Why do Venezuelans feel so good about their Brazilian colleagues?

I graduated as a physician from Juiz de Fora Federal University at Minas Gerais, and went back to Venezuela. But I returned to Brazil in 1979 to do my cardiology medical residency at “Dante Pazzanese” Cardiology Institute right after Andreas Gruntzig had accomplished the first coronary angioplasty. A few years later, I joined the interventional cardiology service together with my colleagues César Esteves (Brazil) and Manoel Cano (Argentina). There, guided by the mastery of Dr J. Eduardo Sousa, we have learned to work in a vigorous and centered fashion, thus placing science and our patients' well-being in first place.

Years went by and today Venezuela has 36 cath labs, in which 50% of the doctors have been training in centers of excellence scattered around Brazil (information supplied by Dr Henrique Fermin, president of The Venezuelan Society of Interventional Cardiology). For this reason, speaking Portuguese is very frequent in our meetings, when we can recall our times of medical residency in "tupiniquim" lands with great affection.

In 1999, we established the Venezuelan Society of Interventional Cardiology in Barquisimeto city and our congresses and journeys enjoy a national prestige and are attended by cardiologists and general practitioner colleagues, thus offering conferences, live case presentations and interactive discussions.

Finally, I would like to register that we all here in Venezuela are looking forward to the SOLACI-SBHCI 2009 conference, an excellent opportunity to get updated, to meet our professors, colleagues and friends from all Latin America.

My warmest regards to all of you

Ramón Cadeño Ecarri
Associate Professor of Semiology at Carabobo University – Valencia- Venezuela

Interventional Cardiologist - Active Collaborator of the SOLACI Registry and

President of "Hemodinamistas de Carabobo"

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