18 Years of Scientific and Medical Exchange
Dear colleagues,
this year’s symposium is dedicated to the unresolved secrets of the “The Right Ventricle”.
Until the mid-20th century, the right ventricle (RV) was often dismissed as an "unnecessary or insignificant" component of the heart, earning it the moniker "the forgotten ventricle." However, its significance in both acquired and congenital heart diseases is now universally acknowledged.
Research demonstrates that the function or dysfunction of the right ventricle plays a pivotal role in determining the prognosis and outcome of various acquired and congenital heart conditions. Consequently, there has been a growing interest in elucidating the distinct role of the RV and its impact on overall cardiac function and interactions between the two ventricles.
RV failure, a multifaceted clinical syndrome, can stem from structural or functional cardiovascular disorders that impairs the RV's ability to fill or contract. Moreover, the adaptation of the RV to diverse stresses is intricate and contingent upon numerous factors, including the type and severity of myocardial damage or stress, the disease progression (acute versus chronic), and the age of onset. Additionally, critical elements such as neurohormonal activation, altered gene expression, and ventricular remodeling patterns further influence RV adaptation.
Notably, right ventricular function serves as a robust predictor of mortality, not only in heart failure but also in pulmonary hypertension, congenital heart disease, and cardiothoracic surgery. Nevertheless, understanding the morphology, contraction patterns, and adaptive responses of the right ventricle leading to right ventricular failure remains an unresolved challenge.
Through this symposium, we aim to contribute to a deeper comprehension of the right ventricle and its central significance.
Together with our renowned national and international speakers and faculty we are very much looking forward to a stimulating symposium and hope that we will be able to welcome you in large numbers in September 2024.
On behalf of the entire scientific and organizing committee.
Prof. Dr. med. F. Berger
Director, Dept. of Congenital
Heart Defects/ Pediatric Cardiology
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