STS News, Winter 2017 -- The STS 53rd Annual Meeting is just a few weeks away, but it’s not too late to join your colleagues in Houston, Texas, for one of the largest cardiothoracic surgery meetings in the world. Save $100 off onsite pricing by registering before January 20 at www.sts.org/annualmeeting.
Annual Meeting registration has been simplified this year. Registration provides access to all educational sessions on Sunday, January 22, Monday, January 23, and Tuesday, January 24. Additionally, you will receive complimentary access to Annual Meeting Online. Separate tickets are required to attend the STS Social Event (Monday, January 23) and STS University courses (Wednesday, January 25).
You also can register for STS/AATS Tech-Con 2017, which will be held on Saturday, January 21. View course descriptions and agendas for educational sessions, as well as oral and poster abstracts, in the STS 53rd Annual Meeting Abstract Book.
The Best Forum for Scientific Research
The always-popular general session on Monday will include presentation of the J. Maxwell Chamberlain Memorial Papers and the Richard E. Clark Memorial Papers, which represent some of the top-rated abstracts at the meeting.
The Chamberlain paper for adult cardiac surgery examines moderate coronary artery stenosis after surgical revascularization. The congenital heart surgery paper takes a look at optimal timing for stage-2 palliation after the Norwood operation. And the general thoracic surgery paper reviews a new risk prediction model for long-term mortality following lung cancer resection in patients older than 65.
The Clark papers highlight research that utilizes data from the STS National Database. The adult cardiac surgery paper looks at how surgical ablation affects mortality in contemporary mitral valve repair or replacement operations. The congenital heart surgery paper evaluates risk factors for in-hospital shunt failure. And the general thoracic surgery paper outlines the development of a composite performance measure for esophagectomy in esophageal cancer.
Hear from Experts Around the Globe
A session to be presented on Monday, January 23, by STS, the Canadian Association of Thoracic Surgeons, and the Canadian Society of Cardiac Surgeons will focus on implementing quality improvement by describing how surgeons and institutions perceive their practice versus true data-based performance. Also on Monday, experts from around the world will examine the quality versus access debate in cardiothoracic surgical care, including regionalization, building sustainable cardiothoracic surgery programs, and humanitarian crises, at the International Symposium.
On Tuesday, January 24, the Society will team with the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery in a session on the various treatment strategies and techniques for distal thoracic aortic dissection. Later that day, STS will join with the European Society of Thoracic Surgeons to discuss controversial issues in general thoracic surgery, including adjuvant treatment for thymic malignancies, donors for lung transplantation, the role of lung volume reduction surgery for emphysema, and the surgical management of spontaneous esophageal perforations.
In addition to collaborative sessions with international participants highlighted above, special presentations with the American College of Cardiology, the Society for Vascular Surgery, the Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiology, and the American Association for Thoracic Surgery also are part of the program. And in light of recent findings tracing Mycobacterium chimaera infections to heater-cooler devices used in cardiac surgery, a special symposium has been added to the program to help attendees better understand the cause of these infections and develop measures to lower the risk of occurrence.
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. The Annual Meeting will feature dozens of oral abstract presentations, along with invited talks by renowned speakers, lively debates, and surgical videos. Don’t miss this opportunity! Registration and housing is available at www.sts.org/annualmeeting.
If you have questions about registration, contact the Society’s official registration partner, Experient, at (800) 424-5249 (toll free), 00-1-847-996-5829 (for international callers), or sts@experient-inc.com.
Put Knowledge into Practice at STS University
Cap off your Annual Meeting experience by attending STS University on Wednesday, January 25. These hands-on courses allow attendees to gain experience with a wide variety of cardiothoracic surgical procedures.
Course 1: Essentials of TAVR
Course 2: TEVAR and Aortic Arch Debranching Procedures
Course 3: Mitral Valve Repair
Course 4: Valve-Sparing Aortic Root Replacement
Course 5: Aortic Root Enlarging Procedures and Aortic Valve Leaflet Reconstruction
Course 6: VATS Lobectomy
Course 7: Advanced Open Esophageal and Tracheal Procedures
Course 8: Chest Wall Resection and Pectus Surgery
Course 9: Atrial Fibrillation (Maze Procedure)
Course 10: Mechanical Circulatory Support
Thank You
The Society gratefully acknowledges the following companies for providing educational grants for the STS 53rd Annual Meeting.
STS Platinum Benefactors
Provided $50,000 or above
Abbott
Medtronic
STS Silver Benefactors
Provided $10,000-$24,999
Bard Davol
Ethicon
St. Jude Medical
Zimmer Biomet Thoracic
This list is accurate as of January 5, 2017.