The EP Edit

EP Lab Digest talks with Nishtha Sareen, MD, MPH, FACC, FSCAI, Medical Director, Women's Heart Clinic, Ascension Medical Group, about challenges in cardiovascular care for women, gaps in knowledge, considerations during pregnancy and menopause, differences in response to medical therapy, and more.

In this discussion,EP Lab Digest highlights Tampa General Hospital's NeuroCardiac Program, a unique, collaborative approach to patient care that is shaping the future of heart-brain health. Bibhu D Mohanty, MD, Director of the NeuroCardiac Program, and Elizabeth Schetina, BSN, RN, NeuroCardiac Nurse Navigator, discuss the evolution of the program, what a typical patient journey looks like, and how their multidisciplinary model is improving outcomes. They also explore the latest research and what is ahead for this innovative field. Dr Mohanty also serves as Director of Interventional Training Programs and Director of Clinical Research, Division of Cardiology, at the University of South Florida, Morsani College of Medicine and Tampa General Hospital.

In this episode, EP Lab Digest features a discussion with Bradley Knight, MD, and Nassir Marrouche, MD, about the upcoming Western Atrial Fibrillation Symposium, taking place February 27-March 1, 2025, in Salt Lake City, Utah. For more information about the conference and to register, please visit www.westernaf.com!

In this episode, EP Lab Digest features 2 interviews about new scientific statements from the American Heart Association. Featured first is our interview with Rakesh Gopinathannair, MD, MA, FAHA, FHRS, about the scientific statement on “Cardiac Arrhythmias and Autonomic Dysfunction Associated With COVID-19.” In the second interview, we talk with Elaine Y Wan, MD, FAHA, about the scientific statement on “Cardiac Contributions to Brain Health."

In this episode, EP Lab Digest talks with Drs Irfan Warsy and Shay Upadhyay from Connecticut Children's Heart Center about updates in the management of children and adults with congenital heart disease (CHD), including evolution of their program, development of their hybrid lab dedicated to children and adults with CHD, and more.

In this interview, EP Lab Digest speaks with Jennifer N Avari Silva, MD, FHRS, Executive Producer, and Suneet Mittal, MD, FHRS, about what to expect at the upcoming conference, taking place September 5-7, 2024, in Atlanta, Georgia. 

In this special episode of The EP Edit podcast, Randall Lee, MD, talks with Kenneth Ellenbogen, MD, FHRS, and Hugh Calkins, MD, about the role of atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation in patients with heart failure, including recent clinical trials, new technologies, and the role of hybrid therapies. Randall Lee, MD, is an electrophysiologist at UCSF Health and the Chief Medical Officer of AtriCure, Inc. Kenneth Ellenbogen, MD, FHRS, is a Professor of Medicine and Chair of the Division of Cardiology at the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Medicine in Richmond, Virginia. Hugh Calkins, MD, is a Professor of Medicine and Director of the Electrophysiology Laboratory and Arrhythmia Service at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland.

Part 2 of Podcast Discussion With Rod Passman, MD, MSCE, FACC, FHRS, FAHA; Suneet Mittal, MD, FACC, FHRS; and Mintu Turakhia, MD, MAS, FACC, FHRS, FAHA In this special 2-part series of The EP Edit podcast, Drs Rod Passman and Suneet Mittal join Dr Mintu Turakhia for a roundtable discussion on outcomes and new guidance in cardiac ambulatory monitoring. In the previous episode, they discussed the evolution of cardiac monitors from their inception to modern utilization, and introduced the objectives from the CAMELOT study. In this episode, Drs Passman, Mittal, and Turakhia continue the conversation and discuss the importance of the data gathered from these devices and how to incorporate it into clinical practice. Finally, they explore the impact monitor selection has on health care utilization and costs as well as clinical outcomes.

Part 1 of Podcast Discussion With Rod Passman, MD, MSCE, FACC, FHRS, FAHA; Suneet Mittal, MD, FACC, FHRS; and Mintu Turakhia, MD, MAS, FACC, FHRS, FAHA In this special 2-part series of The EP Edit podcast, Drs Rod Passman and Suneet Mittal join Dr Mintu Turakhia for a roundtable discussion on outcomes and new guidance in cardiac ambulatory monitoring. In the first episode, they discuss the latest advancements in ambulatory cardiac monitoring, highlighting the findings from the CAMELOT study. They discuss the evolution from traditional Holter monitors to current ambulatory cardiac monitors, including long-term continuous monitors and mobile cardiac telemetry. Finally, they examine the factors contributing to inconsistent care, from geographic disparities to insurance roadblocks, along with the role of AI and its impact on improved patient outcomes and experience.

In this episode of The EP Edit podcast, Rod Passman, MD, talks with Jodie Hurwitz, MD, President of the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS), about the selection of authors for HRS clinical guidelines, how atrial fibrillation (AF) guidelines will change practice, the impact of pulsed field ablation, and the role of HRS in maintaining high-quality care in interventional AF therapies.

In this episode of The EP Edit podcast, we share a discussion with William Cho, PA-C, and Monique Young, ACNP, on the benefits of advanced practice clinician (APC)-led clinical care for atrial fibrillation (AF), including in managing the risk of bleeding in AF patients, using nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs) to help with staffing challenges, and managing burnout.

In this episode, we are sharing a discussion on the new guidelines for the diagnosis and management of atrial fibrillation (AF). Featured in this discussion are Brett Atwater, MD; Courtney Channels, NP; Pamela Brandt, DO; and Eric Sklar, MD, from the Inova AF Center at Inova Health System in Fairfax, Virginia.

In this episode of The EP Edit, we feature a discussion with Benjamin D'Souza, MD, from Penn Presbyterian Medical Center in Philadelphia, on how an early ambulation program can enable same day discharge, create efficiencies in workflow, and improve patient satisfaction.

In this episode of The EP Edit podcast, we feature a discussion between Devi Nair, MD, and Edward J Schloss, MD. Dr Schloss talks with Dr Nair about her long and successful career in cardiac electrophysiology (EP).

In this episode, we feature a discussion with Jose Osorio, MD, from HCA Florida Mercy Hospital in Miami, Florida, and Paul Zei, MD, from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. Drs Osorio and Zei discuss quality improvement in electrophysiology, with the focus on building a high-quality, comprehensive atrial fibrillation program.

In this episode of The EP Edit, we feature a discussion with Rod S. Passman, MD, and Hamid Ghanbari, MD, about how digital health is changing the EP practice, the benefits and pitfalls of current technology, challenges with data flow, and questions that will be answered in the REACT-AF trial. To view the transcript for this episode, visit www.eplabdigest.com/podcast.

In this episode, we are highlighting some of the presentations from Heart Rhythm 2023, the Heart Rhythm Society's annual meeting, which took place May 19-21, 2023. Included here are onsite interviews with Doug Darden, MD, Pamela Mason, MD, Marco Perez, MD, and Monica Pammer Austin, PAC.

For this episode of The EP Edit, EP Lab Digest's Clinical Editor Bradley Knight, MD, talked with Jagmeet Singh, MD, about his new book, entitled Future Care: Sensors, Artificial Intelligence, and the Reinvention of Medicine. You can view the transcript for this episode at www.eplabdigest.com/podcast

In this episode, we are highlighting a discussion on challenges and updates in the management of arrhythmias during pregnancy and postpartum. Dr Mehta is a cardiac electrophysiologist and Dr Alpay is a maternal fetal medicine specialist; both are located at Corewell Health in Michigan.  You can read the transcript for this episode here.

In this episode of The EP Edit, we share some highlights from the annual Western Atrial Fibrillation Symposium, which took place February 24-25, 2023 in Park City, Utah. Included here are some of our featured interviews with faculty from #WAFib2023. You can find transcripts for these interviews here.

In this episode of The EP Edit, we are highlighting a discussion on simulation training in cardiac electrophysiology (EP). Stephan P. Seslar, MD, PhD, is an attending pediatric cardiologist and electrophysiologist at Seattle Children's Hospital and assistant professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine. Ashkan Ehdaie, MD, is an assistant professor of cardiology and associate director of the Clinical Cardiac EP Fellowship Training Program at Cedars-Sinai. You can view the transcript for this episode here.

In this episode of The EP Edit, we are highlighting a discussion on artificial intelligence (AI) in medicine, cardiology, and cardiac electrophysiology (EP). Lior Jankelson, MD, PhD, is the director of the Inherited Arrhythmia Program, principal investigator (PI) of the Computational Cardiology Research Lab, and associate professor of medicine at NYU Langone Health. Sumit Chopra is an associate professor in the Department of Radiology at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, and director of machine learning research in the Department of Radiology at NYU Langone Health.

In this episode, we are highlighting a discussion on artificial intelligence (AI) and inherited arrhythmias. Lior Jankelson, MD, PhD, is the director of the inherited arrhythmia program, PI of the computational cardiology research lab, and associate professor of medicine at NYU Langone Health in New York. Zachi Attia, PhD, is the codirector of AI in cardiology and an assistant professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. View the transcript of this episode here.

In this episode of The EP Edit podcast, we are highlighting a discussion with researchers from Northwestern University about the concept of a bioresorbable pacemaker. Igor Efimov, PhD, is a professor of biomedical engineering and professor of medicine at Northwestern University. Anna Pfenniger, MD, PhD, is physician scientist in cardiac electrophysiology at Northwestern Medicine. John Rogers is a physical chemist and materials scientist, the Louis Simpson and Kimberly Querrey professor of materials science and engineering, biomedical engineering, and neurological surgery at Northwestern University, and director of the Querrey Simpson Institute for Bioelectronics. The transcript of this episode is available here.

In this episode of The EP Edit podcast, we are highlighting the November 10th session of the Great Debates & Updates in Electrophysiology (GDUEP) conference, which will focus on management strategies for ventricular arrhythmias and heart failure. Brad Knight, MD, and Raul Weiss, MD, are Course Co-Directors of the GDUEP and will be presenting during the November 10th session. Dr Knight is the Clinical Editor of EP Lab Digest and Medical Director of Cardiac Electrophysiology at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago, Illinois. Dr Weiss is the Director of the Cardiac Electrophysiology Program at Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio. For more information about the GDUEP conference, please visit https://www.ep.greatdebatesandupdates.com/register. This unique, debate-style conference is offered complimentary for clinicians, and all live sessions are also available on-demand through the end of 2022.

In part 2 of this episode with Drs Satish Raj and Artur Fedorowski, they discuss diagnosis and treatment options for this population of patients, current challenges and future directions in treatment. Dr Raj is the medical director of the Calgary Autonomic Investigation & Management Centre and professor of Cardiac Sciences at the Libin Cardiovascular Institute and the University of Calgary's Cumming School of Medicine in Alberta, Canada. Dr Fedorowski is an associate professor and senior consultant in the department of cardiology at Karolinska University Hospital and Karolinska Institute, in Stockholm, Sweden.

In this episode of The EP Edit, we are featuring part 1 of our discussion with Drs Satish Raj and Artur Fedorowski about recent updates in dysautonomia, including post-COVID-19 postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS). Dr Raj is the medical director of the Calgary Autonomic Investigation & Management Centre and professor of Cardiac Sciences at the Libin Cardiovascular Institute and the University of Calgary's Cumming School of Medicine in Alberta, Canada. Dr Fedorowski is an associate professor and senior consultant in the department of cardiology at Karolinska University Hospital and Karolinska Institute, in Stockholm, Sweden. Learn more about The EP Edit Podcast at www.eplabdigest.com/podcast.

In this episode of the EP Edit, we speak with Nassir F. Marrouche, MD, director of the Western Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) Symposium, about this premier educational event focused exclusively on AFib. Dr Marrouche is the director of the Tulane Heart and Vascular Institute and The Research Innovation for Arrhythmia Discoveries (TRIAD) at Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans, Louisiana. You can read the print version of this interview here.

In this episode, we are discussing best physiological pacing techniques, which will be the focus of the September 8th session of the Great Debates & Updates in Electrophysiology (GDUEP) conference. Joining us is Dr Aseem Desai and Dr Gopi Dandamudi. Dr Desai is a GDUEP Course Co-Director and the Co-Director of Mission Heritage Heart Rhythm Specialists at Providence Mission Hospital in California. Dr Dandamudi is the Executive Medical Director of Virginia Mason Franciscan Health at the University of Washington. For more information about the GDUEP conference, please visit https://www.ep.greatdebatesandupdates.com/register. This unique, debate-style conference is offered complimentary for clinicians, and all live sessions are also available on-demand through the end of 2022.

In this episode of The EP Edit, we're featuring commentaries from the authors of 2 recent articles in EP Lab Digest. In the first commentary, Linda Moulton, RN, MS, discusses her July 2022 paper on the relationship between atrial fibrillation and dementia. In the second, Jessica Bower, MSN, RN, CCRN, RCIS, discusses her new article on a novel pathway for earlier treatment of arrhythmia patients using a nurse navigator for patient education and referral. Learn more about The EP Edit Podcast at www.eplabdigest.com.

In this episode of The EP Edit, we're featuring a discussion on an innovative new model of care for cardiology and cardiac electrophysiology (EP). Dr Moeen Saleem and Dr Kanwar Singh discuss the independent private practice care model at the Midwest Cardiovascular Institute in Naperville, Illinois, and Cardiovascular Institute of the South in Houma, Louisiana. Read the full episode transcript here.

In this episode of The EP Edit, we're featuring session highlights from the Heart Rhythm 2022 conference, which took place April 29th to May 1st in San Francisco, California. Featured are on-site interviews with Christine P. Hendon, PhD; Patrick Boyle, PhD, FHRS; Stacey Rentschler, MD, PhD; Eugene Chung, MD, MS, MPH, FHRS; and Sandeep Saha, MD, MS, FHRS.

In this episode of The EP Edit, we're featuring information about the Great Debates & Updates in Electrophysiology (GDUEP) conference, a quarterly virtual series taking place throughout 2022. Course codirectors Jessica Charron, APN, and Susan Kim, MD, will be discussing the unique format of the meeting, what attendees will like about this event, as well as recent and upcoming sessions. Learn more about the GDUEP Conference at ep.greatdebatesandupdates.com.

In this episode of The EP Edit, we're featuring a discussion on the role of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and deep learning in cardiac electrophysiology. Dr. Arun Sridhar and Dr. Patrick Boyle from the University of Washington will be discussing current applications, future directions, as well as their recent article in EP Lab Digest. Dr. Boyle is an assistant professor in the Department of Bioengineering at the University of Washington, and Dr. Sridhar is a cardiac electrophysiologist and assistant professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine. This episode was recorded in April 2022.

In this episode of The EP Edit podcast, we're featuring a discussion about remote patient monitoring in cardiac electrophysiology. Martha G. Ferrara, DNP, FNP, CCDS, FHRS, Assistant Director of EP Services and Practice Manager at White Plains Hospital Center in White Plains, New York, and Anthony Mercando, MD, FACC, FAHA, from White Plains Hospital Physician Associates in White Plains, New York, and Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, will be discussing how remote monitoring has evolved over the years, their own experience and best practices in their remote monitoring clinic, and the latest technological remote monitoring tools. This episode was recorded in December 2021.

In this episode of The EP Edit podcast, we feature a discussion on same-day discharge for atrial fibrillation ablation. Andre Gauri, MD, Chief of Electrophysiology at Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids, Michigan, is joined by Marc Deyell, MD, MSc(Epi), FHRS, FRCPC, EP Lab Director at St. Paul's Hospital in Vancouver, British Columbia, to discuss their approach to same-day discharge. This episode was recorded in November 2021.

In this episode of The EP Edit podcast, we're featuring a discussion on advanced lead extraction techniques. Dr. Jonathan Salcedo, cardiac electrophysiologist with Silicon Valley Cardiology / Palo Alto Medical Foundation (PAMF) - Sutter Health, is joined by Dr. Robert Schaller, Director of the Cardiac Lead Extraction Program at Penn Medicine, to discuss their approach to lead extraction. This episode of was recorded in October 2021.

In this episode of The EP Edit, we're featuring a discussion on the role of advanced practice providers (APPs) in the field of cardiac electrophysiology (EP), including the use of risk factor management in the atrial fibrillation (AF) clinic. Nurse practitioners Tara Parham, MSN, AGACNP-BC from the University of Pennsylvania, and Deanna M. Tregoning, MSN, ARNP, FNP-C from Henry Ford Allegiance, will be sharing some of the ways in which APPs provide high-quality care and how the role has evolved in recent years. This episode was recorded in September 2021.

In this episode of The EP Edit, we're featuring a conversation with Andrea Robinson, NP, and Anish K. Amin, MD, to discuss their Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) and Advanced Cardiac Therapeutics (ACT) Clinics, which are both led by advanced practice providers (APPs), as well as their pharmacist-led antiarrhythmic drug clinic. They offer the APP and physician perspective on this innovative model of care. This episode was recorded in August 2020.

In this episode from April 2021, we're speaking with electrophysiologist Dr. Jason Lappe. Dr. Lappe is going to share his experience in adopting modern workflow technology at his cardiac device clinic in order to support rapid patient growth and an expanding remote care focus. This episode is sponsored by Murj, a cloud-based cardiac device management platform that empowers clinicians and staff to deliver the very best in clinical cardiac device care. Click here to learn more about Murj.

In this episode November 2020, we're looking at specific considerations for athletes after COVID-19 infection, including the risk for developing cardiac complications as well as guidance on safe participation in sports after COVID-19 infection. We're joined by Dr. Mustafa Husaini and Dr. Jordan Prutkin, who recently published an article on cardiovascular considerations post-COVID-19 infection in the November 2020 issue of EP Lab Digest. The interview was done by Jodie Elrod, Managing Editor of EP Lab Digest, and was recorded on October 21, 2020.

In this episode from September 2020, we're examining the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on clinical cardiac electrophysiology fellowship training and education. We're joined by Dr. John Catanzaro, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Program Director of the Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology Fellowship, and Associate Medical Director of the Electrophysiology Program at the University of Florida-Jacksonville. This interview was by Jodie Elrod, Managing Editor of EP Lab Digest, on September 15, 2020.

In this episode from July 2020, we're joined by Dr. Khaldoun Tarakji to discuss the opportunities and challenges associated with the use of wearable technologies in the EP practice. Dr. Tarakji is an electrophysiologist and the Associate Section Head of Cardiac Electrophysiology at the Cleveland Clinic. He is also the founder and director of the Center for Digital Health and Telemedicine for the Heart and Vascular Institute at the Cleveland Clinic. This interview was done by Jodie Elrod, Managing Editor of EP Lab Digest. For more information, please see Dr. Tarakji's article in EP Lab Digest's August 2020 issue.

In this episode from June 2020, we're talking with Amber Seiler, NP, Arrhythmia Services Program Coordinator at Cone Health in Greensboro, North Carolina, about the challenges of building a telehealth program for EP patients during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as recommendations for reopening EP practices. The interview is by Jodie Elrod, Managing Editor of EP Lab Digest. The podcast was recorded on May 15, 2020. For more information on this topic, please read Amber Seiler's article in EPLD's June 2020 issue.

In this episode from March 2020, we're talking with Alejandro Jimenez Restrepo, MD about his work utilizing three-dimensional (3D) printing in cardiac electrophysiology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore. Dr. Restrepo is a cardiac electrophysiologist at the University of Maryland Medical Center and an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. For more information on this topic, see Dr. Restrepo's original work in EP Lab Digest's January 2020 issue.

In this episode from January 2020, we talked with Dr. DaMarcus Baymon and Dr. Christopher Baugh about their strategies for achieving best outcomes for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF or AFib) in the emergency department (ED). Dr. Baymon and Dr. Baugh are from the emergency medicine department at Brigham & Women's Hospital. For more information on this topic, please see their article in EP Lab Digest's January 2020 issue.

In this episode from November 2019, we speak with electrophysiologist Dr. Michael Fradley about the emergence, development and future of cardio-oncology. Dr. Fradley is the Director of the joint USF-Moffitt Cancer Center Cardio-Oncology Program and Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of South Florida, Morsani College of Medicine in Tampa, Florida.

In this episode from October 2019, The EP Edit speaks with Dr. Jose Osorio, medical director of the EP lab at Grandview Medical Center in Birmingham, Alabama, about his techniques for eliminating the use of fluoroscopy in EP procedures.

In this episode from July 2019, we feature two interviews. The first is with Marco Perez, MD, a cardiac electrophysiologist and director of the Stanford Inherited Cardiac Arrhythmia Clinic, about his work and research in long QT syndrome. Later in the podcast, we speak with Jasmine Wylie, a Family Support and Engagement Advisor at the Sudden Arrhythmia Death Syndromes (SADS) Foundation, about her experience living with long QT.

In this episode from July 2019, EP Lab Digest speaks with Sandeep A. Saha, MD, MS to get his perspectives as an early career electrophysiologist on the differences between academic and private practice electrophysiology (EP). He discusses some of the challenges that early career electrophysiologists face, provides helpful tips from his own experience, and shares the advice he received from colleagues and mentors. Dr. Saha is a cardiac electrophysiologist with Oregon Heart Center, PC, and Salem Health Hospitals and Clinics in Salem, Oregon.

In this episode from May 2019, we're joined by Dr. Edward J. Schloss, a cardiac electrophysiologist and the Division Chief of Cardiac Electrophysiology at The Christ Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio. With over 10,500 followers, Dr. Schloss has an active and longstanding account (@EJSMD) on Twitter. In this podcast, we asked for his perspectives on how to best navigate the platform, which is very popular with EP professionals. Of note, this interview took place ahead of Heart Rhythm 2019. This interview was done by Jodie Elrod, Managing Editor of EP Lab Digest. For more information about this episode, click here.