Policy On Disclosure

Statement of Need

The Planning Committee has determined that there is a strong need for this conference based on the clinical and public health significance of atrial fibrillation as the most common cardiac arrhythmia and the rapidly evolving advances in knowledge about the mechanisms of and treatment options for this major public health problem.

This three-day symposium is designed to meet the following two objectives:

(1) Provide a current review of new information on the basic science and pathophysiology of atrial fibrillation and atrial fibrillation-related stroke.

(2) Present a detailed analysis of the most recent developments in the treatment of atrial fibrillation and prevention of atrial fibrillation-related stroke with emphasis on rapidly evolving pharmacologic and nonpharmacological therapies.

The scientific basis for, clinical experience with and limitations of new and existing therapies for atrial fibrillation and prevention of atrial fibrillation-related stroke will be explored. In addition, debates as well as faculty and audience discussions on controversial topics in the treatment of atrial fibrillation will be used to highlight the current state of scientific knowledge in areas of major practical importance to clinicians. The faculty is selected to provide the highest quality teaching and access to the most current scientific information from leading experts in the field.

At the conclusion of this symposium, the participant should be able to describe and discuss:

• Seminal advances in the understanding and treatment of atrial fibrillation over the past century
• Mechanisms by which organized local atrial activity transitions to fractionated activity during AF
• Potential mechanisms by which exercise training may promote susceptibility to AF
• Relative roles of substrate vs. arrhythmia in AF-associated atrial thrombus formation
• Potential role of inflammatory pathways in AF
• Optimal management of asymptomatic AF in patients at low, intermediate and high risk for stroke
• Efficacy, safety and current indications for surgical management of AF
• Emerging role of transcription factors in the development of AF
• Clinical predictors of risk for developing AF
• Classification of symptoms in patients with AF
• Current status of new antiarrhythmic drugs for AF and regulatory implications of recent clinical trials
• Optimal approaches to stroke prevention and assessing benefit vs. risk with anticoagulant therapy
• New oral anticoagulants and their potential role in the prevention of AF-related stroke
• Evolving standards for regulatory approval of new devices for AF ablation
• Current status of clinical trials seeking FDA approval for AF ablation devices
• Long term outcomes and risks of catheter ablation for AF
• Impact of catheter ablation therapy on the progression of atrial fibrillation
• Optimal approaches to monitoring for recurrence after AF ablation
• Practical approaches to pulmonary vein isolation, mitral isthmus ablation and SVC and CS isolation
• Use of multielectrode catheters in high resolution electroanatomic mapping to guide AF ablation
• Advanced techniques in image-integrated mapping during AF ablation
• Optimal procedural endpoints for catheter ablation of paroxysmal and persistent AF
• Potential role of contact force sensing technologies in improving the safety and efficacy of AF ablation
• Mechanisms and management of atrial flutter after AF ablation
• Role of entrainment vs. 3-D activation sequence mapping to guide ablation of complex atrial tachycardias
• Relationship between central and intrinsic autonomic nervous system activity in AF
• Approaches to minimizing complications and optimizing the safety of AF ablation
• Safety and efficacy of new balloon technologies for AF ablation
• Current status of remote and robotic navigation systems to guide AF ablation