Course Objectives

The goal of this CME activity is to improve patient care by:

• Reviewing natural histories of patients with common isolated, pure valvular lesions
• Discussing and reviewing predictors of outcomes with and without surgery for common valve lesions
• Presenting and evaluating currently-accepted criteria for surgical intervention
• Discussing evolving concepts of pharmacological therapy in patients with valvular lesions
• Discussing and reviewing current standards for echocardiographic evaluation of valvular diseases, including technical problems and their solutions
• Discussing and reviewing current technical approaches to difficult problems in valve surgery
• Describing techniques and expected outcomes of valve repair in the specialized settings of ischemic MR and of heart failure with secondary MR
• Reviewing current strategies for preventing of thrombo-embolic events in patients with valve diseases
• Discussing evolving concepts concerning atrial fibrillation as a risk factor in MR and current surgical/percutaneous techniques for AF management
• Reviewing current data concerning percutaneous valve repair and replacement
• Reviewing current concepts regarding management of infective endocarditis