The College of Radiology and Malaysian Society of Interventional Radiology were hosts (and co-organisers) of the 8th Asia Pacific Congress of Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiology held in Crowne Plaza Mutiara, Kuala Lumpur. Pre-congress workshops were held on the 9th June 2008 in 3 different centres – Selayang Hospital, Subang Jaya Medical Centre and University Malaya Medical Centre Radiology/Biomedical Imaging Departments.

The congress proper ran for 3 days with up to 3 to 4 concurrent sessions. A Cardiac Computed Tomography Angiography workshop with hands on sessions was also held. Luminaries from all over the world as well local experts made up the formidable faculty of nearly 140! Full delegates numbered 351 with 44% of them being foreign delegates. The international delegates came from the Asia Pacific region, United States of America, United Kingdom, Estonia, Slovakia, Jordan, Poland and Pakistan.

YB Dato’ Liow Tiong Lai, Minister of Health, Malaysia officiated at the Opening Ceremony held on the morning of 10^th June 2008. Representatives from the Asia Pacific Society of Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiology, Group Captain Dr Pongdej Pongsuwan, Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR), Dr Anne Roberts, Cardiovascular & Interventional Radiology Society of Europe (CIRSE), Dr Andy Adam and Korean Society of Interventional Radiology, Dr Jae-Hyung Park were guests. Yg Amat Berbahagia Toh Puan Dato’ Seri Hajah Dr Aishah Ong was also a special guest at the Opening Ceremony. YB Dato’ Liow also officially opened the Trade Exhibition and was taken on a tour of the exhibition booths.

The 3 day packed programme was a feast for the delegates, and many found it tough to decide which session to attend. There was something for everyone at the Congress – covering all the fields of interventional radiology (basic and advanced) as well as hands on/tips or tricks workshops which offered practical advice and demonstrations. Live sessions were broadcast from the angiogram/interventional suites in University Malaya Medical Centre and delegates in the congress venue could interact with the operator (Radiologists) in the remote site with regard the procedures being shown at specific times during the day in the main sessions.

A satellite Cardiac Computed Tomography Angiography (CCTA) full day workshop with hands on sessions on workstations was well attended. Delegates would leave with a Certification of their having attended a Level 1 training for CCT/CCTA.

Teas and lunches were served in the exhibition areas to encourage delegates to visit the exhibition booths which occupied both the lower lobby and mezzanine floor of the hotel. A dinner for the faculty hosted by the College of Radiology was held on the 10th June 2008 at the Top Hat Restaurant, Jalan Kia Peng, Kuala Lumpur. The congress dinner was on 11 June 2008 with the official handover ceremony to Dr Jae-Hyung Park of Korea – the next host of the APCCVIR in 2010. The dinner was preceded by a keynote lecture by Prof Carlo Catalano.

Many delegates gave positive feedback and were impressed at the congress. The organising committee team made up of interventional radiologists (Malaysian Society Of Interventional Radiology) and College of Radiology had worked hard under the leadership of Dr Alex Tang, Organising Chairperson. The size of the faculty made it very challenging for the Congress Secretariat and organising committee. Congratulations to the organising committee for a job well done!

No congress can succeed without industry support and sponsorship. The organisers wish to record their thanks to Boston Scientific (Malaysia), Cordis, Johnson & Johnson and T-Medic who were principal sponsors. Other sponsors were Abex Medical, Agfa Healthcare, Angiotech, Antah Bumimedic, Atrium Medical United Italian Trading, B Braun Medical Supplies, Bayer Co (M), Best Contact, Carestream Health Malaysia, Cook Asia (Malaysia), Delta Medisains (M), Fujifilm (Malaysia), GE International, IDS Services (Malaysia), Kimberly-Clark Asia Pacific Health Care, Innomed, Medcomp, Malex Medical Asia (M), Medi-Diagnostic Marketing (M), Pharmaforte (Malaysia), Philips Medical Systems, Research Books Asia, Siemens Malaysia, Sobha Renaissance Information Technology, Sosit, St Jude Medical Malaysia, Sutra medi-Environ, Technohouse (M), Technology Medical Associates, Terumo Corporation and W.L. Gore & Associates (Pacific).