UPMC Heart Valve Symposium 2024 (HVS 2024)

Advanced Valvular Heart Disease & Structural Heart Intervention Update

Overview

The UPMC Heart Valve Symposium 2024 (HVS 2024) is a comprehensive educational program focused on the diagnosis, imaging, and management of complex valvular and structural heart disease. Bringing together experts in cardiology, cardiac surgery, structural heart intervention, and cardiovascular imaging, the symposium provides an in-depth review of contemporary treatment strategies and emerging innovations in valve care.

Held on April 20, 2024, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the meeting emphasizes multidisciplinary collaboration, advanced imaging, transcatheter therapies, surgical interventions, and evidence-based decision-making for patients with aortic, mitral, and tricuspid valve disease.

Participants gain practical insights into patient selection, procedural planning, complex case management, and the latest clinical trials shaping the future of structural heart medicine.

Course Features

• Expert Faculty in Structural Heart Disease
• Advanced Valve Imaging Education
• Transcatheter Valve Therapy Updates
• Surgical Valve Intervention Reviews
• Multidisciplinary Heart Team Discussions
• Complex Case-Based Learning
• Structural Heart Disease Management
• Clinical Trial Reviews
• Practical Procedural Insights

Target Audience

This course is ideal for:

Physicians

• Cardiologists
• Interventional Cardiologists
• Structural Heart Specialists
• Cardiac Surgeons
• Thoracic Surgeons
• Anesthesiologists
• Internal Medicine Physicians
• Family Medicine Physicians
• Cardiology Fellows
• Medical Residents

Healthcare Professionals

• Nurse Practitioners
• Physician Assistants
• Cardiac Nurses
• Structural Heart Coordinators
• Researchers
• Medical Students
• Allied Health Professionals

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this activity, participants will be able to:

• Improve recognition and diagnosis of valvular heart disease.
• Assess prognosis in patients with aortic, mitral, and tricuspid valve disorders.
• Utilize advanced cardiovascular imaging techniques for valve evaluation.
• Compare medical, surgical, and transcatheter treatment options.
• Apply multidisciplinary heart team principles to structural heart disease care.
• Evaluate the impact of social determinants of health on clinical outcomes.
• Understand technical aspects of transcatheter and surgical valve procedures.
• Incorporate findings from recent and landmark clinical trials into practice.
• Manage challenging and complex structural heart disease cases.

Core Scientific Topics

Aortic Valve Disease

A major focus of the symposium involves contemporary management of aortic valve disorders.

Topics Include

• Aortic Stenosis
• Aortic Regurgitation
• Risk Stratification
• Timing of Intervention
• Valve Replacement Strategies
• Long-Term Outcomes

Participants review evolving approaches to both surgical and transcatheter treatment.

Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR)

Comprehensive updates are provided on modern TAVR therapy.

Covered Areas

• Patient Selection
• Procedural Planning
• Imaging Guidance
• Valve Selection
• Complication Management
• Future TAVR Indications

Faculty discuss expanding applications of transcatheter valve replacement across diverse patient populations.

Mitral Valve Disease

Dedicated sessions focus on complex mitral valve pathology.

Topics Include

• Degenerative Mitral Regurgitation
• Functional Mitral Regurgitation
• Mitral Stenosis
• Imaging Assessment
• Timing of Intervention
• Surgical vs Transcatheter Therapy

Transcatheter Mitral Valve Intervention

The symposium reviews rapidly evolving mitral technologies.

Covered Topics

• Transcatheter Edge-to-Edge Repair (TEER)
• Mitral Clip Procedures
• Transcatheter Mitral Valve Replacement
• Patient Selection
• Procedural Techniques
• Clinical Outcomes

Tricuspid Valve Disease

Growing attention is given to tricuspid valve disorders.

Topics Include

• Tricuspid Regurgitation
• Right Heart Failure
• Imaging Evaluation
• Surgical Treatment
• Emerging Transcatheter Therapies
• Patient Selection

The course highlights recent advances transforming treatment options for tricuspid disease.

Structural Heart Disease

The symposium explores the broader field of structural heart intervention.

Covered Areas

• Structural Heart Evaluation
• Multidisciplinary Heart Teams
• Complex Patient Management
• Catheter-Based Therapies
• Advanced Procedural Planning
• Long-Term Follow-Up

Advanced Cardiac Imaging

Imaging plays a central role in modern valve care.

Imaging Modalities

• Transthoracic Echocardiography (TTE)
• Transesophageal Echocardiography (TEE)
• Three-Dimensional Echocardiography
• Cardiac CT
• Cardiac MRI
• Procedural Imaging Guidance

Faculty emphasize imaging-based decision-making throughout the patient journey.

Heart Team Approach

A key educational theme is multidisciplinary collaboration.

Team Members Include

• Interventional Cardiologists
• Cardiac Surgeons
• Imaging Specialists
• Cardiac Anesthesiologists
• Heart Failure Specialists
• Structural Heart Coordinators

The symposium demonstrates how integrated care improves patient outcomes.

Complex Structural Heart Cases

Case-based discussions examine challenging real-world scenarios.

Topics Include

• High-Risk Patients
• Multiple Valve Disease
• Reintervention Cases
• Failed Bioprosthetic Valves
• Procedural Complications
• Advanced Decision-Making

Clinical Trials & Emerging Evidence

Faculty review landmark and emerging studies influencing practice.

Covered Areas

• Recent Valve Trials
• Structural Heart Innovations
• Future Technologies
• Guideline Updates
• Interventional Cardiology Advances
• Cardiac Surgery Developments

Social Determinants of Health

An important component of the program examines healthcare disparities.

Topics Include

• Access to Valve Care
• Referral Patterns
• Socioeconomic Barriers
• Outcome Disparities
• Equity in Structural Heart Programs

Why This Course Stands Out

Comprehensive Valve Disease Focus

Covers the full spectrum of:

• Aortic Valve Disease
• Mitral Valve Disease
• Tricuspid Valve Disease
• Structural Heart Disorders

Strong Procedural Content

Reviews both:

• Surgical Valve Interventions
• Transcatheter Structural Heart Procedures

Multidisciplinary Perspective

Integrates expertise from cardiology, surgery, imaging, and anesthesia.

Practical Case-Based Learning

Provides real-world strategies for managing complex valve patients.

+ Topics:

8:00am: Welcome
Ibrahim Sultan, MD
Section I: Aortic Valve Disease (Moderator: Amber Makani, MD)

8:05am: Case #1 – 65-year-old man with severe symptomatic trileaflet aortic stenosis
Amber Makani, MD

8:15am: Debate: Why TAVR is the best therapy for this patient
Dustin Kliner, MD

8:25am: Debate: He should have surgery with a mechanical valve
Derek Serna-Gallegos, MD

8:35am: Debate: Did someone say Ozaki procedure?
Danny Chu, MD

8:45am: Debate Rebuttals and Deliberation

8:55am: Live TAVR from UPMC Presbyterian
Moderator: Ibrahim Sultan, MD
Presenter: Dustin Kliner, MD
Expert Panel:
Derek Serna-Gallegos, MD
Hemal Gada, MD Amber Makani, MD
Timothy C. Wong, MD

9:00—10:00am: Heart Valve Disease: Patient Experience Breakout Session
Elissa Castor, PA-C
Supervisor, Cardiac Surgery Outpatient Advanced Practice Providers
Elizabeth Christensen, MSN, CRNP
Advanced Practice Provider, Expert, TAVR Program
UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute
Katie Fatigante, PA-C
Supervisor, Structural Heart Team Advanced Practice Providers
UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute

9:25am: Heart Valve disease in Women: What do physicians and cardiologists need to know?
Malamo Countouris, MD, MS

9:35am: Bench to the Bedside: Aortic Stenosis
Cynthia St. Hilaire, PhD

9:45am: Expert Perspective: Are All TAVR Platforms the Same?
Hemal Gada, MD

9:55am: Panel Discussion and Audience Discussion

10:10am: Break
Section II: Mitral and Tricuspid Valve Disease (Moderator: Conrad Smith, MD)

10:25am: Case #2: A 75-year-old woman with P2 prolapse
Conrad Smith, MD

10:35am: Debate: TEER with no fear
Jeff Fowler, DO

10:45am: Debate: Robotic mitral valve repair is standard of care
Johannes Bonatti, MD

10:55am: Debate Rebuttals and Deliberation

11:05am: Live TEER from UPMC Harrisburg
Moderator: Conrad Smith, MD
Presenter: Hemal Gada, MD
Expert Panel:
Jeffrey Fowler, DO
Amber Makani MD
Johannes Bonatti, MD
William Katz, MD
Joshua Levenson, MD

11:35am: Tricuspid TEER for TR: Patients want better QOL
Conrad Smith, MD

11:45am: Transcatheter tricuspid replacement for TR: The new TAVR
Catalin Toma, MD

11:55am: Tricuspid valve surgery: What does the future look like?
Pyongsoo D. Yoon, MD

12:05pm: TEE Toolbox for Structural Heart Cases
Taz Mansoor, MD
Keynote Address:

12:15pm: Social Media, Heart Valve Patients & You
Adam Pick

12:30pm: Panel Discussion and Audience Discussion

12:45pm: Break
Section III: Structural Heart Potpourri (Moderator: Hemal Gada, MD)

1:00pm: Pulmonary embolism: where are we in 2024?
Belinda N. Rivera-Lebron, MD, MSCE

1:10pm: Live Pulmonary Embolism from UPMC Presbyterian
Moderator: Catalin Toma, MD
Presenter: Jeffrey Fowler, DO
Expert Panel Moderators:
Belinda N. Rivera-Lebron, MD, MSCE
Rabih Chaer, MD, MS
Torrey R. Schmidt, DO

1:40pm: When treating valvular heart disease: Don’t forget about AFIB and the left atrial appendage!
Stephen Waterford, MD

1:50pm: Advancements in LAAO: What does the future hold?
Sandeep K. Jain, MD

2:00pm: Live LAAO from UPMC Harrisburg
Moderator: Sandeep K. Jain, MD
Presenter: Chinmay P. Patel, MD
Expert Panel:
Dustin Kliner, MD
Virginia K. Singla, MD
Samir F. Saba, MD
Amber Makani, MD
Matthew Suffoletto, MD

2:30pm: Panel Discussion and Audience Discussion

2:45pm: Adjourn
Ibrahim Sultan, MD