Valvular pathologies are increasingly widespread and underestimated in the over 65s. Life expectancy is increasing and the need for re-operations is increasingly concrete.
The President of MICS, Prof. Speziale: “The incidence of valve pathologies in the over 65s is approximately 12.5%, and could reach 33% in 2040 due to the aging of the population (ISTAT data), but the diagnosis is too often late.”
MICS2024 has ended, the biennial congress conceived and organized by the
Mitral Academy which brings together the top international experts in the treatment of valvular heart diseases to share the most recent innovations regarding the diagnosis in two days full of sessions, debates and masterly readings. and to the treatment of this pathology which, according to ISTAT data, affects 12.5% of the over 65 population and could reach 33% in 2040 due to the progressive aging of the population.
The event, which opened with greetings from the President of the Puglia Region Michele Emiliano, saw the participation of over 450 cardiac surgeons, hemodynamists, interventional cardiologists, anesthetists and more, coming from all over the world with the aim of taking a photograph of the state of the art of valve surgery, share experiences and updates on the most innovative and high-performance interventional techniques increasingly focused on minimal invasiveness and outline the new guidelines in the field of cardiac valve surgery.
A rich agenda, divided into 4 thematic sessions (aortic valve, tricuspid valve, atrial fibrillation, mitral valve) for a total of 44 interventions of high scientific value, also carried out with the contribution of the most important scientific societies of cardiology, haemodynamics and cardiac surgery to underline the scientific and educational relevance of the congress. In fact, among the speakers and moderators of the event were the Presidents of GISE - Italian Society of Interventional Cardiology, Francesco Saia, of the Italian Society of Cardiology, Pasquale Perrone Filardi, of the Italian Society of Cardiac Surgery, Alessandro Parolari and Massimo Grimaldi, President Designate of ANMCO.
Many in-depth studies are dedicated to imaging, minimally invasive surgery, transcatheter valves, surgical and non-surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation, cutting-edge technologies to support the heart team's activity and also on topics that are often not sufficiently in-depth such as those defense of the profession.
Many international guests, true legends of cardiac surgery and world cardiology: Tirone David, "father" of the technique of reconstruction of the aortic root with preservation of the valve which in fact bears his name, Mani A. Vannan, Gilles Dreyfus and Richard Whitlock who they contributed to "stimulating" the congress, a hotbed of ideas and stimuli involving colleagues from different but complementary disciplines. The challenge is to define the new guidelines in the field of valve surgery and the tracks on which the future of valvular disease treatment will travel, with a view to greater interdisciplinarity in the approach to the patient, better collaboration between the professionals who make up the heart team and ultra minimally invasive for the benefit of the patient. A concept also recalled by Ettore Sansavini President of GVM Care & Research, Italian Hospital Group, who in his speech underlined the importance of a closer integration of skills between interventional cardiologists and cardiac surgeons, which must be increasingly transversal.
According to the most recent data, over 35,000 valvuloplasty or valve replacement operations were carried out in Italy in 2023, with a significant increase in heart valve procedures compared to previous years.
“Mitral valve disease is a pathology that affects a large portion of the over 65 population: the incidence in this age group is approximately 12.5%, and could reach 33% in 2040 due to the aging of the population (ISTAT data), but the diagnosis is too often late. Fortunately today we can count on cutting-edge technologies that allow early and precise diagnoses and on minimally invasive surgical techniques that aim at repair rather than replacement – declared
Prof. Giuseppe Speziale, President of the MICS and the Mitral Academy –. Today we are able to intervene effectively with minimally invasive impact on patients who were considered inoperable until some time ago, offering them a decidedly better quality of life, but this clinical result was achieved after years of research, experience and training. The constant monitoring of new developments in the sector, the sharing of results and knowledge acquired, as well as the organizational effort for the development of high-volume centers remains fundamental".
In his final greetings,
Professor Speziale then recalled how, since its inception, the MICS has grown and established itself as one of the reference events for the scientific community on the most significant clinical and scientific innovations in the field of research, diagnosis and treatment of valvular pathologies. “When, several years ago, we inaugurated these biennial appointments we were a few heart surgeons passionate about the functioning of heart valves and in particular the mitral valve, who loved meeting and discussing their experiences, discoveries and skills – recalled Prof. Speziale -. Over time we have created a conclave of cardiac surgery, cardiology and hemodynamics, imaging which this year has been enriched with new themes, such as genetics which also seems to appear in this area, especially in prevention. MICS has now become the moment in which to present the results of research and clinical studies and also try to outline the future of minimally invasive treatment of valvular pathologies. The next appointment will be in two years in the splendid setting of Naples. We look forward to seeing you to bring MICS 2026 to life."