30th Annual International AF Symposium™
Scientific Program 2025

7:00-7:30 AM Welcome and Introduction

7:30-8:30 AM
New Trends in Managing the AF Epidemic
Moderators:  Nassir Marrouche, MD and Mina Chung, MD
All lectures 7 minutes. Panel and Audience Discussion 25 minutes.

The Role of GLP1 Agonists in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation
Donna Ryan, MD

GLP-1 Agonists & Epicardial Adipose Tissue: Impact on AF  
Gianluca Iacobellis, MD, PhD

Screening for AF: Differential Risk Factors and Outcomes for Asymptomatic vs. Symptomatic AF
Christine Albert, MD

Digital Health for AF Detection and Management: Boon or Bust?
Rod Passman, MD

Leveraging Novel Data Types to Estimate Atrial Fibrillation Risk
Shaan Khurshid, MD

Panel and Audience Discussion (25 minutes) - All Faculty and Natalia Trayanova, PhD

8:30-9:30 AM
Spotlight Session – New and Emerging Technologies in Arrhythmia Management
Moderator: Kenneth Ellenbogen, MD
All lectures 5 minutes. FDA Presentation 7 minutes.

AF Ablation Using a Novel Coherent Sine Burst Pulsed Field System: Acute and 90-Day Remapping Results (Arga Medtech)
Ante Anic, MD

First Clinical Experience with the BTL EasyPulz System for AF Ablation (BTL Medical)
Vivek Reddy, MD

Esophageal Cooling During RF Ablation: Clinical Evidence and Workflow Considerations (Haemonetics)
Mark Metzl, MD

Cardio-Sleep Platforms to Co-Manage Sleep Apnea in Patients with AF (Huxley Medical)
Devi Nair, MD

Advanced 3D Navigation and Imaging for True Anatomical Guidance in a New Era of Cardiac Therapies (LumaVision)
Shephal Doshi, MD

Pulsed Field Ablation with Integrated Metabolic Feedback for Lesion Assessment and Gap Mapping (LuxMed Systems)
Timothy Maher, MD

Nanosecond Pulsed Field Ablation Technology - Powering the Future of PFA (Pulse Biosciences)
Vivek Reddy, MD

AcuNav Lumos 4D ICE Workflow in Concomitant AF Ablation and LAAC Procedures (Siemens Healthineers)
Amin Al-Ahmad, MD

The Importance of Trigger Mapping in AF
(Vektor Medical)
Anish Amin, MD

Volta Medical and PFA - An Optimized Strategy for Repeat Catheter Ablations
(Volta Medical)
Devi Nair, MD

FDA Perspective on Evaluation of New Technologies for AF Ablation: A Changing Landscape
Jun Dong, MD

9:30-10:00 AM Break

10 AM-12:30 PM
Case Transmissions Session 1 - 5 cases
Moderator: Moussa Mansour, MD
Panel: TBD

12:30-1:30 PM Lunch

1:30-2:30 PM
Case Transmissions Session 2 - 2 cases
Moderator: Moussa Mansour, MD
Panel: TBD

2:30-3:30 PM
Stroke Risk Management in Atrial Fibrillation Session I
Moderators: Daniel Singer, MD and Mina Chung, MD
All lectures 7 minutes. Panel and Audience Discussion 25 minutes.

Anticoagulation in Low Risk Patients with AF - Impact on Stroke on Cognitive Function
Lena Rivard, MD

Management of Device-Detected AF - Implications of ARTESIA and NOAH-AFNET 6 Trials
Andreas Rillig, MD

Current Status of Factor XIa Inhibitors for AF Post OCEANIC-AF Trial
Jonathan Piccini, MD, MHS

Anticoagulation Strategies After Left Atrial Appendage Closure 2025
Walid Saliba, MD

Stroke Prevention Following Catheter Ablation for AF: Patient Selection for LAA Closure - Insights from the OPTION Study
Oussama Wazni, MD

Panel and Audience Discussion (25 minutes) – All Faculty

Thursday continues>>>

This intensive three-day symposium brings together the world's leading medical scientists to share the most recent advances
in the field of atrial fibrillation in a highly interactive environment.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2025

THURSDAY CONTINUED

3:30-4:30 PM
Stroke Risk Management in Atrial Fibrillation Session II
Supported by an Educational Grant from Boston Scientific
Moderators: Devi Nair, MD and Jacqueline Saw, MD
All lectures 7 minutes. Panel and Audience Discussion 25 minutes.

Procedural Methods to Avoid Leaks During Implantation with LAA Closure Devices 
Christopher Ellis, MD

Predictors of and Strategies for Avoiding Complications with LAA Closure Procedures
James Freeman, MD

ICE Guided LAA Closure - Extent of Use and Limitations
Shephal Doshi, MD

Future Directions in LAA Closure Devices and Enabling Technologies
Vivek Reddy, MD

Strategies for Accelerating Approval of Stroke Prevention Devices - Alternative Endpoints
Aneesh Deoras, MSE

Panel and Audience Discussion (25 minutes) - All Faculty

4:30 – 5:00 PM Break

5:00 – 6:30 PM
Late Breaking Clinical Science Session I
Moderators: Giuseppe Boriani, MD, PhD and Kalyanam Shivkumar, MD, PhD
All lectures 7 minutes. Panel Discussion 25 minutes.

7:00 - 9:00 PM
Reception for All Attendees, Industry, and Faculty
Location: Seaport Hotel Boston
1 Seaport Lane, Boston, MA

FRIDAY, JANUARY 17, 2025

7:00-7:30 AM Welcome and Introduction

7:30-8:30 AM
Endpoints and Outcomes of Catheter Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation
Moderators: Gerhard Hindricks, MD, PhD and Douglas Packer, MD
All lectures 7 minutes. Q&A, Panel and Audience Discussion 25 minutes.

Catheter Ablation for AF - Impact On Clinical Outcomes 2025
Rui Providencia, MD, PhD

Optimal Timing of Catheter Ablation for Nonparoxysmal AF
Jason Andrade, MD

Evolving Evidence on Catheter Ablation of AF in Patients with Severe Heart Failure  
Philipp Sommer, MD

Redefining the Blanking Period After Catheter Ablation for AF
Nassir Marrouche, MD

Endpoints of AF Ablation - AF Burden vs Time to First Recurrence of AF
Kenneth Ellenbogen, MD

Panel and Audience Discussion (25 minutes) – All Faculty

8:30-9:30 AM
Case Transmissions Session 3 - 2 cases
Moderator: Moussa Mansour, MD
Panel: TBD

9:30-10:00 AM Break

10:00 AM-12:30 PM
Case Transmissions Session 4 - 5 cases
Moderator: Moussa Mansour, MD
Panel: TBD

12:30-1:30 PM Lunch

1:30-2:30 PM
Lesion Assessment in Catheter Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation
Supported by an Educational Grant from Biosense Webster
Moderators: Devi Nair, MD and Luigi Di Biase, MD, PhD
All lectures 7 minutes. Panel Discussion 25 minutes.

Tools for Prediction of Ablation Lesion Depth
Hiroshi Nakagawa, MD, PhD

Durability of Dual Energy Focal AF Ablation: Evidence from Remapping Studies
Matthias Duytschaever, MD

Predictors of Success of Pulmonary Vein Isolation with Pulsed-Field Ablation Using a Variable-Loop Circular Catheter
Tom De Potter, MD

Future Directions in Maximizing Lesion Depth - Combined RF and PF Ablation
Atul Verma, MD

No Fluoroscopy Pulsed Field Ablation for AF
Paul Zei, MD

Panel and Audience Discussion - All Faculty

Friday continues>>>

FRIDAY CONTINUED

2:30-3:30 PM
Catheter Ablation for Persistent Atrial Fibrillation: Beyond PVI
Supported by an Educational Grant from Medtronic
Moderators: Melanie Gunawardene, MD and Atul Verma, MD
All lectures 7 minutes. Panel Discussion 25 minutes.

Ablation for Persistent AF: Results of Multicenter IDE Studies
Devi Nair, MD

Impact of and Patient Selection for Posterior Wall Ablation for Persistent AF
Andrea Natale, MD

Mitral Isthmus, CTI, SVC, and Fibrotic Regions Ablation for Persistent AF
Tyler Taigen, MD

Pulsed Field Ablation for Redo Procedures in Patients with Persistent AF
Andrea Sarkozy, MD, PhD

Advances in Mapping of Atrial Fibrillation - The Next Frontier in AF Management
Vivek Reddy, MD

Panel and Audience Discussion (25 minutes): All Faculty

3:30-4:00 PM Break

4:00-5:30 PM
Case Transmissions Session 5 - 3 cases
Moderators: TBD
Panel: TBD

5:30-7:00 PM
Late Breaking Clinical Science Session II and Best Abstract Award
Moderators: Kalyanam Shivkumar, MD, PhD and Giuseppe Boriani, MD
All talks 7 minutes & 3 minutes Q&A

Best Abstract Award

7:00 PM Adjourn

SATURDAY, JANUARY 18, 2025

7:00-7:30 AM Welcome and Introduction

7:30 AM-9:30 AM
Case Transmissions Session 6 - 4 cases
Moderator: Moussa Mansour, MD
Panel: TBD

9:30-10 AM: Break

10:00-11:00 AM
Case Transmissions Session 7 - 2 cases
Moderator: Moussa Mansour, MD
Panel: TBD

11:00 AM-12:00 PM
Catheter Design for Pulsed Field Ablation
Supported by an Educational Grant from Abbott
Moderators: Oussama Wazni, MD and Amin Al-Ahmad, MD
All lectures 7 minutes. Panel Discussion 25 minutes.

Impact of Waveform on Biological Effects of Pulsed Field Ablation
Atul Verma, MD

Impact of Contact on Lesion Quality of Pulsed Field Ablation for AF
TBD

Balloon-Based Pulsed Field Ablation Catheters
Gianbattista Chierchia, MD, PhD

Multi-Electrode vs Large Focal Catheters for Pulsed Field Ablation
Pierre Jais, MD

Role of Small Focal Dual Energy Pulsed Field Ablation Catheters
Dhanunjaya R. Lakkireddy, MD

Panel and Audience Discussion (25 minutes) – All Faculty

12:00-12:30 PM Working Lunch

12:30-1:30 PM
Pulsed Field Ablation – Safety, Efficiency and Workflow
Moderators: Edward Gerstenfeld, MD and Meleze Hocini, MD
All lectures 7 minutes. Panel Discussion 25 minutes.

Coronary Artery Injury with Pulsed Field Ablation
Melanie Gunawardene, MD

Safety Considerations with Pulsed Field Ablation - Cerebral Lesions
Walid Saliba, MD

Safety Considerations with Pulsed Field Ablation - Hemolysis
Pierre Jais, MD

Tissue Selectivity of Pulsed Field Ablation: Mechanisms of Esophageal Sparing
Vivek Reddy, MD

Efficiency of Pulsed Field Ablation - Workflow and Level of Anesthesia
Ante Anic, MD

Panel and Audience Discussion (25 minutes) - All Faculty

1:30-3:00 PM
Case Transmissions Session 8 - 3 cases
Moderator: Moussa Mansour, MD
Panel: TBD

3:00-4:00
Challenging Cases in AF Management and Stroke Prevention
(7-minute presentation & 5-minute discussion for each case)
Moderator: David Keane, MD, PhD
Faculty: Francis Marchlinski, MD, John Day, MD, Isabel Deisenhofer, MD, Edward Gerstenfeld, MD, and Young-Hoon Kim, MD, PhD

4:00 ADJOURN

Real-Time and Pre-Recorded Case Presentations on AF Ablation and LAA Closure
26 cases presented throughout the program
(Subject to Change)

WATCHMAN Left Atrial Appendage Closure Using the TrueSteer Access System
Bradley Mikaelian, MD (Univ Colorado, Colorado Springs, CO)

Disc and Lobe Left Atrial Appendage Closure Using the Amulet Occluder
DJ Lakkireddy, MD (Kansas City Heart Institute, Overland Park, KS)

Left Atrial Appendage Closure With the LAMINARLAA Device
Devi Nair, MD (St. Bernards Healthcare, Jonesboro, AR)

Concomitant Ablation of AF Using the FARAWAVE Pentaspline PFA Catheter and WATCHMAN LAA Closure
Rodney Horton, MD (Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute, Austin, TX)

Elimination of the Left Atrial Appendage by Invagination and Ligation with a Novel Transcatheter System
Vivek Reddy, MD (Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY)

Ablation of Paroxysmal AF Using the VARIPULSE Variable Loop Circular PFA Catheter
DJ Lakkireddy, MD (Kansas City Heart Institute, Overland Park, KS)

Concomitant Ablation of PAF Using the VARIPULSE Variable Loop Circular PFA Catheter and LAA Closure Using NUVISION Guidance
Rodney Horton, MD (Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute, Austin, TX)

Redo Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation Using the SPHERE 9 Lattice Tip PFA Catheter
Srinivas Dukkipati, MD & Daniel Musikantow, MD (Mt. Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY)

PVI and Posterior Wall Ablation for Persistent AF Using the FARAVIEW Technology
Moussa Mansour, MD (Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA)

FARAWAVE PFA Catheter for Cavotricuspid Isthmus Ablation - PROSPECT IDE Study
Vivek Reddy, MD & Srinivas Dukkipati, MD (Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY)

PVI and Posterior Wall Ablation Using the VARIPULSE Variable Loop Circular PFA Catheter - POLARIS Study
Greg Michaud, MD (Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Boston, MA)

Ablation of PAF Using the Dual Energy Pulsed Field-Radiofrequency Tactiflex DUO Catheter – FOCALFLEX IDE Trial
Larry Chinitz, MD (NYU Langone Health Center, New York, NY)

Ablation of Paroxysmal AF Using the PulseSelect Circular PFA Catheter
Stavros Mountantonakis, MD, MBA (Lenox Hill Hospital, New York, NY)

Ablation of Persistent Atrial Fibrillation Using the SPHERE 9 Lattice Tip PFA Catheter
Rodney Horton, MD (Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute, Austin, TX)

PVI for Paroxysmal AF Using the FARAVIEW Technology
Wilber Su, MD (University of Arizona, Phoenix, AZ)

Ablation of Paroxysmal AF Using the OMNYPULSE Novel Large Footprint Focal Force Sensing PFA Catheter
Moussa Mansour, MD (Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA)

PVI and CTI Ablation for AF Using the Globe Pulsed Field Ablation Catheter
Vivek Reddy, MD & Petr Neuzil, MD, PhD (Homolka Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic)

Nanosecond Pulsed Field Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation
Petr Neuzil, MD, PhD (Homolka Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic)

Catheter Ablation for AF Using the FieldForce Pulsed Field Ablation Technology
Vivek Reddy, MD (Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY)

PVI for Paroxysmal AF Using the FARAWAVE PFA Catheter Without A Mapping System
Anish Amin, MD (OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital, Columbus, OH)

Pulmonary Vein Isolation Using the SPHERE 360 Large Lattice Tip PFA Catheter
Josef Kautzner, MD, PhD (Heart Centre IKEM, Prague, Czech Republic)

Ablation of PAF Using the Volt Pulsed Field Ablation System - VOLT-AF IDE Trial
Gianbattista Chierchia, MD, PhD (Heart Rhythm Management Ctr., Brussels, Belgium)

Ablation of PAF Using the Dual Energy Pulsed Field-Radiofrequency STSF Catheter
Larry Chinitz, MD (NYU Langone)

PVI and Scar Ablation for AF Using the Globe Pulsed Field Ablation Catheter
Hans Kottkamp, MD (Westpfalz-Klinikum Hospital, Kaiserslautern, Germany)

Ablation of Persistent AF Using the PulseSelect Circular PFA Catheter
Devi Nair, MD (St. Bernards Healthcare, Jonesboro, AR)

Visually-Guided PVI with the CardioFocus Balloon-Based PFA Catheter
Vivek Reddy, MD and Petr Neuzil, MD, PhD (Homolka Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic)