Surgical Hot Topics

STS Summer Series: SAVR vs. TAVR: Controversial Cases and Insights from the Experts

In this episode of the STS Summer Series, Gorav Ailawadi, MD, MBA, and Tsuyoshi Kaneko, MD, moderate a panel of cardiothoracic surgeons and cardiologists as they review challenging cases of aortic stenosis and debate the merits of SAVR vs. TAVR as the preferred treatment. Cases include patients with bicuspid aortic valve, failed surgical bioprosthesis, small annulus, and concomitant coronary disease. Panelists include: Vinayak N. Bapat, MD, Adam B. Greenbaum, MD, Molly Szerlip, MD, and Vinod H. Thourani, MD.

Beyond the Abstract: Cardiothoracic Surgeons in Pandemics, Ethical Considerations

Hosted by Thomas K. Varghese Jr., MD, MS, the “Beyond the Abstract” program explores the “whys” behind articles in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery and discusses next steps with authors and thought leaders. In the latest episode, Robert M. Sade, MD, joins Dr. Varghese to discuss ethical considerations in the practice of cardiothoracic surgery during a pandemic. Dr. Sade mentions the application of ethical principles and ethical concerns with regard to limited resource allocation. Read the related Annals Article, “Cardiothoracic Surgeons in Pandemics: Ethical Considerations.”

STS Summer Series: Clinical Research in VHD during COVID: Adapting to a Dynamic and Multifaceted Pandemic

STS/ACC TVT Registry leaders—Vinod H. Thourani, MD, and John D. Carroll, MD—moderate a panel of investigators, representatives from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and industry about valvular heart disease clinical research during COVID. They discuss the effects of the pandemic on research infrastructure, impediments to patient follow-ups and data collection, potential shifts in collaborative trial development guided by the FDA, and new techniques in post-market surveillance. Panelists include Dominic J. Allocco, MD, Andrew Farb, MD, Susheel K. Kodali, MD, Michael J. Mack, MD, Mark Reisman, MD, Barathi Sethuraman, PhD, Changfu Wu, PhD, Bram D. Zuckerman, MD.

STS Summer Series: Economic Impact of COVID and Implications for the Future of Cardiothoracic Surgery

STS President Joseph A. Dearani, MD, moderates a panel discussion that includes surgeons, a hospital executive, and a health care consultant on the economic impact of COVID and its implications for cardiothoracic surgery. At a time when cardiothoracic surgeons face 7%-8% cuts in Medicare reimbursement, they talked about the financial strain that COVID has had on staffing and salaries, how cardiothoracic surgeons quickly adapted to their roles on the front lines, the potential need for surgeons to begin rebuilding their referral networks, and the positive accelerated development of telemedicine opportunities. Panelists include Vinay Badhwar, MD, Richard K. Freeman, MD, MBA, Robert S. Jasak, JD, and Roberta Schwartz, PhD.

STS Summer Series: How I Learned Robotic Cardiac Surgery

T. Sloane Guy, MD, MBA, and Husam H. Balkhy, MD, moderate a discussion with surgeons who are experts in robotic cardiac procedures. They talk about how they got started in robotic surgery, the importance of institutional support for building and training a team, and the efficacy of robotic surgery as an instructional tool for residents and fellows. Panelists include Vinay Badhwar, MD, Arnar Geirsson, MD, Eugene A. Grossi, MD, Robert L. Smith II, MD, and Francis P. Sutter, DO.

Beyond the Abstract: The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Intermacs 2019 Annual Report: The Changing Landscape of Devices and Indications

Hosted by Thomas K. Varghese Jr., MD, MS, the “Beyond the Abstract” program explores the “whys” behind articles in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery and discusses next steps with authors and thought leaders. In the latest episode, Francis D. Pagani, MD, PhD, joins Dr. Varghese to discuss the findings of the Intermacs 2019 Annual Report. They mentioned the percent decrease in patients listed for a transplant when they received an LVAD, introduction of new technologies, and a comparison of technologies. Read the related Annals article online: The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Intermacs 2019 Annual Report: The Changing Landscape of Devices and Indications. 

STS Summer Series: Early Career Surgeons, COVID-19, and the Future

STS President Joseph A. Dearani, MD, and Mara B. Antonoff, MD, moderate an interactive panel discussion with early career cardiothoracic surgeons about how COVID has affected their scope of work and how it may change going forward. They also discuss the expanding role of telemedicine and silver linings from the COVID pandemic. Panelists include Elizabeth A. David, MD, Melanie A. Edwards, MD, Gabriel Loor, MD, HelenMari L. Merritt-Genore, DO, Olugbenga T. Okusanya, MD, and Elizabeth H. Stephens, MD, PhD.

Beyond the Abstract: The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Thoracic Surgery Practice and Access Task Force—2019 Workforce Report

Hosted by Thomas K. Varghese Jr., MD, MS, the “Beyond the Abstract” program explores the “whys” behind articles in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery and discusses next steps with authors and thought leaders. In the latest episode, John S. Ikonomidis, MD, PHD, joins Dr. Varghese to discuss the findings of the 2019 STS Practice Survey. Mandatory cognitive testing, increasing the number of women in the workforce, and job satisfaction are a few of the topics that are addressed. Read the related Annals article online: https://bit.ly/2Y0uiqe

Beyond the Abstract: Does tumor FDG-PET Avidity Represent Enhanced Glycolytic Metabolism in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer?

The death rate from cancer has steadily declined over the past 25 years; however, worldwide there were 9.6 million deaths in 2018, with lung cancer still number one among all cancer types. In the latest episode of “Beyond the Abstract,” a program that explores the “whys” behind an article in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery, Dr. Kemp H. Kernstine joins host Dr. Tom Varghese to discuss whether tumor FDG-PET avidity represents enhanced glycolytic metabolism in non-small cell lung cancer. Read the related Annals article online: https://bit.ly/3c9sXm5.

Beyond the Abstract: Pain and Opioid Use After Thoracic Surgery

Hosted by Thomas K. Varghese Jr., MD, MS, the “Beyond the Abstract” program explores the “whys” behind articles in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery and discusses next steps with authors and thought leaders. In the latest episode, Lisa M. Brown, MD, MAS, joins Dr. Varghese to discuss a widespread unresolved healthcare problem—pain. Dr. Brown explains why it is important to learn more about predictors of chronic pain and the impact on health-related quality of life, known as pain interference.