CIT Beijing 2010, 31st March-3rd April

I have just returned from Beijing after taking part in CIT Beijing 2010. What an exciting event. It was held at the new China National Convention Center ( next to the Olympic Water Cube Stadium ). There were about 4,000 attendees, and so many concurrent sessions that I could only concentrate at the main arena and the large Function Hall B. I learn a few things from the meeting

1. Interventional cardiology has taken off in a big way in China. There was live transmission from all over China, the names of some of the hospital, I have never heard before. Some were essentially military hospitals, but doing good interventional work with many high tech equipment. Last year, they performed about 200,000 interventional procedures from allover China. My colleague Prof Han AiLing, had performed over 2,000 CTOs ( chronic total occlusions, or chronic, totally blocked arteries ). Amazing numbers, but then China is a very big country.
2. That even the best ( the skilled and patient Japanese ), with all the hardware at their disposal ( all stents and guide-wires during this CIT, are bourne by the companies ), failed in all the 90% of the retrograde attempted, but finally finished the case in the good old antegrade fashion. There is still a role for the ante-grade technique, although the retrograde makes for a nice show.
3. I suppose the main theme throughout the congress is probably summed up by Dr Jean Marco ( Toulouse ), on the last day, when he was doing an ostial L Cx, that in all interventional procedure, plan your strategy well, and keep it simple. Simple is the best. If I maybe allowed to add, simple is also probably the cheapest. Each of us must give the best to our patients, but we must also think about the cost, and give cost effective treatment. If we plan our strategy properly, we can.
4. Of course Beijing have grown. New buildings, new flyovers, new highways. But I worry for them. Looks like the infra structure ( hardware ) is there, but the people ( software ) is still in the nineties. The water cube and birdnest stadium looked so nice when you see it from close, but the people are still spitting, still rush for things, still talk loudly on their mobile phones, etc. But I am sure that they will get there eventually.

All in all, it was a good 4 days experience in Beijing.