KARACHI, Aug 22: More than 20 live cases were presented at the two-day Revascularization Course 2004, which ended on Sunday. The cases were beamed live from Lahore and Peshawar to the convention centre in Liaquat National Hospital (LNH) where experts , junior doctors and students discussed each case in detail.

Course director and head of the cardiology department of LNH, Dr Mansoor Ahmed, told Dawn that the aim of the exercise was to educate students and doctors. "As you know we learn from textbooks as well as through our experiences," he said.

"In live cases, we speak both of theories and experiences. When live cases are performed there are learning opportunities for experts as well as newcomers. So, in such cases we learn not only from the tutor but also from the audience," he said.

Dr Ahmed said that the revascularization courses were being held for the last four years. "And we plan to hold another such course next year," he added. During the two-day course, he said, several coronary cases had been discussed. He said, "In a few of the cases, heart problems among children were addressed. A carotid case was also discussed."

He said that the course had been organized by the cardiology department of Liaquat National Hospital in collaboration with the Pakistan Cardiac Society. The National Institute of Cardio- Vascular Diseases, Aga Khan University, Punjab Institute of Cardiology and Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology also helped the Liaquat National Hospital in organizing this event.

Fifteen patients had been admitted to the hospital especially for the course. And cardiologists from Pakistan and Bangladesh took part in the event, he added.