Practical Courses

Practical courses in intra-arterial thrombolytic stroke treatment are organized by Dr. Stanley Barnwell, the neurointerventional service of the Institute and the Oregon Stroke Treatment Center at OHSU. Workshops are offered to interventional radiologists, neuroradiologists and cardiologists who have experience in microcatheter and microguidewire use.

The two-day practical course consists of didactic training on local intra-arterial thrombolysis for treatment of acute ischemic stroke. This therapy is offering promise in the treatment of large vessel (internal carotid, middle cerebral and basilar arteries) thrombo-embolic occlusion. The course involves training, with emphasis on the technique, and difficulties, of intracranial therapy, and on complication avoidance. The course also offers hands-on application in the Institute’s research laboratory and is geared to the stepwise practical approach for treating a stroke patient.

The goal of the course is to produce highly capable physicians and, ultimately, to assist those trainees in establishing their own comprehensive stroke centers, thus promoting better patient care. The stroke therapy course is approved for 13 hours of category 1 CME credit. Since late 1997, 71 interventionalists have participated in this program.

Practical courses for company representatives were organized in 1995 for Schneider USA Inc. and from 1996 - present for Cook Inc. Their goal is to familiarize the company sales representatives with indications, applications and results of using their products. The two-day courses consists of presentations with interactive discussions, demonstrations and hands-on training practice with their devices in plastic models.

The Schneider USA Inc. course, attended by 42 company representatives, was oriented to TIPS and the use of Wallstents. Courses for Cook Inc. are oriented to use and practice with a variety of company products, including expandable stents, embolization coils and IVC filters. The attendees appreciated the Institute’s efforts and felt that these practical courses would help them improve contacts with their customers to help sell their products.

GE-OEC training sessions for their vascular application specialists from the U.S. and abroad have also taken place in the Dotter Research Lab on their series 9800 and 9600 mobile digital imaging systems.

Should you be interested in additional information about the practical courses, please contact Dixie McWilliams by e-mail mcwillid@ohsu.edu or at the following address: Dotter Interventional Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, L-342 Portland, OR, 97239-3098, or by phone at (503) 494-3918.