Miami Valves 2025 Showcases Innovations in Cardiovascular Imaging, Treatment Devices and Procedures
Summary
- An international array of cardiovascular specialists showcased the latest imaging tools, cardiovascular treatment devices and interventional and surgical procedures at Miami Valves 2025.
- Dr. Eduardo de Marchena moderated the opening structural cardiology session featuring pioneers in transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).
- A number of Miller School faculty members spoke about the role technology and AI play in cardiovascular medicine.
An international array of distinguished cardiovascular specialists showcased the latest imaging tools, treatment devices and interventional and surgical procedures at Miami Valves 2025.
The three-day conference was hosted by the University of Miami International Medicine Institute (IMI) in collaboration with the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine and the DeWitt Daughtry Family Department of Surgery at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine/ Jackson Memorial Health System.
“Our annual conference brings renowned leaders in various fields of cardiology together with clinicians, researchers, nurses and trainees to exchange ideas, discuss potential collaborations and build their professional networks,” said Miami Valves conference director Eduardo de Marchena, M.D., professor of medicine and surgery and associate dean for international medicine at the Miller School. “The science and technology of cardiovascular care is moving forward at an astounding pace.”
Nearly 400 cardiovascular professionals from 15 countries, 29 U.S. states and 125 medical Institutions attended the 11th annual Miami Valves conference, including many alumni from the International Medicine Institute’s William J. Harrington Internal Medicine Residency Training Programs. There were also multiple presentations from graduates of the IMI’s International Structural Heart Disease training program. The conference was supported by a dozen exhibitors and several unrestricted educational grants, including one from UHealth – University of Miami Health System.
Miller School faculty moderated the sessions, which focused on structural cardiology with symposiums on percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), electrophysiology, heart failure, nursing and more. It included dozens of presentations and more than 40 scientific abstracts.
“Miami Valves is an amazing venue to learn about the latest diagnostic and treatment advancements, and chat one-to-one with our great faculty members and colleagues near and far,” Yiannis Chatzizisis, M.D., Ph.D., professor in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine and chief of cardiology at the Miller School. “Our attendees also come away with a better knowledge of opportunities to address the clinical needs of our patients.”
The conference brought together real pioneers in the field of structural cardiology, added Alexandre Ferreira, M.D., chief of cardiology, Jackson Health System.
“They shared, with humility, the challenges of early development, and opened the window into what the future in heart valve intervention may look like,” said Dr. Ferreira. “The robust international participation in this year’s Miami Valves was a great networking opportunity, and created a forum to disseminate the latest valve technology under development in Europe, South America and Asia.”
Plenary Session on Structural Cardiology
Moderated by Dr. de Marchena, the opening structural cardiology session featured legendary pioneers in transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), the procedure that two decades ago launched interventional procedures as an alternative to surgical valve replacement.
“With more than 1 million cases to date, TAVR is a mainstream, life-saving treatment for aortic stenosis,” said Eberhard Grube, M.D., professor of medicine, University Hospital Bonn, Germany. “The drivers of success include multidisciplinary teams, a commitment to evidence-based medicine, rapid technology advancements and simplification of procedures.”
The University of Miami played a pivotal role in establishing TAVR as an effective treatment, said William O’Neill, M.D., distinguished cardiologist at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit and former University of Miami clinical dean.
“It is amazing how far we have come in 20 years,” he said. “But it is the patients who are the real heroes of the story, entrusting us and putting their lives at risk.”
Tomas Salerno, M.D., professor of cardiovascular surgery at the Miller School who worked with Dr. O’Neill and Dr. de Marchena on the early TAVR cases in Miami, called the conference “a world-class meeting with practical insights into current and future technology, clinical trials and innovations. It was very well organized and a great venue for learning and one-to-one interactions with the faculty.”
Dr. Salerno also cited the innovative thinking and many contributions of Dr. de Marchena, who was honored with the Master Operator Award presented by the Miami Valves faculty and fellows.
Technology and Cardiovascular Care
One of the pioneers in structural medicine, Peter de Jaegere, M.D., Ph.D., professor emeritus of cardiology at Erasmus Medical Center in The Netherlands, was honored with a lifetime achievement award. In his talk on “The Changing Face of Medicine,” Dr. de Jaegere pointed to the fast-moving transformation from the analog natural world into the digital world of information, from vocal biomarkers to detect coronary artery disease at home to remote, robot-guided surgery.
“As AI develops, we need to reinforce the human touch and sense of compassion, in contrast to what software and machines can offer,” he said. “I hope humans will remain in full control of AI and maintain responsibility for patient care.”
Throughout the conference, members of the Society of Latin American Interventional Cardiology (SOLACI) discussed challenging cases and new technology that may not be available in the United States. For instance, Fabio S. de Brito Jr., M.D., Ph.D., director of structural heart interventions at University of São Paulo, Brazil, outlined a new mitral leaflet replacement to treat mitral regurgitation.
Dr. de Marchena moderated the innovation session, a half-day program on new technological evolutions to solve unmet clinical needs in cardiovascular disease. Examples of technology included a presentation by Santiago Garcia, M.D, The Christ Hospital, Cincinnati, on a new tricuspid valve replacement option for patients ineligible for surgical procedures. In another talk, Dr. O’Neill presented early studies of a new valve which uses a high-density rhenium alloy now used in orthopedic applications. This small-profile aortic valve will allow patients to be treated with much smaller delivery catheters and thereby decrease potential vascular complication, he said.
Dr. de Marchena presented a novel AV sequential temporary pacemaker that may improve outcomes and early ambulation in patients that develop or could potentially develop heart block.
Several speakers discussed the potential of artificial intelligence in cardiovascular procedures.
“AI is the present, not the future,” said Nikolaos Spilias, M.D., assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine at the Miller School, in his talk on AI simulation-assisted TAVR. “It is a great pre-procedure planning tool for complex cases, supporting individualized patient care and optimized outcomes.”
Later in the conference, Joao Roberto Breda M.D., Ph.D., associate professor in the DeWitt Daughtry Family Department of Surgery, spoke about treating patients whose tricuspid valve doesn’t close properly, allowing blood to flow backward into the heart, a condition called regurgitation.
“Surgery is recommended in symptomatic patients with severe primary tricuspid regurgitation,” he said. “Valve repair is usually preferable to valve replacement and these procedures can be performed safely in carefully selected patients, with good long-term survival.”
Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Symposium
Carlos Alfonso, M.D., professor in the Miller School’s Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, moderated the Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) Symposium, which emphasized the importance of imaging in planning a personalized treatment strategy.
“Today, imaging the physiology is vital for optimizing PCI procedures,” he said.
Dr. Alfonso and his panelist also explained how to perform multiple, high-risk and complex procedures. The techniques were highlighted by cases done at our center and presented by our fellows.
Two powerful coronary imaging technologies – intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) – give physicians a much clearer picture of the coronary vessel structures than traditional angiography, said Dr. Chatzizisis. He noted that the Miller School’s Center for Digital Cardiovascular Innovations brings all three of these technologies together, to guide cardiologists by providing rapid, 3D images of a lesion, the composition and stiffness of the vessel’s walls and recommendations for the procedure, as well as stent sizing and positioning.
“The future of the cardiac cath lab will be gathering data through noninvasive imaging, followed by AI-powered diagnosis of the images and a treatment strategy personalized for that individual patient,” he said.
Michael Dyal, M.D., assistant professor in the Miller School’s Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, noted that one of the benefits of IVUS imaging is being able to place the stent in the right location.
“You want to put the stent in a healthy landing zone, rather than an area filled with plaque,” he said. “After placement, you can use IVUS again to be sure it is firm and in place.”
Another panelist, Alex Llanos, M.D., a cardiologist at Holy Cross Hospital in Fort Lauderdale, noted that OCT technology can provide high-resolution images before and after a coronary artery intervention.
“If you can see it better, you can treat it better,” he added. “I encourage cardiologists to incorporate OCT into your practice to improve outcomes.”
Electrophysiology Symposium
Advances in treating and managing atrial fibrillation was the theme of the Electrophysiology Symposium, moderated by Raul Mitrani, M.D., professor in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine and director of clinical cardiac electrophysiology at the Miller School. He also spoke on managing patients who develop acute atrial fibrillation in hospitals after heart procedures.
“These need treatment, but sometimes the arrhythmia will correct on its own,” he said. “But follow-up care is important to see if the atrial fibrillation is ongoing or not.”
Dr. Mitrani also highlighted advances in ablation technology beyond traditional radiofrequency heating and cryotherapy freezing of the heart’s nerve circuits.
“We now have pulsed field catheters that destroy the nerve cells without affecting collateral tissue,” he said.
Atrial fibrillation in heart failure was discussed by Alex Velazquez, M.D., assistant professor in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine at the Miller School. He noted that about one-third of patients diagnosed with heart failure had a previous arrhythmia and another one-third will develop atrial fibrillation after heart failure. He cited studies showing that catheter ablation was superior to medications for improving outcomes.
Modifying health risk factors can lead to dramatic heart rhythm improvements, according to Jeffrey Goldberger, M.D., M.B.A., professor in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine at the Miller School and director of the Center for Atrial Fibrillation.
“Weight loss is an important step for overweight and obese patients with atrial fibrillation,” he said. “Primary prevention is the future for addressing atrial fibrillation.”
Nursing Symposium
Highly trained nurses and nurse practitioners play a vital role in delivering exceptional cardiovascular care, said Stephanie Moss, D.N.P., ARNP, A.N.P.-B.C., executive director of clinical operations at UHealth Tower, while moderating the Nursing Symposium.
“Ongoing education is crucial for nurses and nurse practitioners because every year brings new guidelines and tools to our practice,” she explained. “The speakers at Miami Valves help us understand how to apply these innovations to provide the best care for our patients.”
Dr. Moss also highlighted the importance of cardiac computed tomography angiography (CCTA) as the modern method for diagnosing coronary artery disease.
“A 15-minute scan can pinpoint the location of the blockage and guide the medical team in determining the most effective treatment—whether interventional or surgical—for the patient,” she said.
Later in the symposium, Alain Marrero, M.S.N., APRN, CCRN, C.S.U.-A.L.S., spoke on advanced life support in the cardiac surgery unit.
“Cardiac arrest after heart surgery is different from home,” he said. “There is immediate access to specialist nurses who work as a team for the patient.”
Vivian Avila, APRN, presented on the management of patients after structural heart procedures. She also highlighted the management and prevention of valve thrombosis.
Heart Failure Symposium
Patients with heart failure benefit from a personalized approach to care, said Omar Wever-Pinzon, M.D., director of the Advanced Heart Failure Treatment and Recovery Section at UHealth/Jackson.
“There are lots of beautiful therapies in our field, a dramatic change from a decade ago when there were very few options,” he said, in moderating the Heart Failure Symposium.
Dr. Wever-Pinzon added that treating hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is different from managing cardiac amyloidosis, where abnormal proteins accumulate in the heart muscle.
Screening for pulmonary hypertension is an important step for individuals at high risk of heart failure, said Rachel Damico, M.D., Ph.D., professor of medicine in the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine at the Miller School.
“There are many drivers of pulmonary hypertension, so diagnostic tests and echocardiography are necessary,” she added. “Fortunately, there are many drugs that have been studied in depth, and there has been remarkable progress in this field.”
“The conference also lets us see how our graduates are becoming master operators and important thought leaders in structural heart disease and other disciplines of cardiovascular medicine,” said Dr. de Marchena. “There is nothing more rewarding for a medical educator.”
Summarizing the educational value of Miami Valves, Renu Virmani, M.D., internationally renowned device pathologist and president of CVPath Institute, an independent non-profit in Maryland, said, “I enjoy this course so much, because I learn so much from all of you.”
Tags: AFib, atrial fibrillation, cardiovascular, Cardiovascular Research, Center for Digital Cardiovascular Innovations, DeWitt Daughtry Family Department of Surgery, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Dr. Alex Velasquez, Dr. Carlos Alfonso, Dr. Eduardo de Marchena, Dr. Jeffrey Goldberger, Dr. Joao Roberto Breda, Dr. Michael Dyal, Dr. Nikolaos Spilias, Dr. Omar Wever-Pinzon, Dr. Rachel Damico, Dr. Raul Mitrani, Dr. Tomas Salerno, Dr. Yiannis Chatzizisis, International Medicine Institute, Miami Valves, Miami Valves 2025, TAVR, transcatheter aortic valve replacement, WIlliam J. Harrington Medical Training Program