A short history of the Euro4C Group

The Euro4C group focuses on the cardiac Care of Calcified, Complex and Critical patients

From the EuRota-club to the Euro4C Group - read this short history written by Georg Gaul, Austria

Although rotational atherectomy (RA) has been available since the 1980’s, its use was almost forgotten at the turn of the century, due to some negative trial results and lack of interest from industry. The development of high-pressure balloons or atherectomy devices such as Flextome or Angiosculpt failed to sufficiently solve the problem of extremely resistant calcified lesions with thick, hard calcium-loaded plaques, which remained insuperable obstacles to any balloon-based device.

However, some interventionalists continued to occasionally use the Rotablator device. For expert users it was clear that many technical questions remained unsolved. This led to the idea of creating a dedicated working group for the exchange of ideas, discussion of problems/complications and the proposal of common endeavors to solve them.

The founding session took place during EuroPCR 2011, in a nearby location. The first president was Georg Gaul, Austria, vice-presidents were Bela Merkely, Hungary and Didier Carrié, France. The group was named EuRota-club, as it was founded by European interventionalists. Other members of the founding group were E. Barbato, P. Dardas, A. Khashaba, A. Lekston, N. Mezillis, P. Mota, J. Palazuelos-Molinero, K. Reczuch, R. Santos, H. Sipötz, I. Sjögren, and G. Szábo.

Their first goal was a common European survey about the use of RA, focusing on indication, identification of lesions and the technique used. First patients were finally included in France in 2015, when the European Consensus on Rotablation by E. Barbato and main members of the EuRota-club was published in EuroIntervention.

In 2015 Didier Carrié was elected president. He continued the survey on a European basis and presented first results of a 1000 patient registry at EuroPCR 2017.

In parallel, since 2010, Krzystof Reczuch and Miroslaw Ferenc were organising in Wroclaw, Poland an increasingly successful workshop also dedicated to the use of rotablation. The 2016 edition was the first where both groups joined together.

During the second joint meeting in January 2018, Flavio Ribichini, Chair of the Division of Cardiology at the University Hospital of Verona, Italy, was unanimously elected as next president of the EuRota-club. The group enlarged its field of interest to the broader mission of treating calcified lesions in complex and critical patients, often requiring mechanical circulatory support. The new group was therefore named Euro4C, for its focus on the Cardiac Care of Calcified and Complex patients.

From 2019, Euro4C has been part of the PCR family and has opened its doors to interventionalists from all over the world who are interested in sharing the common mission of PCR-Euro4C.

A word from the Chairman of PCR:

“PCR offers a dynamic and effective platform for all the diverse interests, challenges and concerns facing the interventional cardiologist today and a place where communities with specific interests and experience can express themselves in constructive ways that benefit the community as a whole, conjugating their experience for the ultimate benefit of the patient. We warmly welcome the Euro4C group whose members are dedicated to advance the outcome of such patients.”

William Wijns

Interventional cardiologist / Cardiologist

The Lambe Institute for Translational Medicine and Curam - Galway, Ireland

Chairman of PCR

A word from the 2018-2020 EAPCI President

“The Euro4C initiative addresses the treatment of complex anatomy and complex patients. We should support this effort to advance the care for these patients further. The approach with structured education and training, exchange, proctoring and research directed to understand and improve outcomes in this increasingly prevalent cohort is to be commended.”

Andreas Baumbach

@baumbach_a

Interventional cardiologist / Cardiologist

Saint Bartholomew's Hospital - London, United Kingdom

Education for better patient outcomes

The management of these complex patients requires not only a significant clinical experience and judgement from specialists, but also a profound understanding of the dedicated techniques available. Indeed, medical continuing education, rooted at the very core of PCR’s DNA, plays a fundamental role in the transmission of such knowledge and the advancement of better patient care.

By welcoming the Euro4C group, PCR provides the support necessary for educating and informing practitioners with the aim of improving the clinical outcomes of complex patients with calcified atherosclerotic lesions and with left ventricular dysfunction.

“The PCR philosophy underlines the need for improving clinical care in this complex field, while pursuing the goal of expanding the best medical practice and education to the largest number of patients and care providers, respectively.”