The Aortic Dissection Charitable Trust is pleased to support the Global Aorta Symposium 2026, an international educational meeting bringing together more than 40 leading clinicians, researchers and patient advocates from around the world to address one of the greatest challenges in cardiovascular medicine: improving the diagnosis, treatment and long-term care of aortic dissection.
With the theme ‘From Missed to Mastered’, the symposium will examine every stage of the patient journey, from recognising acute aortic syndrome in the emergency department through to surgery, critical care, psychological recovery and future research. Bringing together expertise from more than 12 countries, the programme highlights how international collaboration can help reduce missed diagnoses and improve outcomes for patients worldwide.
The charity is proud to play a leading role in ensuring the patient voice is at the heart of the symposium. Catherine Fowler will share the patient perspective on learning from harm and co-chair the session on psychological recovery after aortic dissection, helping to ensure that lived experience informs discussions alongside the latest clinical evidence. The symposium also features many long-standing supporters and collaborators of the charity, reflecting our shared commitment to improving care through education, research and partnership working.
Highlights include keynote presentations from internationally recognised experts including Professor John A. Elefteriades, Professor Martin Czerny, Professor Davide Pacini, Professor Himanshu Patel and Professor Santi Trimarchi, alongside leading clinicians from the UK, Europe, North America, Asia, Australia, Africa and the Middle East.
Topics covered throughout the day include emergency diagnosis, imaging, artificial intelligence, surgery, endovascular treatment, critical care, registries, quality improvement, patient recovery and the future of global aortic services. A unique ‘Global Aorta Moment’ will bring together experts from 12 countries to share how different healthcare systems are tackling the challenge of aortic dissection and what can be learnt from one another.
The symposium is free to attend, delivered virtually and accredited with up to 8 CPD points by the Royal College of Surgeons of England, making it accessible to healthcare professionals, researchers, patients, families and anyone with an interest in improving outcomes for people affected by aortic disease.
