JET – The Door to the World

It is a great pleasure and honor for me, Osamu Iida of the Cardiovascular Division of the Osaka Police Hospital, to serve as the President of the Japan Endovascular Treatment Conference 2025 (JET2025). As you are all aware, in the past few years, we experienced several setbacks at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, namely in 2020 (last-minute cancellation), 2021 (JET Talks), and 2022 (before the 7th wave of COVID-19). To this end, I intend to do my utmost to achieve 3,000 participants in 2025 and would be grateful for your continued support in this endeavor.

Although it may be somewhat hard to believe, in recent years, JET has started to attract considerable attention not only in Japan and Asia but also in the rest of the world. At the recently held LINC, the world’s most prestigious endovascular conference, we were given the opportunity to present a session in the main arena starting at 9 am on the conference’s opening day. The atmosphere in the packed venue, with almost no Japanese present, was a testament to the rising interest in JET. All attendees, namely medical professionals across the globe who are at the forefront of vascular treatment, were captivated by the live demonstrations and research data from Japan that were presented during the session. This heightened level of interest indicated that the audience did not perceive Japanese endovascular therapy (EVT) as merely a “Galapagos” and artisanal intervention of the past but rather as a proper “academic discipline” that they were questioning and trying to learn from. JET members who were present at the venue witnessed this phenomenon firsthand and keenly felt the intense gaze of the attendees. The session at LINC was entitled “JET@LINC” and marked an important milestone in the evolution of the endovascular field in Japan. To my delight, many young physicians from Japan attended this year’s LINC in pursuit of a serious “peer-to-peer challenge” and proudly presented their work, some of which were granted awards. It was also a moment to highlight the “globalization of JET” resulting from our decision to make English the official language of JET despite some controversy.

JET2024 was a great success under the leadership of its President, Dr. Hiroyoshi Yokoi, with over 2,000 participants over the three days. Remarkably, over 300 of these participants were from overseas, accounting for about 15% of the total. I would also like to express my sincere congratulations to Dr. Tatsuya Nakama and Dr. Masahiko Fujihara for their tireless efforts and dedication in preparing the program, which proved to be a huge success. As a JET2024 participant and board member, my impression is that “JET is an Asian association.” Many overseas physicians attended the Late Breaking Clinical Trials (LBCT) program, which was held in the main arena, as well as the live demonstrations and luncheon seminars. We received words of encouragement from our overseas counterparts and, in particular, that “JET has truly made tremendous progress.” This success is also due to the dedicated support of the members of the JET Administration Office, Shimogama-san, Ishimoto-san, and Mitsui-san (as it must be hard work keeping such demanding faculty in line!), as well as the members and participants who share a firm understanding of the direction of our society. I wish to take this opportunity to convey my heartfelt thanks to all of you for your kind support.

More than 20 years have passed since JET’s predecessor, the first Japan Peripheral Intervention Conference (JPIC), was initiated by Dr. Yoshiaki Yokoi of Kishiwada Tokushukai Hospital. It was when Dr. Masato Nakamura and Dr. Hiroyoshi Yokoi, who are now JET board members, engaged in earnest discussions with Dr. Takao Ohki, who was then at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine (currently affiliated with the Department of Vascular Surgery at The Jikei University School of Medicine) and very active in VIVA/VEITH as a director in the United States, that marked the beginning of endovascular intervention in Japan. Subsequently, vascular surgeons, radiologists, and cardiologists in Japan have encouraged mutual improvement, leading to the current flourishing of endovascular practice in Japan. I believe that Dr. Yoshiaki Yokoi can take great pride in the fact that JET has matured into a conference that is recognized not only in Japan but around the world (Dr. Yoshiaki Yokoi demonstrated his continued enthusiasm in his morning address at the start of the live demonstration on the second day). While the English-focused JET Main Arena is a top priority in Asia, the Scrub Live demonstration venue was also packed to the point of standing room only. This reflects the need to increase global orientation while firmly developing younger generations of EVT specialists in Japan. In other words, my wish is for JET to develop further and transform itself into a society for young Asian physicians, including those from Japan.

JET2025 will take place in Osaka, the city of its origin. The central theme of next year’s JET is “Far together.” Let us all venture far together. Regarding the program, the PAD/CLTI track will be led by my colleagues Dr. Masahiko Fujihara of Kishiwada Tokushukai Hospital, Dr. Tatsuya Nakama of Tokyo Bay Urayasu Ichikawa Medical Center, joined by Dr. Yoshimitsu Soga of Kokura Memorial Hospital. The live demonstrations that are synonymous with JET will be organized by Dr. Nakama, who is very active in Asia and globally, and if possible, we would like to consider broadcasting live demonstrations from overseas to Japan. Another prominent feature of JET is the academic section, including LBCT/Latest Data, for which we plan to ask our resident “brain,” Dr. Fujiwara, to organize compelling sessions. In addition, as a new yet important educational feature, we plan to invite Dr. Soga, who always has a broad perspective and supports young people, to give a training course for the younger generation of physicians, not only from Japan but also from overseas. Regarding the Aortic program, I would like to ask Dr. Takao Ohki, whom I personally respect and admire, to offer his guidance to the younger generation with his candid comments at the main live demonstration + JES@JET. For the Venous program, I would like to ask Dr. Hiroyoshi Yokoi to perform new venous stenting again next year. As for the AV Access program, which has become an essential pillar of JET, I would like to ask Dr. Kotaro Suemitsu to create a session that will draw not only physicians but also medical staff.

And now, as the last surprise of JET2025, we will have our first live demonstration of "Neuro intervention". On Saturday, we will have our first challenge as a Neuro track under the guidance of Dr. Nobuyuki Sakai, a neurosurgeon with a broad perspective who has been running JET for many years and has always supported young people. We would like to plan a track full of the latest topics.

I firmly believe that JET2025 will serve as a significant turning point. First, I would like to encourage companies to use JET as a stepping stone. Although it may sound somewhat crude, I want companies to take advantage of JET to seize great business opportunities. When I first became a doctor, a senior colleague I respected told me: “A good classroom is only as good as the doctors who teach it, has many cases, and has money.” There is a bright future for the endovascular field in Japan. Many clinical trials for new devices are scheduled to begin, not only targeting the lower extremities but also the aortic, dialysis shunt, and venous domains. Most importantly, an increasing number of young physicians are considering the endovascular field as their primary career – and JET2025 is at the heart of endovascular in this climate. Please join us in Osaka for three incredible days to enjoy a new experience that blends the originality of Japan and global outlooks.

Osamu Iida, MD (Cardiovascular Division, Osaka Police Hospital)
President
Japan Endovascular Treatment Conference 2025 (JET2025)