Pulse of CRF The Newsletter of the Cardiovascular Research Foundation Winter 2013 - Vol 7, TCT Issue IN THIS ISSUE Cutting-Edge Clinical Research Presented at TCT 2013 ....................................... 1 CRF Selects Jack Lewin, MD, to Serve as President and CEO ........................ 1 In Memoriam: Andreas Gruentzig, MD, Receives TCT Career Achievement Award ..................... 2 TCT Goes Tablet ............................. 3 Cutting-Edge Clinical Research Presented at TCT 2013 The annual Transcatheter substantially reducing the need for ongoing and has enrolled nearly Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) printed materials. Highlights from double the number of patients scientific symposium is the world’s the scientific sessions included: included in the current research. preeminent forum for interventional New TAVR Options on Further, the REPRISE II trial tested cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, and the safety of a second-generation vascular medicine specialists. the Horizon: TAVR device internationally. The The pivotal CoreValve Extreme Risk TCT celebrated a milestone 25 years Lotus Valve System was associated trial found that transcatheter aortic at the 2013 meeting held in San with low rates of complications in valve replacement (TAVR) with Francisco, California. Attracting over symptomatic patients with severe the CoreValve device substantially 11,500 attendees, the symposium aortic blockages who were at reduced the incidence of death broke new ground by distributing high risk for surgery. Successful and major stroke at 1 year in US tablet computers to attendees and implantation and positioning of the patients with severe aortic blockages producing an innovative digital valve was achieved in all patients. considered too high risk to undergo Upcoming CRF app, enabling attendees to interact surgery. An expanded study is Educational Events with sessions like never before and (See TCT 2013 page 4) Conference on Cell Therapy for Cardiovascular Disease January 22-24, 2014 CRF Selects Jack Lewin, MD, to Serve Vivien and Seymour Milstein Family Heart Center as President and CEO New York, NY The Cardiovascular Research He succeeds William A. Foundation has appointed Jack Himmelsbach, MPH, who retired Lewin, MD, as the organization’s in late 2012. CRF board member Complex PCI new president and chief executive Colette Y. Gardner has served February 27-March 1, 2014 officer. Lewin, who will also serve as president and co-chair of the New York Marriott Marquis on CRF’s board of directors, Executive Leadership Council New York, NY comes equipped for his new role in the interim. Jack Lewin, MD after years of experience as a President and Chief Executive practicing physician, leader and Officer of CRF manager. (See Jack Lewin, MD, page 6) In Memoriam: Andreas Gruentzig, MD, Receives TCT Career Achievement Award Spencer B. King III, MD, of Saint “There was a lot of collegiality Joseph’s Medical Group in Atlanta, at that time,” said King. “People Ga., said Dr. Gruentzig hit upon the who had done 10 procedures idea of a balloon that would expand were experts at the time and they inside the artery. Working in his interacted with people who were kitchen with colleagues, he began to just starting out with it.” experiment with materials, focused on Gruentzig had a drive and the idea that the balloon would have determination to educate and share to be rigid to force open the lesion. his knowledge with the world, but The double lumen catheter with he also was concerned that the a polyvinyl chloride balloon they procedure not be misused. developed was tried first in leg According to Stone, Gruentzig arteries and then kidney arteries, and symbolized the characteristics that was finally miniaturized enough for exemplify current interventional use in coronary arteries. cardiology including a thoughtful Early Experiments and evidence-based approach to In 1976, Gruentzig presented procedures that always puts the the results of his animal studies patient’s interests and outcomes first. involving his new device in a poster In January 1980, Gruentzig moved CRF was delighted to have Gruentzig’s family and close associates from the at the American Heart Association to the United States where he joined early years of his career present at TCT to share in this special tribute. (AHA) Scientific Sessions. In the the faculty, including King, at Emory studies, a silk ligature was used as University in Atlanta. During the next a constrictor in the canine coronary The Cardiovascular Research not have benefited from the lesser few years, he worked with others to artery dilation. The balloon was Foundation presented Andreas invasive approach to coronary artery develop the technique. By 1984, trials expanded to break the thread and Gruentzig, MD, the TCT Career disease that is angioplasty,” said comparing angioplasty with bypass restore flow. Achievement Award posthumously TCT director Gregg W. Stone, MD. surgery were initiated. Unfortunately, on Tuesday, October 29, in Although Dr. King admitted to being Gruentzig did not live to see the Gruentzig had the “charisma and recognition of his contribution skeptical of the idea, the experiment amazing results of those studies. force of personality to stand up to to the development of the field of caught the eye of other physicians doubters and persist in the face of interventional cardiology. at the meeting, including Richard adversity, promoting a technique Myler, MD, who would eventually If he was alive today, More than 35 years ago, Dr. that he knew in his soul could help invite Gruentzig to perform he would be tremendously Gruentzig, now considered by many so many,” Stone said. angioplasty on one of his sedated proud of this whole to be the father of interventional Birth of a Subspecialty surgical patients in San Francisco. specialty that he started, cardiology, performed the first balloon angioplasty of a coronary Gruentzig earned his medical Not long after in September 1977, which has gone from a artery in Zurich, Switzerland. The degree in Heidelberg, Germany, Dr. Gruentzig performed the kitchen table to a specialty procedure began a revolution in the in 1964 and began training in first coronary angioplasty on an that has grown worldwide.” angiology. Soon after, he took an field of cardiology, offering patients unanesthetized patient in Zurich. - Spencer B. King III, MD an alternative to bypass surgery and interest in techniques pioneered Spreading the Word opening the door to percutaneous by vascular radiologist Charles cardiovascular procedures including Dotter, MD, for opening vessels in In 1977, Gruentzig was invited back transcatheter treatment of valvular the legs using catheters. Gruentzig to the AHA Scientific Sessions to make “Interventional procedures not disease, hypertension and heart learned these techniques from his an oral presentation about his animal only have become the dominant failure, and prevention of stroke. mentor, Eberhard Zeitler, MD, in experiments. Instead, he presented procedures for coronary Nuremberg, Germany. his first four human angioplasty cases interventions, but also are Gruentzig, 46, and his wife Margaret including one very dramatic procedure dramatically outpacing surgery and With his interest piqued, Gruentzig Anne, died in a plane crash in of a left main stenosis. have, more importantly, become began using catheters in practice Georgia in October 1985. CRF was the primary procedure for acute MI but knew that in order to apply the “The reaction from the audience delighted to have his family and and have opened the flood gates to technique to coronary arteries, a new was astonishment,” King said. “He close associates from the early years structural heart interventions and type of device would be required. The received a standing ovation.” of his career present at TCT to share more,” said King. device would have to be small enough in this special tribute. As interest in learning the technique to enter the arteries, but also would increased, Gruentzig began to “Without Dr. Gruentzig’s singular have to be able to enlarge once it was televise courses from Zurich where vision and determination, our placed inside the obstruction. subspecialty would not exist, and he would demonstrate the procedure tens of millions of patients would to colleagues eager to learn. 2 The Newsletter of the Cardiovascular Research Foundation TCT Goes Tablet By distributing tablets to attendees, TCT reinvents the medical conference. • The TCT app: This app provided Tech Savvy attendees the ability to view and The tablet also allowed attendees to search the TCT program, plan tally the number of CME hours they their schedule, claim CME credits, accrued at the meeting and to have a navigate the Moscone Center, certificate sent verifying the credits. communicate with other attendees, take notes and much more. If attendees arrived at the conference with their own tablet, • TCTMD app: This app provided they could download the apps attendees with mobile access to through iTunes and Google Play. slide presentations from every recent TCT as well as the library TCT provided technical support of content from the TCTMD Web for the tablets on the second floor site, including daily news, journal of the West building, as well as at summaries, conference coverage multiple kiosks located throughout and CME programming. the convention center. Importantly, TCT and CRF For the first time in its history, Information at fingertips did not collect any data the Transcatheter Cardiovascular from the tablet, and At TCT