Program Overview

The 3rd Annual Perioperative MCS Symposium is a 2-day hybrid course. The symposium is designed to promote collaboration among healthcare professionals involved in the field of mechanical circulatory support, with a particular focus on those managing patients with durable left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) or advanced heart failure undergoing temporary mechanical circulatory support or LVAD implantation. The program will feature detailed discussions and practical sessions on the latest advancements in critical care echocardiography, emphasizing its application in the management of complex cases. By bringing together experts from various disciplines, the symposium aims to enhance interdisciplinary knowledge, improve clinical outcomes, and drive innovation in the evolving landscape of mechanical circulatory support.

This course leverages modern educational concepts to deliver clinically relevant content through an interprofessional and multidisciplinary approach to the perioperative management of patients undergoing mechanical circulatory support (MCS). The program is designed to place participants in the role of clinicians, guiding them through both straightforward and complex decision-making processes commonly encountered in MCS and critical care echocardiography (CCE).

In addition to the core sessions, the symposium will include an Advanced Critical Care Echocardiography (CCE) Workshop on Day 2. This highly interactive workshop, designed with a small group (1:4) ratio, will expose learners to advanced diagnostic approaches in refractory shock and ultrasound procedural guidance. The workshop places a strong emphasis on hands-on training, allowing participants to experience real-world clinical scenarios and develop their decision-making skills in MCS and CCE.

Note: The Critical Care Echo Workshop portion of the agenda will be non-CME.

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of each lecture in the series, the participant should be able to:

• Identify the different types of MCS devices and their clinical applications.
• Describe the indications for each device and their role in managing acute heart failure and bridging to durable LVADs.
• Apply decision-making frameworks to select the right MCS device based on patient-specific factors.
• Recognize the early signs of complications like RV failure, shock, and MCS device malfunction.
• Develop protocols for early intervention and management of these complications.
• Implement real-time diagnostic strategies to prevent the escalation of complications in MCS patients
• Gain practical skills in diagnosing and resolving common MCS device issues.
• Explain step-by-step troubleshooting methods for IABP, Impella, and ECMO.
• Apply hands-on scenarios to improve device management during acute situations.
• Define the perioperative management strategies for patients on temporary MCS.
• Determine best practices for weaning patients from MCS devices like ECMO and IABP.
• Implement evidence-based protocols for weaning, ensuring patient stability and recovery.
• Perform advanced CCE to evaluate hemodynamics and guide MCS management.
• Interpret echocardiographic findings to make informed decisions regarding MCS use and weaning.

Purpose

The overall purpose of this symposium is to address critical knowledge and competence gaps in the management of mechanical circulatory support (MCS), particularly in the context of percutaneous MCS devices and their use as a bridge to recovery or durable left ventricular assist devices (LVADs). With up to 40% of cardiothoracic intensivists and over 75% of advanced practice providers acknowledging their lack of proficiency in diagnosing and managing complications during MCS, this symposium aims to provide a comprehensive, multidisciplinary educational experience. Through a combination of lectures, hands-on training, and interactive workshops, participants will gain a deeper understanding of perioperative management, troubleshooting, and early complication recognition. Special emphasis will be placed on advanced critical care echocardiography (CCE), multidisciplinary collaboration, and real-world scenario simulations to improve clinical decision-making. By fostering a highly interactive and practical learning environment, the symposium seeks to equip healthcare professionals with the skills and confidence needed to optimize patient outcomes, reduce complications, and enhance their overall competence in the evolving field of MCS.

Accreditation

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of The Texas Heart Institute and Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center. The Texas Heart Institute is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Credit Designation

Texas Heart Institute designates this live activity for a maximum of 11.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits^TM. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Nursing Credits

Approved Provider Unit (APU) statement: CHI St. Luke’s Health Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center is approved as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the Louisiana State Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. LSNA Provider No. 4002068. Nurses can receive up to 12.00 CE hours.

Agenda Subject to Change

Friday, May 9, 2025

Perioperative Mechanical Circulatory Support Symposium

7:00 – 7:45    Registration & Breakfast

7:45 – 8:00    Welcome and Introduction | James Anton, MD, and José L. Díaz-Gómez, MD

Session 1: Perioperative Shock: Fundamentals & Medical Management

8:00 – 8:10     Inotropes & Vasopressors | Subhasis Chatterjee, MD
8:10 – 8:20     Pearls of Medical Management of RV Failure | Cesar Castillo, MD
8:20 – 8:30     Refractory Shock | Bindu Akkanti, MD
8:30 – 8:40     Decision Making Consideration for MCS | Priyanka Sen, MD
8:40 – 9:00     Panel Discussion | Caroline Marzbani, MD (Moderator)

Session 2: The Intra-Aortic Balloon Pump (PVAD 1)

9:00 – 9:10      Role of IABP in 2025 | Mourad Senussi, MD, MS
9:10 – 9:20      IABP Troubleshooting | Olga Ortega, BSN, RN, CVRN-BC
9:20 – 9:30      IABP Liberation: Best Practices | Mohammed Merchant, MD
9:30 – 9:40      The Axillary Balloon Pump | Ajith Nair, MD
9:40 – 10:00    Panel Discussion | Alexander Postalian, MD (Moderator)

10:00 – 10:30   Break | Exhibitor Hall

Session 3: Impella & Other Percutaneous VADs (PVAD 2)

10:30 – 10:40    Role of Impella in 2025 | Lola Xie, MD
10:40 – 10:50    Impella Troubleshooting | Arvind Bhimaraj, MD, MPH
10:50 – 11:00     Percutaneous RVADs | Nikolaos Diakos, MD, PhD
11:00 – 11:10      PVAD Mobilization | Patricia Han, PT, DPT
11:10 – 11:30      Panel Discussion | Jennifer Bruno, MSN, RN, ACM-RN (Moderator)

11:30 – 12:30     Lunch & Keynote Speaker | Impella: Bridge to High-Risk CABG | Edward Soltesz, MD, MPH

Session 4: ECMO

12:30 – 12:40    ECLS: A Team Based Approach | Sri Kartik Valluri, MD
12:40 – 12:50    The A-to-Z Cannulation for ECLS |  Samar Sheth, MD
12:50 – 1:00      LAVA vs ECMO: When to Use | Marwan Jumean, MD
1:00 – 1:10         MUST-KNOW: ECMO Cases | Orlando Suero, MD
1:10 – 1:30         Panel Discussion | Toni Duculan, MBA, BSN (Moderator)

Session 5: Univentricular Support – LVAD & RVAD

1:30 – 1:40        LVAD: Surgical Considerations & Immediate Complications | Gabriel Loor, MD
1:40 – 1:50        LVAD: Predicting RV Failure | Thomas Powell, MD
1:50 – 2:00       LVAD: Vasoplegic Shock | Subhasis Chatterjee, MD
2:00 – 2:10       LVAD: Management of Late Complications (Other Systems) | Anju Bhardwaj, MD
2:10 – 2:30        Panel Discussion | Lola Xie, MD  (Moderator)

2:30 – 3:00       Break | Exhibitor Hall

Session 6: The Great Debates

3:00 – 3:20      Percutaneous RVAD support vs. VA ECMO | Anna Xue, MD vs. Joggy George, MD
3:20 – 3:40      VA ECMO: To Vent or Not to Vent? (Routine vs. Selective) | Edward Soltesz, MD, MPH vs. Alexis Shafii, MD
3:40 – 4:00      Heparin vs. Bivalirudin: What To Use First? | Ellen Yin, PharmD, BCCP vs. Arthur Bracey, MD
4:00 – 4:20      FUTURE OF MCS: Bringing It All Together | Andrew Civitello, MD

4:20 – 4:30     Closing Remarks | James Anton, MD, and José L. Díaz-Gómez, MD

Agenda Subject to Change

Saturday, May 10, 2025

WORKSHOP A: Advanced Critical Care Echocardiography & POCUS

Physicians

(Concurrent Session)

7:00 – 7:45     Registration & Breakfast

7:45 – 8:00     Welcome Announcements/Opening Remarks | Pedro Salinas, MD, and Cesar Castillo, MD

CCE Driven Hemodynamic Assessment in the ICU

8:00 – 8:15      Non-Invasive Right Heart Catheterization With CCE | Cesar Castillo, MD
8:15 – 8:40      Evaluation of Venous Congestion in 2025 | Mourad Senussi, MD, MS
8:40 – 9:00     3D, Strain, and Volume Loops as an Assessment of Biventricular Function | Pedro Salinas, MD
9:00 – 9:15      Nuggets of Wisdom in Diastology | Stephanie Coulter, MD
9:15 – 9:30      Panel Discussion | Ali Khalifa, MD (Moderator)

9:30 – 10:00   Break | Exhibitor Hall

CCE in Mechanical Circulatory Support

10:00 – 10:20  Critical Care Echocardiography for Temporary MCS | Mohammed Merchant, MD
10:20 – 10:40  Perioperative Echocardiography in Durable LVAD | Basant Arya, MD
10:40 – 11:00   Role of Echocardiography in TAH | Thomas Powell, MD
11:00 – 11:20    Role of Echocardiography in the ECMO Wean | To Be Announced
11:20 – 11:40    Panel Discussion | Stephanie Ibekwe, MD (Moderator)

11:40 – 12:30   Lunch and Keynote Speaker | Resuscitative TEE in 2025 | José L. Díaz-Gómez, MD

12:30 – 1:30     BREAK FOR NON-CME PORTION OF AGENDA

NON-CME Vendor Exhibition MCS: Teaching & Training Skills Stations 1-4

1:30 – 2:30     CCE in Shock, Diastology, VEXUS, and Right Heart Hemodynamics

2:30 – 2:45     Break | Exhibitor Hall

2:45 – 4:45     Resuscitative TEE

4:45 – 5:00     Wrap Up/Final Comments | Cesar Castillo, MD

Agenda Subject to Change

Saturday, May 10, 2025

WORKSHOP B: Essential Critical Care Echocardiography & POCUS

Non-Physicians

(Concurrent Session)

7:00 – 7:45     Registration & Breakfast

7:45 – 8:00     Welcome Announcements/Opening Remarks | Robert Webster, RN, BSN, MPAS, PA-C

CCE Driven Hemodynamic Assessment in the ICU

8:00 – 8:15      Basic Knobology | Ali Omranian, MD
8:15 – 8:40      Fundamentals in Critical Care Echocardiography: Views | Yunuen Aguilera Garcia, MD
8:40 – 9:00     Critical Care Echocardiography Approach to Shock (FAST, FATE) | Yangseon Park, MD
9:00 – 9:15      Basic Lung Ultrasonography Assessment in Critically Ill Patients | Mourad Senussi, MD, MS
9:15 – 9:30      Panel Discussion | Robert Webster, RN, BSN, MPAS, PA-C (Moderator)

9:30 – 10:00    Break | Exhibitor Hall

CCE in Mechanical Circulatory Support

10:00 – 10:20  How To Mitigate Diagnostic Errors With POCUS | Gabriel Patarroyo-Aponte, MD
10:20 – 10:40  Must-Know Cardiac and Lung POCUS Cases for a Safer Critical Care Practice | Woo Kyung Lee, MD
10:40 – 11:00  POCUS and Quality Assurance | Nicholas Villalobos, MD
11:00 – 11:30   Panel Discussion | Robert Webster, RN, BSN, MPAS, PA-C (Moderator)

11:30 – 11:40    Break | Exhibitor Hall

11:40 – 12:30   Lunch and Keynote Speaker | Resuscitative TEE in 2025 | José L. Díaz-Gómez, MD

12:30 – 1:30     BREAK FOR NON-CME PORTION OF AGENDA

NON-CME Vendor Exhibition MCS: Teaching & Training Skills Stations 1-4

1:30 – 2:30      Skill Stations 1-4 | Anna Marcos, AGACNP-BC | Gabriel Patarroyo-Aponte, MD | Yangseon Park, MD | Woo Kyung Lee, MD | Alec Hendon, MD | Minkyung Kwon, MD

2:30 – 2:45     Break | Exhibitor Hall

2:45 – 4:45     Echo Stations: Parasternal, Apical, Subcostal, FAST, Lung US/FATE

4:45 – 5:00     Wrap Up/Final Comments | Edward Yang, MD

The live symposium will be held at the:

Houston Marriott Medical Center/Museum District 
6580 Fannin Street
Houston, TX 77030
Phone: 713-796-0080

Information for a discounted hotel room rate can be found below under “Hotel Accommodations.”

Click Here to Register Now

In-Person Registration fee includes all course materials, breakfast, lunch, and afternoon break.

In-Person

Physician – $550.00
Non-Physician – $300.00
Fellow/Resident – $150.00
Medical Student – Free
Industry – $650.00

Virtual Only

Physician – $400.00
Non-Physician – $150.00
Fellow/Resident – $75.00
Medical Student – Free
Industry – $500.00

Cancellation Policy

The Texas Heart Institute Office of CME must receive written notification of a refund request postmarked and dated no later than Friday, May 2, 2025. A Cancellation Fee of $75.00 will be assessed for physicians and a Cancellation Fee of $50.00 will be assessed for non-physicians. Refunds cannot be made for those who register but do not attend the scheduled activities. Refunds will not be provided for cancellations made within 72 hours of the symposium. The Texas Heart Institute reserves the right to cancel this activity if registration is deemed insufficient.

Hotel Information for Out-of-Town Attendees:

A block of discounted rooms is available at Houston Marriott Medical Center/Museum District.

The last day to book rooms using the discounted rate is Wednesday, April 9, 2025.

Click here for the discounted room rate:

Book your group rate for The Texas Heart Institute 3rd MCS Symposium & Echo Workshop

Houston Marriott Medical Center/Museum District 
6580 Fannin Street
Houston, TX 77030
Phone: 713-796-0080

Since our founding by Dr. Denton A. Cooley in 1962, The Texas Heart Institute has remained dedicated to improving the standard of care through education and research. Located in the heart of the largest medical complex in the world—in one of the largest and most diverse cities in the United States—our trainees gain unparalleled experience through sophisticated local, national, and global training networks.

“It’s the largest collection of doctors on the planet.”

— Dr. Billy Cohn

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