Using case examples, participants discussed fundamental principles, diagnostic options, and treatment options. Advancements in the area of surgical and endovascular therapy to treat acute and chronic thoracoabdominal aorta illnesses mean that professional expertise and interdisciplinary collaboration are also becoming increasingly important. As a result - and thanks to advanced technology and updated procedures - pathological changes in the aorta that were considered untreatable ten to 15 years ago can now be treated at specialized centers.

Students and participants were able to experience the subject matter more up close and personal in the JKU’s medSPACE, a pioneering, high-resolution multifunctional space located in the new teaching and research building at the JKU Faculty of Medicine. Students acquired new perspectives and a deeper understanding of the issues via a virtual tour through the human body.

The program was moderated by Prof. Franz Fellner (head of the Radiology Institute at the Kepler University Hospital and Dean of the JKU Faculty of Medicine) and Prof. Andreas Zierer (head of the Department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery).