Angelos G. Rigopoulos MD, PhD, FESC
Interventional Cardiologist

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Short Biography

Dr. Angelos Rigopoulos is an interventional cardiologist with many years of experience in University Hospitals in Greece and abroad.

He graduated from the Varvakeio Model School and was admitted to the Medical School of the University of Athens with Panhellenic examinations. He specialized in Cardiology at the at the time unique University Cardiology Department of the University of Athens at the Hippocration Hospital, where he remained as a clinical and research academic associate for another six years, working daily in the Catheterization Laboratory and the Special Clinic for Cardiomyopathies and Hereditary Diseases (Pheidippides Program), which was transformed in 2004 into EKKAN (Special Center for Cardiology of Athletes and Youth).

In 2002, he received further training in Germany on the interventional treatment of hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy(HOCM) with alcohol septal ablation and successfully performed the procedure for the first time in Greece in 2003.

In 2003 he received his PhD thesis with honors.

Since 2004, he served as an Consultant Cardiologist at the 2nd Cardiology Department of the University of Athens at Attikon University Hospital since its establishment.

In 2011 he moved to Germany, where he worked for almost 10 years as Consultant Cardiologist and Director of the Catheterization Laboratory, first at the Leopoldina Schweinfurt Academic Hospital, a reference center for the interventional treatment of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in Germany, and then at the University Hospital of Halle an der Saale, where he gained extensive experience in the interventional treatment of structural heart disease and complex coronary artery disease.

At the end of 2020 he returned to Greece and since then he has been working as Associate Director of the Adult Cardiology Department and Scientific Supervisor of the Catheterization Laboratory at the Mitera Hospital,Hygeia Group.

Studies

1985-1991

School of Health Sciences, Department of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

1985-1991

12/1998

Specialisation in Cardiology, Cardiology Department of the University of Athens, Hippocration Genaral Hospital of Athens

1998 – 2004:

Training in Interventional Cardiology at the Cardiology Departmetnt of the University of Athens (Hippocration General Hospital of Athens)

1998 – 2004:

2002

Specialisation in the interventional treatment of hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (2002) at the Department of Cardiology, Leopoldina Hospital Schweinfurt, Germany (international reference centre for this special intervention)

2008

Training (theoretical and practical) in transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) by the Edwards program - start of the TAVI Program at Attikon University Hospital

2008

2019

Boston Scientific Educational Meeting "TAVI Implanters Meeting 2019", Munich , Germany

2019

MULTISTARS AMI Study Investigator Meeting, Zurich, Switzerland

2019

Services

2020 - Today:

Mitera General Hospital

Associate Director of the Adult Cardiology Department

2020 - Today:

2021 – Today:

Private Medical Practice

Effroniou 1 and Rizari Street

2017 – 2020:

University Hospital Halle an der Saale, Germany

Cardiology Consultant of the Cardiology Department, Head of the Catheterization Laboratory

2017 – 2020:

2012 – 2017:

Academic Hospital Schweinfurt, Germany

Cardiology Consultant of the Cardiology Department, Head Physician of the Catheterization Laboratory

2004 – 2011:

University General Hospital "Attikon"

Cardiology Consultant of the 2nd Cardiology Department of the University of Athens

2004 – 2011:

1998 – 2004:

Hippocration General Hospital of Athens

Clinical and Research Academic Associate of the 1st Cardiology Department of the University of Athens, Catheterization Laboratory and Clinic for Cardiomyopathies and Hereditary Diseases

1999-2000:

Attending cardiologist at the Intensive Care Unit of the Athens Medical Center, Palaio Faliro Clinic (Director: Cardiologist Christos Kouroubetsis).

1999-2000:

1999: European Society of Cardiology training seminar on hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in Nice, France (European Heart House)

2010: Seminar on Statistics in Interventional Cardiology in Madrid, Spain

2012: Basic training course in radiation protection, University of Würzburg, Germany

2012: Basic training course in radiation protection, University of Würzburg, Germany

2017: Seminar of the German Heart Society for basic training in Heart Failure, University Hospital Hannover, Germany

2017: Seminar in anticoagulation (Anticoagulation Academy), Leipzig, Germany

2017: Combined basic and advanced training course for researchers and research team members in clinical trials - GCP, University of Halle, Germany

2017: Theoretical and practical training course in percutaneous implantation of prosthetic aortic valves (Edwards Sapien 3 THV Fundamentals Training), Nyon, Switzerland

2018: Theoretical and practical training in transcatheter mitral valve repair with MitraClip® (Transcatheter Mitral Valve Repair Multidisciplinary Team Training), Brussels, Belgium.

2018: Training Seminar of the German Society of Cardiology (DGK) for the interventional treatment of structural cardiovascular diseases (Interventions-Akademie: Strukturelle Herzerkrankungen, Schwerpunkt TAVI), Dortmund, Germany

2018: Theoretical and practical training seminar on percutaneous treatment of mitral regurgitation with Carillon® (Carillon Mitral Contour System Training), Halle, Germany

2018: Theoretical and practical training seminar on preoperative assessment of aortic stenosis by CT angiography for percutaneous implantation of aortic valve prostheses (Evolut TAVI Platform - Meet the Expert on Sizing Training), Tolochenaz, Switzerland

2018: Theoretical and practical training seminar on percutaneous prosthetic aortic valve implantation (Evolut TAVI Platform - Team Approach to TAVI Procedure), Tolochenaz, Switzerlan

2019: Training seminar for researchers and research team members in clinical trials (GCP):Publications and Clinical Trials, Novartis Simulyve

2019: Training seminar for researchers and members of research teams in clinical trials (GCP):Safety Reporting for Clinical Trials, Novartis Simulyve

2019: Seminar on theoretical and practical training in higher education (Hochschullehrertraining 2019) at the University of Halle Medical School (Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg), Neukirchen, Germany, 15-20.09.2019.

2019: Seminar on theoretical and practical training in interventional treatment of calcified coronary lesions (Calcium Treatment Fundamentals Workshop), Universitätsklinikum Gießen, Gießen, Germany

2019: German Society of Cardiology (DGK) Training Seminar for specific training in heart failure - interventional treatment of heart failure / heart transplantation and mechanical circulatory support, University Hospital Jena, Germany

2019: Seminar for theoretical and practical training in specialized cardiopulmonary resuscitation (Advanced Life Support, ALS) Halle, Germany.

2020: Refresher training course for investigators and members of research groups in clinical studies - GCP Refresher (Refresher-Kurs für Prüfer und Mitglieder der Prüfgruppe nach AMG), Koordinierungszentrum für klinische Studien Halle, Halle, Germany

  • Certification of specialization in heart failure by the German Heart Association (Zusatzqualifikation Herzinsuffizienz DGK)

  • Certification to perform interventions
    • percutaneous aortic valve
    • replacement
    • percutaneous mitral valve repair
    • percutaneous closure of the left atrial appendage
  • Certification in the interventional treatment of coronary artery lesions
  • Significant experience in performing
    • percutaneous closure of an open oval hole
    • Establishment of permanent interatrial communication in patients with HFpEF
    • percutaneous treatment of tricuspid valve insufficiency
    • controlled coronary sinus stenosis in coronary artery disease
  • Certification in interventional cardiology applications in structural heart disease:
    • o TAVI valves (Edwards, Medtronic, Boston Scientific)
    • o Transcatheter mitral valve repair (MitraClip, Abbott and Carillon).
    • o Transcatheter left atrial appendage closure (Watchmann 2 and Watchmann Flex, Abbott)

  • Certification in the interventional treatment of calcified coronary artery lesions
  • Certification in Genetic Counseling in Cardiology
  • Training certification in Radiation Protection

Within the framework of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC)

1. Writing Guidelines of the European Society of Cardiology

a. 2023 Acute coronary syndromes (task force member)

b. 2016 Dyslipidemia

2. Member of the Congress Programme Committee of the Pan-European Cardiology Congress for the years 2016 - 2018

3. Member of the Myocardial and Pericardial Diseases Task Force Core Group (secretary 2014-2018 and member 2020-2024)

Within the Hellenic Society of Cardiology

1. Founding member (2010), core member (2010-2014, 2016-2018), Vice-Chairman (2022-2024) and Chairman (2024-2026) of the Cardiomyopathies Working Group

Participation in multicentre clinical studies

(University Cardiology Clinic of the University of Halle, Germany)

1. MULTISTARS-AMI as principal investigator

2. ENVISAGE TAVI AF as co-investigator

3. TRAM (TTR Screening für die hereditäre Transthyretin-related Amyloidosis (TRAM-Analyse) as co-investigator

4. HF-Opt (Heart Failure Optimization) as co-investigator

5. FAIR-HFpEF as co-researcher

Participation in research protocols and projects in Greece

(2nd Cardiology Clinic of the University of Athens, Attikon University Hospital)

1. Research protocols on the role of inflammatory cytokines and viral infections in paroxysmal atrial fibrillation and other cardiac diseases (An. Professor Ioannis Rizos, Professor Gerasimos Filippatos, Professor Ioannis Parisis, Professor Maria Anastasiou-Nana).

2. National prospective registry of patients with endocarditis (Professor Eleni Yamarellou)

Participation in scientific conferences

Active participation in more than 200 annual international, national and local conferences and seminars with general medical topics but mainly in conferences of more specific topics of Clinical and Interventional Cardiology. Indicatively mentioned are the conferences of the Hellenic Society of Cardiology, Hellenic Society of Heart Failure, German Cardiac Society and the European Society of Cardiology.

A. Greek

1. Hellenic Cardiology Society

- Interventional Cardiology Working Group of the Hellenic Society of Cardiology

- Echocardiography Working Group of the Hellenic Society of Cardiology

- Working Group on Cardiomyopathies and Pericardial Diseases of the Hellenic Society of Cardiology (founding member)

- Valvular Diseases Working Group of the Hellenic Society of Cardiology (founding member)

2. Hellenic College of Cardiology

3. Hellenic Society of Lipidology and Atherosclerosis

4. Society for the Study and Research of Heart Failure

Β. International

1. German Society of Cardiology (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Kardiologie)

- Working Group on Interventional Cardiology of the German Society of Cardiology (Arbeitsgruppe Interventionelle Kardiologie (AG 6) - AGIK)

- Working Group on Cardiomyopathies of the German Society of Cardiology (Arbeitsgruppe Kardiomyopathien (AG 12) - Basic Science Cluster)

- Working Group on Heart Failure of the German Heart Association (Arbeitsgruppe Chronische Herzinsuffizienz (AG 10))

2. European Society of Cardiology, of which I am a Fellow (FESC)

- European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI)

- Working Group on Myocardial and Pericardial Diseases of the European Society of Cardiology

- Heart Failure Association (HFA) of the European Society of Cardiology

- Association for Acute Cardiovascular Care (ACVC)

- Council on Valvular Heart Disease

2003: doctoral thesis with honors, entitled "Subclinical skeletal muscle myopathy in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and its correlation with the clinical features of the disease", Cardiology Clinic of the University of Athens, Hippocrates Hospital, Medical School of the University of Athens.

  • Participation in the writing of textbooks
    • "Cardiology" by the Professor of Cardiology of the University of Athens, Mr. D. Kremastinos, 2008 edition

  • Teaching books
    • Book "Ultrasound Issues in Cardiovascular Diseases", edited by I. Vlaseros, 2008, on "The role of echocardiography in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and interventricular septal ablation surgery". International educational activity 21-22.11.2003 Organisation of the 5th European Workshop On Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy in Schweinfurt, Germany (collaboration with Hubert Seggewiss, William J. McKenna). 2005-2007 Development of clinical programmes for interventricular septal defect surgery in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in Cardiology Clinics abroad (collaboration with Hubert Seggewiss).

    • Cardiology Clinic (2nd Department of Internal Medicine and Cardiology Centre) of the Medical Faculty of the University of Szeged, Hungary.

    • Cardiology Clinic of the University of Chandigahr, India.

    • 10-14.07.2006 Organization of International Training Seminar on Interventricular septal ablation (A Decade of Septal Ablation: Workshop On Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy) in Schweinfurt, Germany (collaboration with Hubert Seggewiss).
  • Clinical interest:
    • Cardiac catheterization - Coronary angiography

    • Intervention in complex coronary lesions (bifurcations, stent stenoses)

    • Intracoronary imaging with intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and optical coherence tomography (OCT)

    • Impella®-assisted angioplasty, cardiogenic cataplexy

    • Right heart catheterisation

    • Interventricular septal ablation with ethanol (ASA) in hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM)

    • Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI)

    • Percutaneous mitral valve repair in mitral regurgitation

    • Percutaneous left atrial appendage closure

    • Interventional treatment of structural heart disease

  • Research Interest:
    • Cardiomyopathies

    • Heart failure

    • Interventional Cardiology / Structural Heart Diseases

    • Cellular protection in coronary artery disease, hypertrophy
  • 2009 Best Oral Communication Award at the 3rd Panhellenic Conference of Medical Biochemistry, Athens, 2009.

    Β. Salpeas, E. E. E. Patsouris, D. Kremastinos. Aging and nuclear farnesoid X-receptor in the SHR model: control and remodeling of molecular pathways of metabolic substrate utilization, inflammatory disorders and survival.

  • 2009 Commendation at the 3rd Panhellenic Congress of Medical Biochemistry, Athens, 2009.

    E. Faviou, E. Sakadakis, A.S. Kalogeropoulos, A.G. Rigopoulos, A. Triantafyllis, E. Voltirakis, S. Papathanasiou, T. Papanikolaou, I. Rizos, D.Th. Kremastinos. Association of metalloproteinases and atrial fibrillation in hypertensive patients.

  • 2019 First Prize in Cardiology, BMA Medical Book Awards 2019 for The ESC Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine, 3rd Edition and ESC CardioMed