Structural Valve Imaging Summit Returns With State-of-the-Art Program, Abundant Expert Interaction

Over a long weekend in early March, Cleveland Clinic will be convening more than two dozen experts in structural heart disease and imaging in Hollywood, Florida, for its 27th Structural Valve Imaging Summit. The summit runs from the evening of Thursday, March 6, to midday Sunday, March 9, 2025, at the Diplomat Beach Resort.

“Now in its 27th year, our state-of-the-art program spans all aspects of valve disease, structural interventions, myopericardial diseases and more,” says summit co-director Christine Jellis, MD, PhD, MBA, of Cleveland Clinic’s Section of Cardiovascular Imaging. “With a focus on innovation and by leveraging the considerable experience of Cleveland Clinic, we showcase new technologies, provide practical clinical pearls and offer hands-on technical experience through interactive workshops.”

“The course uses a mix of formats, including many case-based discussions, to focus on the latest advances in structural and valve disease and the imaging that guides procedural treatments,” adds summit director Allan Klein, MD, who leads Cleveland Clinic’s Pericardial Diseases Center. “New this year will be a debate on artificial intelligence and a fun Jeopardy-style session on echocardiography and other imaging modalities. There will also be a hands-on learning lab with structural interventions and imaging demonstrated by leading experts using the latest devices and imaging equipment.”

The faculty — drawn from Cleveland Clinic sites in Ohio and Florida as well as several other top U.S. institutions — includes leaders in cardiovascular imaging, interventional cardiology, electrophysiology, heart failure and congenital heart disease, as well as cardiac surgeons, sonographers and other expert clinicians.

All the latest in structural disease and imaging

The first four of the summit’s seven main sessions are devoted to the latest developments in each of the major areas of valve disease — mitral, aortic and tricuspid — and in structural interventions for atrial fibrillation and left atrial appendage closure. These sessions all feature discussions specific to imaging strategies and surgical and interventional approaches, along with other timely topics of interest and illustrative case presentations. “We will spotlight the latest advances, with a focus on surgical as well as structural interventional management and the underlying imaging that informs decision-making,” says summit co-director Samir Kapadia, MD, Chair of Cardiovascular Medicine.

Additional sessions are dedicated to diastology, myocardial and pericardial diseases. Highlights of these include a preview of forthcoming diastology guidelines; insights on the latest in diagnosis and management of recurrent pericarditis, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and cardiac amyloidosis; and exploration of the role of pulsed-field ablation for atrial fibrillation in patients with structural heart disease.

Further highlights include a collection of lively debates — on transcatheter versus surgical aortic valve replacement in a 65-year-old, on medical management versus early structural intervention for severe tricuspid regurgitation with minimal symptoms, and on whether echocardiograms of the future will be read by artificial intelligence or clinicians.

The agenda also includes two simultaneous sessions where attendees can choose between how-to sessions — one on 3D image reconstruction and cropping in valve disease, and one on strain and diastology implementation/interpretation — and in-depth expert discussions on complex case presentations.

Abundant interaction — and afternoons free

In these simultaneous sessions and in Q&A segments that conclude all the main sessions, attendees can directly discuss questions and cases with faculty. “A fundamental aspect of our course is the abundant opportunity for interaction with experts in diagnosis and management of complex cases of structural heart disease,” says summit co-director Leonardo Rodriguez, MD, Program Director of Cleveland Clinic’s Advanced Imaging Fellowship.

The summit’s core agenda runs from Friday through Sunday, with early starts each morning and adjournment by lunchtime so attendees can enjoy Florida’s March climate all afternoon. The summit kicks off with an optional learning lab on interventional echocardiography on Thursday evening, March 6, featuring hands-on instruction from a multidisciplinary slate of instructors.

Full information and registration are at ccfcme.org/echo.

This activity has been approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit^™.