Report from the ISSVA World Congress 2022

The ISSVA World Congress of the International Society for the Study of Vascular Anomalies (ISSVA) took place from the 10-13 May 2022 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. We are happy to report that both the patient advocates as well as healthcare professionals from the Vascular Anomalies Working Group (VASCA WG) were largely represented at this international event! More than 200 delegates were in attendance over the 4 days, with additional patients and clinicians connecting to the conference virtually.

Several VASCERN members gave presentations at this event including Prof. Miikka Vikkula (VASCA WG Chair) who spoke about the European Reference Networks for rare diseases (ERN). Dr. Carine Van Der Vleuten, who spoke about Is there a place for prophylaxis with DOACs in Klippel-Trenaunay Syndrome and other low-flow vascular malformations with intravascular coagulopathy and thromboembolic events? and Infantile Hemangiomas Management: diagnostics and therapy. Caroline Van Den Bosch (ePAG Co-Chair for VASCA) who spoke on Patient organisations and networks: the European perspective.

The VASCA Working Group had a poster for the congress titled The European Reference Network (ERN) for Rare Diseases: VASCERN VASCA – Towards better management of vascular anomaly patients. Several VASCERN members, including Prof. Miikka Vikkula, Prof. Laurence Boon, Dr. Carine Van Der Vleuten and Prof. Leo Schultze Kool contributed to other posters at the congress.

The VASCA magazine was also on hand during the congress, and we are happy to report that all copies were taken. We can’t wait for the 2nd edition of the VASCA magazine to be published.

We congratulate the VASCA ePAG patient advocates and community as well as healthcare professionals of the VASCA WG for spreading the word about VASCERN and its outputs at this international event and for all of their hard work for the vascular anomaly community!

See the full programme and posters from the ISSVA Congress 2022 here