Berzelius Symposium 111: Acute and Chronic Heart Failure
2026-03-11 08:30 - 2026-03-13 13:00
Klara Östra Kyrkogata 10, Stockholm and online
The Swedish Society of Medicine, together with the Swedish Society for Cardiothoracic Surgery, is pleased to announce Berzelius Symposium 111 – a multidisciplinary meeting focusing on acute and chronic heart failure.
This symposium will bring together leading national and international experts to review and discuss the latest developments in diagnosis, treatment, and management of heart failure.
Target audience:
Cardiologists, internal medicine specialists, general practitioners, cardiothoracic surgeons, anesthesiologists, intensive care clinicians and other professions interested in the field.
Key themes:
- Heart failure remains associated with very high morbidity and mortality
- Management and treatment are multidisciplinary and require close coordination
- Optimal care involves a broad spectrum of diagnostic and therapeutic approaches
- Collaboration across specialties is essential for improved outcomes
The program will run from Wednesday to Friday, featuring case-based discussions, expert presentations (15–20 minutes with discussion), and a symposium dinner on Wednesday evening.
We warmly welcome you to join us for this important and inspiring symposium
Preliminary Program
Day 1 – Wednesday
Moderators: Göran Dellgren and Sofia Grudemo
07.30-08.00 Coffee
08.00-08.15 Welcome, Introduction of the day, and Case presentation by resident
08.15-08.45 Definitions, types (HFrEF, HFpEF), etiologies leading to Heart Failure HF
Maria Crespo-Leira, Cardiology, A Coruna, Spain
08.45-09.15 Epidemiology, molecular mechanisms and genetics in chronic heart failure
Gustav Smith, Cardiology, Sahlgrenska, Gothenburg
09.15-09.45 Congestive Heart Failure – what are the differential diagnoses?
Gerhard Wikström, Cardiology, Uppsala
09.45-10.15 Break and coffee
10.15-10.45 Arrhythmias and congestive heart failure
Frieder Braunschweig, Cardiology, Karolinska, Stockholm
10.45-11.15 Why Some Hearts Fail and Others Adapt - Exploring the variability of the failing heart
Kristjan Karason, Cardiology, Sahlgrenska, Gothenburg
11.15-11.30 Case Unveiling Presentation
11.30-12.30 Lunch
Diagnostic Section in CHF
Case presentation by resident
12.30-13.00 Imaging with echocardiography in CHF
Maria Eriksson, Physiology, Karolinska, Stockholm
13.00-13.30 The Value of MR in Congestive Heart Failure
Marcus Carlsson, Physiology, Karolinska, Stockholm
13.30-14.00 Investigation of specific cardiomyopathies and therapeutic implications
Arash Mokhtari, Cardiology, Skånes Univ Sjukhus, Lund
14.00-14.30 A pathologist’s perspective on pathophysiology in Congestive Heart Failure
Anders Oldfors, Pathology, Sahlgrenska, Göteborg
14.30-15.00 Why are biomarkers important in CHF – the evidence and how I use them?
Kieran Docherty, Cardiology, Glasgow, UK
15.00-15.30 Break and coffee
16.00-16.30 Tricuspid insufficiency and right ventricular strain in heart failure?
16.30-17.00 What have we learned from the Swedish Heart Failure Registry?
17.00-17.30 Percutaneous mitral and tricuspid devices in heart failure – when and in whom?
17.30-17.50 Clinical Assessment of Advanced Heart Failure – When to Consider Advanced Therapies
17.50-18.00 Case Unveiling Presentation
18.00 Photography
18.15 Drink, Mingel and Symposia Dinner at the Swedish Society of Medicine
Day 2 – Thursday
Moderators: Lena Jideus and Nadia Sandström
07.30-08.00 Coffee
08.00-08.15 Introduction of day and Case presentation by resident
Treatment of Chronic Heart Failure
08.15-08.45 CHF and Drugs – what Evidence and for what?
Lars Lund, Cardiology, Karolinska, Stockholm
08.45-09.15 CHF and devices – which patient, when and how?
Cecilia Linde, Cardiology, Karolinska, Stockholm
09.15-09.45 Heart Failure and valve diseases – when Is intervention or surgery preferred?
Anders Jeppsson, Surgery, Sahlgrenska, Gothenburg
09.45-10.15 Break and coffee
10.15-10.45 PCI or CABG in CHF and CAD – when to choose what?
Elmir Omerovic, Cardiology, Sahlgrenska, Gothenburg
10.45-11.15 Heart Transplantation and LVAD Bridge-to-HTx – why is it considered gold standard?
Göran Dellgren, Surgery, Sahlgrenska, Gothenburg
11.15-11.45 The recent evolution or revolution of heart transplantation – how did we become the largest institution in the world and how will the future look like?
Ashish Shah, Surgery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville
11.45-12.15 Myocardial Recovery: Future Challenges and Opportunities for MCS
Mandeep Mehra, Cardiology, Harvard University, Boston
12.15-12.30 Case Unveiling Presentation and HTx patient perspective
12.30-13.30 Lunch
How to optimize care in hospital and in primary care for CHF patients
Case presentation by resident
13.30-13.50 Heart Failure management in primary care – hospital management at home?
Åke Åkesson, Primary Health Care, Borgholm, Öland
13.50-14.10 Collaboration between hospital heart failure clinics and primary care: key factors to success?
Jonas Spaak, Cardiology, Stockholm
14.10-14.30 CHF patients is best managed by nurses – this is how we do it
Maria Liljeroos, MSc, Heart Failure Policlinic, Dept Cardiology, Eskilstuna
14.30-14.45 Panel discussion with speakers and moderators
14.45-15.15 Break and coffee
15.15-15.35 What is the evidence for fluid and salt restrictions in CHF patients?
Linn Höög, MSc, Karolinska, Stockholm
15.35-15.55 Telemonitoring in Advanced Heart Failure - Clinical benefits, personal experience, and ongoing research
Thomas Mellberg Rydenstam, Cardiology, Sahlgrenska, Gothenburg
15.55-16.15 This is how I work up severe heart failure patients – and where we find them?
Oscar Braun, Cardiology, Skåne University Hospital, Lund
16.15-16.45 Panel discussion with speakers and moderators and case unveiling presentation
Ongoing Scandinavian Studies Impacting CHF Patients
16.45-17.45 Rapid fire presentation - on-going studies - 10 min presentation, 5 min discussion
- STICH Swedeheart study - Björn Redfors, Cardiology, Sahlgrenska, Göteborg
Comparison PCI vs CABG with HFrEF and CAD - SweVAD study - Göran Dellgren, Surgery, Sahlgrenska, Göteborg
RCT between medical management and LVAD in CHF - SPIRIT-HEFpEF study- Lars Lund, Cardiology, Karolinska, Stockholm
Spironolactone Initiation Registry Randomized Interventional Trial in Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction - SCAPIS study – Göran Bergström, Physiology, Sahlgrenska, Göteborg
How can the SCAPIS study increase understanding of Heart Failure?
17.55 Resolution of the day
18.00 Mingel
18.30-22.00 Faculty Dinner
Day 3 – Friday
Moderators: Sigurdur Ragnarsson and Markus Bjurbom
07.30-08.00 Coffee
08.00-08.15 Introduction and case presentation by resident
Acute Heart Failure and Cardiogenic Shock
08.15-08.45 Beyond the Pump: Reframing Cardiogenic Shock in Heart Failure?
Mandeep Mehra, Cardiology, Harvard University, Boston
08.45-09.15 Acute heart failure management in the intensive care unit – how and for whom?
Mattias Törnudd, Anesthesia, Linköping
09.15-09.45 Cardiogenic shock in the ICU – how and when should we use ECMO?
Michael Broomé, Anesthesia, ECMO-center, Karolinska, Stockholm
09.45-10.30 Break and coffee
Maryjane Farr, Cardiology, Dallas
Bengt Redfors, Anaesthesia, Sahlgrenska, Gothenburg
11.30-12.00 Quality-of-life after ECMO and intensive care for acute heart failure – what´s known?
Inga lára Ingvarsdóttir, Anaesthesia, Reykjavik, Iceland.
Emil Najjar, Cardiology, Karolinska, Stockholm
12.30-12.45 Case Unveiling Presentation and Resolution of Day, Conclude and Fairwell
12.45-13.30 Lunch