#9: CTSNet Beat Podcast: STS 57th Annual Meeting, a Unique Technique for Robotic Lobectomy, and Managing Chest Tubes in COVID-19

This Beat episode, featuring Brian Mitzman, general thoracic surgeon with the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, discusses recent highlights submitted to CTSNet along with a look at this weekend's Society of Thoracic Surgeons 57th Annual Meeting. For more information on this episode's topics, links are provided:

1. Society of Thoracic Surgeons 57th Annual Meeting
2. Fontaine J-P, Parvathaneni A. Moffitt Technique. January 2021. doi:10.25373/ctsnet.13549418. 
3. Ceylan KC, Batihan G, Yazgan S, et al. Pleural complications in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): How to safely apply and follow-up with a chest tube during the pandemic. Eur J Cardiothoracic Surg. 2020;58:1216-1221.

Surgical Management of Acute Aortic Dissections: Tricks and Tips to Simplify the Operation

In this CTSNet To Go podcast episode, Guest Editor Konstadinos A. Plestis and his panelists discuss the seven clinical videos of his recent Guest Editor Series: Surgical Management of Acute Aortic Dissections: Tricks and Tips to Simplify the Operation, highlighting key techniques in difficult cases that can be replicated by all cardiac surgeons. 

Improving Survival in Early Stage NSCLC by Incorporating a 14 Gene Molecular Risk Diagnostic Assay

David Jablons moderates this live event, which presented data about the development of a molecular assay based on resected tumor RNA expression from simple paraffin-fixed tissue samples. This is integrated into an algorithm that can assign a risk score for recurrence. This molecular risk score is fully independent of standard TNM staging and does not rely on any other clinical parameters. The assay has been widely validated in thousands of patients and demonstrates both significant prognostic information and the predictive benefit of adjuvant platinum based chemotherapy in high risk patients, as identified by this assay.

Giants of Cardiothoracic Surgery: An Interview With Lars Svensson

In this Giants of Cardiothoracic Surgery interview, Jessica Luc speaks with Lars G. Svensson of the Cleveland Clinic about his career in cardiac surgery. They discuss the elephant trunk procedure, the modified David reimplantation procedure, and the "J" incision, as well as Dr Svensson's tips for mentorship and leadership.

#8: CTSNet Beat Podcast: COVID-19 Vaccines: Part I

This Beat episode, hosted by Joel Dunning, MD, includes part I of a two-part discussion on vaccines. Dr Dunning reviews three papers on the three COVID-19 vaccines currently available.

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.

Giants of Cardiothoracic Surgery: An Interview With Patrick McCarthy

In this Giants of Cardiothoracic Surgery interview, Joel Dunning speaks with Patrick M. McCarthy, executive director of the Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute at Northwestern in Chicago, Illinois. They discuss Dr McCarthy's training and mentorship, his techniques with mitral valve surgery, and how the field has changed over the course of his career.

Resident Corner: How to Make the Most of One’s Training and Successfully Transition to Practice

Leanne Harling, MD, of the Imperial College, London, UK, and Jessica Luc, MD, of the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, moderate a discussion on the global experience of how to make the most of one's training and successfully transition to practice. They are joined by an international panel of guests, and this discussion spans cardiac surgery and general thoracic surgery. This Resident Corner also covers specific tips and lessons learned in the realm of resident education during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Advocacy

In this CTSNet roundtable, Dawn Hui of UT Health San Antonio, Texas, moderates a discussion on advocacy within the cardiothoracic surgery specialty. She is joined by Keith Naunheim of Saint Louis University in Missouri, John H. Calhoon of the UT Health San Antonio, Texas, Ourania Preventza of Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, Seth Wolf of the University of Vermont, and Courtney Yohe, director of government relations for the Society of Thoracic Surgeons in Washington, D.C. They discuss what advocacy means to them, the impact of advocacy on the specialty, and ways cardiothoracic surgeons can have a direct impact on federal policy.

Disclaimer

Contributions to STS-PAC are voluntary and not tax deductible for federal income tax purposes. You have the right to decline to contribute without any reprisal against your STS membership. Your contribution must be made using a credit card, check or money order, and must be drawn on a personal account to be used to support federal candidates. You must be a US citizen or lawfully admitted permanent US resident to contribute. Federal law requires us to use our best efforts to collect and report the name, mailing address, occupation and name of employer of each individual whose contributions exceed $200 in a calendar year. Federal law prohibits STS and STS-PAC from soliciting contributions from persons outside STS’s restricted class. STS’s restricted class includes individuals who are dues paying members or non-dues paying members with voting rights, and who are US citizens or lawfully admitted permanent US residents.

#7: CTSNet Beat Podcast: Focus on New RCTs

In this Beat episode, hosted by Joel Dunning of the James Cook University Hospital, UK, current topics include the mitraclip MR repair study by Pat McCarthy, Easy-AS study, MARS-2 trial, study on segmentectomy vs. lobectomy, lawsuits against surgical stapler manufactures, MAVRIC trial, and the UK mini mitral trial. For more information on this episode's topics, links are provided:

Mitraclip MR repair study by Pat McCarthy
https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04198870

Easy AS Study
https://www.leicesterbrc.nihr.ac.uk/themes/cardiovascular/novel-cardiovascular-therapeutic-interventions/easy-as/

MARS-2 trial
https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/find-a-clinical-trial/a-trial-looking-at-surgery-for-mesothelioma-mars-2

CALGB study 140503 on segmentectomy versus lobectomy
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30442588/

Lawsuits against surgical stapler manufacturers
https://www.druganddevicewatch.com/2020/05/15/lawsuits-surge-surgical-stapler-manufacturers/

MAVRIC trial by Mr Enoch Akowuah
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31097171/

UK Mini Mitral trial by Mr Enoch Akowuah
https://www.southtees.nhs.uk/services/cardiothoracic-services/cardiothoracic-research/uk-mini-mitral-trial/

VATS Pulmonary Artery Sealing: A Multi-Center Study

Joel Dunning, Moishe Liberman, and Eric Goudie discuss Dr Liberman's method of dividing pulmonary vessels using an energy device and the multi-center study Dr Liberman and Mr Goudie are running to evaluate energy sealing on pulmonary arteries.