Global electrophysiology devices market forecasts to reach at US$4.4 billion by 2015 at a CAGR of 9.7% during the analysis period 2009-2015. The North American segment accounts for nearly 35% of the global value while Europe claims approximately 30% of the market. Asia-Pacific is the fastest growing region with a CAGR of 10.8% driving a market value of US$1.1 billion by 2015.

Cath/EP and interventional lab professionals wondering if their pay is competitive are being offered an objective measuring stick from a new research poll, Phoenix-based Springboard Healthcare announced.

The global electrophysiology device market, valued at $1.1 billion in 2010, is set to expand 6 percent, to reach $1.6 billion by 2017, according to an October report released by GlobalData, an industry analysis firm. The company said that the growing number of patients diagnosed with arrhythmias and the adoption of newer, robotic and magnetic navigation systems and drugs to treat atrial fibrillation will likely be the driver of this market growth.

New for Heart Rhythm 2011, the Networked EP Lab will prepare electrophysiologists for the future of health information technology (HIT). Visitors will discover new processes and technologies to integrate into the EP Lab to optimize patient safety, outcomes and improve procedural management and outcomes.

Sunday, March 14, 8:39 AM - 8:52 AM   In this state-of-the-art imaging symposium, Joao A. Lima, MD, from John Hopkins University will elucidate how cardiac MR can help EPs before and after procedures. Lima penned a state-of-the-art paper on this topic back in 2004 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Since the publication of that article, many technological advances have taken place regarding MRI and Lima has been at the forefront of that field. Attendees will surely learn how to best use cardiac MR to enhance procedural success and patient safety. 

The field of electrophysiology (EP), particularly pertaining to ablations, has been reported to be growing faster than coronary interventions, and there are no signs that it will slow down. While the volume of coronary cath procedures has remained somewhat flat over the past year, EP labs have been expanding and adding new technology. For this reason alone, it behooves attendees at ACC.10, which begins on Saturday, March 13, to take in some of the exciting EP lectures being presented at the conference.   One of the biggest topics in EP is whether transcatheter ablation should be the first-line treatment over anti-arrhythmic drugs in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). First results of the pilot CABANA study, being released in a late-breaking clinical trial session, could potentially indicate a new direction for this debate (see below for session details).READ MORE

Electrophysiology (EP), as a subspecialty, is coming into its own. Electrophysiologists have access to more capital than in the past, and with a 10 to 15 percent annual market growth, it is one of the fastest growing sectors within cardiology. Vendors have taken notice and are focusing on technology and designs that cater specifically to EP docs.

Cardiovascular Business invited some of the most prominent physicians in the field of electrophysiology to talk about the current and future state of the subspecialty.