The Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute (TCAI) at St. David's Medical Center hosted its eighth international symposium on complex arrhythmias, EPLive 2026, on May 28-29, drawing a record 1,600 participants from around the world, including attendees from Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Colombia and Italy. Of those, 200 attended in person at the Austin venue.
Record Attendance Reflects Growing Demand for Case-Based Education
The symposium brought together physicians, advanced practice registered nurses and allied health professionals focused on treating complex cardiac arrhythmias—conditions where the heart beats with an irregular or abnormal rhythm. The primary teaching tool was live cases with expert commentary broadcast from the state-of-the-art Electrophysiology Center at St. David's Medical Center.
“The record number of participants at EPLive 2026 is a reflection of the growing demand for practical, case-based education and collaboration,” said Andrea Natale, M.D., F.H.R.S., F.A.C.C., F.E.S.C., cardiac electrophysiologist and executive medical director of TCAI and EPLive course director. “By sharing knowledge, innovation and experience in that setting, we help accelerate advancements in cardiovascular care and improve outcomes for the millions of people worldwide living with heart arrhythmias.”
Innovative Procedures and Technologies Showcased
Live cases performed during the two-day event highlighted new technologies and techniques pioneered by TCAI physicians. Among the featured innovations was a streamlined approach combining two treatments—atrial fibrillation (A Fib) ablation and left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO)—into a single procedure for A Fib patients at higher risk of stroke. This reduces the need for multiple procedures and minimizes complications. Physicians also demonstrated the latest advancements in pulsed field ablation, a non-thermal technique that delivers short-duration, high-energy electrical pulses to cardiac tissue to destroy cells causing irregular heart rhythms without excess heat or cold.
EPLive featured four sessions with a mix of live and recorded cases from TCAI and premier centers globally, including the International Arrhythmia Center at Cardioinfantil Foundation (Colombia), Centro Cardiologico Monzino (Italy), and U.S. centers such as Cleveland Clinic, Houston Methodist, Kansas City Heart Rhythm Institute, Massachusetts General, Montefiore Einstein, St. Bernard's Heart and Vascular Center, UC Health Center, and University of Pennsylvania.
Leading Faculty and Continuing Education Credits
Alongside Dr. Natale, presentations were given by several TCAI physicians, including course co-director Amin Al-Ahmad, M.D., as well as John Allison, M.D., Khaled Awad, M.D., Mohamed Bassiouny, M.D., David Burkhardt, M.D., David Burkland, M.D., Robert Canby, M.D., Joseph Gallinghouse, M.D., Rodney Horton, M.D., Patrick Hranitzky, M.D., and Jason Zagrodzky, M.D. Physicians earned a maximum of 14.5 American Medical Association (AMA) Physician’s Recognition Award (PRA) Category 1 Credit™ hours at the conference.
For more information, visit EP-Live.com.
