Last week, roughly 80 medical professionals came to Shaare Zedek for a special conference about vascular anomalies. The conference was intended for a wide range of ‘vascular anomaly’ specialists including pediatricians, ear, nose and throat surgeons, plastic surgeons, oral surgeons, hematologists, interventional radiologists, diagnostic radiologists, orthopedic surgeons and genetics specialists.

Roughly 20 speakers were from Shaare Zedek and other centers in Israel. In addition, two leading experts from Europe presented as well: Prof. Walter Wohlegemuth, a world renowned expert on vascular anomalies and Chief of Radiology at the University Halle in Germany and Prof. Vincent Vidal, world expert on the management of arteriovenous malformations and Chief of Interventional Radiology at the University Hospital La Timone in Marseilles, France.

The sessions focused on the diagnosis as well as medical, interventional, and surgical treatment options available for vascular anomalies. Presenters repeatedly emphasized the importance of truly multidisciplinary teams working together to treat vascular anomalies.

Dr. Adam Farkas, Head of our Vascular Anomalies Clinic and the organizer of the conference shared, “Vascular Anomalies are mostly congenital disorders of blood vessels that cause significant impairment of quality of life. This is a broad and dynamic field of medicine that is evolving rapidly. Since these diseases are rare and the terminology used to describe vascular anomalies is confusing, there is a lack of understanding of these disorders in the general and medical communities. The aim of the conference was to increase awareness and knowledge about vascular anomalies and to stress how integrated cross-disciplinary care is critical for obtaining optimal outcomes.”