Scientific Activities 2008-2009

7th Biennial Conference of Nuclear Cardiological Society of India  Venue : Hotel Taj President, Cuffe Parade, Mumbai. Date : 13th-14th-15th Nov 2009. Click Here To View Scientific  Programme Click Here To View Photographs

ICNC 9 , Nuclear Cardiology & Cardiac CT Date  : 10th to 13th  May, 2009 Venue : BARCELONA SPAIN Website :  www.icnc9.org

International Symposium on Nuclear Cardiology Date : 9th February 2008 Venue : Saifee Hospital, Mumbai

The magnificent international symposium on nuclear cardiology, organized by Dr. G.N. Mahapatra, the President of the Nuclear Cardiological Society of India, was hosted by Saifee hospital, under the auspices of the Saifee hospital trust, along with the ‘D’ ward medical association of Mumbai. G.E. Healthcare generously sponsored the entire event.

 

The scientific symposium was based on the topic, “A look into your beating heart”, which highlighted the application of nuclear cardiological procedures in clinical practice.

The incidence of atherosclerotic coronary heart disease (ACHD) is on the rise due to imbibement of Western trends in our Indian culture and consequent modifications in our lifestyles and food habits. Nuclear cardiology contributes greatly in view of this scenario in the management of cardiac disorders.

 

 

 

The symposium began with Dr. Prita Jagtap, the host for the event, welcoming the delegates and stating the main purpose of the symposium as well as giving a gist of what was to follow. She rightly stressed the importance of the age-old dictum,”Let not the cure be more painful than the disease itself.” The main aim of this symposium was to highlight myocardial perfusion scanning and its usefulness both as a diagnostic as well as a prognostic tool in the management of patients with ischemic heart disease.

 

The podium was then taken over by Dr. Vernon P. de’Sa, the medical director of Saifee hospital. Dr. de’Sa welcomed the guest speaker for the afternoon, Dr. Tuhin K. Chaudhuri, who in turn has a long string of affiliations to various universities globally, his medical experience spanning over forty glorious years. Dr. Tuhin K. Chaudhuri is currently heading the Department of Nuclear Cardiology at the University of Texas.

Dr.Chaudhuri began by stressing the point that a good doctor does not waste money on a battery of investigations, which more often than not are unnecessary. He explained the place of nuclear cardiology in the presence of investigations such as the stress test, echocardiography, electrocardiography and cardiac enzymes. He then went on to cite the advantages of nuclear cardiology over these investigations. The delegates, who comprised of eminent cardiologists, physicians, intensivists and general practitioners, were given an insight on the technical aspects and the procedure employed while scanning a patient with ischemic heart disease.

Nuclear imaging involves the use of radioisotopes, namely, Thallium and Technetium. It is more sensitive than echocardiography and electrocardiography and can detect early ischemic changes, which the latter, at times, fail to pick up. The major limitation of echocardiography is the inability to obtain diagnostic images in all patients, for example, those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or obese individuals. In such cases, Gated Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) can be used to assess ejection fraction and wall motion.

 

Dr. G.N. Mahapatra, the man behind the immense progress that nuclear cardiology has made in India, the President of the Nuclear Cardiological Society of India and Head of Department of Nuclear Medicine, Saifee hospital, joined Dr. Chaudhuri on stage and elaborated on the pros and advantages of nuclear imaging against other modalities of investigations for ischemic heart disease. Dr. Mahapatra presented some interesting cases, which highlighted the prognostic value of nuclear imaging in assessing the extent of improvement in a patient’s condition if he or she were to undergo a CABG or an angioplasty. Nuclear imaging could also thus, throw light and help decide whether a particular patient should undergo a CABG or an angioplasty by revealing the viability of the ischemic myocardium.

Also present at the event, were Dr. Nazir I. Juvale and Dr. Yunus Loya, both eminent and highly respected cardiologists who expertly tackled questions thrown to them from time to time by an astute and attentive audience that clung on to every word uttered by the speakers and never once failed to quiz them when in the slightest doubt.

Dr. Chaudhuri then went on to explain a normal myocardial perfusion scan while Dr. Mahapatra presented a few more interesting cases with varied findings on myocardial perfusion scanning such as, a case of antero-septal wall ischemia with reversible defect as well as a contrasting case of antero-septal wall ischemia with an irreversible defect. These cases stressed the usefulness of a perfusion scan prior to an angioplasty or CABG as it helps assess the degree of benefit a patient shall receive from the procedure based on the viability of the ischemic myocardium. This in turn helps reinforce the dictum, “Let not the cure be more painful than the disease itself.” Apart from this, yearly follow up with radionuclide myocardial perfusion scanning is a valuable clinical test in the assessment of therapeutic efficacy in C.A.D. patients.

Dr. Mahapatra then took over the dais and spoke about possible future advancements in the field of nuclear cardiology. He shed light on the PET scan i.e. Positron Emission Tomography scanning which makes use of the agent, “Fluorine-18 deoxyglucose” (FDG), termed by Dr. Tuhin Chaudhuri as the ‘molecule of the millennium’. PET scanning most importantly helps in the assessment of myocardial viability. The pattern of enhanced FDG uptake in regions of decreased perfusion indicates the presence of ischemic myocardium that has preferentially shifted its metabolic substrate to glucose rather than lactate or fatty acid. This helps identify areas of ischemic or hibernating myocardium that are likely to improve in function after revascularization. PET scan is now generally regarded as the gold standard in assessing myocardial viability. Studies have shown that PET scan has the ability to pick up ischemic or hibernating myocardium in 10-20% cases that would be termed as fibrotic on a thallium or technetium scan. Dr. Mahapatra also touched the topic of gene therapy, which would involve the introduction of genes instead of dyes or isotopes.

 

The scintillating symposium ended with Dr. V.P. de’Sa presenting Dr. Tuhin Chaudhuri with a memento to fondly remember the occasion in times to come. Dr. Vinay Goel, secretary of the NCSI gave the vote of thanks. The educative symposium thus served its purpose by enlightening the medical fraternity present and leading them towards better heart care.