CIRSE 2026, opening September 5-9 in Copenhagen with over 7,000 participants, features eight major program tracks showcasing advances in interventional radiology including drug-eluting technologies, aortic treatments, venous interventions, oncology imaging, and neurointerventional procedures, while advancing the specialty's vision to expand access to IR and integrate interventional radiologists throughout patient care pathways.
- CIRSE 2026 takes place September 5-9 at Bella Center Copenhagen with expected attendance exceeding 7,000 participants worldwide.
- The congress theme "Breaking barriers, expanding care" reflects efforts to improve IR access, training, and recognition across Europe.
- Eight program tracks cover arterial, aortic, venous, oncology, embolization, nonvascular, neuro interventions, and IR management with focus on landmark trials and emerging technologies.
- Key highlights include drug-eluting technologies for lower-limb interventions, middle meningeal artery embolization for subdural hematoma, and advanced biliary procedures.
- CIRSE prioritizes attracting and training the next generation of interventional radiologists and expanding their role beyond procedures to include patient consultations and multidisciplinary decision-making.
One of interventional radiology’s biggest global meetings is just around the corner. CIRSE 2026 opens Saturday at the Bella Center Copenhagen, where more than 7,000 participants are expected from September 5–9.
The five-day congress carries the theme “Breaking barriers, expanding care.” It reflects the society’s mission to expand access to IR and unlock its potential in Europe and worldwide, Scientific Programme Committee Chairperson Gerard O’Sullivan and Deputy Chairperson Miltiadis Krokidis wrote in their welcome statement.
Beyond procedures
As the congress opens, CIRSE is preparing to enter the third phase of its Vision for the Future of IR, with training and excellence becoming the next priority in the fourth quarter of 2026.
“CIRSE will work to improve access to IR by enhancing partnerships with physicians, researchers, and industry members, ensuring that the breakthroughs we achieve are translated into tangible improvements in patient care,” CIRSE President Prof. Philippe L. Pereira states.
The society wants interventional radiologists involved throughout the patient pathway, rather than only performing procedures. This includes seeing patients before and after treatment, participating in multidisciplinary decisions, and becoming direct referral points for GPs and specialists.
IR practice across Europe remains heterogeneous. While some countries are developing full-time clinical IR models, others still lack formal recognition. Staff shortages, diagnostic workloads, uneven infrastructure, limited visibility, inconsistent training, and restricted admission and billing rights remain barriers. Attracting and training the next generation is therefore part of the specialty’s next priority.
Here is what to watch
Eight tracks run through the program: arterial, aortic, venous, oncology, embolization, nonvascular, neuro, and IR management and others.
The arterial track will scrutinize landmark trials of drug-eluting technologies in lower-limb interventions. A new multidisciplinary session will bring together interventional radiologists and vascular surgeons to examine below-the-knee interventions. Other sessions will explore bioresorbable scaffolds for lower-limb peripheral arterial disease and advances in arterial imaging.
Aortic treatment will be examined from multiple angles at the Interdisciplinary Endovascular Aortic Symposium (IDEAS), through expert roundtables, case discussions, and hands-on planning courses.
Venous intervention is another major focus. Sessions will examine treatment methods and recent pulmonary embolism trials, the development of PE response teams, and new technologies for post-thrombotic venous occlusions. In interventional oncology, advanced imaging navigation and new frontiers in renal cancer are among the highlights.
A hot-topic symposium on genicular artery embolization will compare permanent and nonpermanent embolic agents and examine advanced imaging, nonresponders, and pain following total knee arthroplasty. The embolization program also includes a technical update on prostatic artery embolization and an expert roundtable on arteriovenous malformations.
The nonvascular track will cover the full spectrum of treatments, with particular attention to complex biliary procedures, including advanced biliary reconstruction and percutaneous transhepatic cholangioscopy.
In the neurointerventional space, middle meningeal artery embolization for subdural hematoma, one of the field’s hottest subjects in recent years, will receive a closer look. Sessions will also cover advanced stroke treatment, complication management, and new carotid stents.
Finally, the Radiation Protection Pavilion will combine short lectures with an exhibition of new radiation-safety products.
