COURSE DESCRIPTION 

This is the twenty-second in a series of symposia sponsored by the International Heart Institute of Montana Foundation. The 2 ½ day conference will address issues related to the advanced imaging, surgical treatments, and interventional therapies in complex mitral valve disease. An interactive didactic lecture format will be utilized in combination with case studies, panel discussions and debates.

Following the formal lectures and interactive discussions, participants will attend workshop sessions demonstrating mitral valve repair surgical techniques; heart dissection with echocardiographic and surgical correlation; and small group tutorial with advanced imaging stations.

 This course will provide a forum for open communication among cardiologists, surgeons, and anesthesiologists as related to the diagnosis and treatment of heart valve disease and mitral valve disease in particular.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

• Describe the issues and limitations in the evaluation and treatment of mitral valve disease.
• Evaluate the usefulness and limitations of advance imaging techniques in valvular heart disease.
• Describe surgical repair techniques of mitral valve disease.
• Describe interventional therapy in treatment of mitral valve disease
• Discuss controversial issues, emerging techniques and future directions in mitral valve surgery.
• Demonstrate mitral valve surgical techniques in an isolated pig heart.
• Demonstrate the application of advanced imaging techniques in an imaging station.