Ambassadors of our Institution

Annual Scientific Session & Expo of the American College of Cardiology (ACC) was held in San Diego, California, from March 14^th to March 16^th, 2015. This scientific session represents one of the most important events in the field of cardiology. It was confirmed by the fact that almost 30 000 participants and more than 300 industry representatives attended the event. Two physicians of the University Hospital Clinical Centre Banja Luka participated in this year’s ACC scientific session and expo i.e. Head of the Clinic of Cardiovascular Diseases Assistant Professor Tamara Kovacevic-Preradovic, MD, PhD and Bojan Stanetic, MD, resident in cardiology.

During the ceremony, Assistant Professor Tamara Kovacevic-Preradovic, MD, PhD got promoted to Fellow of American College of Cardiology. This title represents special acknowledgement and a certificate of the American College of Cardiology for total expert and scientific work in the field of cardiology. Assistant Professor Tamara Kovacevic-Preradovic is the first cardiologist of the University Hospital Clinical Centre Banja Luka who has earned this prestigious title.

During Annual Scientific Session & Expo of the American College of Cardiology in San Diego, Bojan Stanetic, MD presented two papers. He is the first author of the paper entitled “APPROPRIATENESS OF MYOCARDIAL REVASCULARIZATION ASSESSED BY SYNTAX SCORE II IN A CENTRE WITHOUT ON-SITE CARDIAC SURGERY”. The first paper was presented during moderated poster session. It deals with appropriateness of myocardial revascularization assessed using SYNTAX score II in a centre without cardiac surgery in elective patients with complex coronary artery disease. Bojan Stanetic, MD is also one of the co-authors of the paper entitled „A MEDIUM TERM FOLLOW-UP BY MULTISLICE COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY CORONARY ANGIOGRAPHY ASSESSING THE PERSISTENT PRESENCE OF BIORESORBABLE VASCULAR SCAFFOLD METALLIC RADIOPAQUE MARKERS AT THE SITE OF IMPLANTATION”. The ABSORB trials (ABSORB Cohort A, ABSORB Cohort B and ABSORB EXTEND) included 943 patients that were monitored by multi slice CT scanner over an 18-month period, after implantation of bioresorbable vascular scaffolds. Abstracts were published in online version of the Journal of American College of Cardiology (impact factor 15.3 – top-ranked journal in cardiology).

During this year’s ACC scientific session, «International chapter of ACC Serbia and Republic of Srpska» was established. It provides possibilities for education of young physicians and organization of joint projects with national associations of cardiologists.

After annual ACC scientific session and promotion of new fellows, a ceremonial reception of fellows and presidents of national associations was organized by newly elected President of ACC, Professor Kim Allan Williams. Our physicians became personally acquainted with the ACC President and on that occasion presented the Republic of Srpska and our Institution to him.