The fellowship in Interventional Cardiology at the University of Virginia offers a wide variety of educational conferences for the Interventional Fellows.

Cardiovascular Grand Rounds

This conference consists of an invited speaker presenting an update, review or novel topic in cardiology.  Both basic science and clinical cardiology topics are represented by this conference.  The guest speakers generally have been nationally and internationally recognized leaders in cardiology but also includes local faculty.  In addition, departing cardiology fellows including Interventional fellows are invited to present at Cardiovascular Grand Rounds.

Cath Lab Teaching Conference

Cath Lab Teaching Conference is designed specifically for the educational needs of all diagnostic and interventional fellows.  The purpose of this conference is to systematically review the core knowledge base that must be mastered by both diagnostic and interventional fellows before completion of the program.  This conference is clinically oriented and consists of three elements rotated throughout the year:

Cath Conference

A division wide Cath Conference is held at 7:00 a.m. each Friday.  This is one of the major teaching conferences of the division.  Attendance by all cardiology fellows and Interventional fellows is mandatory.  Cardiology attendings, nurse practitioners, medical students, housestaff, radiology students, anesthesiologists, cardiac surgeons, and other health care professionals attend this conference. The Interventional fellow will have primary oversight responsibility for the Friday morning Cath Conference, which will consist of cases evaluated and presented by the cardiac cath fellows.

Each week, 2 cases are identified by the Interventional fellows.  These cases represent the entire spectrum of cardiac disease including coronary, valvular and congenital heart disease.  A diagnostic fellow presents the relevant history, physical examination, and noninvasive studies including MRI or CT scans.  All catheterization data including hemodynamics and angiography are critically reviewed during the conference. It is expected that the presenting fellow will have reviewed the relevant literature and is prepared to discuss the case and its management in depth.

Interventional Conference

An organized, didactic conference providing the core knowledge base for interventional cardiology and is prepared and presented primarily by the interventional fellows.  In addition to a comprehensive and formal presentation including a review of the pertinent literature, specific cases and angiograms are also presented.

Topics presented may cover:

• vascular biology
• platelet inhibitors
• coronary atherectomy
• calcified lesions
• ischemic complications of PTCI
• coronary perforation complicating PTCI
• bifurcation and ostial lesions
• saphenous vein graft interventions
• multivessel PTCI
• pharmacology of PTCI
• unprotected left main intervention
• chronic total occlusion
• percutaneous intervention of cardiac allograft
• vasculopathy
• treatment of in-stent restenosis
• primary angioplasty

Additional conferences

• Noninvasive Cardiology Conference
• Internal Medicine Grand Rounds
• Monthly General Cardiology Journal Club
• Bimonthly Cath Lab Research Conference
• Interventional Basic Research Conference