Course Objectives

The goal of this CME activity is to improve patient care by:

• Reviewing natural histories of patients with common isolated, pure valvular lesions.
• Discussing and reviewing predictors of outcomes with and without surgery for common valve lesions.
• Presenting and evaluating currently-accepted criteria for surgical intervention.
• Discussing evolving concepts of pharmacological therapy in patients with valvular lesions.
• Discussing and reviewing current standards for echocardiographic evaluation of valvular diseases — including technical problems and their solutions and considering the roles of newer imaging modalities.
• Discussing and reviewing current technical approaches to difficult problems in valve surgery.
• Describing techniques and expected outcomes of valve repair.
• Reviewing current strategies for preventing of thrombo-embolic events in patients with valve diseases.
• Reviewing current data concerning percutaneous valve repair and replacement.
• Reviewing current concepts regarding management of infective endocarditis.