Interventional Cardiologists Co-Edit First Major Textbook on Managing Structural Heart Disease
Twenty-one years after the first transcatheter aortic valve replacement surgery, two interventional cardiologists from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and Jackson Memorial Hospital have edited the first major textbook on assessing, treating and managing structural heart disease. Their 600-page textbook, “Mastering Structural Heart Disease,” was recently published by Wiley Blackwell.
“This book is a major contribution to our understanding of this rapidly evolving medical field,” said Henri R. Ford, M.D., M.H.A., dean and chief academic officer of the Miller School. “It is also a tribute to the strength of our multidisciplinary team’s leadership in all aspects of heart disease assessment, treatment and follow-up care.”
The book’s co-editors were Eduardo de Marchena, M.D., professor of medicine and surgery, associate dean for international medicine and director of the Eberhard Grube International Structural Heart Disease Training Program at the Miller School; and Camilo A. Gomez, M.D., an interventional cardiology specialist with UM/Jackson Memorial Hospital and voluntary assistant professor of medicine at the Miller School.
“This book is a global opus on structural heart disease,” said Yiannis S. Chatzizisis, M.D., Ph.D., professor and chief of cardiovascular medicine. “The editors exerted a great deal of effort and skill in assembling a group of world-class experts in the field and disseminating this masterpiece to the medical community. It will be the standard reference in structural heart disease in the years ahead.”
Expert Contributors to Heart Disease Textbook
Dr. de Marchena was one of 27 Miller School faculty members in multiple disciplines who contributed to the 74-chapter, 640-page textbook, along with their colleagues from UM/Jackson Memorial Hospital and Florida Atlantic University. Overall, there were 127 contributors from 51 U.S. and international academic institutions.
“We have assembled many of the leading thought leaders and expert educators in this field in order to offer knowledge, clinical wisdom and practical pearls for structural interventionalists and trainees,” said Dr. de Marchena. “Using the Socratic tool of questions and answers, our textbook aims to cover present day structural heart disease devices, their appropriate use and technical approach to help ensure treatment success. In includes links to video case presentations to illustrate these procedures.”
Since the first TAVR procedure in April 2002, physicians throughout the world have adopted these leading-edge interventions to treat patients with structural heart disease, said Dr. de Marchena.
“In the last decade, this field has seen a host of innovations, including new devices and procedures,” he added. “Today, all valvular diseases and most cardiac structural abnormalities, are being treated or being studied for treatment, and new devices are being introduced at a mind-boggling pace.”
From Structural Cardiology Trainee to Co-Editor
A native of Colombia, Dr. Gomez came to the Miller School as an internal medicine resident with the William J. Harrington Training Program. He then trained in cardiology and interventional cardiology, followed by structural cardiology training though the Eberhard Grube International Structural Heart Disease Training Program.
“I had the fortune and privilege to have Dr. de Marchena as my mentor from very early stages of my career,” said Dr. Gomez. “I learned how to perform these complex procedures that require advanced technology and knowledge, and experienced Dr. de Marchena’s compassion and empathy for his patients.”
Inspired by “Interventional Cardiology Secrets,” a book by Dr. de Marchena with Alexandre Ferreira, M.D., chief of the cardiovascular service at Jackson Health System, Dr. Gomez asked Dr. de Marchena in 2019 about writing a book on structural heart disease, and volunteered to work with him as co-editor. “We started from scratch during the pandemic, and took two years to create the content, reach out to the national and international co-authors and prepare the finished manuscript for our publisher,” he added.
Since its publication, Dr. de Marchena has received interest in the textbook from many academic institutions, structural heart disease specialists and device manufacturers seeking to train their personnel. “It’s an exciting time for all of us, as this field is moving so quickly,” he said. “We are already doing addendums and look forward to the next advances in managing structural heart disease.”
Tags: Cardiovascular Division, Department of Medicine, Dr. Camilo Gomez, Dr. Eduardo de Marchena, Mastering Structural Heart Disease, structural cardiology, TAVR, USNWR Cardiovascular