In this lovely season of early summer when every living thing is full of energy, an academic feast is held as planned.

In order to promote the overall practice ability of cardiovascular practitioners nationwide, especially the comprehensive management ability of atrial fibrillation and complex arrhythmias, and facilitate the rapid improvement of comprehensive diagnosis and treatment of atrial fibrillation in western China and nationwide to better serve the atrial fibrillation patients, “2023 West China Atrial Fibrillation Week” Live-streaming Professional Academic Exchange Activity was held on June 5, 2023. The event is sponsored by Sichuan International Medical Exchange & Promotion Association (SCIMEA), and organized by West China Hospital of Sichuan University and the Heart Rhythm Branch of SCIMEA.

With the theme of “Led by Technology, Working together to Write a New Chapter of ‘Heart’”, this Atrial Fibrillation Week will showcase richer and more diversified content. Famous overseas experts have been invited to share their views on the application of new technologies, national industry experts and professors will give lectures, young colleagues will make presentations online, and electrophysiology centers will demonstrate surgeries online etc., all focusing on the whole-process diagnosis and treatment and application of new technologies for atrial fibrillation. The opening ceremony was packed with big names, including Prof. Fu Hua, Prof. Chen Mao, Prof. Jiang Jian, Prof. Cui Kaijun, Prof. Zeng Rui, Prof. Hu Hongde and Prof. Yang Qing from West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Mr. Zhang Wenyong, President of Chengdu Qingbaijiang District People's Hospital, as well as other experts and scholars in the field of atrial fibrillation from various medical institutions at home and abroad who attended the ceremony online. The event was kicked off by an opening speech by Prof. Fu Hua, Director of Atrial Fibrillation Center of West China Hospital of Sichuan University and President of the Heart Rhythm Branch of SCIMEA. Prof. Fu Hua first expressed his most sincere welcome and heartfelt thanks to all experts and peers on behalf of the event.

Prof. Fu Hua, West China Hospital, Sichuan University

Prof. Fu Hua mentioned that the “West China Atrial Fibrillation Week” has entered its 8th year, during which the field of cardiac arrhythmia and electrophysiology is also developing rapidly, and new ideas and techniques for the treatment of atrial fibrillation are emerging, so it is essential to exchange and learn from each other in the professional field. The “2023 West China Atrial Fibrillation Week” has provided an opportunity for clinical scholars to exchange and learn, and nearly 60 hospital surgery centers have participated in the event to showcase their unique style of surgery. In addition, the event has built a communication platform for professional innovation, especially for young operators. He hoped that all peers will come together to discuss new thinking and new achievements in the field of cardiac arrhythmias and electrophysiology, and further promote the rapid development of cardiac arrhythmias in China. On behalf of the Department of Cardiology of West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Prof. Chen Mao expressed his warm congratulations on the event and welcomed all the experts and scholars who attended the “2023 West China Atrial Fibrillation Week”. He said that the Department of Cardiology of West China Hospital of Sichuan University has made great progress under the leadership of the predecessors and the support of peers at home and abroad, with its level of arrhythmia treatment being at the forefront in China. Thanks to the hard work of several generations of experts, the department has accumulated a profound disciplinary foundation and played a leading role in the development of the field of cardiac arrhythmias.

Prof. Chen Mao, West China Hospital, Sichuan University

Prof. Chen Mao emphasized that the diagnosis and treatment of atrial fibrillation is particularly important for all cardiac sub-disciplines, and he hoped that this event could promote the in-depth communication of other cardiac sub-disciplines with atrial fibrillation as the center, and that all peers would give more valuable opinions, and join hands to promote the high-quality development of the discipline. In addition, Prof. Chen Mao also hoped that this event could be taken as an opportunity to convey the concept of standardized and standardized treatment of atrial fibrillation, so as to reduce treatment risks, better serve patients with atrial fibrillation, and promote the healthy development of the discipline. In his speech, Prof. Jiang Jian warmly congratulated on the event and said that the “West China Atrial Fibrillation Week” has developed from a province-oriented event to a western China-oriented event, and now to a nationwide academic exchange and cooperation platform, thanks to the contribution of the experts and peers. During this period, the field of atrial fibrillation in China has developed vigorously and achieved remarkable results. The collision of ideas and opinions and the discussion of new technologies and concepts by experts at each “West China Atrial Fibrillation Week” have made long-term contributions to the development of the industry.

Prof. Jiang Jian, West China Hospital, Sichuan University

Besides, during the past 8 years, the training mode of atrial fibrillation operators has changed, and many rising stars have grown up rapidly with the support of new technologies and new ideas. In this context, the standardized training and management of operators and the high-quality construction of teams are also new tasks and requirements for the development of the industry. In addition, innovative technologies are emerging all the time, and the diagnosis and treatment technologies for atrial fibrillation vary from center to center. He hopes that from communication and discussion at this event, we can learn from our experiences and complement each other's strengths, and jointly seek the future development of atrial fibrillation technology. After the speeches of the experts, the event was officially launched.

Launch ceremony

On the day of the event, experts from home and abroad were invited to explain new technologies and concepts in the field of atrial fibrillation through live streaming, sharing their understanding of the treatment of complex arrhythmias. Various views collided and burst out new treatment inspirations.

Prof. David B. DeLurgio, a world-renowned electrophysiologist and Director of Electrophysiology at the Emory Heart and Vascular Center, “Technical Key Points of WATCHMAN FLX Operation and Evidence-based Data Explanation”

Prof. Xue Yumei, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, “Application of High Precision Calibrations in Post-operative Atrial Tachycardia in Atrial Fibrillation”.

In addition to the lectures, more than 10 surgical demonstrations on the application of new technologies in atrial fibrillation were performed by the centers through live streaming. Each surgical demonstration represented a different understanding of the treatment of complex arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation by various experts. Each expert airing his or her own views exactly demonstrated the vigorous development of the field of electrophysiology and the contention of a hundred schools of thought in recent years.

Highlights of live surgery broadcast

After the live broadcast, the experts also held a panel discussion on the doubts and difficulties encountered in atrial fibrillation as well as the application of new technologies.

Highlights of expert discussions

Up to now, the event has become a prestigious academic feast in the field of cardiac electrophysiology in Sichuan Province and even in China. It is expected that the cardiac electrophysiology peers nationwide will pool their wisdom and expertise and draw upon the strengths of others to jointly promote and improve the standardized treatment of cardiac arrhythmias, especially atrial fibrillation, in Western China and even the whole country. At the meantime, they will discuss the hot issues in the field of cardiac electrophysiology and promote the rapid development of arrhythmia diagnosis and treatment together. This 5-day event will invite more than 80 experts and scholars who focus on atrial fibrillation and complex arrhythmia treatment and more than 40 electrophysiology centers from inside and outside the province to gather on the live-streaming platform. Featuring a combination of theories and practices, the event will not only discuss the latest hot issues of atrial fibrillation and complex arrhythmia treatment, but also has more than 50 live surgical demonstrations. The strength and wisdom of all parties will be brought together to comprehensively present new developments in the field of cardiac electrophysiology. The experts come together for win-win cooperation and high-quality growth and the strength of the national peers will pooled together to jointly promote the vigorous development of atrial fibrillation in China, and to write a new chapter in the field of cardiac electrophysiology in China.