CIRSE 2024, Dr Jacques Aimé Bazeboso: “Partial splenic embolization in sickle cell patients in the DRC”

Dr. Jacques Aimé Bazeboso Bangudi

You submitted your abstract "Partial splenic embolization in Congolese patients with sickle cell disease and hypersplenism" for CIRSE 2024. As a new submitter from the DRC, why did you choose the CIRSE annual congress to present your work?

Bazeboso Bangudi: I have been a member of CIRSE for several years with the help of Professor José Ignacio Bilbao, who is the mentor for interventional radiology in the DRC, and I benefit from numerous resources available on the CIRSE website. Given CIRSE's global reach, our article published in CVIR in April 2024 received very positive feedback. That is why I submitted the abstract to CIRSE 2024.

You presented your work as an oral presentation during the scientific communication session. How did you feel about receiving direct feedback on your work from an audience from all over the world?

Bazeboso Bangudi: We greatly benefited from the global reach of CIRSE. Our presentation, demonstrating how we launched such a specialized discipline with limited resources in the DRC, opened up opportunities to advance IR in the DRC, both in terms of training and equipment acquisition. Secondly, we were able to share information about the realities of IR in the DRC. We are at the beginning of our careers and are trying to help the first patients who need it in certain emergency situations, particularly postpartum hemorrhage. This international feedback has dispelled any apprehension about the recognition of IR as a fully-fledged discipline in the Congo.

Do you think your presentation at CIRSE 2024 had an impact on your work and how you want to share it?

Bazeboso Bangudi: Yes, presenting at the CIRSE annual congress allowed me to gain an even better understanding of the world of IR. As we are taking our first steps at a time when IR is developing rapidly, we are following in the footsteps of the services and individuals who have dedicated their lives to the development of this discipline. It is with great joy that we are establishing an IR team in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a country with a large land area and very few radiologists! With the help of learned societies and other friends and partners, we will succeed, because the needs are still enormous.

In your opinion, what is the most important thing you have taken away from this experience?

Bazeboso Bangudi: It's difficult to limit one's contribution to a single fact or word, because within CIRSE and IR, there are several very rich sub-specialties. The major dilemma for me is finding a balance between these sub-specialties and the most pressing needs in patient care. The greatest benefit of this experience lies in the pleasure of participating and exchanging ideas with people from different backgrounds who share the same goal of developing IR worldwide.

Will you continue your research on hypersplenism caused by sickle cell disease?

Bazeboso Bangudi: Sickle cell disease is very prevalent in our community, and many families experience the painful crises caused by the illness. Hypersplenism adds to this burden for families. Splenectomy is performed in many hospitals, but the postoperative complications of splenectomy require therapeutic measures, particularly against infection. These are often lacking, exacerbating infection-related mortality. We continue to perform partial splenic embolization, which is inexpensive and offers a long-term solution.

Do you plan to submit another abstract for CIRSE 2025?

Bazeboso Bangudi: Yes, I want to continue progressing in this field by sharing my experience with others and also benefiting from their experience to improve and avoid isolation. It is within this framework that we will continue our collaboration with Professor Vincent Vidal and the FairEmbo team to develop IR in the DRC.

Reference: https://cirsecongress.cirse.org/submit/my-cirse-abstract-submission-experience/first-submitter-from-their-country/