XXIX Slovak-Czech Conference on Hemostasis and Thrombosis
From May 18th to 20th, 2023, the Hotel Victoria served as the backdrop for the XXIX Slovak-Czech Conference on Hemostasis and Thrombosis, marking another milestone in the longstanding collaboration between Slovak and Czech experts in the field of blood coagulation. With several international collaborations in place, this event attracted an impressive lineup of participants from around the world.
The conference was designed with an emphasis on the latest discoveries in hemostasis and thrombosis and their broader implications. As the conference presidents, Prof. Ján Staško, PhD., Head of the Clinic of Hematology and Transfusion Medicine at University Hospital Martin from Jessenius Faculty of Medicine at Comenius University in Martin, and Prof. Pavel Žák, PhD. from Hradec Králové, emphasized in their opening remarks, a key focus was the practical application of these new findings within the Slovak healthcare system.
Updating guidelines for managing thromboembolism and bleeding disorders is not only vital locally but also plays an essential role in interdisciplinary and international cooperation. This sentiment was underscored by the presence of distinguished guests such as Prof. Marguerite Neerman Arbez, M.D., Ph.D. from Geneva, Prof. Cedric Hermans, M.D., FRCP from Louvain, Belgium, Prof. Nigel Key, MB, ChB, FRCP from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA, and former president of the International Society for Thrombosis and Hemostasis, Prof. Guillermo J. Ruiz-Delgado, MD, FACP from Puebla, Mexico, who formerly served as president of the International Hematology Society, and others.
The illustrious guests were recognized by Prof. Andrea Čalkovská, DrSc., the Dean of the Jessenius Faculty of Medicine at Comenius University in Martin, for their significant contributions to the research, diagnostics, and treatment of hemostasis disorders. Prof. Nigel Key also had the opportunity to visit the genomics and prenatal diagnostic labs of Biomedical Centre at Jessenius Faculty of Medicine, where the genetic changes responsible for congenital hemostasis disorders are analyzed.
Since 2017, the Ministry of Health of the Slovak Republic has included the Clinic of Hematology and Transfusion Medicine in Martin (including the National Centre for Hemostasis and Thrombosis with the National Registry of Thrombophilic Conditions) in its list of centers for rare diseases in Slovakia, focusing on rare bleeding and thrombogenic disorders of hemostasis. The aforementioned registry contains data on individuals with a thrombophilic defect, including asymptomatic individuals who may face life-threatening complications, such as venous thromboembolism, in high-risk situations.
However, as Prof. Nigel Key highlighted, thanks to progress in research, new drugs are being developed, including direct oral anticoagulants and inhibitors of activated coagulation factor XI, which have anticoagulant effects with a lower risk of bleeding. Moreover, advances are being made in the treatment of hemophilia and other bleeding disorders, including targeted gene therapy.