10th Prague Workshop on Catheter Ablation
with Live Demonstrations
April 1–3, 2007
Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine Prague, Czech Republic
under the auspices of the Czech Society of Cardiology and its Working Group on Arrhythmias and Cardiac Pacing
WELCOME ADDRESS
Dear Colleague,
Welcome to the jubilee 10th international Prague workshop on catheter ablation with live demonstrations. Although it seems unbeliveable, 10 years have elapsed since the very first meeting of this kind. Advocated initially as educational symposium for Czech physicians, it has gradually transformed into very special international meeting of physicians interested in catheter ablations. During the years passing, we met physicians from different countries. Poland, Lithuania, Hungary, Finland, Russia belong traditionally to countries with the highest participation rate. However, we even hosted participants from countries such as Australia or Egypt. In oder to commemorate this history, we plan to review briefly all previous live cases and their long-term outcome.
Reflecting recent development in the field of catheter ablations, the exclusive topic of this meeting is atrial fibrillation. There will be a review of pharmacological treatment of this arrhythmia and debate about its future role in comparison with catheter ablation.
Four live cases of ablation of atrial fibrillation will be traditionally accompanied by review lectures. These cases should represent most frequently used ablation strategies in this arrhythmia. CARTO-based approach of circumferential ablation reproducing the technique of C Pappone will be demonstrated first. The second strategy will be ICE-guided pulmonary antrum isolation as advocated by the Cleveland group, supported by robotic navigation system (Hansen Medical) and NAVx mapping system. The third case will illustrate the role of sophisticated image integration (CARTO-MERGE) in ablation of atrial fibrillation. The last case will deal with a strategy of ablation of chronic atrial fibrillation.
As in previous years, company-sponsored lectures on technical advances in mapping and/or catheter ablation.and interesting case reports or the results of your studies will be presented throughout the programme of the workshop.
As usually, the scientific programme will be followed by a reception that will take place in a special place close to the historical Prague Castle.
We hope that you will find the workshop interesting and look forward to meeting you in Prague.
Professor Josef Kautzner, MD, PhD, FESC
Head, Department of Cardiology, IKEM
