Archives for April 2023
Echo VOL | 12 Issue 4
Have You Downloaded ASE’s Free EchoGuide App?
Take advantage of ASE’s calculator and algorithm app EchoGuide! The app provides access to over 50 easy-to-use calculators, algorithms, and charts based on key ASE guidelines for use by healthcare professionals providing cardiac care. It has been downloaded more than 38,000 times since its release in November 2022! If you haven’t already, download the free EchoGuide today—available in the Apple and Google Play stores and on the web!
Enjoying EchoGuide? Let us know by writing a review in the Apple or Android App stores. Potential users will benefit from reading about your favorite app features and how this tool helps you in your day-to-day practice.
CASE In Full Bloom
The latest issue of CASE, ASE’s open access case reports journal, is now available with some fascinating reports, including “Ascending Aortic Aneurysm in an Asymptomatic Young Woman Without Risk Factors” by Amrin Kharawala, MD et al. CASE Editor-in-Chief, Vincent L. Sorrell, MD, FASE, noted, “In an important reminder to all of us who perform noninvasive imaging, the unpredictable nature of aortic disease should never stray too far from our clinical acumen. These authors report on an incidentally discovered 65mm ascending aorta in a young woman without a connective tissue disorder, aortic syndrome, or associated family history. They include excellent high-quality images from 2D echo, color flow Doppler and CT. Although surgical repair was impacted by a series of post-operative complications and a prolonged hospital course, this CASE presentation should serve as a critically relevant proclamation that we have much to learn about aortic disease. Echocardiography remains the best option we have for early detection and serial assessment, and it is incumbent upon us to obtain high quality images and report carefully measured maximal dimensions at every occasion.”
This issue contains two other Just Another Day in the Echo Lab cases, including severe aortic regurgitation caused by AV fenestrations and AV avulsion and embolization as a complication during TAVI. Learn more from reading their details on innovative management. Additionally, there are two reports in the Congenital Heart Disease category and three in the Cardiac Tumors and Pseudotumors category, featuring a study of a young man with Factor V Leiden experiencing a massive LV thrombus after a STEMI. In Dr. Sorrell’s editorial, he furthers his discussion on Doppler, drawing comparisons between the advancements of detection capabilities by U.S. military radar and those in the echo world through tissue Doppler methodologies (TDE).
The editorial also notes key inclusions for a successful CASE report, especially those on patients with a cardiac mass, as the Journal must select from several submissions each month in the Cardiac Tumors and Pseudotumors category. If you are looking for a journal to submit your case report to, CASE is the place. Email us with questions or submit your report today!
Be sure to check out the latest Sonographer Sound-Off and Unlock the CASE features on the CASE Homepage to dive deeper into new CASE content.
ASE Elects 10 New Members to its 2023-2024 Board of Directors
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Angie Porter
919-297-7152
APorter@ASEcho.org
American Society of Echocardiography Elects 10 New Members to its 2023-2024 Board of Directors
(DURHAM, NC, April 20, 2023)—The American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) is pleased to announce that its membership has elected 10 new Board of Directors members to serve the Society starting July 1, 2023. The new Board will be introduced at ASE’s 34th Annual Scientific Sessions in National Harbor, MD, from June 23-26, 2023.
The ASE Executive Committee welcomes newly elected Vice President David H. Wiener, MD, FASE, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA, who will serve a one-year term.
The following new Board members were elected to serve two-year terms: Craig Fleishman, MD, FASE, Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, Orlando, FL (Pediatric and Congenital Heart Disease Council); Enrique Garcia-Sayan, MD, FASE, FACC, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX (Member at Large); Allison Hays, MD, FASE, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, (Member at Large); Lanqi Hua, ACS, APCA, RDCS (AE, PE, FE) MS, FASE, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA (Member at Large); Sheela Pai-Cole, MD, FASE, Stanford University Medical Center, Palo Alto, CA (Perioperative Echocardiography Council); Lucy Safi, DO, FASE, Mount Sinai, New York City, NY (Leadership Academy Representative); Seda Tierney, MD, FASE, Stanford University Medical Center, Palo Alto, CA (Member at Large); and Susan Wiegers, MD, FASE, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Philadelphia, PA (Past President Representative).
Paul Mayo, MD, FASE, Northwell Health, New Hyde Park, NY (Critical Care Echocardiography Council) will serve a one-year term.
Previously elected members of the 2022-2023 ASE Executive Committee transitioning to a new position on the 2023-2024 Board are Theodore Abraham, MD, FASE, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA (President-Elect); Benjamin W. Eidem, MD, FASE, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN (President); and Stephen H. Little, MD, FASE, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX (Immediate Past President).
Keith Collins, MS, RDCS, FASE, Northwestern Medicine, Chicago, IL, (Council Representative); Cynthia C. Taub, MD, MBA, FASE, Dartmouth Hitchcook Medical Center, Lebanon, NH, (Treasurer); and Kelly Thorson, DHSc, MSRS, ACS, RDCS, FASE, Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, Palo Alto, CA (Secretary) will continue their service on the ASE Executive Committee through June 2024.
Directors continuing with their final year of service include Jose Banchs, MD, FASE, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO (Member at Large); Akhil Narang, MD, FASE, Northwestern Medicine, Chicago, IL (Member at Large); Kian-Keong, Poh, MA, MMed, FRCP, FASE, National University Heart Centre, Singapore (International Representative); Fadi Shamoun, MD, FASE, Mayo Clinic Arizona, Scottsdale, AZ (Circulation & Vascular Ultrasound Council); Neha Ringwala Soni-Patel, Med, BSME, RCCS, RDCS (AE/PE), FASE, Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital, Cleveland, OH (Member at Large); and G. Monet Strachan, ACS, RDCS, FASE, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA (Cardiovascular Sonography Council).
ASE thanks the following 10 Board members who will complete their service on June 30, 2023: Carolyn Altman, MD, FACC, FAHA, FASE, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX (Pediatric & Congenital Heart Disease Council); Sujatha Buddhe, MD, MS, FASE, Seattle Children’s Hospital, University of Washington, Seattle, WA (Leadership Academy Representative); Anthony Gallagher, MHA, RDCS (AE, PE), FASE, Baptist Health Lexington, Lexington, KY (Member at Large); Arthur Labovitz, MD, FASE, Naples Cardiac & Endovascular Center (Retired), Naples, FL (Critical Care Echocardiography Council); Leo Lopez, MD, FASE, Stanford Children’s Hospital, Palo, Alto, CA (Member at Large); G. Burkhard Mackensen, MD, PhD, FASE, University of Washington, Seattle, WA (Perioperative Echocardiography Council) Susan Mayer, MD, FASE, Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute, Kansas City, MO (Member at Large); Thomas Ryan, MD, FASE, Duke University Hospital, Durham, NC (Past President Representative); Vandana Sachdev, MD, FASE, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, MD (Member at Large); and Raymond Stainback, MD, FASE, Texas Heart Institute, Houston, TX (Immediate Past President).
About American Society of Echocardiography
The American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) is the Society for Cardiovascular Ultrasound Professionals™. ASE is the largest global organization for cardiovascular ultrasound imaging serving physicians, sonographers, nurses, veterinarians, and scientists and as such is the leader and advocate, setting practice standards and guidelines for the field. The Society is committed to advancing cardiovascular ultrasound to improve lives. For more information, visit ASE’s website ASEcho.org or social media pages on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or Instagram.
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Read the Latest Sonographer Sound-Off on the CASE Homepage
Sonographer Sound-Off (SSO) is an interactive feature that provides an opportunity for sonographers to share tips and tricks they have learned in their everyday practice. SSOs are posted on the CASE Homepage.
The latest SSO titled, Ultrasound Enhancing Agents and Utility of 3D in Aortopathies, features a case study complete with videos, images, and texts from Megan Yamat, RDCS, RCS, ACS, FASE, University of Chicago. The case illustrates how careful TTE imaging, together with thoughtful use of advanced techniques, specifically 3D, photo-realistic rendering, and UEA, can impact decision-making and ultimately patient outcome.
Do you have an image or video that illustrates something you learned from the acquisition or review of that study? If so, please click here to read the submission guidelines. If your image is chosen, you will receive an ASE guideline poster of your choice and be recognized on the CASE homepage, social media, and in the ASE member eNewsletter.
Don’t Miss These Upcoming ASE Webinars in April
ASE has two live webinars planned this month that are free for ASE members. Log in to your ASE Member Portal and register by clicking the links below:
- April 18, 5-6 PM ET: Recommendations for Cardiac Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS) in Children. This webinar, hosted by Jimmy Lu, MD, FASE; Alan Riley, MD, FASE; and Charisse Kwan, MD, will focus on the new ASE guideline entitled Recommendations for Cardiac Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS) in Children. Earn 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ (pending approval).
- April 27, 5-6 PM ET: Comparative Echocardiography: Human and Nonhuman Primates. In this presentation, speakers Valérie Chetboul, MV, PhD, DECVIM; Ilana Kutinsky, DO, FACC; and Jonathan Lindner, MD, FACC, FASE; and moderator Philippe Pibarot, DVM, PhD, FASE, will discuss the several similarities and differences of echocardiographic methods applied to human and nonhuman primates. Earn 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™.
Register Today for ASE’s 34th Annual Scientific Sessions
Join us in National Harbor, Maryland, June 23-26, 2023
ASE’s 34th Annual Scientific Sessions is just over two months away, and now is the time to register and reserve your hotel room! Both in-person and virtual attendees will benefit from a comprehensive program focused on cardiovascular ultrasound as a foundational diagnostic tool, while also examining the future of the field.
Important Information and Quick Links
- Click here to complete in-person or virtual registration. ASE members receive reduced registration fees as a benefit of membership (remember to log in to your ASE Member Portal to receive member pricing).
- Additional early registration discounts expire on May 23, 2023.
- Download the Schedule at a Glance. In addition to session pathways and topic-based presentations, this year there are special sessions for the in-person attendees to meet with faculty in small intimate settings for more individualized learning.
- Reserve your discounted hotel room at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center and view overflow hotel options by visiting ASEScientificSessions.org/Housing. The room block will be held until June 2, 2023, or until the block is sold out.
- Participate in ASE’s new Sonographer Career Day on Saturday, June 24. Sonographer students who are currently enrolled in a sonography school program are encouraged to attend ASE 2023 on Saturday free of charge. This special day allows students a unique opportunity to network with faculty and learn more about their chosen career.
ASE Names Marielle Scherrer-Crosbie, MD, PhD, FASE, as the Recipient of $1.1 Million in Grant Funding
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Angie Porter
919-297-7152
aporter@ASEcho.org
ASE Names Marielle Scherrer-Crosbie, MD, PhD, FASE, as the Recipient of a $1.1 Million Grant to Help Optimize Care for Patients Diagnosed with Severe Valvular Heart Disease
The grant will examine the role of a primary care provider and referral patterns for patients presenting with severe aortic stenosis and examine the effectiveness of an echocardiography-based intervention
(DURHAM, NC, April 13, 2023)—The American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) and the ASE Foundation (ASEF) have awarded $1.1 million in grant funding aimed at improving care for patients suffering from severe valvular heart disease (VHD). Funding support for this grant was provided by Edwards Lifesciences.
Marielle Scherrer-Crosbie, MD, PhD, FASE, Professor of Medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, is the recipient of the Impact of Echocardiography Report Recommendations on Referral Patterns and Outcome in Patients with Severe Valvular Heart Disease grant and will serve as the study’s principal investigator. Her research will examine the referral patterns and treatment of patients presenting with echocardiographic evidence of aortic stenosis (AS). AS is a progressive disease that occurs when the opening of a heart valve narrows, typically due to age. Over 1.3 million Americans over age 65 have severe symptomatic AS.1 Echocardiography is the key tool for the diagnosis and evaluation of AS, and is the primary noninvasive imaging method for AS assessment.2 This research study may be applied to other forms of VHD research, such as mitral, tricuspid, and aortic regurgitation, that would benefit from appropriate referral to specialized care.
“As principal investigator and together with the selected research team, we are ready to utilize the wide-reaching imaging modality of echocardiography to fill an existing gap in the care of patients with severe AS, which can lead to increased morbidity and mortality,” said Dr. Scherrer-Crosbie. “We aim to leverage the capabilities of patients’ electronic health records to improve this gap and to drive any needed changes in referral patterns with subsequent examination of impact on patient care and clinical outcomes.”
Current data depict that many VHD patients may have delayed or incomplete care because their diagnosis from a cardiovascular ultrasound examination does not result in an appropriate referral to a multidisciplinary heart valve team for treatment consideration.
“Considering the growth in the number of patients presenting with aortic stenosis, ASE believes the diagnosis, referral, and treatment for these patients needs to be optimized to improve patient outcomes and lower overall healthcare costs,” said Raymond Stainback, MD, FASE, Immediate Past President of ASE and Chair of ASE’s Research Oversight Committee.
The research will be funded over the next two years and will utilize a pre- and post-single arm study with a historic control aimed at testing a specific intervention’s impact on the care or management of patients with severe AS referred by a non-cardiologist for an echocardiogram.
“Patients impacted by valvular heart disease, and specifically severe aortic stenosis, continue to face significant challenges in receiving timely echo diagnosis and follow up,” said Todd Brinton, MD, FACC, Corporate Vice President, Advanced Technology, and Chief Scientific Officer at Edwards Lifesciences. “Without treatment, we know that, sadly, these patients face debilitating and deadly consequences as heart valve disease progresses. We are pleased to partner with ASE to further study and generate evidence for the clinical community to better understand the optimized referral and care pathway for these patients in need.”
Learn more about this grant by visiting ASEF’s website.
About American Society of Echocardiography
The American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) is the Society for Cardiovascular Ultrasound Professionals™. ASE is the largest global organization for cardiovascular ultrasound imaging serving physicians, sonographers, nurses, veterinarians, and scientists and as such is the leader and advocate, setting practice standards and guidelines for the field. The Society is committed to advancing cardiovascular ultrasound to improve lives. For more information, visit ASE’s website ASEcho.org or social media pages on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or Instagram.
About Edwards Lifesciences
Edwards Lifesciences is the global leader of patient-focused innovations for structural heart disease and critical care monitoring. We are driven by a passion for patients, dedicated to improving and enhancing lives through partnerships with clinicians and stakeholders across the global healthcare landscape. For more information, visit Edwards.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.
Edwards, Edwards Lifesciences, and the stylized E logo are trademarks of Edwards Lifesciences Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
1Owens DS, Bartz TM, Buzkova P, et al. Cumulative burden of clinically significant aortic stenosis in community-dwelling older adults. Heart. 2021;107:1493-1502.
2 Baumgartner H, Hung J, Bermejo J, et al. Recommendations on the Echocardiographic Assessment of Aortic Valve Stenosis: A Focused Update from the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging and the American Society of Echocardiography. J Am Soc Echocardiogr. 2017;30(4):372-392. doi:10.1016/j.echo.2017.02.009
*NEW* Early-Career Development Grants Available for Echo Scientists
Apply Today!
ASE and the ASE Foundation are happy to announce a new funding opportunity available to early career scientists in cardiovascular imaging. The Early-Career Development Grant for Echo Scientists (EDGES) provides support and professional development opportunities for early career members in the Society and creates an avenue for the continued evolution of echocardiography through technical advancement and new applications.
The program will award three grants worth up to $25,000 USD to fund projects that address a clinical gap in cardiovascular ultrasound imaging through research led by an early career scientist. There are no specific research themes that will be prioritized, and clinical gaps may include, but are not limited to: new imaging technologies, novel approaches or populations for diagnostic imaging, ultrasound therapy, workflow automation, or patient/practitioner safety. Physicians, PhDs, veterinarians, sonographers, and other healthcare professionals who are within seven years from having completed training are eligible to apply now through July 1, 2023, 5 PM ET. The principal investigator must be an active ASE member.
Worth More Than a Mention: Focus on Structural Heart Disease Interventions
The April JASE focuses on SHD interventions and includes “Recommendations for Special Competency in Echocardiographic Guidance of Structural Heart Disease Interventions: From the American Society of Echocardiography.” Lead authors Stephen H. Little, MD, FASE, and Vera H. Rigolin, MD, FASE, note that, “Transcatheter therapies have grown at a rapid pace in a very short period of time. This document outlines training standards for cardiology and anesthesiology fellows as well as those that have completed fellowship training and are learning interventional echocardiography via the experience pathway. The document outlines the requirements of the training institution, the duration of training, the core competencies of training, minimal procedural volume for competency in IE, and competencies for specific structural heart disease procedures.”
In her editorial, Patricia A. Pellikka, MD, FASE, JASE Editor-in-Chief, discusses the prevalent trend in medical publications of including more graphical content, stating, “Visual aids can assist with clarification of content, increase attention, save time, and enhance motivation for learning. JASE is interested in increasing pictorial and graphic content to make concepts easier to understand, increase engagement with our audience, and augment interest in the content.”
Additionally, the state-of-the-art review highlights echocardiographic considerations for tricuspid valve TEER. Other clinical investigations explore safety of TEE during structural cardiac interventions, the significance of RV-PA coupling in mitral valve TEER, the impact of MR in bicuspid aortic valve, machine learning detection of AS, and MAC in mitral valve SAM. The brief research communications describe rates of oropharyngeal and esophageal complications during structural heart disease procedures, patients with bicuspid aortic valve and large aortic annular diameter, and insights from a 15-year institutional experience of TEE for cardiac surgery patients with prior esophagectomies. Editorials further delve into MAC in SAM and harm prevention in structural cardiac interventions. The letters to the editor examine the diagnostic role of color-flow and continuous-wave Doppler echocardiography as well as transprosthetic cuff leakage of a novel aortic bioprosthesis.
The President’s Message, “Interventional Echocardiography: The Emergence of a New Imaging Specialty,” from Stephen H. Little, MD, FASE, reflects on aspects of this rapidly expanding subspecialty that has some catching up to do.