I would like to greet you on behalf of CCT 2013 peripheral course directors.

In recent years, I feel that the field of endovascular treatment (EVT) in Japan has accomplished a giant leap. The reason for this is that the devices for peripheral intervention have rapidly progressed while the large amount of cardiologists who have acquired the technique of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) has converted themselves to peripheral intervention arena. In addition to the conventional 0.035 and 0.018 inches wire system, the introduction of the 0.014 inches wire system used in PCI to EVT has enabled us to use new techniques such as Trans-Collateral Angioplasty (TCA), direct superficial femoral artery puncture, tibial puncture and so on. The standardization of EVT strategy in consideration of the peculiarity of blood vessel treatment has surely advanced, too. Based on this, the success rate of EVT regarding Transatlantic Inter-Society Consensus (TASC) D lesions in iliac arteries and superficial femoral arteries (SFA) is close to almost 100 percent in many cathe-labs in Japan. The introduction of new devices such as Drug-eluting balloon (DEB) and debulking devices are definitely in demand in order to improve the long-term results of EVT for PAD patients.

In CCT Peripheral 2013, the best of the best Japanese operators will be in charge of the EVT Live Course for two days for the further spread and development of the EVT techniques. We will offer the latest information from the foreign countries in the Fireside Seminars and Luncheon Seminars. Moreover, we plan to have a lot of Morning Seminars for the physicians who want to start the peripheral artery treatment from now and those who want to improve their techniques in order to adapt their interventional skill to more difficult cases.

We are looking forward to a lot of physicians participating in CCT Peripheral 2013 (October 17-19, 2013) and being able to experience the progress of endovascular therapy for peripheral vascular disease.

Kazushi Urasawa, MD, PhD, FJCC