EP Lab Digest - April 2008 - (Page 22)

22 SPOTLIGHT INTERVIEW APRIL 2008 SPOTLIGHT Continued from page 21 patients who may have additional questions or those who may be interested in support groups? We had a monthly support group from 1990 until 2000, but the need has significantly decreased. Now have an annual luncheon with guest speaker. What are your thoughts about nonEPs implanting ICDs? Do you train such individuals? We currently do not train non-EP physicians. What about device recalls? How has your lab handled these? EP lab personnel see to it that the companies have contacted all patients at risk; then a certified letter is sent to the patient’s last known address. Follow-up phone calls and clinic charts are flagged, so that all staff is aware of the necessary steps needed to be taken. Give an example of a difficult problem or challenge your lab has faced. How it was addressed? In the initial phase coordination, TEEs in the early morning prior to our atrial fibrillation ablations have been difficult. The newly acquired Acuson ultrasound allows our attendings to perform TEEs prior to cardioversions and ablations. Is your lab doing webbased/transtelephonic device follow-up? We started enrolling patients in remote follow-up in 2007.We are presently following approximately 150 patients, with that number growing. We are using CareLink, LATITUDE, and Biotronik (within the next month). Stephen R. Shorofsky, MD, PhD, Magdi Saba, MD, MSc, and Timm-Michael Dickfeld, MD, PhD. Describe your city or general regional area. How does it differ from the rest of the U.S.? UMMC is located in a large, metropolitan region with wellestablished referral patterns. This is similar to other large cities with university-based training programs. Is your EP lab currently involved in any clinical research studies or special projects? Which ones? We have a very active academic research program in our EP division, with up to three research fellows (one is just leaving, two new ones are coming), which are supported by national research grants. Some of our main focuses are facilitating complex ablations such as ventricular tachycardia by integration of PET, CT, or MRI; development of real-time imaging strategies; and automatic vector detection for guidance of VT ablation sites. We also collaborate in a variety of investigator-initiated research initiatives with other academic centers regarding genotyping and sudden cardiac death. In addition, we participate in a wide range of clinical research studies concerning novel devices, device programming, risk stratification and heart failure applications. New research protocols, including remote catheter control, are also currently being developed. Please tell our readers what you consider unique or innovative about your EP lab and staff. We have a very innovative research program, and have played a pivotal role in research regarding biphasic defibrillators and waveforms. Currently, we have a focus on using PET/CT and MRI to define scar substrate to facilitate complex VT ablations as well as developing novel real-time imaging approaches such as real-time CT.We are also investigating automatic vector guidance to further increase our ablation success. Our current collaboration with Hansen also enables us to combine our ongoing research with remote catheter control. UMMC has an excellent collaboration with industry partners to bring these concepts from the bench to the bedside and to develop clinical products out of research ideas. Electrophysiologist Dr. Michael Nillas during an ablation case. Are you ACGME-approved for EP training? What do you think about two-year EP programs? Our program is ACGME approved. We feel that two years of clinical training is necessary for a comprehensive and complete training, despite the ABIM’s requirement of only one year in order to sit for the board examination. For more information, please visit: http://www.umm.edu/ Dr. Stephen Shorofsky uses a joystick to control a recently-acquired Hansen robot at the University of Maryland Medical Center. Does your lab provide any educational or support programs for http://www.umm.edu/

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of EP Lab Digest - April 2008

EP Lab Digest - April 2008 Pediatric Electrophysiology Medical Relief Work on the Yucatan Peninsula: A Labor of Love EP 101: Considerations for the Elderly EP Patient Contents Letter from the Editor Spotlight Interview: University of Maryland A Summary of the ACC/AHA/Physician Consortium 2008 Clinical Performance Measures for Adults with Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation or Flutter Can Psychosocial Characteristics Predict Fatal Outcomes in Patients? Interview with Jonathan S. Steinberg, MD, FACC 10-Minute Interview: Diane D. Sheffield, RN, BSN AED Access for All: An Organization for SCA Survivors New Column: 5 Quick Clues to AV Nodal Reentry Tachycardia CMS 2008 OPPS Final Rule Review New Online AED and CPR Training Opportunities: Q & A with Keith Weaver Highlights from the 5th Annual International Arrhythmia Winter School Email Discussion Group Events Calendar Second Annual Salary Survey Industry News and Products Classifieds Advertisers Index

EP Lab Digest - April 2008

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