The rise and fall of arterial interventions: presentations at the Society of Interventional Radiology annual scientific meeting

Abstract

Purpose: To address hypotheses concerning a decline in presentations pertaining to vascular interventions by interventional radiologists and the loss of ground in other areas, such as oncology, of presentations in vascular interventions at the Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR) Annual Scientific Meeting.

Materials and methods: All abstracts for scientific presentations and scientific exhibits from the program book of the SIR annual meeting were reviewed from the period 1996-2006. The abstracts were grouped in different classes, such as (a) type of methodology, (b) reports on arterial interventions, (c) reports on oncologic interventions, and (d) geographic origin.

Results: Scientific abstracts presented at the SIR annual meeting totaled 3,162. Presentations ranged from 177-407 (1996-2003) plus 250 in 2006 with a mean of 288 presentations per year. The overall number of abstracts reporting arterial interventions had a peak of 89 presentations in 2000 and declined to 34 presentations in 2006. Reports of arterial interventions from the United States had a peak of 48 presentations in 2003 and declined to 12 in 2006. Reports of arterial interventions from Europe had a peak of 37 presentations in 2000 and declined to 11 in 2006. Reports of arterial interventions from Asia had a peak of 10 presentations in 1999 and declined to 6 in 2006. The trends are similar for the three components of arterial interventions when analyzed individually. In 1997, 26.6% of all the presentations were arterial interventions; in 2000, 25.1%; and in 2006, only 13.6%. There was a trend in the increase of oncology presentations starting in 2004. In 2003, it was 10%, and it was 22.4% in 2006.

Conclusions: There has been a decline in the overall number of abstracts presented at the SIR annual meeting after a peak in 2003. There has been a decline in the number of arterial intervention reports. The decline in presentations of arterial interventions that originated in the United States was also observed in presentations that originated from Europe and Asia. There has been an increasing trend in interventional oncology reports starting in 2004.