Dear colleagues!
In respect to the rapidly growing importance of interventional valve technologies for the cardiac surgeon FOCUS Valve 2016 will incorporate also newest developments and techniques in the field of interventional valve therapies.
As technologies are developing quickly we are convinced that cardiac surgeons should not restrict themselves to the classical surgical techniques - either minimally invasive or by the traditional full sternotomy approach - but will adopt also the recent interventional techniques. To meet these growing demands we will offer two workshops on interventional mitral as well as tricuspid valve therapies and one lunch symposium on transcatheter techniques during our upcoming FOCUS Valve course in September. Workshop III will deal with interventional and surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation.
Moreover the main focus of the meeting will still be on minimally invasive surgical techniques for the aortic, mitral and tricuspid valves.
Advanced minimally invasive techniques will be transmitted live from our OR using latest 3D videoendoscopy. Internationally well recognized surgeons from various European centers with highest expertise in minimally invasive surgery as well as from our own department will perform 6 live surgeries during two days. In addition presentations of recent developments and techniques in minimally invasive valve surgery and interactive discussions will be held.
Delegates who register for the wetlab I or II will have the possibility to train endoscopic techniques using direct vision, 2D imaging and also 3D videoendoscopic equipment during the WETLAB sessions.
TEE for surgeons gives you basic and advanced information on intraoperative TEE with theoretical presentations and live demonstrations in the OR.
FOCUS Valve is part of a four module educational program in minimally invasive valve surgery offered by the Department of Cardiac Surgery of Medical University Innsbruck comprising presentations and live surgeries (Module I), wetlab training (Module II), team visits to our OR by separate appointment (Module III) and local proctoring on request (Module IV).
The venue of FOCUS Valve 2016 will be the Main Auditorium in the Surgery Building of Innsbruck University Hospital.
We are looking forward to welcoming you in Innsbruck!
Ludwig Müller & Michael Grimm
(Course Directors)
