When Not to Extract: Navigating Clinical and Ethical Boundaries

In this interview, Emelia J. Benjamin, MD, ScM, discusses the new 2026 American Heart Association (AHA)/American College of Cardiology (ACC) Clinical Performance and Quality Measures for atrial fibrillation (AF) and how they translate evidence into measurable standards for clinical practice.

The American Heart Association (AHA) has named Manesh R Patel, MD, as its volunteer president for 2026-2027, bringing decades of leadership in cardiovascular medicine, clinical research, and quality improvement to the role. Throughout his career, Dr Patel has been a strong advocate for accelerating the translation of scientific discovery into everyday clinical practice—a priority he describes as closing the gap between discovery and care. In this interview, Dr Patel discusses his vision for the AHA, the future of arrhythmia care, the growing role of artificial intelligence, and the opportunities to improve cardiovascular outcomes.

The first international consensus statement on cardiovascular evaluation in military personnel establishes a standardized framework for screening recruits and service members. In this episode, Mark Abela, MD, discusses the recommendations and their potential to improve cardiovascular screening in military personnel and other physically demanding occupations.

In this episode, Dr Imdad Ahmed discusses the strategy for same-day discharge after intravenous sotalol loading in patients with atrial fibrillation.

In this episode of The EP Edit, we’re joined by Dr. Arash Aryana to discuss what it really takes to build an ambulatory surgery center (ASC)-based ablation program, why adoption has been slower than expected, and what needs to happen next to scale this model responsibly.

In this episode, Edward P. Gerstenfeld, MD, MS, and Jason Andrade, MD, explore practical strategies for managing atrial fibrillation (AF), from antiarrhythmic drug therapy to personalized rate and rhythm control approaches. The discussion highlights how to match the right therapy to the right patient, optimize safety, and apply evidence-based strategies in real-world practice.

In this episode, Qussay Marashly, MD, and Peter Hanna, MD, PhD, explore the evolving landscape of atrial fibrillation (AF) care. Dr. Marashly reviews the epidemiology and burden of AF and discusses how artificial intelligence is transforming detection, risk prediction, and treatment selection. Dr. Hanna focuses on practical diagnosis and initial management, including ECG confirmation, stroke risk assessment, and guideline-directed care.

In this interview, we speak with Dr Raymond Scharf from the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles to discuss his presentation from the recent Virtual Lead Extraction Experts Meeting titled, "When Not to Extract: Navigating Clinical and Ethical Boundaries."

In this episode of The EP Edit podcast, 2 leading voices in electrophysiology (EP) and interventional cardiology (IC), Nassir Marrouche, MD, and Karim Al-Azizi, MD, discuss the future of imaging ownership, the impact of pivotal trials like OPTION and CHAMPION, and how technologies such as NUVISION NAV™ Ultrasound Catheter (Johnson & Johnson MedTech) 4-dimensional (4D) intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) are reshaping operator confidence, procedural efficiency, and clinical outcomes for structural heart procedures like left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) and tricuspid valve interventions.

EP Lab Digest speaks with Dr Eli Friedman, director of sports cardiology at the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai, about the launch of the institute’s new Sports Cardiology Program.