London, England, 15th October 2009 — For the first time, The Royal Society of Medicine (RSM) and University College London Hospitals (UCLH) will host a two-day symposium in central London this month to discuss the latest challenges and developments in the treatment of aortic disease, including aneurysms and dissections.

Life-threatening diseases of the ascending aorta and aortic arch are some of the most challenging conditions to treat for conventional cardiovascular and vascular surgery, many of which are being addressed with developments in endovascular treatment. These developments are leading to a renewed convergence of the cardiac and vascular specialities which could radically change the approach to treating these conditions and enable increasingly complex cases to be treated effectively.

This two-day symposium hosted by the Vascular Medicine Section of the RSM and UCLH's Multidisciplinary Endovascular Team will provide a forum for internationally renowned experts in aortic arch pathology and dissections to debate the existing challenges and present the latest developments in treatment options.

The symposium, sponsored by Cook Medical, is intended to be of interest and educational value to practitioners in vascular and cardiac surgery, interventional radiology, cardiology, emergency surgery and genetics. Amongst the line-up of impressive speakers will be:

• Professor Sir Magdi Yacoub who will address the management of acute type A aortic dissections and will also deliver a key-note 'grand finale' talk at the conclusion of the symposium.
• Dr M Thomas and Dr M Mullen who will discuss transcatheter aortic valve implantation.
• Professor K Ivancev, Professor M Jacobs, Professoe R Bonser, Dr C Abraham and Dr P Bergeron who will review endovascular and open surgical approaches for the treatment of aortic arch aneurysms.
• Dr F Veith from Cleveland, Ohio, USA, who will present the case for endovascular treatment as the only viable option for ruptured thoracic aortic aneurysms.

About the Royal Society of Medicine
The Royal Society of Medicine is an independent, apolitical organisation, founded over 200 years ago. It is one of the largest providers of continuing medical education in the UK. And provides accredited courses for continuing professional development, which is vital in allowing doctors, dentists, veterinary surgeons and other healthcare professionals their continuing freedom to practice.

About The University College London Hospitals
University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH), situated in the West End of London, is one of the largest NHS trusts in the United Kingdom and provides first class acute and specialist services. The new state-of-the-art University College Hospital which opened in 2005, is the focal point of the trust alongside six cutting-edge specialist hospitals. UCLH was recognised for its commitment to, and excellence in, research and development when the Department of Health announced in December 2006 that it would be one of just five comprehensive biomedical research centres in the country. The trust has a tradition of innovation and we enjoy close links with our sister organisation University College London – a world-leading medical school – offering the very best in training and education.

About Cook Medical
Founded in 1963, Cook Medical helped invent and popularize interventional medicine, pioneering many of the devices now commonly used worldwide to perform minimally invasive medical procedures throughout the body. Today, the company integrates minimally invasive medical devices, drugs and biologics to enhance patient safety and improve clinical outcomes. Since its inception, Cook has operated as a family-held private corporation focused on providing superior patient outcomes while reducing health care costs.

For more information, visit www.cookmedical.com. You may sign up to follow Cook Medical on Twitter at www.twitter.com/cookmedicalpr.