Valvular heart disease (VHD) is a major contributor to decrease in quality of life, as well as to life shortening. In developed countries, degenerative valve disease has become the leading cause of valvular heart disease. The global prevalence of significant valvular disease is high and further increases with age. Thus, appropriate diagnosis, risk stratification and timely intervention are of paramount importance to ensure adequate quality and longevity of life. Therefore it is not surprising that advances in imaging and therapeutics have gained in importance. In last couple of decades these advances were so impressive that valvular heart disease has become the fastest growing area in cardiovascular medicine.
Despite undoubted and significant advances in the diagnosis of valvular diseases, including echocardiography, multi-sliced computed tomography (MSCT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the challenge still remains in early detection of valve disease and adequate risk assessment of asymptomatic patients, allowing to tailor the correct and timely intervention. Novel diagnostic techniques, such as global left ventricular myocardial work, look promising but are still not evaluated in terms of risk stratification and treatment guidance.
Furthermore, treatment of asymptomatic patients with significant valular disease remains the matter of debate. There are ongoing studies in the setting of asymptomatic aortic stenosis investigating whether early surgical or transcatheter aortic valve replacement leads to better outcome. Finally, transcatheter valve therapies have expanded therapeutic options for patients, especially with regard to symptomatic patients with aortic stenosis, yet the data available on transcatheter mitral valve repair and, especially transcatheter tricuspid procedures are more limited.
The proposed topics include but are not limited to:
1) Insights into the mechanisms of valve disfunction.
2) Challenges and surgical and transcatheter treatment options in valvular diseases.
3) Fusion imaging to guide structural heart interventions.
4) Risk stratification in asymptomatic patients with valve disease.
5) Treatment of asymptomatic patients with significant valve disease.
6) The advantages of heart valve clinics in diagnostic and treatment of patients with valve disease.
7) Device selection in transcatheter treatment of patients with valvular diseases.
8) Recent surgical refinements in the treatment of patients with valvular diseases.
9) Comorbidities and their relation to valvular disease progression.
10) Patient centred approach - importance of the patient in the decision making process.
Valvular heart disease (VHD) is a major contributor to decrease in quality of life, as well as to life shortening. In developed countries, degenerative valve disease has become the leading cause of valvular heart disease. The global prevalence of significant valvular disease is high and further increases with age. Thus, appropriate diagnosis, risk stratification and timely intervention are of paramount importance to ensure adequate quality and longevity of life. Therefore it is not surprising that advances in imaging and therapeutics have gained in importance. In last couple of decades these advances were so impressive that valvular heart disease has become the fastest growing area in cardiovascular medicine.
Despite undoubted and significant advances in the diagnosis of valvular diseases, including echocardiography, multi-sliced computed tomography (MSCT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the challenge still remains in early detection of valve disease and adequate risk assessment of asymptomatic patients, allowing to tailor the correct and timely intervention. Novel diagnostic techniques, such as global left ventricular myocardial work, look promising but are still not evaluated in terms of risk stratification and treatment guidance.
Furthermore, treatment of asymptomatic patients with significant valular disease remains the matter of debate. There are ongoing studies in the setting of asymptomatic aortic stenosis investigating whether early surgical or transcatheter aortic valve replacement leads to better outcome. Finally, transcatheter valve therapies have expanded therapeutic options for patients, especially with regard to symptomatic patients with aortic stenosis, yet the data available on transcatheter mitral valve repair and, especially transcatheter tricuspid procedures are more limited.
The proposed topics include but are not limited to:
1) Insights into the mechanisms of valve disfunction.
2) Challenges and surgical and transcatheter treatment options in valvular diseases.
3) Fusion imaging to guide structural heart interventions.
4) Risk stratification in asymptomatic patients with valve disease.
5) Treatment of asymptomatic patients with significant valve disease.
6) The advantages of heart valve clinics in diagnostic and treatment of patients with valve disease.
7) Device selection in transcatheter treatment of patients with valvular diseases.
8) Recent surgical refinements in the treatment of patients with valvular diseases.
9) Comorbidities and their relation to valvular disease progression.
10) Patient centred approach - importance of the patient in the decision making process.
