European Association of Percutaneous Coronary Interventions

European Association of Percutaneous Coronary Interventions
Name	European Association of Percutaneous Coronary Interventions
Abbreviation	EAPCI
Formation	1991
Type	Professional association
Headquarters	Geneva, Switzerland
Region served	Europe
Membership	Interventional cardiologists
Leader title	President

European Association of Percutaneous Coronary Interventions is a professional association for specialists in percutaneous coronary intervention, established to advance practice across Europe. It engages with cardiologists, clinicians, and institutions to promote clinical standards, education, and research relevant to coronary revascularization and catheter-based therapies. The association collaborates with major societies, academic centers, and regulatory bodies to influence practice guidelines and training.

History

The association traces origins to collaborative efforts among clinicians from European Society of Cardiology, Royal College of Physicians, Deutsches Herzzentrum Berlin, Karolinska Institutet, and Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière in the late 20th century, reflecting developments from pioneers such as operators associated with St Thomas' Hospital, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Johns Hopkins Hospital, and Massachusetts General Hospital. Early meetings featured contributions from interventionalists linked to Guy's Hospital, University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, University of Milan, and Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin. Over time it formed partnerships with international organizations including American College of Cardiology, European Union of Medical Specialists, World Health Organization, European Medicines Agency, and national societies such as Italian Society of Cardiology and German Cardiac Society.

Mission and Objectives

The association's mission emphasizes improving outcomes for patients receiving catheter-based coronary interventions through standards aligned with European Society of Cardiology recommendations, cooperation with academic centers like University College London, University of Zurich, and Université Paris Cité, and liaison with policy-makers in European Commission, Council of Europe, and national ministries of health. Objectives include harmonizing training models reflecting curricula from Royal College of Surgeons of England, promoting research networks linked to European Research Council and Horizon Europe, and fostering quality assurance comparable to registries led by Swedish Coronary Angiography and Angioplasty Register and British Cardiovascular Intervention Society.

Organizational Structure and Governance

Governance comprises an executive board, scientific committees, and regional delegates drawn from institutions such as Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Hôpital Européen Georges-Pompidou, AZ Maria Middelares, and Leiden University Medical Center. Leadership roles have been filled by clinicians affiliated with University of Padua, Trinity College Dublin, KU Leuven, and Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin. Committees coordinate with specialty working groups in collaboration with European Association of Cardiothoracic Surgery, European Heart Rhythm Association, and patient-representation organizations like European Patients' Forum.

Activities and Programs

Programs span certification, proficiency assessment, and collaborative audits conducted with partners such as EuroIntervention, Lancet, New England Journal of Medicine, Journal of the American College of Cardiology, and European Heart Journal. Educational initiatives align with training frameworks from World Heart Federation, European Board of Interventional Cardiology, and academic fellowship programs at Imperial College London, Mount Sinai Hospital, and Rambam Health Care Campus. Quality-improvement campaigns have engaged regulators including European Medicines Agency and national health services such as NHS England and Istituto Superiore di Sanità.

Conferences and Educational Events

Annual congresses attract delegates from centers like Hôpital Cochin, St. Vincent's University Hospital, Hospital Universitario La Paz, AZ Sint-Jan, and Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, and feature sessions with delegates from American Heart Association, Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions, Japanese Circulation Society, and Interventional Cardiology European Summit. Workshops and proctoring events have been hosted at facilities including University Hospital Zurich, King's College Hospital, and University of Barcelona and often include joint symposia with European Society of Cardiology and European Association of Cardiothoracic Surgery.

Research, Guidelines and Publications

The association contributes to multicenter trials and guideline documents with collaborators such as European Clinical Research Infrastructure Network, ClinicalTrials.gov investigators, and consortia from Institute of Cardiovascular Science, University College London and Munich University Hospital. Its guidance influences documents in journals like European Heart Journal, Circulation, Journal of the American College of Cardiology, The Lancet, and specialty outlets including EuroIntervention and Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions. Research priorities intersect with registries such as the SCAAR registry, imaging groups at EACVI, and industry partners including Medtronic, Boston Scientific, and Abbott Laboratories for device evaluation and post-market surveillance.

Membership and Affiliations

Membership comprises interventional cardiologists, allied specialists, and trainees from universities and hospitals including University of Edinburgh, Ghent University Hospital, Aarhus University Hospital, and University of Helsinki, with institutional affiliates spanning national societies like British Cardiovascular Society, Società Italiana di Cardiologia, and Société Française de Cardiologie. The association maintains collaborative ties with regulatory and funding bodies such as European Commission, European Medicines Agency, Horizon Europe, and patient organizations including European Patients' Forum.

Category:Cardiology organizations