This presentation on day one of STS 2024 will report on a comprehensive approach that focuses on maximizing survival and optimizing the utilization of donor hearts in patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) and HLHS-related malformations with functionally univentricular ductal-dependent systemic circulation. 

"Dr. Mark Bleiweis"
Dr. Mark Bleiweis will report on study findings of a comprehensive approach to treating neonates with HLHS and HLHS-related 

“A Comprehensive Approach to the Management of Patients with HLHS and HLHS-Related Malformation” will begin at 9:45 a.m. CT in room Stars at Night 1.  The presentation is part of the STS “Cardiac Center in Evolution: Management of Single Ventricle” session.
  
Dr. Mark Bleiweis, from the University of Florida, will report on findings describing outcomes that resulted from using this approach in 100 consecutive neonates. During the talk, Dr. Bleiweis will detail how these neonates with HLHS and HLHS-related malformations, during an eight-year period, were stratified into three different pathways based on their risk factors, and mortality rates that resulted for these neonates.

“This study is based on the principle that some patients with HLHS or HLHS-related malformations are at very high-risk for Norwood (Stage 1) palliation or hybrid palliation secondary to important cardiac risk factors,” said Dr. Bleiweis.  

Jan 26, 2024
1 min read

On Saturday, January 27 at 9:45 a.m. CT, Christopher Mehta, MD, from Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, will present “Age-Stratified Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement for Aortic Stenosis: An Analysis of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons Adult Cardiac Surgery Database (ACSD).” 

"Dr. Christopher Mehta"
During his talk, Dr. Christopher Mehta will provide insight into how comprehensive data helps inform multidisciplinary heart teams in making decisions for patients.

The study is part of the STS 2024 session titled, “Trends and Research from the STS ACSD.” During his talk, Dr. Mehta will provide insight into how comprehensive data help inform multidisciplinary heart teams in making decisions between surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) and transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) for patients. 

Attendees will learn how the national landscape for SAVR and TAVR changed between 2011 and 2022, as experts evaluated age-specific trends and outcomes in surgical aortic valve replacement (AVR) in patients with bicuspid (BAV) or tricuspid (TAV) aortic valve by analyzing data from the STS ACSD. 

Throughout the 11-year study, which followed more than 200,000 adult patients with BAV or TAV who underwent AVR for moderate and severe aortic stenosis, age-specific trends and outcomes were evaluated. 

Jan 26, 2024
1 min read
Event dates
Dec 5–7, 2024
Location
Buenos Aires, Argentina
An STS collaboration with the Asian Society for Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery
Event dates
Nov 14–16, 2024
Location
Tokyo, Japan
Advanced surgical and transcatheter techniques in valve surgery and atrial fibrillation.
Event dates
Sep 20–21, 2024
Location
JW Marriott Chicago
Advance your skills in coronary artery surgery with the latest research and techniques.
Event dates
Jun 7–8, 2024
Hands-on team training in robotic mitral valve repair, coronary bypass, and more.
Event dates
May 9–10, 2024
Location
Peachtree Corners, GA
Using largest U.S. Database, study in low-risk patients reveals 5-year survival rate of 93%
Oct 17, 2023
Experts provide insight on the management of patients with ascending aortic aneurysm.
Date
Duration
1 hr. 35 min.

For the first time, The Society of Thoracic Surgeons joined the Korean Society for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery (KSTCVS) in their presentation of the Heart Valve Disease Forum (HVDF), an annual conference that delivers the latest developments on the basis, cause, diagnosis, treatment, and future of valve disease.

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Heart Valve Disease Forum in Seoul

The forum, held September 15-16, 2023, in Dragon City, Yongsan, Seoul, was led by the President of the HVDF, Dr. Kyung Hwan Kim, and organized by co-program directors Dr. Joon Bum Kim of Asan Medical Center of Ulsan College of Medicine and Dr. S. Chris Malaisrie of Northwestern University, who commented “STS was thrilled to partner with the KSTCVS on this international event, highlighting transpacific expertise on valves.”

Dr. Kim remarked, “By co-hosting the forum with STS, we brought together the world’s top scholars in related fields for discussion and achieved the best conference experience.”

More than 300 surgeons, residents, and other medical students attending the conference heard from luminary surgeons and professors on today’s hottest topics impacting the specialty, including TAVI, innovative SAVR, and endocarditis, and trained on surgical techniques in wet labs. “The dynamic, case-based discussions and interactive wet labs with skilled faculty inspired the next generation of cardiac surgeons," said Dr. Malaisrie.

Dr. Thomas MacGillivray, president of STS, delivered several talks, including one on “Crisis Management in the Operating Room and Surgeon Leadership.”

At this year’s conference, particular emphasis was placed on connecting young surgeons responsible for the future of heart valve surgery with proven STS surgeon leaders through a mentor-mentee program. It was an exclusive opportunity for early career attendees to gain invaluable guidance on navigating their career paths and overcoming challenges from leaders.

“The heart valve symposium was a wonderful success and a historical event that stands out among the meeting’s 30-year history,” said Dr. Kim. “Our Korean colleagues agreed that collaborating with STS was the best thing in terms of excellence of lectures, one-to-one teaching in the wet lab, an exciting mentorship program, and beautiful times spent outside of the conference room.”

Oct 10, 2023
2 min read
The annual meeting of the Korean Society for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, presented jointly with STS
Event dates
Sep 15–16, 2023
Location
Seoul Dragon City, Seoul, Korea

On June 3, 2023, in Miami Beach, Florida, cardiothoracic surgeons from around the world convened for the second annual STS Coronary Conference. Distinguished speakers and luminary surgeons painted a modern, ever-changing landscape of coronary surgery with new technologies, such as medical robotics, increasingly integrated into the specialty daily. Attendees experienced game-changing ideas, back-to-the-basics techniques, and ground-breaking science in diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to heart disease.

“The meeting brought together international leaders in the treatment of coronary artery disease and focused on the fundamentals and advanced therapies for coronary artery disease, including medical management, arterial conduits, and minimally invasive surgical revascularization,” said Joseph F. Sabik III, MD, surgeon-in-chief and vice president for surgical operations at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, and a course director of the conference. “The conversations were engaging and the atmosphere was electric.”

Sessions covered a wide range of topics, including heart team patient selection and approaches; conduit selection and harvest; non-invasive and invasive preoperative workups; and postoperative medical therapy.

Here’s a look at a few key presentations:

Two Decades of Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting in Females: Has Anything Changed?

Elizabeth Norton, MD, Emory University School of Medicine, and a team of surgeons representing the division of cardiothoracic surgery and the division of cardiology at the institution, examined trends in females undergoing isolated coronary artery bypass grafting during the past two decades. What they found is that female CABG mortality at their institution was higher than the male cohort and the overall national average and did not improve over time.​ Females undergoing isolated CABG were increasingly diverse, experienced more preoperative comorbidities, were more likely to undergo urgent CABG, and had greater IMA utilization.

External Stenting for Saphenous Vein Grafts in Coronary Surgery

Saphenous vein grafts have high failure rates with 3% to 12% occluding before hospital discharge, 8% to 25% failing at 1 year, and only 50% to 60% remaining patent after a decade.​ As a research fellow with the department of cardiothoracic surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine, Giovanni Jr. Soletti, MD, wanted to know - can neointima formation be prevented?​

By conducting a study-level meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials and other research methods, Dr. Soletti found that VEST reduces intimal hyperplasia and thickness of SVGs after CABG. This reduction does not translate into fewer graft occlusion events or repeat revascularization compared to non-VEST SVGs at a follow-up of 1.5 years. SVGs harvested with no-touch technique or arterial conduits, when clinically adequate, may be safely used to improve long-term patency. Further long-term data and larger studies are needed.

Intraoperative Extubation After Isolated CABG and Post-Operative Outcomes

There is a well-known association between post-op ventilator time and morbidity in CABG surgery. Les James, MD, a resident cardiothoracic surgeon at NYU Langone Health, explored the impact of routine OR extubation on postoperative outcomes. She studied risk factors and outcomes based on a patient’s age, BMI, EF% STS risk score, STS prolonged vent score, CPB, and XC and concluded that routine OR extubation after isolated CABG is safe and that expanded use of planned OR extubation may be warranted.

All three highlighted abstract presentations were conducted by cardiothoracic fellows. STS encourages residents and fellows to submit original research to an international expert faculty for future presentations.

Review all conference abstracts.

Jun 12, 2023
3 min read