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Send to a FriendRelease Date: August 2006
Expiration Date: August 2007
Estimated Time To Complete Activity: 1 hour
Notice as to the Type of Hardware and Software Needed To Participate in the Activity:
Flash Player Plugin
Internet Explorer 5.5 or greater
Netscape 7.02 or greater
Adobe Acrobat Reader
Windows 98 SE or above
Internet Explorer is not supported on the Macintosh
If you have any questions with regard to this activity please contact the Postgraduate Institute for Medicine by visiting their website at www.pimed.com.
Jointly sponsored by Postgraduate Institute for Medicine and Imprint Science
This activity is supported by an educational grant from Boston Scientific
Target Audience
This activity has been designed to meet the educational needs of surgeons involved in the care of patients with atrial fibrillation.
Statement of Need/Program Overview
Atrial fibrillation, the most common arrhythmia seen in clinical practice, is a significant health concern because it increases the risk for stroke, heart failure, and death, in addition to decreasing patients’ quality of life. Paradoxically, pharmacologic strategies intended to maintain sinus rhythm, which are still the most widely used therapy for atrial fibrillation, are known to be limited by their modest efficacy and concern about side effects and safety. The importance of the pulmonary veins and surrounding left atrium in the initiation of atrial fibrillation is now widely accepted by electrophysiologists. The use of more extensive ablation procedures that modify the electrical substrate as well as the initiators of atrial fibrillation is often necessary to prevent chronic atrial fibrillation. Recently there has been renewed interest in applying the principles of the maze procedure in a less invasive manner so that a wider group of patients with atrial fibrillation can be treated. Surgeons can now perform pulmonary vein ablation and create strategically placed linear left atrial lesions rapidly and safely, replacing the surgical incisions of the maze procedure. Procedures using the ablation tools that are now available cure atrial fibrillation in approximately 80% of patients and are being adapted to offer thoracoscopic and minimally invasive ablation treatment to patients with lone atrial fibrillation. This symposium is designed to offer surgeons the information they need to understand fully the unique challenges posed in the treatment of patients with atrial fibrillation.
Educational Objectives
After completing this activity, the participant should be better able to:
- Discuss the efficacy of surgical ablation therapy in the management of atrial fibrillation
- Compare the efficacy of surgical ablation therapy versus catheter ablation therapy in the treatment of atrial fibrillation
- Discuss treatment options for patients with persistent atrial fibrillation after failed catheter ablation
- Describe the clinical benefit of surgical ablation of the left atrial appendage in reducing risk for stroke
Faculty
John D. Puskas, MD
Associate Professor of Surgery and Associate Chief,
Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery
Emory University School of Medicine
Chief of Cardiac Surgery, Emory Crawford Long Hospital
Atlanta, Georgia
Husam H. Balkhy, MD
Clinical Assistant Professor of Surgery
Medical College of Wisconsin
Chairman, Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery
The Wisconsin Heart Hospital
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Niloo M. Edwards, MD
Associate Professor and Chairman,
Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery
University of Wisconsin
Madison, Wisconsin
Accreditation Statement
This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and Policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint sponsorship of Postgraduate Institute for Medicine (PIM) and Imprint Science. PIM is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
Credit Designation
Postgraduate Institute for Medicine designates this educational activity for a maximum of one AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest
Postgraduate Institute for Medicine (PIM) assesses conflict of interest with its instructors, planners, managers, and other individuals who are in a position to control the content of CME activities. All relevant conflicts of interest that are identified are thoroughly vetted by PIM for fair balance, scientific objectivity of studies utilized in this activity, and patient care recommendations. PIM is committed to providing its learners with high quality CME activities and related materials that promote improvements or quality in healthcare and not a specific proprietary business interest of a commercial interest.
The faculty reported the following financial relationships or relationships to products or devices they or their spouse/life partner have with commercial interests related to the content of this CME activity:
|
Name of Faculty or Presenter |
Reported Financial Relationship |
|
Niloo M. Edwards, MD |
No real or apparent conflicts of interest to report. |
|
John D. Puskas, MD |
Receipt of Intellectual Property Rights/Patent-Holder: Medtronic; Scanlan Consulting Fees (eg, advisory boards): Medtronic; Atricure Fees for Non-CME Services Received Directly From a Commercial Interest or Its Agents (eg, speakers bureaus): Medtronic; Atricure; Scanlan |
|
Husam H. Balkhy, MD |
Consulting Fees (eg, advisory board): Guidant |
The planners and managers reported the following financial relationships or relationships to products or devices they or their spouse/life partner have with commercial interests related to the content of this CME activity:
|
Name of Planner or Manager |
Reported Financial Relationship |
|
PIM Clinical Reviewers: Jan Hixon, RN; Trace Hutchison, PharmD; |
No real or apparent conflicts of interest to report. |
|
|
No real or apparent conflicts of interest to report. |
|
Annemarie Armani, MD |
No real or apparent conflicts of interest to report. |
Method of Participation
There are no fees for participating and receiving CME credit for this activity. During the period August 2006 through August 2007 participants must 1) read the learning objectives and faculty disclosures; 2) study the educational activity; 3) complete the posttest by recording the best answer to each question in the answer key on the evaluation form; 4) complete the evaluation form; and 5) mail or fax the evaluation form with answer key to Postgraduate Institute for Medicine.
A statement of credit will be issued only upon receipt of a completed activity evaluation form and a completed posttest with a score of 70% or better. Your statement of credit will be mailed to you within 3 weeks.
Media
Internet activity
Disclosure of Unlabeled Use
This educational activity may contain discussion of published and/or investigational uses of agents that are not indicated by the FDA. Postgraduate Institute for Medicine (PIM), Imprint Science and Boston Scientific do not recommend the use of any agent outside of the labeled indications.
The opinions expressed in the educational activity are those of the faculty and do not necessarily represent the views of PIM, Imprint Science, and Boston Scientific. Please refer to the official prescribing information for each product for discussion of approved indications, contraindications, and warnings.
Disclaimer
Participants have an implied responsibility to use the newly acquired information to enhance patient outcomes and their own professional development. The information presented in this activity is not meant to serve as a guideline for patient management. Any procedures, medications, or other courses of diagnosis or treatment discussed or suggested in this activity should not be used by clinicians without evaluation of their patient’s conditions and possible contraindications on dangers in use, review of any applicable manufacturer’s product information, and comparison with recommendations of other authorities.
View the Video: Controversies in the Surgical Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation