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Educational Opportunities Abound
Beyond the highly publicized trials, there will be plenty of enlightening sessions at TCT.
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While there is much buzz about the Late-Breaking Clinical Trials and First Report Investigations at TCT 2016, the meeting offers countless opportunities to learn from others in the world of interventional cardiology and beyond. Here are some of the notable sessions attendees can take advantage of.
Special Keynote Address from Magic Johnson
On Monday, Oct. 31, at 8:30 p.m., Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Hall of Fame basketball star and entrepreneur, will give a keynote lecture. While most famous for his athletic accomplishments, Johnson has pioneered ways to offer appealing products and services, from investment products to television networks to restaurants, to underserved urban communities. He also chairs the Magic Johnson Foundation, a high-profile philanthropic organization notable for its efforts to raise awareness about and prevent HIV and AIDS.
Innovation Sessions
On the mornings of Sunday, Oct. 30, Monday, Oct. 31, and Tuesday, Nov. 1, there will be 4 hours devoted to innovations in interventional cardiology, including presentations on new devices and first-in-human studies.
Notably, on Monday, Oct. 31, the “Shark Tank” Innovation competition will be held, in which presenters from seven ventures will attempt to convince a panel of investors and other experts why their innovation is worth funding. The technologies being spotlighted are a shock-wave wire for chronic total occlusions, a noninvasive method to assess pedal reperfusion in patients with critical limb ischemia, a pulmonary venous stent for patients with atrial fibrillation, a novel embolic protection device, a selective endovascular brain cooling technology, a treatment for hypertension involving a pacemaker and a virtual physician connectivity platform.
Didactic Tracks
Traditionally a favorite of TCT attendees, these in-depth gatherings enable attendees to learn about technologies, techniques and new data from the world’s foremost experts in interventional cardiology, in a wide range of formats including lectures, debates and roundtable discussions.
Topics include CTO, left main disease, bifurcation lesions, imaging and physiology, transradial access, complex/high-risk interventional procedures, ACS, management of AF, pharmacotherapy for patients undergoing PCI, interventional hypertension, interventional HF therapies, transcatheter aortic valve replacement, nonvalvular structural heart disease, peripheral vascular intervention, and design and interpretation of clinical trials.
FDA Town Hall Meetings
There will be two FDA Town Hall meetings, one at 12:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 31, and one at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 1. The Town Halls will offer attendees the opportunity to learn from FDA officials and regulatory affairs experts about the most pressing regulatory topics important to the field of interventional cardiology. Topics that will be discussed include post-approval studies and pragmatic trials.
Live Cases
The most valuable experience at TCT for many attendees, live cases with detailed explanation by the operators will be streamed into the Main Arena at various points throughout the meeting. Those who tune in will see cases being performed around the world, including in Antwerp, Belgium; Beijing; Bonn, Germany; Frankfurt, Germany; Kansas City, Missouri; London; Montréal; New York; Rotterdam, Netherlands; Shanghai; and Zürich, Switzerland.
Featured Clinical Research
On Monday, Oct. 31, at noon and at 1 p.m., leading interventionalists from around the world will present study findings to the editors of prestigious journals such as Circulation, the European Heart Journal and the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Among the issues to be discussed are the impact of an endovascular intervention on erectile function, a percutaneous lithoplasty treatment for calcified coronary lesions, long-term durability of self-expanding TAVR systems, the predictive value of fractional flow reserve following implantation of a drug-eluting stent, comparison of two treatments for patients with cardiogenic shock and the performance of a paclitaxel-coated balloon in patients with complex femoropopliteal lesions.
Hot Topic Lunches
Hunger is not an excuse to stop learning. At these brisk lunch sessions on Tuesday, Nov. 1, attendees will gain insights into topics such as cath lab radiation hazards, early career development for new interventionalists, the latest news on peripheral drug-coated balloons, late-career decisions for experienced interventionalists, detecting and treating vulnerable plaque, percutaneous closure vs. medical management for patients with patent foramen ovale, revascularization considerations for patients with diabetes and secondary prevention strategies after PCI.
Address by Jon Meacham
Pulitzer-Prize winning historian and journalist Jon Meachem will give an address on Tuesday, Nov. 1, at 8:30 p.m. Meacham has written a number of presidential biographies and is known for his insights into how issues and events impact the lives of everyday people.