The last day of the SOLACI-SBHCI 2019 Congress was full of sessions where different SOLACI areas were widely represented.

The first morning session was “From SOLACI to SBHCI // México, Centro América and El Caribe Present: Más Allá de las Coronarias,” which addressed issues related to coronary angioplasty, the importance of imaging in structural procedures, the expansion of TAVR in the future, the need for a TAVR program in Latin America, and different issues related to appendage closure.

This session featured SOLACI Secretary Dr. Alfaro Marchena, SOCIME (Mexican Society of Interventional Cardiology) President Dr. Jorge Cortés, and also Dr. Luis Virgen, Dr. Juan Pablo Sandoval Jones, Dr. Julio Cesar Rodriguez, Dr. Alfredo Merino Rajme, and Dr. Ángel Obregón.

The 10:30 a.m. session was “The Andean Region Present: Complex Coronary Angioplasty”, addressing topics such as complex vascular accesses (distal and radial), intravascular imaging in complex angioplasty, left main coronary artery disease, and chronic occlusions.

As a SOLACI milestone, during this session, Dr. Carlos Uribe presented the Bifurcation Club, “BIF Club,” a new SOLACI area that will gain traction and relevance next year. This session featured Dr. Darío Charry Amaya, Dr. Oscar Paredes, Dr. José Abelardo López, Dr. Ricardo Quizhpe, Dr. Gustavo Hidalgo, and Dr. Ricardo Coloma.

Afternoon session “Reperfusion Strategy and Care Networks on Heart Attack in LATAM” also featured prominent SOLACI representatives. This session was coordinated by Dr. Omar Santaera (SOLACI Treasurer), Dr. Ricardo Lluberas (former SOLACI President), and Dr. Rolando Cuevas.

In the aforementioned session, renowned Latin American specialists in hemodynamics lectured on the current status of acute myocardial infarction in Latin America, analyzing different strategies and procedures to reduce mortality in our region. In that sense, Dr. Jorge Mayol highlighted SOLACI’s endorsement of the Stent – Save a Life Initiative, a European program aimed to the decrease of infarction-related mortality worldwide.

Finally, starting at 3:30 p.m., the traditional session dedicated to SOLACI Sessions, “A Case, A Teaching,” featured renowned Latin American interventional cardiologists who presented complex hemodynamic cases in a wide range of subject areas. This session was coordinated by Dr. Gustavo Vignolo (Sessions Vice-Director) and Dr. José Luis Leiva Pons (SOLACI President). Case presentations were in charge of Pedro Hidalgo (Venezuela), Juan José Flores Molina (El Salvador), Gustavo Hidalgo Alava (Ecuador), Erick Hornez (Bolivia), Marcio Montenegro (Brazil), Ricardo Arturo Quizhpe (Ecuador).

The session closed with the words of Dr. Vignolo towards Dr. Leiva Pons who, after this Congress, left the presidency to Dr. José Mangione. In that sense, the final round of applause summarized the wide appreciation for his work and commitment throughout the past two years.

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