Cutting Edge Treatment of Pulmonary Embolism: The Team Approach

 

An overview of the rapidly evolving field of treatment for patients with serious pulmonary embolism is the theme of Tuesday morning’s two-part session, “Management of Pulmonary Embolism: A Complex Team Sport.”

“Contrary to many other cardiovascular diseases, which are limited to patients in an older age demographic, pulmonary embolism (PE) is nondenominational,” said moderator Dr. Michael R. Jaff, president of Newton-Wellesley Hospital and a vascular medicine specialist and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. “It affects grade school kids who play soccer, pregnant mothers, healthy adult business people who travel, and the elderly with cancer. It is really a broad health crisis and represents a very serious threat to longevity and quality of life.”

Despite PE’s common occurrence and available treatment options, Dr. Jaff said, “we still do not have high-level data supporting one specific treatment practice over others for patients who present with serious PE.” The session is designed to provide a compact, state-of-the-art exposure to the latest thinking around PE, he said.

The first part of the session will include presentations that provide data surrounding three common strategies for the management of serious PE. Dr. Mitchell D. Weinberg of Northwell Health System will discuss intravenous thrombolytic therapy; Dr. Akhilesh K. Sista of New York University-Langone Medical Center will discuss catheter-directed thrombolysis for PE; and Dr. Robert Lookstein of Mount Sinai Health System, New York, will discuss percutaneous pharmacomechanical intervention for PE. The session will close with a case study presented by Dr. Jaff and Dr. Gary M. Ansel of OhioHealth/Riverside Methodist Hospital that “will highlight the limited randomized data that we have to make decisions about how to treat sick patients with pulmonary embolism and the potential advantages of having a team approach to the management of these complex patients,” Dr. Jaff said. “That will be particularly insightful for the audience.”

The second part of the session will address additional treatment options for PE patients. Dr. Jeffrey Y. Wang of Shady Grove Adventist Hospital will discuss AngioJet thrombectomy; Dr. Christopher J. Kwolek of Newton-Wellesley and Massachusetts General Hospitals and Harvard Medical School will review the Vortex strategy for massive PE; Dr. Mark Davies of the University of Texas Health Sciences Center at San Antonio will discuss extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and surgical thromboembolectomy; and Dr. John Kaufman of the Dotter Interventional Institute at Oregon Health & Science University will present on vena cava filters.

The session also will delve into the team approach to PE management, a strategy that has evolved over the past 3 years starting at Massachusetts General Hospital, Dr. Jaff said. Dr. Kenneth Rosenfield of Mass General will talk about how he founded the National PERT (Pulmonary Embolism Response Team) Consortium, a group of about 100 medical centers working to advance multidisciplinary, comprehensive treatment plans for PE patients.

“Given the limited, randomized data on optimal treatment strategies, having a group of experts who approach PE somewhat differently available in real time while decisions are being made offers several opportunities for improved outcomes, including a better understanding of risks and potential benefits of treatment, and activation of emergency services, i.e. catheter lab/OR staff, anesthesia, when needed,” Dr. Jaff said. The session will conclude with a review of challenging cases and PERT decisions by a panel of speakers.

“Following attending this symposium,” Dr. Jaff said, “audience members will hopefully speak with their colleagues about starting a team-based approach to patients with PE.” This could include any specialist with an interest or expertise in managing pulmonary embolism diagnosis and treatment, such as internists, hematologists, cardiologists, pulmonary/critical care specialists, anesthesiologists, and emergency medicine physicians.
 

Sessions 17-18:

Management of Pulmonary Embolism: A Complex Team Sport – Parts 1 and 2

7:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Trianon Ballroom, 3rd Floor

 

An overview of the rapidly evolving field of treatment for patients with serious pulmonary embolism is the theme of Tuesday morning’s two-part session, “Management of Pulmonary Embolism: A Complex Team Sport.”

“Contrary to many other cardiovascular diseases, which are limited to patients in an older age demographic, pulmonary embolism (PE) is nondenominational,” said moderator Dr. Michael R. Jaff, president of Newton-Wellesley Hospital and a vascular medicine specialist and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. “It affects grade school kids who play soccer, pregnant mothers, healthy adult business people who travel, and the elderly with cancer. It is really a broad health crisis and represents a very serious threat to longevity and quality of life.”

Despite PE’s common occurrence and available treatment options, Dr. Jaff said, “we still do not have high-level data supporting one specific treatment practice over others for patients who present with serious PE.” The session is designed to provide a compact, state-of-the-art exposure to the latest thinking around PE, he said.

The first part of the session will include presentations that provide data surrounding three common strategies for the management of serious PE. Dr. Mitchell D. Weinberg of Northwell Health System will discuss intravenous thrombolytic therapy; Dr. Akhilesh K. Sista of New York University-Langone Medical Center will discuss catheter-directed thrombolysis for PE; and Dr. Robert Lookstein of Mount Sinai Health System, New York, will discuss percutaneous pharmacomechanical intervention for PE. The session will close with a case study presented by Dr. Jaff and Dr. Gary M. Ansel of OhioHealth/Riverside Methodist Hospital that “will highlight the limited randomized data that we have to make decisions about how to treat sick patients with pulmonary embolism and the potential advantages of having a team approach to the management of these complex patients,” Dr. Jaff said. “That will be particularly insightful for the audience.”

The second part of the session will address additional treatment options for PE patients. Dr. Jeffrey Y. Wang of Shady Grove Adventist Hospital will discuss AngioJet thrombectomy; Dr. Christopher J. Kwolek of Newton-Wellesley and Massachusetts General Hospitals and Harvard Medical School will review the Vortex strategy for massive PE; Dr. Mark Davies of the University of Texas Health Sciences Center at San Antonio will discuss extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and surgical thromboembolectomy; and Dr. John Kaufman of the Dotter Interventional Institute at Oregon Health & Science University will present on vena cava filters.

The session also will delve into the team approach to PE management, a strategy that has evolved over the past 3 years starting at Massachusetts General Hospital, Dr. Jaff said. Dr. Kenneth Rosenfield of Mass General will talk about how he founded the National PERT (Pulmonary Embolism Response Team) Consortium, a group of about 100 medical centers working to advance multidisciplinary, comprehensive treatment plans for PE patients.

“Given the limited, randomized data on optimal treatment strategies, having a group of experts who approach PE somewhat differently available in real time while decisions are being made offers several opportunities for improved outcomes, including a better understanding of risks and potential benefits of treatment, and activation of emergency services, i.e. catheter lab/OR staff, anesthesia, when needed,” Dr. Jaff said. The session will conclude with a review of challenging cases and PERT decisions by a panel of speakers.

“Following attending this symposium,” Dr. Jaff said, “audience members will hopefully speak with their colleagues about starting a team-based approach to patients with PE.” This could include any specialist with an interest or expertise in managing pulmonary embolism diagnosis and treatment, such as internists, hematologists, cardiologists, pulmonary/critical care specialists, anesthesiologists, and emergency medicine physicians.
 

Sessions 17-18:

Management of Pulmonary Embolism: A Complex Team Sport – Parts 1 and 2

7:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Trianon Ballroom, 3rd Floor

 

An overview of the rapidly evolving field of treatment for patients with serious pulmonary embolism is the theme of Tuesday morning’s two-part session, “Management of Pulmonary Embolism: A Complex Team Sport.”

“Contrary to many other cardiovascular diseases, which are limited to patients in an older age demographic, pulmonary embolism (PE) is nondenominational,” said moderator Dr. Michael R. Jaff, president of Newton-Wellesley Hospital and a vascular medicine specialist and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. “It affects grade school kids who play soccer, pregnant mothers, healthy adult business people who travel, and the elderly with cancer. It is really a broad health crisis and represents a very serious threat to longevity and quality of life.”

Despite PE’s common occurrence and available treatment options, Dr. Jaff said, “we still do not have high-level data supporting one specific treatment practice over others for patients who present with serious PE.” The session is designed to provide a compact, state-of-the-art exposure to the latest thinking around PE, he said.

The first part of the session will include presentations that provide data surrounding three common strategies for the management of serious PE. Dr. Mitchell D. Weinberg of Northwell Health System will discuss intravenous thrombolytic therapy; Dr. Akhilesh K. Sista of New York University-Langone Medical Center will discuss catheter-directed thrombolysis for PE; and Dr. Robert Lookstein of Mount Sinai Health System, New York, will discuss percutaneous pharmacomechanical intervention for PE. The session will close with a case study presented by Dr. Jaff and Dr. Gary M. Ansel of OhioHealth/Riverside Methodist Hospital that “will highlight the limited randomized data that we have to make decisions about how to treat sick patients with pulmonary embolism and the potential advantages of having a team approach to the management of these complex patients,” Dr. Jaff said. “That will be particularly insightful for the audience.”

The second part of the session will address additional treatment options for PE patients. Dr. Jeffrey Y. Wang of Shady Grove Adventist Hospital will discuss AngioJet thrombectomy; Dr. Christopher J. Kwolek of Newton-Wellesley and Massachusetts General Hospitals and Harvard Medical School will review the Vortex strategy for massive PE; Dr. Mark Davies of the University of Texas Health Sciences Center at San Antonio will discuss extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and surgical thromboembolectomy; and Dr. John Kaufman of the Dotter Interventional Institute at Oregon Health & Science University will present on vena cava filters.

The session also will delve into the team approach to PE management, a strategy that has evolved over the past 3 years starting at Massachusetts General Hospital, Dr. Jaff said. Dr. Kenneth Rosenfield of Mass General will talk about how he founded the National PERT (Pulmonary Embolism Response Team) Consortium, a group of about 100 medical centers working to advance multidisciplinary, comprehensive treatment plans for PE patients.

“Given the limited, randomized data on optimal treatment strategies, having a group of experts who approach PE somewhat differently available in real time while decisions are being made offers several opportunities for improved outcomes, including a better understanding of risks and potential benefits of treatment, and activation of emergency services, i.e. catheter lab/OR staff, anesthesia, when needed,” Dr. Jaff said. The session will conclude with a review of challenging cases and PERT decisions by a panel of speakers.

“Following attending this symposium,” Dr. Jaff said, “audience members will hopefully speak with their colleagues about starting a team-based approach to patients with PE.” This could include any specialist with an interest or expertise in managing pulmonary embolism diagnosis and treatment, such as internists, hematologists, cardiologists, pulmonary/critical care specialists, anesthesiologists, and emergency medicine physicians.
 

Sessions 17-18:

Management of Pulmonary Embolism: A Complex Team Sport – Parts 1 and 2

7:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Trianon Ballroom, 3rd Floor