Symposium Highlights Cardiac Imaging, Structural Heart Treatment Advances

Leading in the development of new imaging technologies and procedures for valvular and structural heart issues, physicians at Baptist Health Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute are making it possible for more patients to receive care for debilitating and life-threatening cardiac problems.

(Watch now: See how physicians at Baptist Health Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute are making it possible for more patients to receive care for debilitating and life-threatening cardiac problems. Video by Dylan Kyle.

At the center of rapidly evolving care are Institute experts who recently shared their knowledge with other clinicians at the 40^th annual Echocardiography and Structural Heart Symposium in Miami. The group, that also included cardiovascular leaders from around the country, discussed advances in diagnosing and treating aortic, mitral and tricuspid valve problems, the complexities of caring for people with cancer or other health conditions who also have structural heart problems, and current care guidelines.

Damien Chaupin, M.D., a cardiologist with Baptist Health Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute and co-director of the symposium

“Cardiovascular disease is still the number one cause of death around the world in most industrialized nations,” said cardiologist Damien Chaupin, M.D., co-director of the symposium. “There is a greater awareness about heart health, not only amongst clinicians, but also the general population. There are so many advanced techniques and new forms of imaging modalities that have evolved over the past several years and it’s great to bring together a wide variety of speakers to educate and help sharpen our skills.”

Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute has pioneered many of the new developments in structural heart problems. Just one example is the use of the VeriSight system, a real-time, advanced intracardiac ultrasound that allows physicians to capture 3D images via a tiny catheter that reaches the heart through a vein in the leg. General anesthesia is not required.

A unique aspect of the Echocardiography and Structural Heart Symposium is that it brings together cardiologists, interventional cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, critical care and other physicians and sonographers (specialists in echocardiography, ultrasound and other imaging techniques that help doctors get a better understanding of internal organs like the heart).

Elliot Elias, M.D., medical director of cardiac and structural imaging at Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute and co-director of the symposium

“Our sonographers are really the people on our front line,” said cardiologist Elliot Elias, M.D., symposium co-director and medical director of cardiac and structural imaging at the Institute. “Their work is so important because we are making decisions in terms of whether we send our patients for surgery or transcatheter therapy, or maybe in other cases, when we have a different diagnosis, it points us in a different direction. As a community, we can sit down together and discuss some of the newer advances in terms of imaging and how we diagnose those patients.”

With innovations driving advances in treating or replacing heart valves and in the creation of new devices, minimally invasive procedures such as TAVR (transcatheter aortic valve replacement) have become the go-to for patients with aortic valve problems. Treatments that once were offered only to the highest-risk patients are now being offered to intermediate and low-risk patients. Inroads are also being made in treating the mitral and tricuspid valves in a similar fashion.

This revolutionary care means that there are alternatives to surgery for many patients. Less invasive procedures generally carry much lower risk, can be done on an outpatient basis or with a short hospital stay and speed recovery in comparison to traditional, open surgeries.

Bernardo Lopez-Sanabria, M.D., an interventional cardiologist with Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute

Caring for patients with structural heart issues requires a team effort, making medical meetings like the symposium vital, explains Bernardo Lopez-Sanabria, M.D., an interventional cardiologist with Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute. “All of the structural heart procedures we do rely heavily on imaging,” he said. “It’s very collaborative and the interaction between the interventional cardiologists, the structural and clinical cardiologists, the imaging physicians, the echocardiographers and technicians is very important.”

Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute’s 41^st annual Echocardiography and Structural Heart Symposium will be held Sept. 27-28, 2024, according to executives at the Institute.