CTSNet Podcasts

#13: CTSnet Beat Podcast: Interview With Umberto Benedetto, Study on NHS and Private Hospitals, and ISMICS Guidelines

This Beat episode, hosted by Joel Dunning, focuses on the new ISMICS guidelines on TAVI versus SAVR, STS podcasts, the Mitral Foundation website, a new study on atezolizumab, and a UK National database comparison of outcomes between NHS hospitals and private hospitals with the author Umberto Benedetto. For more information on this episode's topics, links are provided:

1. Thourani VH, Edelman JJ, Holmes SD, Nguyen TC, Carroll J, Mack MJ, et al. The International Society for Minimally Invasive Cardiothoracic Surgery Expert Consensus Statement on Transcatheter and Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement in Low- and Intermediate-Risk Patients: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized and Propensity-Matched Studies. Innovations. First Published January 25, 2021.
2. STS Podcasts
3. The Mitral Foundation
4. Atezolizumab in addition to surgery in patients with lung cancer
5. Disparity in clinical outcomes after cardiac surgery between private and public (NHS) payers in England

#12: CTSNet Beat Podcast: Diaphragm Plication, Robotic Alternatives, Reducing Unnecessary X-rays, Job Highlights

This Beat episode, featuring Brian Mitzman MD, general thoracic surgeon with the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, focuses on two recent CTSNet videos: robotic diaphragm plication and "robotic-alternative" instrumentation. He then looks into a recent Annals of Thoracic Surgery publication analyzing how to decrease overutilization of postoperative chest X-rays. Finally, Dr Mitzman takes a dive into the current CT surgery job market. For more information on this episode's topics, links are provided:

1. Kraev A, Gregory J, Counts S. Robotic Left Diaphragm Plication Using Automatic (Cor-Knot) Device. CTSNet. February 2021. doi:10.25373/ctsnet.13957454
2. Dunning J, Colman A. VATS Wristed Instruments in a Middle Lobectomy and Control of Bleeding. CTSNet. February 2021. doi:10.25373/ctsnet.14047058
3. Porter ED, Kelly JL, Fay KA, Hasson RM, Millington TM, Finley DJ, et al. Reducing Unnecessary Chest X-Ray Films After Thoracic Surgery: A Quality Improvement Initiative. Ann Thorac Surg. 2021;111:1012-1018.
4. CTSNet Career Center

Giants of Cardiothoracic Surgery: An Interview With Oscar Howard “Bud” Frazier

In this Giants of Cardiothoracic Surgery interview, Joel Dunning speaks with Oscar Howard “Bud” Frazier about his career. Dr Frazier trained with Michael DeBakey and Denton Cooley while they were developing the first mechanical heart. He continued and advanced this work throughout his career while also performing over 1,200 heart transplants and over 500 left ventricular assist devices (LVAD). Dr Frazier also performed the first HeartMate implantation and the first Jarvik implantation. He has been an instrumental part of mechanical heart development and continues to take a close interest in this rapidly advancing field.

Nontechnical Skills for Cardiothoracic Surgery

In this CTSNet To Go podcast episode, Jessica G. Y. Luc of the University of British Columbia moderates a discussion on nontechnical skills for cardiothoracic surgery. She is joined by Jason J. Han of the University of Pennsylvania, Patrick O. Myers of the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois in Switzerland, Mara Antonoff of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Jennifer Sue Lawton of Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, Maryland, and Thomas K. Varghese Jr of the University of Utah. They discuss the important distinction between nontechnical and operative skills, the types of nontechnical skills that are unique to cardiothoracic surgery, and how to apply them to daily practice.

Exploit the Internet and Be a Shining Star

In this CTSNet To Go episode, Edward M. Bender of Stanford University in California, USA, moderates a discussion on how the internet plays a role in establishing and growing cardiothoracic careers. He is joined by T. Sloane Guy of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, Jessica G. Y. Luc of the University of British Columbia in Canada, and Mara Antonoff of MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, USA. They discuss how to use social media to represent one's self and institution, communicate with colleagues and patients, and establish and evolve mentorships.

#11: CTSNet Beat Podcast: COVID-19 Vaccines: Part II

This Beat episode, hosted by Jessica Luc, MD, covers part two of a two-part discussion on vaccines. Dr Jessica Luc interviews Dr Dimitrios Coutsinos, thoracic surgery fellow with a PhD in immunology, to review the background and data on the latest vaccines available, as well as discuss the developments in its rollout, and potential effectiveness or lack of thereof, against the new variants. 

For more information on this episode's topics, links are provided:

1. Baden LR, El Sahly HM, Essink B, Kotloff K, Frey S, Novak R, et al. Efficacy and safety of the mRNA-1273 SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. N Engl J Med. Dec 30, 2021.
2. Voysey M, Clemens SAC, Madhi SA, Weckx LY, Folegatti PM, Aley PK, et al. Safety and efficacy of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine (AZD1222) against SARS-CoV-2: an interim analysis of four randomised controlled trials in Brazil, South Africa, and the UK. Lancet. Dec 8, 2020.
3. Polack FP, Thomas SJ, Kitchin N, Absalon J, Gurtman A, Lockhart S, et al. Safety and efficacy of the BNT162b2 mRNA Covid-19 vaccine. N Engl J Med. 2020;383:2603-2615.

#10: CTSNet Beat Podcast: Survivors' Status After ECMO for Covid, Reperfusion Strategies, Adult Heart Surgeries Decrease, and Robotically-Assisted Congenital Cardiac Surgery

This Beat episode, featuring Joel Dunning, MD, focuses on survivors' longitudinal functional status of ECMO after COVID-19, a trial on advanced reperfusion strategies, an analysis on the decrease in all adult surgeries, and results of robotically-assisted congenital cardiac surgery. For more information on this episode's topics, links are provided:

• What Does Survival Look Like After ECMO for COVID-19? Small registry highlights need to analyze survivors' longitudinal functional status
  
  • https://www.medpagetoday.com/meetingcoverage/sts/90972
• Advanced reperfusion strategies for patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and refractory ventricular fibrillation (ARREST): a phase 2, single centre, open-label, randomised controlled trial
  
  • https://www.thelancet.com/article/S0140-6736(20)32338-2/fulltext
• An analysis of national data revealed a 53% decrease in all adult heart surgeries, including a 40% decline in non-elective heart surgeries and a 65% drop in elective heart surgeries during the pandemic, compared to 2019.
  
  • https://consumer.healthday.com/b-2-2-pandemic-has-cut-heart-surgeries-in-half-and-more-patients-are-dying-2650177681.html   
  • https://www.ctsnet.org/article/totally-endoscopic-transaortic-septal-myectomy-hypertrophic-cardiomyopathy
• Early Results of Robotically Assisted Congenital Cardiac Surgery: Analysis of 242 Patients : JANS posting
  
  • https://www.ctsnet.org/jans/early-results-robotically-assisted-congenital-cardiac-surgery-analysis-242-patients

Why Is Atrial Fibrillation Undertreated in Patients With CABG and Structural Disease?

In this CTSNet To Go podcast episode, Niv Ad moderates a discussion on the importance of atrial fibrillation in decision-making in structural heart disease and coronary artery disease. He is joined by Marc Gerdisch of the Franciscan St. Francis Heart Center in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Joanna Chikwe of Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California, USA;  and Vinod Thourani of the Piedmont Heart Institute in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

Role of Metastasectomy in Pulmonary Metastatic Disease

In this CTSNet To Go podcast episode, Mara Antonoff moderates a roundtable on the role of metastasectomy in pulmonary metastatic disease. She is joined by Erin M. Corsini of MD Anderson Cancer Center, Loretta Erhunmwunsee of City of Hope Cancer Center in California, and Neel Chudgar of  Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. They discuss variability in practice patterns, specific tumor types, and patient selection.

Innovative Curriculum Design: What Are Programs Doing to Keep Graduates Relevant?

In this CTSNet To Go episode, David Tom Cooke moderates a discussion on innovative curriculum design in cardiothoracic surgery. He is joined by Rishindra M. Reddy of the University of Michigan, Amy G. Fiedler of the University of Wisconsin, Luis Armando Godoy of the University of California David Medical Center, and Thomas K. Varghese, Jr., of the University of Utah. They discuss the fundamental skill sets residents must learn before graduation, the current curriculum at each panelists' respective institutions, and innovative new ideas to guide curriculum development in the future.