In September, our trustees Ellie M and Kate attended the annual meeting of the Chest Wall International Group (CWIG) in Leuven, Belgium.
Trustees Kate and Ellie M at the CWIG annual meeting in Leuven, Belgium
The conference was a gathering of cardiothoracic surgeons, allied health professionals, and medical manufacturers, who all came together to share techniques and talk about how we improve care for patients across the world. For the first time, patients were invited to attend the conference and talk about their experiences. Allied health professionals also met as a group for the first time to discuss conservative treatment in their home countries and identified potential areas of collaboration and development.
At the conference, patients and allied health professionals met as a group to discuss how patients can be best supported throughout their conservative and surgical treatment. This included through support from physiotherapists, orthotists, psychologists and nurse practitioners.
First meeting of pectus patients from around the world at CWIG, alongside cardiothoracic surgeons Joel Dunning and Hans Van Veer
CWIG hopes to set up a patient arm of its organisation that brings together patients with pectus conditions from across the world. If you would be interested in joining this patient group, get in touch and let us know!
A big thank you to CWIG for inviting Pectus Matters to attend the conference. It was a fantastic opportunity for us to meet some of the leading thinkers in cardiothoracic surgery, share experiences, and create community amongst people dedicated to helping pectus patients.