We are happy to share that the video replays from the November 2nd-3rd, 2024 Bridging the Gap conference are now available!
As with last year’s event, Spinal CSF Leak: Bridging the Gap was presented by Dr. Andrew Callen and the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in partnership with the Spinal CSF Leak Foundation. It brought together a diverse group of clinicians, researchers, and patients to explore the evolution of spinal CSF leak research and care, examine its historical roots, current advances and challenges, and future possibilities. The goal of Bridging the Gap is to foster a nuanced, patient-centered understanding of the diagnosis and treatment of spinal CSF leak. As Dr. Callen noted in his opening remarks:
“We have a unique opportunity to break down the traditional barriers between patient and physician. This conference offers us the chance to sit with our patients’ experiences, to listen without the urgency of treatment, and to let these voices influence the future of our practice in a way that is grounded in empathy and mutual respect.”
This year we had two days sessions from physicians, patients, and caregivers, an expansion from last year’s one-day meeting. Over 800 people from 32 countries registered for the event either online or in-person, including the 110 people who attended in Colorado. Attendees said they left with insights that broadened how they see this complex condition. One patient noted: “The talks were well thought out and presented professionally. They were in language easy to understand. It was good to hear from different physicians from around the world, not just in the United States. The patient talks were real and the audience could relate.”
Physician feedback was also positive, with one MD writing in as follows: “Outstanding conference. Truly a unique bridge between providers and patients. I thought this was absolutely amazing”.
We have also included the slide decks where available. In addition, this year we’ve also included transcripts of the questions and answers from the 4 Q&A sessions, which were incredibly informative. Please note that as with prior conferences, some of the videos that feature surgical imagery cannot be embedded directly from YouTube due to age restrictions. For these videos, clicking on the thumbnail will take you to our YouTube channel to view the session in its entirety. For those talks, the transcript is on our website, but viewing will need to be in a separate window.
We hope that these videos provide you with updated information about spinal CSF leak diagnosis and treatment from both the clinical and patient perspectives, including from caregivers.
Donations from our community helped make this event possible — and allowed us to offer free registration for patients. With your ongoing support, we will continue to serve our CSF leak community of physicians, patients, and other stakeholders together. If you’d like to help fund a future Spinal CSF Leak: Bridging the Gap conference, please donate below.
