"Emerging Directions for the Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgeon" to be Co-sponsored by the American Association for Thoracic Surgery
NEW YORK, NY - MAY 4, 2010 - TCT for Surgeons will showcase the expansion of hybrid surgical and interventional techniques in the field that are improving outcomes for patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Now in its 4th year, the course will run during Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) 2010 (September 21-25), the annual scientific symposium of the Cardiovascular Research Foundation.
"This meeting will drive forward the growing collaboration among interventional cardiologists and cardiac surgeons in the treatment of patients with structural and coronary artery disease," said Mathew Williams, MD, Course Director, and Surgical Director, Cardiovascular Transcatheter Therapies at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center. "The surgeon brings tremendous knowledge, a valuable skill set, and a unique perspective to the interventional environment and the cross-trained surgeon is positioned ideally to make the most informed and unbiased treatment decision for patients with coronary and endovascular disease."
One of the course highlights will be an overview of "hybrid coronary therapy," which involves a combination of traditional surgery along with the placement of coronary stents in patients with coronary artery disease. The chosen therapy, whether it is angioplasty, surgery, or a combination of the two, should be determined specifically for an individual patient, Williams said.
TCT for Surgeons will also include programs and sessions on:
- Valvular heart disease
- Minimally invasive surgery
- New surgical technologies
- Abdominal Aortic Endografting
- Aortic Aneurysmal Disease: Overview and Imaging
- Thoracic Aortic Endografting
The American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) is cosponsoring the program.
In 2009, TCT was held in San Francisco for the first time in its history, where it attracted a record numbers of attendees. 99.4% of attendees surveyed stated that TCT increased their knowledge to improve their practice.
Media registration for TCT is now open at http://www.tctconference.com/press/press-registration-form.html.
About TCT for Surgeons
TCT for Surgeons, now in its 4th year, is an in-depth course focusing on novel and advanced surgical techniques for surgeons interested in the most contemporary surgical techniques and catheter-based approaches for patients with cardiovascular disease. The course is co-sponsored by the American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) and the Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF), an independent, academically focused nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the survival and quality of life for people with cardiovascular disease through research and education. Since its inception in 1991, CRF has played a major role in realizing dramatic improvements in the lives of countless numbers of patients by establishing the safe use of new technologies and therapies in the subspecialty of interventional cardiology and endovascular medicine. For more information, visit www.crf.org.
