Valvular heart disease affects a large number of people who require diagnostic procedures and long-term management. Valve problems can be present at birth or caused by infections, heart attacks, or heart disease and damage. Some valve problems are minor and do not need treatment. Others might require medical management of symptoms or therapy to repair or replace the diseased valve. Many patients have no symptoms, but for others, if not treated, advanced heart valve disease can cause heart failure, stroke, blood clots, or death due to sudden cardiac arrest.

Traditionally, valvular heart disease has been treated with surgical repair or replacement. Over the last several years, however, there have been important advances in concepts, tools, techniques, and patient selection for treatment of valvular heart disease using nonsurgical procedures. Transcatheter valve intervention offers the potential to reduce procedural morbidity, mortality, and costs of surgical valve replacement or repair while accelerating patient recovery. Percutaneous aortic valve replacement is being utilized in Europe in high-risk surgical patients, and the first pivotal randomized trials of transcatheter mitral valve repair and aortic valve replacement will be presented in 2010, ushering in the global era of transcatheter valve therapeutics.

This workshop offers an in-depth review of the diagnostic and therapeutic options for treatment of valvular heart disease using updated guidelines and clinical experience, unique opportunities for hands-on anatomic learning in a cadaveric lab, and in-depth discussions of percutaneous valve development from device concept to preclinical and clinical investigation and to regulatory approval and clinical application. Small group breakouts will include hands-on learning opportunities.

CME Accreditation and Designation

The Cardiovascular Research Foundation is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

The Cardiovascular Research Foundation designates this educational activity for a maximum of 25.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Documentation of awarded credit is provided for registered attendees in exchange for completed activity evaluations. Certificates of attendance are provided to all registered attendees.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, participants should be able to:

• Discuss evaluation and management of patients with valvular heart disease
• Assess the imaging modalities available for diagnosis of valvular heart disease
• Describe current and future therapeutic options for valvular heart disease
• Acquire the skills necessary to perform transcatheter valve therapies
  

Target Audience

This conference is designed for interventional cardiologists, endovascular specialists, thoracic surgeons, clinical cardiologists, catheterization laboratory nurses, cardiovascular technologists, and other health care professionals with a special interest in the field of transcatheter valve therapy.

Activity Evaluation

Online evaluation will address content, presentation, possible bias, and future educational needs.

Disclosure Statement

It is the policy of the Cardiovascular Research Foundation to ensure balance, independence, objectivity, and scientific rigor in all of its sponsored educational programs. Commercial support from industry does not influence educational content, faculty selection, and/or faculty presentations, and, therefore, does not compromise the scientific integrity of the educational activity.

Discussion of off-label product usage and/or off-label product use during live or taped cases is made at the sole discretion of the faculty and is not endorsed by the Cardiovascular Research Foundation or the program directors for this activity.

Faculty participating in continuing medical education activities sponsored by the Cardiovascular Research Foundation are required to disclose to the program audience any real or apparent conflict of interest related to the content of their presentation(s). Faculty not complying with this policy are not permitted to participate in this activity.

Program Sponsorship and Support

This activity is sponsored by the Cardiovascular Research Foundation and partially funded through educational grants from commercial supporters.