Clinical Fellowship Program

The Cardiovascular Research Institute at the Cardiovascular Center Aalst welcomes fellows for clinical fellowship training and PhD students within the International CardioPath program in a solid collaboration with CoreAalst. CoreAalst facilitates the clinical research conducted by the fellows.

During the clinical coronary fellowship, fellows acquire knowledge and competencies in patient selection, decision-making and procedural planning (team-based model). They acquire proficiency from basic coronary angiography and catheterization up to CTO treatment, left main PCI, calcific CAD and CHIP treatment. All fellows become skilled with interventional tools used in complex PCI (Rotational atherectomy, Intra-vascular lithoplasty, Laser-assisted PCI, CTO toolbox) and hemodynamic support (intra-aortic balloon counterpulsation, Impella in cardiogenic shock and ECMO). There is a strong focus on pre-PCI (e.g. CCTA) and per-procedural imaging (IVUS and OCT) and coronary physiology (Fractional Flow Reserve, PPG) to guide the interventional procedures. Also, trainees are tutored during structural heart interventions (PFO, ASD, percutaneous valve interventions e.g. Mitraclip and TAVR).

Similarly, a program for interventional electrophysiology is available where fellows are trained in basic and advanced treatment of cardiac arrhythmias, device implantation and structural interventions such as left atrial appendage closure. Fellows become fully proficient in catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation using point-by-point RF ablation or single shot approaches such as cryoboalloon ablation or laserballoon ablation. Conventional training for treatment of supraventricular arrhythmias such as AVNRT, atrial flutter and AVRT is provided on an ongoing basis, and the EP department has a specific focus on innovative technologies in the early stages of clinical translation - several first in man technologies have been implemented in our lab over the past years supported by our trainees. In the field of cardiac pacing innovative approaches such as the subcutaneous ICD, leadless pacing and left bundle branch pacing have been implemented as novel approaches.

The department of non-invasive cardiac imaging provides extensive training in all state-of-the-art non-invasive imaging tools with a huge focus on echocardiography (strain,…), cardiac and coronary CT (structural planning, PCI guidance, non-invasive CT-derived physiology) and cardiac MRI.