Echocardiography is the exam of excellence for assessment, decision of treatment, percutaneous treatment guide, and mitral and tricuspid valvulopathy follow-up. The Mitral Valve and Tricuspid Valve Course – From anatomy to intervention , conceived and developed by cardiologists of Hospital da Luz Valve Disease Centre, is based on training sessions in cutting-edge simulators for advanced echocardiography, including beating heart with capacity for 3D esophageal echocardiogram during percutaneous intervention. It was held at Hospital da Luz Simulation Centre, on the 28-29 November, with approximately 50 national and international trainees. This was the third edition of an innovating teaching initiative launched in 2023 by the Valve Disease Centre of Hospital da Luz Lisboa and jointly promoted with Hospital de Santa Cruz. “We believe that the standardization of echocardiographic examination is essential to improve communication between clinicals, imagiologists, interventionists and cardiac surgeons, ensuring more timely diagnosis and more effective valve interventions”, declares Regina Ribeiras , coordinator of the Centre and director of the course, together with Marisa Trabulo and Pedro Freitas , all cardiologists with a vast experience in echocardiography and intervention imaging. “The resort to advanced simulation allows us to offer a unique training experience, very close to real clinical practice”, further highlights Regina Ribeiras. The Mitral Valve and Tricuspid Valve Course – From anatomy to intervention is mostly destined for medical specialists or interns in Cardiology, Intervention Cardiology, and Imaging Cardiology, also drawing interest among echocardiography technicians directly involved in vavulopathy screening and collaborating in transeophageal echocardiography. The average assessment by the 50 trainees in this third edition was 4.8 (rating from 0 to 5), reflecting the high quality of the training. Of the total of 50, 10 originated from Canada, Bulgaria, Spain, and Italy, reflecting the internationalization of the course. One key-element of success is the time dedicated to hands-on sessions in simulators recreating normal and pathological anatomical models of vavulopathy. The practical sessions are preceded of theoretical sessions for clinical framing and sensitization for the high prevalence of these valvulopathies, paradoxically underdiagnosed and undertreated. Trainees had the opportunity to cover in succession the different hands-on stations, from anatomy to the sophisticated station of beating-heart, going through dedicated simulators and echocardiography stations with human models. The international panel of trainers includes world recognized specialists in the area of echocardiography: Victoria Delgado (Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Barcelona), Nina Ajmone Marsan (Heart-Lung Center Leiden, Netherlands), and Manuel Barreiro Pérez (Hospital Universitario Álvaro Cunqueiro, Vigo). The national teaching team integrated, besides the course directors, other cardiologists of reference from different institutions: Ana Botelho (Hospital Universitário de Coimbra), Rui Plácido (Hospital de Santa Maria and Pulido Valente), João Abecassis, Sara Guerreiro and Tiago Nolasco (Hospital de Santa Cruz). Recognition by international scientific societies This third edition counted once again with certification by the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (EACVI) and PCR Tricuspid Focus Group, thus reinforcing the scientific and pedagogical relevance of the program. The event was also supported by several sponsors in the health and medical technology sector, including Edwards Lifesciences, GE HealthCare, Abbott, Philips, Palex Portugal, MSD, and Johnson & Johnson. The Mitral Valve and Tricuspid Valve Course has established itself as one of the most complete and innovative programs in Europe in the area of image-guided valve intervention. The combination between advanced simulation, intensive practical approach, and orientation by international specialists have contributed to elevate the training in structural echocardiography and sensitize the medical community to the early diagnosis of valve disease. Hospital da Luz thanks all the participants, sponsors, and trainers in this edition. And take note: the course will be back in 2026! In the photo below, the team of directors and trainers: Rui Plácido, Victoria Delgado, Regina Ribeiras, Manuel Barreiro, Ana Botelho, Pedro Freitas, and Marisa Trabulo.
