Servier – Phlebolymphology

Angelo SCUDERI

The European Chapter Meeting of the Union Internationale de Phlébologie (UIP) which took place in Prague, Czech Republic, closed the 4-year Presidency of Eberhard Rabe. The presidency was handed over to me in Prague, and I will serve the UIP during the next four years as President. I will do my very best to advance the interests of the UIP with new ideas and activities and to continue what was started by the former presidents.

The aims of the UIP are:

• To strengthen the links between the societies and associations, existing or to be created, that have a special interest in venous disorders,
• To promulgate recommendations on the teaching of phlebology as well as training and continuing medical education of phlebologists,
• To promote consensus on all aspects of venous disorders,
• To encourage studies and research on disorders of venous origin,
• To promote joint meetings or international congresses,
• To encourage the activities of national societies or associations, and
• To encourage them to join the UIP.

In line with these aims, one major activity of recent years has been the inauguration of consensus groups, working towards a worldwide curriculum of phlebology. This is a step towards an UIP-based educational system which may result in an UIP Certificate in the future. A major step in this direction was the consensus on a Training Curriculum in Phlebology which was published in 2010. In addition, the following consensus documents that have been published so far were described during the Prague meeting:

• Curriculum in Phlebology (K. Parsi)
• Primary lymphedema as a lymphatic malformation (B.B. Lee)
• Venous malformation (B.B. Lee)
• Classification of duplex findings after treatment of saphenous varicose veins (M. de Maeseneer)
• Deep venous insufficiency (F. Lurie)

The reinforcement of the UIP Fellowships with supportive sponsors from industry is in line with the aim of the UIP to encourage studies and research on disorders of venous origin. Three new awards were given in Prague.

Because it is the aim of the UIP to improve the recognition of chronic venous disease for the benefit of phlebological patients, a big epidemiological project was started in 2009. This is an observational, multicenter, descriptive survey of chronic venous disease. It is the largest international screening program including up to now 20 countries worldwide and approximately 90.000 participants. It is endorsed by theUIP and supported by an unrestricted grant from the Servier Research Group. The first results on 70 000 subjects were presented during the UIP Chapter Meeting in Prague.

Meetings like the European Chapter Meeting in Prague are among the most important ways of transmitting information and knowledge. This is a unique occasion to summarize the latest progress, to update our knowledge, to devise new research and, above all, to meet and exchange with colleagues from all parts of the world.

As the new president of the UIP, my main goal, following the worldwide trend, will be to use modern means of communication such as the website and newsletter to “spread the word” regarding phlebology. Clearly the Medical Reporters’ Academy ties in well with this aim.

The initiative of Servier to report on important congresses in the field, thus keeping all venous specialists fully informed, meets the main concern of the UIP, which aims to facilitate communication between them and, at the same time, to offer training and continuing medical education.

This would not have been possible without the commitment of a group of young reporters from different countries who, together with the chairman, perused the congress program and made an initial selection of the events and presentations likely to represent breakthroughs or new findings. Reports were written up hot from the auditorium, taking up a substantial amount of time for all concerned.

Many thanks to the Medical Reporters’ Academy for their work in updating venous disease specialists’ skills.

Happy reading.