Kaitlyn Dmyterko, senior writer

“We now accept the fact that learning is a lifelong process of keeping abreast of change. And the most pressing task is to teach people how to learn,” writer and management consultant Peter Drucker once said. As the 23rd annual Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) conference kicks off on Monday in the City by the Bay, physicians from more than 100 countries will meet to explore cutting-edge technologies in the medical field. As physicians share clinical experiences and innovative lifesaving techniques, they will work to understand how to better practice medicine in the challenging and changing healthcare environment.

The major studies to be presented at the conference will center on optimal PCI approaches, appropriate use and imaging techniques, among others.

However, the hottest topic may be transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) therapies. Excitingly, the FDA's decision to approve the Edwards Lifesciences' Sapien device, the first approved for the treatment of inoperable aortic-stenosis disease, likely will create much debate.

Along with late-breaking clinical trials being presented Wednesday, Nov. 9, running through Friday, Nov. 11, there also will be a multitude of educational sessions, case presentations and special twilight talks that focus on the hottest topics.

To start the ball rolling, Gregg W. Stone, MD, director of TCT and director of cardiovascular research and education at Columbia University Medical Center/New York-Presbyterian Hospital in New York City, will present the results of the ADAPT-DES trial, a large multicenter registry evaluating platelet responsiveness to stent thrombosis post-drug-eluting stent implantation.

Additionally, Raj Makkar, MD, director of interventional cardiology and the cardiac cath lab at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, will present two-year data from the PARTNER Cohort B trial, which will discuss TAVR. David J. Cohen, MD, director of cardiovascular research at Saint Luke’s Mid-America Heart Institute in Kansas City, will present a quality of life assessment from the PARTNER Cohort A trial, which compared TAVR with surgical aortic valve replacement in high-risk patients. Lastly, Matthew R. Reynolds, MD, will present cost-effectiveness data from PARTNER Cohort A.

On Thursday, Nov. 10, a special twilight session will focus specifically on starting a TAVR program and how to train the valve team. Additionally, the talks will focus on how to avoid the most common complications with TAVR, including bleeding and stroke.

TAVR has made big news since the PARTNER trial was first presented at TCT.10. Look for our exclusive interview with David R. Holmes Jr., MD, president of the ACC, about the TAVR approval, and our coverage next week of TCT.11.

Kaitlyn Dmyterko
Cardiovascular Business, senior writer
Kdmyterko@cardiovascularbusiness.com