CIRSE 2023: Best Scientific Paper Award

October 10, 2023

This year’s Best Scientific Paper Award went to Dr. Enrique Alejandre-Lafont for his presentation “Large-bore mechanical thrombectomy for intermediate- and high-risk pulmonary embolism: interim results from the European cohort of the FLASH registry.” The Scientific Programme Committee bestows this honour on one presenter every year based on their own evaluation and feedback from session attendees.

Dr. Alejandre-Lafont wrote to us to share some more thoughts on his award-winning research.

CIRSE: What motivated the research behind your paper?

Alejandre-Lafont: The treatment of pulmonary embolism in patients who have failed standard therapies or who are in shock has always been a challenging task for us interventional radiologists.

With the INARI system, dedicated catheters are available for the first time to treat pulmonary embolism quickly, easily, and under local anaesthesia. After we started using these catheters, we wanted to participate in the FLASH Registry, the largest interventional study conducted in PE, which is currently enrolling up to 200 patients in Europe and has already completed enrolment for 800 patients in the United States.

Dr. Alejandre-Lafont speaks during CIRSE 2023.

CIRSE: Why did you decide to submit a paper for CIRSE? What was the experience like?

Alejandre-Lafont: CIRSE offers the best and most professional platform in Europe for presenting interventional radiology trial data, exchanging ideas with colleagues, and learning from each other. Hence, it is my earnest intention to actively participate and collaborate at CIRSE, thereby endorsing and enhancing this institution that is of paramount importance to us as interventional radiologists.

CIRSE: You were awarded the best scientific paper award based on feedback from attendees and the Scientific Programming Committee – what do you think made your work stand out from the rest?

Alejandre-Lafont: The feedback received regarding our data likely signifies the long-standing complexity of catheter-based therapy for pulmonary embolism, a challenge that has consistently engaged the attention of interventional radiologists.

The scientific validation of an effective treatment method represents a milestone that the professional community has eagerly anticipated. This achievement is the culmination of extensive, collective research efforts that is now becoming a reality.

CIRSE: Is there anything else you would like to mention? 

Alejandre-Lafont: Interventional radiology is a rapidly evolving field that has the potential to revolutionize the way we diagnose and treat various medical conditions. I am proud to be a part of this community and to contribute to its growth and development.

It is important to realize that such a prize is never an individual achievement, but rather that of a team. Therefore, I would like to share this honour with the great team in St. Gallen, of which I have the privilege of being a part. This award is not just a recognition of our work, but also a motivation to continue our research and make further contributions to our society. I hope to help advance the field even further and to inspire the next generation of interventional radiologists.

Could you be next year’s Best Scientific Paper Award winner? Abstract submission for CIRSE 2024 will be open from mid-January until March 21, 2024.

Further materials: CIRSE 2023 Honors