March 8, 2016 — Merit Medical Systems Inc. announced that the first ThinkRadial course to be held at its European headquarters in Maastricht, the Netherlands, took place Feb. 25-26. The ThinkRadial program serves to educate and train interventional cardiologists, interventional radiologists and vascular surgeons around the world about using the radial artery, as an alternative to the femoral artery, to gain access for interventional procedures.
The two-day ThinkRadial course, which began in the United States in 2014, provides a full spectrum of didactic and hands-on educational opportunities. This course marks the first in a series of two-day course offerings slated for 2016 at Merit’s European HQ, in addition to ThinkRadial courses in the U.S. and workshops and symposia throughout the year around the world.
The course will feature two concurrent tracks for interventional cardiologists and interventional radiologists, and will be held in Merit’s new training center that features hands-on training modules, including flow models for radial and femoral catheterization and pulsatile puncture arms. The Interventional Cardiology track will be proctored by Tom Kiernan, M.D., of Limerick Hospital, Limerick, Ireland; and the Interventional Radiology track will be led by Darren Klass, M.D., of Vancouver General Hospital & UBC Hospital in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. In addition to the course proctors, Ferdinand Kiemeneij, M.D., regarded as the “father of transradial intervention,” will speak as a special guest of honor about his experience with radial access and his vision for the future of the technique.
“I am honored to join the esteemed faculty at this European training event to discuss the benefits of transradial approach for interventional procedures,” said Kiemeneij. “Transradial intervention is rapidly gaining acceptance globally, and I believe that training and education are paramount to increasing adoption and bringing this option to patients worldwide. I look forward to participating in this course and educating attendees on the latest science and research about the radial approach and my experience in performing this procedure.”
For more information: www.meritmedical.com
November 14, 2025 
