Course Agenda
Cardiac CTA Course Agenda
This course is designed to give every participant a very focused and individualized CTA training experience that satisfies the requirements for certification as defined by the joint ACC-AHA training policy statement.
The principles of CTA imaging acquisition and processing are stressed. Case examples from all areas of cardiovascular imaging are used. Didactic lectures are designed to complement the hands-on training.
This education experience is focused on the broad areas of:
- The technical aspects of the instrumentation – the what, when, why, and how-to aspects of the instrumentation
- The broader technical aspects of developing an imaging center – i.e., the nuts and bolts of how a scanning center integrates into a clinical practice.
A minimum of 150 CTA cases are formally reviewed with additional cases available for ‘off-hours’ review by participants at the teaching center.
- 50 live CTA cases are reviewed.
- 25 cases are performed live in the scanning center with full participation and subsequent image processing by the attendees.
- 25 video-live cases are also reviewed and manipulated.
- 100 CTA cases are reviewed and manipulated, half of which (50) the participant is directly involved and supervised.
Day 1
Thursday 12:30 pm - 6:30 pm
12:30 – 1:00 Welcome and Introductions
1:00 – 2:00 Lecture – Workstation “buttonology” and Systematic analysis of cardiac CT
2:00 – 3:00 Mentored workstation case reviews – CAD
3:00 - 5:30 Live clinical cases and workstation review (4-6 cases)
5:30 – 6:30 Interesting cases – mentored presentations
6:30 pm Adjourn
Day 2
Friday 8:00 am - 6 pm
8:00 – 8:30 Lecture – Mechanics of MDCT image acquisition and Optimizing CT image quality
9:30 – 10:00 Lecture – Introduction to CT physics and radiation exposure
10:00 – 2:00 Mentored workstation case reviews – CAD, Stents and Bypass Grafts
2:00 - 5:00 Live clinical cases and workstation review (4-6 cases)
5:00 - 6:00 Interesting cases – mentored presentations
6:00 pm Adjourn
7:05 - 10:30 pm Optional social event
Mentored workstation case reviews – Valvular disease
5:00 – 6:00 Interesting cases – mentored presentations
6:00 pm Adjourn
Day 3
Saturday 8:00 am - 6 pm
8:30 – 9:30 Mentored workstation case reviews – Valvular Heart Disease
9:30 – 3:30 Live clinical cases and workstation review (12 – 15 cases)
3:30 – 4:30 Mentored workstation case reviews – Valvular heart disease
4:30 – 5:00 Lecture – Coronary calcium scanning – clinical applications
5:00 – 6:00 Interesting cases – mentored presentations
6:00 pm Adjourn
Day 4
Sunday 8:00 am - 6 pm
9:00 – 2:00 Live video cases and mentored workstation review (25 cases)
2:00 – 2:30 Lecture - CTA uses for electrophysiology
2:30 – 3:30 Interesting cases – mentored presentations – congenital heart disease
4:00 – 5:00 Mentored workstation case reviews – adult congenital heart disease
5:00 – 6:00 Interesting case presentations – aortic disease & masses
6:00 Adjourn
7:30 – 9:30 Sponsored evening dinner event at local restaurant – optional
Day 5
Monday 8:00 am - 1 pm
8:30 – 10:00 Mentored workstation case reviews – Unknowns – participant led
10:00 – 12:00 Live clinical cases and workstation review (3 – 5 cases, as necessary)
12:00 – 1:00 Final wrap up and Interesting case presentations, as necessary
1:00 pm Adjourn
By the end of the course participants will have accomplished 25 live case performances and reviews, 25 video live case reviews, 50 mentored workststation case reviews and also have witnessed 50 – 75 interesting case presentations. Printable version of this agenda