Welcome Message

Dear Colleagues and Friends:

It is a great honor and pleasure to invite all of you to the 34th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society for Neuroendovascular Therapy. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to all the society members and to Kohnan Hospital staff who helped and supported for this meeting to be held in Sendai.

This is the fourth annual meeting in my home town, Sendai. Professors Takashi Yoshimoto (9th President), Akira Takahashi (16th President), and Masayuki Ezura (28th President) previously held the society meetings in which we had a great opportunity to exchange our knowledge and expertise, and importantly, to deepen our friendship.

The theme of this year’s meeting is “Yuyu to shite Isoge.”
This is my favorite motto, and I would like to share it with you throughout the meeting. This motto was originally shared by the late Mr. Takeshi Kaiko, who was my longing writer. Thanks to the Takeshi Kaiko Memorial Foundation, we are privileged to have his handwriting on the poster, which can be viewed on the website. The Latin phrase “Festina lente” has the same meaning and has been recognized as a favorite theme of Augustus, the first Emperor of the Roman Empire. When translated, this phrase means “Hasten Slowly.”

Every day, we engage in neuroendovascular therapy to save lives and to improve neurological functions in patients with cerebrovascular diseases. We know that neuroendovascular therapy is remarkable, but at the same time, each procedure presents a difficult and challenging clinical situation. In such cases, we need to tackle and solve problems in a timely manner. I believe this is the time when we should implement the phrase “Yuyu to shite Isoge.”

One of the main topics of the annual meeting is thrombectomy for acute ischemic stroke. Thrombectomy is no longer regarded a special technique; rather, it is a general procedure for all doctors who are involved in acute stroke care. However, the number of doctors who can perform thrombectomy remains low. Therefore, the conference will hold a symposium every day on thrombectomy and thrombus retrieval techniques. It would be my great pleasure if this annual meeting helps promote the practice of thrombectomy throughout Japan for patients with acute stroke.

As we all know, Sendai faced difficult situations after the disastrous earthquake that occurred in March 2011. Since then, Sendai has steadily recovered, and we are now ready to host this meeting. The venue will be Sendai International Center, which is located in the center of the city. You can easily access the venue in 5 min via the Sendai Municipal Subway from the Sendai Railway Station. From Sendai International Airport, the trip would take 25–30 min. I hope that you will have a fulfilling experience at the meeting and enjoy great Japanese cuisine and a beautiful autumn in Sendai and Tohoku District.

We look forward to seeing you all in Sendai.

Sincerely,