Authors

• Jadranka Šeparović
• Hanževački — ORCID: 0000-0002-3437-6407
• Viktor Peršić — ORCID: 0000-0003-4473-5431

DOI

Full Text

Dear colleagues, **CroEcho2017** is a bi-annual Croatian echocardiography congress with international participation, which has developed from previous national echocardiography meetings and symposiums and which keeps gathering cardiologists focusing not only on echocardiography but also those who are focused on other areas of cardiology. Two years have passed since our previous **CroEcho2015** congress that was held in Opatija. This period has been marked by the improvement and development of new cardiologic percutaneous interventions and cardio support as well as complex imaging and hemodynamic reconstructions. The application of new insights in clinical cardiology in everyday practice, especially echocardiographic knowledge and skills, is an important part of our work and our main driver. Heart MRI and MSCT imaging have significantly contributed to a better understanding of the pathophysiological processes which occur in a wide range of disease syndromes, thus enabling a more precise choice of the treatment modality as well as individual and optimized evidence-based medical treatment. The cardiology of today thus becomes more propulsive and, in cooperation with other complementary specialists, enables a continuous improvement of the quality of care for the heart patient as well as an improvement of the long-term prognosis for the patient. Through clinical review, echocardiography, and imaging presentations in the heart team, we are putting the patient back in the center of our clinical work. Additionally, by putting together a group of specialized cardiology experts focused on solving clinical problems through the exchange of various opinions, we are able to achieve true advances in our profession and aim at achieving the biggest benefits for our patients. These important issues are the cornerstone of modern cardiology and, more than ever, clinical echocardiography is to take this role. This year’s **CroEcho2017** congress will focus on taking an integral view of the patient and on problem-solving in a team. This program is aimed at boosting professional excellence in making a correct and timely cardiac diagnosis and purposeful treatment of the patient. It is our aim to offer you an education which is in accordance with the European and global standards in the areas of basic echocardiography, advanced echocardiography methods, and other imaging modalities in cardiology. The quality of the professional and practical content of our course in echocardiography has been verified by the Education Board of the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (EACVI) of the European Society of Cardiology, which has granted our course the status of an EACVI Extramural course. The scientific part of the congress contains original research results presented as extended abstracts, plenary sessions, round tables, and announcements. We highlight the research on strain analysis in acute coronary syndromes and aortic stenosis, specifics in estimating degenerative mitral stenosis and rare cardiomyopathies, as well as interesting case reports where echocardiography influenced the treatment course and outcome of the disease. Finally, **CroEcho** is an opportunity to meet renowned international and national experts and to share scientific ideas and clinical experience in a warm and collegial atmosphere. Congress directors Jadranka Šeparović Hanževački Viktor Peršić