Medtronic Innovation Summit, Minneapolis March 2017-07-28
Summary – Jurgen Passage
The Medtronic Innovation Summit brought together interventional cardiologists, electrophysiologists and cardiothoracic surgeons from all over Australia. It was a great opportunity to get an overview of existing technology in the multiple facets of heart disease and its application in different fields of cardiology / cardiac surgery. In an open atmosphere different approaches to several conditions were canvassed. Evolving treatments for structural valve disease were particularly highlighted and it became clear that most centres in Australia are now assessing patients with valvular heart disease in a multi-disciplinary team. It was especially interesting to get an insight into the development of new technologies and devices and the bench testing performed on these to evaluate their efficacy and safety. There were also animated discussions about the future of health care delivery in Australia and the potential impact of partnerships with industry in this setting.
It was a very well organised meeting and all participants enjoyed the opportunity to exchange experiences and forge closer collaborations.
