More than 100 cardiothoracic surgeons, fellows, residents, and advanced practice providers participated in the 2024 STS Mastering Valve Surgery Workshop in Chicago on Sept 20-21. The two-day event included lectures, case-based presentations, and breakout sessions focused on mastering modern-day valve surgery, including open and transcatheter procedures for aortic, mitral, and tricuspid valves.
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Attendees participate in a hands-on aortic valve surgery session.
"This workshop stands out for its unique blend of theoretical instruction and practical hands-on training, covering both surgical and transcatheter techniques for all valve types," said co-course director Tsuyoshi Kaneko, MD, of Washington University in St. Louis. "The active participation and insightful questions from both domestic and international attendees highlighted the course's relevance and impact."
Attendees honed their skills through small-group, hands-on experiences in wet lab settings to learn the latest in advanced valve techniques (aortic root enlargement, Ross Procedure, minimally invasive valve surgery), transcatheter therapies, and atrial fibrillation.
"I'm pleased that the valve surgery courses encompassed both traditional surgical techniques and emerging transcatheter procedures," said co-course director Katherine Harrington, MD, of Baylor Scott & White Health in Dallas. “To remain at the forefront of the latest technologies in the field, we must continually update our knowledge and ensure our outcomes are exceptional, fostering collaboration with structural heart experts."
Here's what a few attendees said about the Valve Surgery Workshop:
"I enjoyed the panel discussions at the end of each session and found the small-group wet labs extremely helpful.” — Alex Wang, physician assistant, Johns Hopkins Health System
"The best sessions were aortic root enlargement by Dr. Yang, mitral valve surgery by Dr. Badhwar, and TAVR explant by Dr. Kaneko."
"Overall, it was a valuable experience to interact with experts and directly view the pig heart. The catheter-based procedure simulators were also helpful for learning."
"Great courses and discussion topics, exemplary faculty, and I enjoyed the hands-on sessions."
"Moving forward, I will adopt the aortic root enlargement technique as explained by Dr. Yang, the mitral valve replacement technique of Dr. Badhwar, and the Ross Procedure technique detailed by Dr. El-Hamamsy. I also intend to incorporate the maze and atrial clip procedures more frequently into my practice."
*Please note, this article was updated on September 5, 2024:
*After STS submitted letters to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the United States Preventive Services Task Force, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) responded, stating they cannot reconsider the National Coverage Determination (NCD) at this time. Following this, STS, the GO2 Foundation for Lung Cancer, and the American College of Radiology (ACR) met with CMS and had a productive conversation about the steps that need to occur, and the data needed to reconsider the NCD. USPSTF has also responded, indicating that this issue will be considered at their Topic Prioritization Workshop in the fall.
On June 21, 2024, The Society of Thoracic Surgeons, The American College of Radiology®, and the GO2 Foundation for Lung Cancer submitted joint letters to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the US Preventive Services Taskforce that include recommendations to improve existing lung cancer screening eligibility requirements.
The organizations formally requested reconsideration of the National Coverage Determination (NCD) for screening lung cancer with low-dose computed tomography and asked to eliminate the exclusion criteria of current smokers or people who have quit smoking within the last 15 years and the upper age limit. This would align the NCD with the updated American Cancer Society and the National Comprehensive Care Network evidence-based guidelines.
Removing these criteria would significantly increase the number of high-risk individuals eligible for screening from 14.2 million to 19.2 million. Annual lung cancer screening with low-dose computed tomography in high-risk patients significantly reduces lung cancer deaths and may help identify cancers at an early, treatable, and curable stage.
If you have questions about STS’s lung cancer screening advocacy efforts, contact Haley Brown, senior manager, political affairs and advocacy.
ProHealth Heart and Vascular Care in Waukesha, Wis., embarked on a multidisciplinary initiative to reduce ventilation times for isolated Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting patients at Waukesha Memorial Hospital. The goals: Reduce the risk of patient harm associated with mechanical ventilation and achieve significant improvements in teamwork and safety culture.
In the realm of cardiovascular care, ensuring adherence to quality metrics is paramount for achieving better patient outcomes. But having a lot of data is not enough. Every healthcare professional who plays a role on an integrated patient care team needs to be aware of the data available to them, understand what it means, and act on that understanding. And that’s a challenge that exists across the health system.
CHICAGO April 26, 2024 ─ The expanding use of transcatheter technologies has changed the landscape in the treatment of valvular disease in adult cardiac patients, with valve surgery rapidly shifting to more complex interventions frequently involving other concomitant procedures.
In this panel discussion, STS members exchange viewpoints on a new study that found patients with postoperative PE had increased 30-day mortality, reintubation, and readmission rates, which was presented at the 2024 STS Annual Meeting.
In this short video, STS members exchange viewpoints on a new study that found patients with postoperative PE had increased 30-day mortality, reintubation, and readmission rates, which was presented at the 2024 STS Annual Meeting.
Robbin Cohen, MD, Cedars-Sinai at Huntington Hospital, is joined by the study’s lead author, Andrea L. Axtell, MD, MPH, an assistant professor of surgery at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Michael Smith, MD, Norton Thoracic Institute, St. Joseph’s Hospital & Medical Center, and John Mitchell, MD, University of Colorado Health, to discuss the research methodology, findings and impact on improving patient care.
In the fast-paced environment of healthcare, hospitals face significant challenges related to medical records. The increasing number of missing documents in electronic medical records (EMR) can pose obstacles to case abstraction and risk adjustment. This case study reveals the EMR challenges Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital faced and the steps the data team took to improve document management and overall performance.
