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Cardiac Electrophysiology Program
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The Cardiac Electrophysiology program is currently undergoing a major expansion of faculty, clinical services, research programs, and facilities. The current faculty includes Kathryn Collins, MD, Michelle Khoo, MD, Laurent Lewkowiez, MD, William Sauer, MD, and Michael Reiter, MD PhD. A major priority of the section remains the recruitment of new faculty to contribute to the expanding clinical services and research programs.
Dr. Laurent Lewkowiez serves as the interim Director of the integrated University of Colorado Denver (UCD) EP Program and Director of Electrophysiology Laboratories at Denver Health Medical Center (DHMC). Dr. Lewkowiez completed training in Cardiovascular Medicine and Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology at UCD. He gained additional experience in advanced ablation skills at the University of Pennsylvania Health System where he learned techniques in catheter ablation for treatment of atrial fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia. Dr. Lewkowiez initiated the complex ablation program currently offered at University of Colorado Hospital (UCH) and DHMC, where patients are treated with minimally invasive catheter ablation for management of ventricular tachycardia and atrial fibrillation.
Dr. William Sauer serves as Director of the Electrophysiology Laboratories at UCH and is also on staff at DHMC. Dr. Sauer completed his clinical training in Cardiovascular Medicine and Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology at the University of Pennsylvania Health System. Dr. Sauer is trained in all aspects of clinical electrophysiology including biventricular device implantation, and catheter ablation of supraventricular tachycardia, atrial fibrillation, and ventricular tachycardia.
Dr. Michelle Khoo completed her clinical and research training in Cardiovascular Medicine and Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology at Vanderbilt University and has additional experience in managing patients with congestive heart failure. Dr. Khoo manages the Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy clinic, and the Cardiac Rhythm Management Device Clinic.
Dr. Kathryn Collins is a pediatric cardiac electrophysiologist and specializes in the evaluation and management of arrhythmias in adults with congenital heart disease. She completed her training in Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Electrophysiology at the Children’s Hospital in Boston and at the University of California San Francisco. Prior to joining the faculty at UCD, Dr. Collins served as Director of the Pediatric Arrhythmia Center at UCSF.
Michael Reiter, MD, PhD, a long time faculty member, who now sees patients on a part-time basis, continues to contribute significantly to the Cardiac Electrophysiology section, as Professor Emeritus and Director of Arrhythmia Research.
In addition to the EP faculty listed above, the section has relationships with other UCH and DHMC physicians, including cardiac surgeons, heart failure specialists, and medical geneticists, to offer the full complement of arrhythmia management services at UCD. These services include a broad range of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, in-patient and out-patient consultations, and specialized clinics for patients with arrhythmias, ICDs or pacemakers. Future goals for enhancing the clinical EP services include expansion of the complex ablation program, development of the lead extraction program, and continued participation in the development of the congenital heart disease program.
With the construction of the new Cardiac and Vascular Center, there are two new EP suites including one fitted with biplane fluoroscopic imaging, intracardiac echocardiography, and 3D electroanatomical mapping to assist in the full complement of catheter ablation therapies. A separate single-plane fluoroscopy suite is used for electrophysiologic studies and implantations of cardiac rhythm management devices. In addition, separate rooms are available for non-invasive procedures including tilt-table testing, non-invasive programmed stimulation, and electrical cardioversion.
An active EP research program is in place to evaluate new implantable devices for management of congestive heart failure and prevention of sudden cardiac death, as well as catheter ablation of arrhythmias. Recently, the publication of COMPANION trial has highlighted UCD as a center intimately involved in the arena of cardiac resynchronization therapy. In addition to investigating new ways to enhance the efficacy of CRT, the research projects of the EP section include improving catheter ablation techniques for treating complex arrhythmias, use of molecular markers for sudden death risk stratification, and expanding the diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities of implantable cardiac devices.
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Fara Bowler, RN, ANP
Kathryn K. Collins, MD
Cathleen Kenny, RN, ANP
Michelle S.C. Khoo, MD
Laurent Lewkowiez, MD
Michael J. Reiter, MD, PhD
William H. Sauer, MD
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