Interventional Electrophysiology a.y. 2022/23

The management and treatment of atrial and ventricular arrhythmias are a complex part of cardiac electrophysiology.

Some atrial arrhythmias, in particular atrial fibrillation (paroxysmal or persistent) and atrial flutter, appear to be the most frequent arrhythmias found in the adult population. In juvenile age, however, the most frequent arrhythmias are represented by the re-entry circuit (atrioventricular and atrioventricular node). Medical therapy often fails to control arrhythmic episodes and, for this reason, intervention with electrical therapy (transcatheter ablation) is required.

Ventricular arrhythmias, on the other hand, have a lower incidence in the young population and are distinguished by being mainly represented by automatism phenomena. Instead, in adulthood these ventricular arrhythmias are represented by re-entry phenomena, especially in patients with previous heart disease.
These arrhythmias require prompt intervention because they could pose a danger to the individual. You may need intensive pre- and post-procedure care.

The procedural model for the advanced treatment of the patient with ventricular tachycardia requires a complex joint organization with other specialist figures such as cardio-anaesthesiologists, imaging support (radiological) and in some cases even cardiac surgeons. The therapy of ventricular arrhythmias, therefore, involves both a pharmacological approach and, in specific cases, an interventional one.

This interventional approach, both for atrial and ventricular arrhythmias, is the prerogative of large hospitals as it requires a high level of competence of the entire team as well as dedicated instruments such as mapping systems and, in specific cases, haemodynamic support. The complexity of the procedure is therefore considerable and requires training in the electrophysiological field, both technical and cultural.

The Master trains professional figures capable of carrying out a complete control and the "best management" of the patient presenting arrhythmias which ranges from the correct interpretation of the electrocardiograms up to the interrogation and programming of devices such as defibrillators and the management of the electrophysiology room. The electrophysiologist must know how to choose the best material for the procedure, plan the strategy to perform the ablative treatment and skilfully interpret the information from the intracavitary signals. This Master is proposed as a hyper-specialist completion following the training process of Cardiology specialization, capable of providing adequate technical and clinical training for the professional figures who will be able to operate in both Italian and foreign Interventional Cardiology Centers. The course targets Medical Doctors who have adequate requirements, in particular basic knowledge of electrophysiology and pacing. The activation of this Master stems from the need to adapt the academic training and to maintain the high quality of the assistance activity on the Italian national territory as well as internationally.

Program Director
Prof. Carlo Pappone

Scientific Program Coordinators
Dr. Paolo Della Bella
Dr. Caterina Bisceglia