Programme

This track aims to provide the opportunity to engage with internationally leading experts, foster new connections and learn about the latest advancements and cutting-edge developments in heart transplantation.

Further, it  aims to provide the platform to foster inter- and cross-disciplinary dialogue, encourage presentation of fresh perspectives and develop future projects for researchers, educators, physicians and allied health professionals working in this field, inviting interested public to share their prospective.

This block aims to provide an inside on the pre-transplant diagnostic cycle and on the heart transplant process itself, providing the perspective of different specialties.

This talk will review peri-transplant management, who, when and how to treat sensitized heart transplant candidates, strategies for desensitization, and factors of longevity , as criteria to guide listing for heart transplant. 

Prof Dunning will outline the process of heart transplantation, highlighting anatomic landmarks, and their importance for the proper, clinically relevant histologic assessment of the explanted native heart.  
This session includes 10 min Q&A.

Dr Lianou's presentation is focussed on clinico-pathological correlation when examining the native explanted heart macroscopically and histologically. She is going to elaborate on in view of the clinical history expected, as well as on puzzling histopathological findings under the motto: What the heck is this? Little too late- the most common but also clinically totally unexpected findings in explanted cardiac specimens. 

This session is a designed as a Workshop with case demonstration. Active participation from the participants is particularly welcome.

Grab a snack and a coffee, use the time to network, exchange ideas or just relax in front of the fountains in the beautiful park bordering with the venue, although the audience is invited to join the e-poster session.

Please consider joining us at the e-poster session on "native heart pathology"! 
Poster presenters are encouraged to prepare a short 5 minute presentation. 
Online participants are also encouraged to submit abstracts.
Showcase your knowledge, take the chance to win the best poster award and the eligibility to publish your research on discounted rates!

The presentation aims to provide an overview of most commonly encountered histologically detectable infections, which may have an impact on the native heart or cardiac allograft and stresses on the importance of differential diagnosis of in recent years less diagnosed diseases, as tuberculosis and HIV.
This session included 10 min Q&A.

This session focusses on pathological classification and diagnosis of ACR and AMR, pitfalls in differentiating rejection from infection, morphological correlates of HLA, non-HLA positive results to tissue findings, comments on the timeframe when cfDNA results reflect histopathological findings and highlights advantages and disadvantages of pathological examination, considering essential contribution of pathology to development of understanding of etiology of rejection as for instance in classification of biopsy negative AMR. Furthermore, the importance of tissue investigation to exclude other pathologies, as TVP, neoplasia, recurrence of autoimmune disorders in form of granulomatous inflammation is being highlighted. 
The audience is encouraged to share their experience and perspective, if desired anonymously, yet in an interactive way. 
Clinical input will be provided by Prof John Dunning, as required.

Donor-specific HLA antibodies (DSAs) contribute to antibody-mediated rejection (AMR), acute cell-mediated rejection (ACR) and cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) after heart transplant. However, a number of heart transplant patients present with AMR in the absence of DSAs, suggesting antibodies against non-HLA antigens may be associated with an increased risk of AMR and poor outcomes during follow-up. The role of biomarkers in immunology in differentiating infection from rejection and emerging technologies for differentiation between the different pathologies is being discussed.
This session includes 10 min Q&A.

This block aims to provide an inside on the heart transplant process itself and on the post-heart transplant diagnostic cycle, providing the perspective of different specialties.

Digital pathology is no longer a distant future scenario — it is becoming an essential part of modern diagnostic workflows. At the 1st Interdisciplinary Technology Transfer Meeting in Eastern Europe on Thoracic Transplantation Pathology, where the focus is on clinico-pathological correlation, timely access to expertise and interdisciplinary exchange are critical for both diagnostic pathology and transplantation surgery, digital workflows can create immediate clinical value.

In this short practical session, Dr. Martin Weihrauch will show how digital pathology can start directly at the microscope and evolve into a connected diagnostic workflow — from live microscopy and rapid slide sharing to digital case discussion, remote consultation, and AI-ready infrastructure.
Especially in thoracic transplantation, where pathological findings need to be interpreted in close correlation with clinical, surgical and imaging information, digital access can help make diagnostic expertise available faster and more efficiently across disciplines. This supports not only pathology, but also the interdisciplinary decision-making processes that are essential in transplantation medicine and surgery.

The focus is not on technology for its own sake, but on practical solutions that help physicians access diagnostic information faster, collaborate more efficiently, and make digital diagnostics clinically meaningful and economically viable in everyday practice.

Dr. Weihrauch will provide the clinical perspective, complemented by an on-site demonstration by Corina Turner of Smart In Media AG, International Marketing & Regional Development, Eastern Europe, showing how digital pathology can be integrated directly into existing diagnostic workflows. The session will illustrate how live digital imaging, rapid case sharing, and connected documentation can support clinico-pathological collaboration step by step — enabling more efficient workflows for physicians and better care for patients.

The audience is encouraged to share their experience. The session includes a short Q&A.

Grab a snack and a coffee, use the time to network, exchange ideas or just relax in front of the fountains in the beautiful park bordering with the venue, although the audience is invited to join the e-poster session.

Please consider joining us at the e-poster session on "post-transplant heart pathology" and "emerging technologies"! 
Poster presenters are encouraged to prepare a short 5 minute presentation. 
Online participants are also encouraged to submit abstracts.
Showcase your knowledge, take the chance to win the best poster award and the eligibility to publish your research on discounted rates!

Dr Maria Lianou is sharing her experience with the audience on how to approach "difficult" cases.

Dr Lianou's aim is to highlight the importance of correlation of clinico-pathological information, the consideration of all relevant differential diagnosis and to outline an easy to follow step-by-step approach to reaching the diagnosis. This is an interactive session, mimicking a clinical setting, in which the clinical information will be provided by Assistant Prof Andriana Nikolova. 
After this session, the audience should have gained awareness of the importance of acquiring complete clinical information before assessing cardiac allograft cases and to be have gained knowledge about the main differential diagnoses of the presented cases.
This session aims to encourage as much interaction as possible between presenter and audience.   
The technical part of the presentation is kindly supported by Corina Turner.

This talk will review the dramatic changes and improvements in the therapies for advanced heart failure, cardiac transplantation and mechanical circulatory support since their inceptions and the challenges that these therapies face to improve patient outcomes and access. They will also be compared and contrasted.

Prof Potapov's presentation aims to present his perspective on current developments and trends in heart transplantation, including mechanical circulatory support systems, total artificial heart and xenotransplantation.
The presenter will be delivering his presentation remotely but will be available to taking questions from the audience.

Congratulations! You have expanded your network whilst exchanging your experience and gaining knowledge on the professional perspective of the Faculty on the presented topics. 
All Faculty members were impressed by your input and are now announcing the winner of the "best poster award". 
Don't disconnect now- we are about to take a group photo of all zoom participants. 
After taking the screenshots, we round the day and therewith the meeting off and would love to hear from you about your experience. You are kindly requested to share your impressions and suggestions how to improve this event format, to send us your best pictures for publication on the websites and to keep in touch with the Faculty.
We are looking forward to welcome many, if not all of you next year. In the meantime, keep in touch and stay tuned!
If you haven't already done so, we hope you take the chance to join Corina Turner for her demonstration of the "Smart in Media" platform.
Thank you!

All participants are invited and encouraged to expand their network and to explore the possibilities of the platform. The smart in media platform has been used to deliver the slide demonstrations. Mrs Turner is looking forward to demonstrate the system functions for remote histological diagnosis and research, and will be available to discuss its added value in education and will answer all of your questions. This activity is not CPD accredited.