Posted: February 2017
By Luis E. Raez, MD, FACP, FCCP
The First Congress of Interventional Pulmonology & Endobronchial Ultrasound (EBUS) and the XI South American Bronchology Congresses were both a success. These events, sponsored by IASLC, occurred in Lima Peru on December 1–2, 2017, and were attended by 92 doctors from 27 Latin-American countries. IASLC member Dr. Pedro Garcia-Mantilla was the President of both meetings; other IASLC members, including Dr. Brian Hunis from Memorial Cancer Institute in Miami, Florida, were among the faculty. We had also the presence of Dr. Silvia Quadrelli, Vice Chair World Association for Bronchology and Interventional Pulmonology. These events are important landmarks for Latin-America, highlighting the need to promote interventional pulmonology and to promote and expand the use of EBUS to properly stage lung cancer. The latter is not well utilized due to a lack of resources and due to a lack of training and expertise among Latin-American pulmonologists. For these reasons, hands-on workshops were featured as part of the event. Latin- American practitioners look forward to similar events in the future. Thirty participants at the event decided to join and support the IASLC cause. ✦
