Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute at St. David’s Medical Center Hosts EP Live 2012

Two-Day Conference Draws Electrophysiology Experts from Across the Globe On March 1 and 2, the Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute (TCAI) at St. David’s Medical Center hosted the first-ever EP Live conference. The event was attended by 125 medical experts in the field of electrophysiology, including practicing cardiac electrophysiologists, electrophysiology (EP) fellows, general cardiologists and cardiac surgeons with an interest in treating complex arrhythmias. It was designed to help attendees gain a better understanding of techniques used to map and ablate atrial and ventricular arrhythmias, implant complex devices and extract malfunctioning devices. “Leaders in the field of electrophysiology from as far as Leipzig, Germany, and Venice, Italy, attended this event, as well as experts from all across the United States,” Andrea Natale, MD, FHRS, FACC, FESC, cardiac electrophysiologist and executive medical director of TCAI, said. “Over the past several years, advances in interventional cardiac electrophysiology have changed physician practices and have had a significant impact on patient care. This event is one way for physicians to keep up with those advances so they are able to perform the full scope of EP procedures with the expertise required, ultimately improving patient care.” Arrhythmias are caused by problems with the heart's electrical system. Many cardiac arrhythmias are treated using modern ablation procedures, which involve burning, freezing or neutralizing the portions of the heart muscle where abnormal electrical pulses set off the irregular heartbeats. EP Live 2012 also focused on: • the application of technical approaches in the ablation of complex arrhythmias • the use of new technology to facilitate ablation • ways to reduce complications in the electrophysiology lab • the latest evidence and guidelines on arrhythmia treatment • the most effective ways to follow patients after ablation, using monitoring technologies The sessions consisted of a combination of live and recorded cases from some of the premier centers of the world, including TCAI, the Mayo Clinic, Stanford University Cardiac Arrhythmia Service and Cardiac Electrophysiology Lab, UCLA Cardiac Arrhythmia Center, Massachusetts General Hospital Heart Center, the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Brigham and Women’s Hospital Cardiac Arrhythmia Service in Boston, and Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, Cardiology in New York. Cases included procedures to treat atrial fibrillation, post-ablation atrial flutter and ventricular tachycardia, as well as biventricular device implant procedures, lead extraction procedures, hybrid procedures, and the use of magnetic navigation systems and cryoballoon. EP Live also featured new technology, including the 3D ICE, 3D mapping systems, the contact force ablation catheter, LASER balloon, integrated magnetic 3D mapping and 3D angiography. Physicians received 16 hours of Continuing Medical Education (CME) credit at the conference. Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute at St. David’s Medical Center (TCAI) is one of the world’s preeminent centers dedicated to the latest treatment advances for correcting abnormal heart rhythms such as atrial fibrillation (A Fib). The center is led by Executive Medical Director Andrea Natale, MD, a world-renowned expert in the field. Natale is at the forefront of advancing treatment for A Fib, leading numerous clinical trials and participating in the development of new technologies and procedures. For more information, please visit TCAInstitute.com. St. David’s Medical Center St. David’s Medical Center is part of St. David’s HealthCare, one of the largest health systems in Texas, which was recognized as one of the top 15 health systems in the U.S. by Thomson Reuters in January 2012. Founded in 1924, St. David’s Medical Center is a full-service medical center offering comprehensive medical care at three locations — St. David’s Medical Center, located at 919 East 32nd Street in Austin; Heart Hospital of Austin, located at 3801 North Lamar Blvd.; and St. David’s Georgetown Hospital, located in Georgetown at 2000 Scenic Drive. The three campuses offer a full range of medical specialties, as well as many other innovativehealth care services. St. David’s Medical Center in central Austin includes a 350-bed acute care hospital and a freestanding, 64-bed rehabilitation hospital providing comprehensive inpatient and outpatient care. St. David’s Medical Center provides a complete range of women’s services, including its acclaimed maternity unit, maternal fetal medicine, a high-risk maternal and neonatal transport team, the region’s largest and most sophisticated Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, The Breast Center, and a fertility center; is home to the internationally acclaimed Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute; NeuroTexas Institute (including the TIA Center for Stroke Prevention and designation as a Primary Stroke Center); complex surgical services; a comprehensive Bariatric Surgery Center; and a 24-hour emergency department. St. David’s Medical Center was named to the list of 100 Top Hospitals by Thomson Reuters, a leading provider of information and solutions to improve the cost and quality of healthcare, in 2009 and 2010 (awarded in 2011). St. David’s Medical Center was the only hospital in Central Texas to be included on the list. For more information, please visit StDavids.com.