done in large numbers," Dr. Mehrotra stated. Aneurysm is treated with surgery or endovascular intervention and the latter is preferred as it eliminates incision and ensures faster recovery.

With no dedicated medical camps to diagnose aneurysms and only hospitals circulating brochures about the expertise available, a two-day Continuing Medical Education programme organized by Medtronic, a global medical technology major on Endovascular & Peripheral Interventions was held at Narayana Hrudayalaya, one of the largest centres performing Endovascular & Peripheral Interventions in the country.

The meet saw around 35 Interventional Cardiologists, Interventional Radiologists & Vascular Surgeons with some independent practical experience taking part. The key spokespersons were Sanjeev Sharma, Prof. & Head of Cardio Vascular Radiology, AIIMS, Delhi, Dr Sriram, Senior Cardiologist – Railway Hospital, Chennai: One of the pioneer doctors of this therapy and Dr KK Haridas, Senior Cardiologist – Amrita Institute, Kochi.