Thirteenth Symposium on Cardiac Arrhythmias:
Practical Approach
to Heart Rhythm Disorders

Presented by
Texas Heart Institute

February 18,  2012

The Houstonian Hotel
Houston, Texas

Online registration is now closed. You may register at the event beginning at 7:30 a.m.

For normal heart rhythm, there must be an orderly propagation of electrical impulses throughout the myocardium. When this orderly progression is disrupted for any reason, potentially lethal cardiac arrhythmias can result. In the United States alone, 9 million people have heart failure or structural heart disease, both of which can result in electrophysiological changes that make the heart more vulnerable to electrical instability and resultant cardiac arrhythmias. Given recent advances in the field, experts agree that physicians' knowledge and treatment practices can differ from current best practice. Symposium organizers have noted this knowledge/treatment gap through a variety of measures and have created this educational event as a means of meeting the unmet educational need of the target audience.

This symposium will focus on recent findings regarding common problems facing physicians who treat patients with cardiac arrhythmias. The faculty will discuss evaluation and treatment of patients with supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmias, including pharmacologic therapies and the use of implantable cardioverter defibrillators and biventricular pacing. The molecular and cellular basis of conduction disturbances will also be discussed with the goal of providing insights into the fundamental mechanisms of cardiac arrhythmias and the identification of appropriate targets for antiarrhythmic therapy.

Interactive case presentations will provide clinicians and faculty the opportunity to discuss specific treatment challenges and to learn methods that will be useful in their practices.

Learning Objectives
At the conclusion of this symposium, participants should be able to -

• Summarize recent findings regarding treatment of atrial fibrillation inclusive of various adult populations.
• Describe common troubleshooting of single- and dual-chambered implantable cardioverter defibrillators.
• Cite the mechanisms of action of antiarrhythmic medications for their safe and effective use.
• Summarize available therapies for the prevention of stroke in atrial fibrillation.

Program Schedule - Saturday February 18, 2012  

7:30 a.m.   Registration and Continental Breakfast

8:00 a.m.   Welcome by Ali Massumi, MD  

Session I                        

8:15 – 8:45 a.m.       
Newer Anticoagulation Agents for Stroke Prevention in 
   Atrial Fibrillation
James M. Wilson, MD                        

8:45 - 9:15 a.m.
Antiarrhythmic Therapy in Atrial Fibrillation: 
   Indications, Guidelines and Safety
Mehdi Razavi, MD            

9:15 – 9:45 a.m.
Left Atrial Appendage Exclusion for Stroke Prevention in 
   Atrial Fibrillation
Ali Massumi, MD

9:45 – 10:00 a.m.   Panel Discussion with Q&A 

10:00 – 10:15 a.m.   Break  

Session II                       

10:15 – 10:45 a.m.        
The Role of Cryoablation in the Treatment of 
   Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation 
J. Alberto Lopez, MD  

10:45 – 11:15 a.m.        
The Role of Catheter Guidance Systems in the Treatment of 
   Chronic Atrial Fibrillation 
Abdi Rasekh, MD  

11:15 – 11:45 a.m.         
Brugada Syndrome and Arrhythmogenic RV Dysplasia 
Samuel Asirvatham, MD  

11:45 – 12:00 noon   Panel Discussion with Q&A

12:00 – 1:00 p.m.     Lunch  

Session III 

1:00– 1:30 p.m. 
Ablative Strategies in Ventricular Tachycardias in the 
   Setting of Cardiomyopathy  
Jie Cheng, MD, PhD  

1:30 – 2:00 p.m. 
EP Jeopardy  
Michael Bensler, MD  

2:00 – 2:30 p.m.  
Case Presentations  
THI EP Fellows  

2:30 – 3:00 p.m.
Closing Remarks and Adjourn 
Ali Massumi, MD  

3:15 p.m.   Adjourn