Echoendoscopy (EUS) is no longer used solely for diagnostic purposes. Today, it can be used to treat complex conditions, offering an alternative to surgery. However, the learning curve for these interventional procedures is steep. To meet this specific training need, the IHU has rolled out an intensive three-day program, including theory and, above all, intensive practical workshops. Launched in 2019, the therapeutic echoendoscopy courses have now reached their 20th edition.
A unique teaching method: high-fidelity simulation
ITEC course is unique in its teaching approach. Far from traditional theoretical training, participants benefited from more than 14 hours of practical training on the Institute’s experimental platform. Using live models simulating real pathologies (HiFiSAM models), doctors were able to practice in conditions close to real life. Cysts, lymphadenopathy, biliary dilation: each model was designed to faithfully reproduce the pathology and enable treatment by EUS under advanced radiological guidance.
The international excellence of experts
To lead these workshops, Dr. Sosa Valencia surrounded himself with a faculty of experts from France, Belgium, Italy, Romania, the United States, and Ecuador. Together, they guided participants in performing advanced technical procedures:
- Drainage of the gallbladder and bile ducts under echoendoscopy.
- Radiofrequency ablation of lesions.
- Performing gastrojejunal anastomoses.
- Tissue acquisition by fine needle biopsy (FNB).
This 20th edition confirms the role of the IHU Strasbourg as a global center of excellence for learning new image-guided therapies. By enabling participants to move from “theory” to “practice,” the ITEC course in 2026 continues to pave the way for increasingly less invasive and more targeted patient care.
If you would like to learn more about the ITEC course, click here.
