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Convergent Procedure: A New Approach to Atrial Fibrillation Ablation

Topic:
  • Heart Rhythm
  • Intervention

Available Credit:

  • 1.00 EBAC

Course Published On:

Course Expiry Date:

Convergent Procedure: A New Approach to Atrial Fibrillation Ablation

Overview

The cornerstone of atrial fibrillation (Afib) is electrical isolation of the pulmonary veins (PV). In patients with non-paroxysmal Afib, PV isolation alone is insufficient and one needs to modify the atrial arrhythmogenic substrate. Afib ablation is now a fairly common procedure and mostly performed using a transvenous, endocardial approach with catheters. For patients with persistent Afib however, this procedure is not sufficient. 

 

There is a growing movement towards a convergent procedure management strategy, used alongside standard catheterisation techniques to optimise patient outcomes. More and more research suggests that an integrated approach involving multidisciplinary teams (of electrophysiologists and surgeons) may lead to improved success rates and increased patient satisfaction. 

 

Convergent procedure is a promising therapy for patients’ refractory to standard Afib-treatment, however the approach involves some challenges that require specific attention from the medical specialities involved. It is a new way of working for both EPs and surgeons so the benefits and best ways of implementing this in clinical practice are still largely unknown.

 

Join a panel of international faculty as they discuss the clinical value of the convergent procedure as a treatment strategy for persistent atrial fibrillation ablation.

 

  • How can it improve patient outcomes?
  • What evidence base is available to support its use?
  • How can it be implemented effectively in clinical practice?

Support Statement

This activity has been supported by an unrestricted educational grant from AtriCure Inc.

Disclosure

This programme is accredited by the European Board for Accreditation in Cardiology (EBAC) for 1 hour of external CME credit(s). Each participant should claim only those hours of credit that have actually been spent in the educational activity. EBAC works according to the quality standards of the European Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (EACCME), which is an institution of the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS). In compliance with EBAC/ EACCME guidelines, all speakers/chairpersons participating in this programme have disclosed or indicated potential conflicts of interest which might cause a bias in the presentations. The Organizing Committee/Course Director is responsible for ensuring that all potential conflicts of interest relevant to the event are declared to the audience prior to the CME activities.

 

Radcliffe-CME requires contributors to our CME programmes to disclose any relevant financial relationships that have occurred within the past 12 months that could create a conflict of interest. These will be identified in the faculty section if applicable.

 

Please note that relevant faculty disclosures are included in the presentations.

Terms & Conditions

Information contained in our CME programmes is intended for use by registered healthcare professionals. The material presented here does not necessarily represent the views of Radcliffe-CME or companies that support educational programmes for Radcliffe-CME. The information presented may discuss unpublished uses of agents or products that have not been approved by the Europeans Medicines Agency for use in Europe and/or off-label products.

 

The information should not be considered medical advice on which you should rely and as licensed healthcare professional, you must always use your professional judgement before using our content and should independently verify any information that you choose to rely on. If you are not a licensed healthcare professional you should always seek advice from a healthcare professional prior to acting on the basis of any content on this Website.

Instructions to Participants

There is no fee for taking part in this online learning activity.

Activities are designed to be completed within 60 minutes and must be completed by the registered user. Physicians should only claim credits for time spent on the activity. To successfully earn credit, participants must complete the activity in full in the indicated time frame.

To complete the course and claim certification participants must:

1. Read the course outline information supplied and complete pre-test questions if supplied prior to starting the activity. Users must read and study the activity in its entirety before completing the post-test questions.

2. Your results will be automatically saved and if a pass score is achieved (where applicable), you may be eligible to claim credit for the activity and receive a certificate of completion.

Target Audience

This programme is intended to educate:

  • Electrophysiologists
  • General Cardiologists

Learning Objectives

  • After this session electrophysiologists will be able to identify the causes of sub-optimal outcomes in atrial ablation, describe the convergent procedure and appropriate patients, and outline the electrophysiologist’s role.

Module

Title

Duration

Speakers

1 The ongoing challenges of atrial fibrillation Jaswinder Gill (London, UK)
2 The electrophysiologic problem leading to sub-optimal outcomes Claudio Tondo (Milan, Italy)
3 Convergent ablation: The what and the why Felix Yang (New York, USA)
4 The role of the electrophysiologist in convergent ablation:  The how and the who Syed Ahsan (London, UK)
1.

The ongoing challenges of atrial fibrillation

Duration:

Speakers: Jaswinder Gill (London, UK)

2.

The electrophysiologic problem leading to sub-optimal outcomes

Duration:

Speakers: Claudio Tondo (Milan, Italy)

3.

Convergent ablation: The what and the why

Duration:

Speakers: Felix Yang (New York, USA)

4.

The role of the electrophysiologist in convergent ablation:  The how and the who

Duration:

Speakers: Syed Ahsan (London, UK)

Course Director

Jaswinder Gill

Guy’s and St. Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK

Dr Jaswinder Singh Gill qualified from Cambridge University in 1979 and was appointed Consultant Cardiologist to Guy’s & St Thomas’ NHS Trust in 1995. 

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Speaker

Claudio Tondo

Cardiac Arrhythmia Research Centre, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Monzino Cardiologic Centre, University of Milan

Dr Claudio Tondo is the Chairman of the Heart Rhythm centre at Centro Cardiologico, University of Milan, Italy. Dr Tondo's interests range from clinical aspects of arrhythmias to genetics.

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Felix Yang

Maimonides Medical Center, New York, US

Dr Felix Yang, MD, FACC, FHRS, CCDS is Associate Director of Cardiac Electrophysiology and Director of the Lead Extraction Service at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York. 

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Syed Ahsan

Barts Heart Centre, St Bartholomew’s Hospital, London, UK

Dr Syed Ahsan is a Consultant Cardiologist, Barts Heart Centre, St Bartholomew’s Hospital, London, UK

View full profile
1.00 EBAC

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