Reflections from the British Society of Echocardiography 2026 Conference 

The British Society of Echocardiography recently hosted the BSE Ireland 2026 conference in Dublin, bringing together physiologists, cardiologists and echocardiography specialists for a full day of learning and discussion. Held at the Pillar Centre in Dublin’s Mater Hospital, the event created a warm, collaborative space to share experiences and explore new developments across the field. 

As Xyla’s Echocardiography Service Manager, it was a welcome opportunity to hear from leading experts and reflect on how emerging practices align with the work we do to support services across the UK. 

Physiologist case presentations 

The conference included a series of thought provoking physiologist led case presentations. The cases included: 

• A rare and dramatic massive left ventricular pseudoaneurysm following myocardial infarction 

• Exercise stress echo in mitral stenosis and how functional assessment helps correlate symptoms 

• A cleft mitral valve with severe mitral regurgitation, demonstrating the impact congenital variation can have on imaging. 

• Stress echo findings in patients taking cardiac myosin inhibitors, reflecting how rapidly new therapies are influencing echo practice 

Hearing colleagues talk through their approaches was a valuable reminder of how much we learn from real clinical examples. The variation in technique and reasoning reinforced the importance of maintaining strong governance and consistent quality, something we prioritise through our regular audits, peer review and BSE‑aligned standards at Xyla. 

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy 

A focused session on hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) explored genetics, screening and evolving therapeutics. One of the highlights for me was a talk on Mavacamten, a newer medication used to reduce left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) gradient in obstructive HCM. The discussion covered its mechanism, its potential impact on left ventricular function and the monitoring requirements for echocardiography services. 

A practical takeaway was the reminder to use provocation manoeuvres, such as the Valsalva manoeuvre, to elicit gradients when clinically appropriate. Small changes like this can have a meaningful impact on patient pathways. 

Sessions like this reinforce why continuous professional development is so important for our teams at Xyla. Echo services must stay agile as new therapies shape diagnostic expectations, and our clinically led training and development approach helps us respond to these changes. 

Keynote: Cardio-Oncology with Professor Mark Harbison 

Professor Mark Harbison delivered an excellent keynote speech on cardio-oncology, an area that is growing rapidly, and as new cancer therapies emerge, it emphasises the importance of careful echocardiographic screening to detect cancer therapy related cardiac dysfunction. 

Key messages included: 

• A clear definition of cardiotoxicity: a drop in LVEF more than 10% to a value below 50% 

• The common causes of cancer therapy–related cardiac dysfunction, including anthracyclines, antiHER2 therapies and chest radiotherapy 

• The contrast between the more reversible Herceptin related dysfunction and  less reversible anthracycline toxicity 

This session resonated strongly with me because it reflects challenges we regularly see in the services Xyla supports. With more patients requiring regular surveillance echocardiograms to assess the effects of cancer therapies, consistent reporting has become even more essential. 

A valuable and motivating day 

Events like this are a powerful reminder of how quickly our field is progressing, and how essential ongoing learning is. For me, it also reinforced how well Xyla’s services align with the evolving needs of echocardiography departments across the UK. 

I left Dublin proud of the work we do and motivated to bring these learnings back into practice. Continuous development, both personally and across our services, is what enables us to keep delivering safe, high quality care for patients. 

Learn more about our echocardiography services  or speak to our team if you’d like further information on how we support NHS partners across the UK.