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Monthly Newsletter - August 2007

Table of Contents

What's New

Adult Cardiac Literature Watch - Second Quarter 2007

The Adult Cardiac Literature Watch for the Second Quarter of 2007 is now available. Editors are Eric J. Okum, M.D. and Domenico Pagano, M.D. Dr. Okum has moved to Cincinnati, Ohio USA.

Another New Horizons Contribution

Another New Horizons offering has been posted: Letter to a Young General Thoracic Surgeon by Dr. Mark R. Katlic, Director of Thoracic Surgery, Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center, Wilkes-Barre, PA USA. This feature is a regular part of the Resident's Section of CTSNet. Dr. Walter H. Merrill, of the University of Cincinnati in Ohio USA, is the Editor.

New Adult Cardiac Video

A new adult cardiac video has been posted: "Subclavian Artery to Left Anterior Descending Artery By-pass via Left Anterior Small Thoracotomy. An Alternative Approach in High-Risk patients." by Doctors D. Calcaterra, M. Ricci, A. Panos, L. Garcia-Covarrubias, E. Buitrago, T.A. Salerno, all of the University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida USA.

New Aortic Expert Technique

A new aortic Expert Technique has been posted: "Technique for Percutaneous Transfemoral Stent Graft Repair of Traumatic Aortic Transection" by Doctors Howard K. Song, Matt S. Slater, and John Kaufman, all of the Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR USA. There is an editorial commentary by Dr. George Tolis, Jr., of Boston, Mass.

New Contributions to the MultiMedia Manual

Three new contributions have been added to the Multimedia Manual of Cardiothoracic Surgery:

Viktor Hraska, Joachim Photiadis and Claudia Arenz.
Surgery for subvalvar aortic stenosis - resection of discrete subvalvar aortic membrane.
MMCTS (July 23, 2007). doi:10.1510/mmcts.2006.002303.

Gaetano Gargiulo, Guido Oppido, Emanuela Angeli and Carlo Pace Napoleone.
Neonatal aortic arch surgery.
MMCTS (July 23, 2007). doi:10.1510/mmcts.2006.002345.

Ralph J. Damiano Jr and Marci Bailey.
The Cox-Maze IV procedure for lone atrial fibrillation.
MMCTS (July 23, 2007). doi:10.1510/mmcts.2007.002758.

New Title Available in CTSNet Bookstore

A new featured title is available in the bookstore: Thoracic Surgery Atlas by Mark K. Ferguson, MD of Chicago, Illinois USA. Dr. Ferguson is the Editor of the Thoracic Portal on CTSNet, and a frequent contributor to the website. Take advantage of the price saving offered by Amazon.com for books purchased through the CTSNet Bookstore.

New blog Posted by Dr. Tom Treasure

Dr. Tom Treasure of London, Past President of EACTS, and one of our more reliable bloggers, turned his attention on August 5 to the smorgasbord of wonderful learning opportunities in Thoracic Surgery available in Europe. This is well worth a read!

New Adult Cardiac Video

"Thoracoscopic Mitral Valve Repair in Dilated Cardiomyopathy: A Case of Chordal Tethering." by Doctors Saqib Masroor, Hackensack University Medical Center, Hackensack, New Jersey USA, and John C. Alexander, Evanston Northwestern Healthcare, Evanston, Illinois USA.

Abstract Book for EACTS Geneva meeting available online

The full program, including abstracts, is now available for the upcoming European Association for Thoracic Surgery (EACTS) meeting in Geneva. It is accessable online in a supplement to Interactive CardioVascular and Thoracic Surgery (ICVTS).

Retirement Symposium for Prof. Robert H. Anderson

The meeting will mark the retirement of Professor Robert Anderson. The meeting will review the advances made in the understanding of the development and structure of the normal and congenitally malformed heart during the time of his support by the British Heart Foundation.

Musical recitals will take place during the lunch breaks on all 3 days, and there will be a symposium reception with a musical recital on the evening of Thursday 27th September 2007.

The dates of the symposium are: 26-28 September, 2007.

Venue: The UCL Institute of Child Health (ICH), University College London, 30 Guilford Street, London WC1N 1EH, United Kingdom; How to find us

For more information.

CTSNet Welcomes a New Member Organization

CTSNet welcomes the Association of Physician Assistants in Cardiovascular Surgery (APACVS) to the CTSNet Community.

Begun in 1981 as an educational organization, the APACVS represents the professional interests of the Cardiovascular Physician Assistants, with the primary objective of promoting the clinical and academic excellence of its members, and enhancing the quality of medical care to their patients.

Today, the APACVS is the educational, scientific, and political subspecialty organization representative of the Surgical Physician Assistant practicing in the field of cardiovascular and thoracic surgery. The APACVS is over 700 members strong and is recognized and endorsed by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) and The American Association for Thoracic Surgeons (AATS).

Check out their new website!

AATS Abstracts Now Being Accepted

Abstracts for presentation at the 88th Annual Meeting of The American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) are now being accepted. Mark your calendar now for this five-day educational program, to be held May 10-14, 2008 at the San Diego Convention Center, San Diego, CA USA.

Electronic submissions only, please.
ABSTRACT DEADLINE: MONDAY, 11:59 AM EDT, OCTOBER 1, 2007.
For more information, visit the website.

The AATS website has detailed instructions for electronic abstract submission and developing information about the 2008 program. We look forward to reviewing your original research.

ICVTS Announcement

ICVTS is EACTS' OPEN-ACCESS journal and there are NO AUTHORSHIP CHARGES.

As from 2007, ICVTS will be indexed in MEDLINE/PubMed.

You are cordially invited to join-in with the interactive discussion at ICVTS.

The accepted papers for ICVTS volume 6/issue 5 (October 2007) have now been posted on the website and are open for discussion.

To submit an eComment for a particular article in the listing, open it, then simply click on the link 'eComments: submit' which appears in the content box to the right of the article Abstract or PDF proof. To respond to a specific eComment, simply click on the link which appears to its left. We would be delighted if you could look at the papers posted and contribute any appropriate 'eComments' - your comments will be citable, posted on-line and subsequently published in print in ICVTS volume 6/issue 5.

To submit an article to ICVTS

Many thanks for your support, interest and cooperation.

Yours sincerely,

Ludwig von Segesser - Editor-in-Chief ICVTS
ICVTS Editorial Office
av. Gd. St. Bernard 69B (app. 6)
CH-1920 Martigny
Switzerland
tel: +41 27 7236171
fax: +41 27 7236173
e-mail: info@ejcts.ch

STS Third Annual Legislative Advocacy Workshop

STS Third Annual Legislative Advocacy Workshop will be held September 30-October 2, 2007, in Washington, DC.

Sponsored by the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS), this year's Workshop features a variety of graduate-level sessions that will educate attendees on current and future issues. Invited speakers include:

HHS Secretary Michael O. Leavitt will discuss new directions on quality and transparency, and how they will redefine health care in the future.
A discussion of comparative effectiveness policy with AHRQ Director Carolyn Clancy - including CABG vs. PCI.
U.S. House Ways and Means Chairman Pete Stark will discuss the reform of Medicare payment. Will the cuts continue and how can they be managed?
Congressional Budget Office Director Peter Orszag will discuss how continued cost increases in Medicare will force dramatic changes in the way health care is purchased and financed, and what can be done about it.

Following these informative sessions, you will have the opportunity to meet face-to-face with your representatives on Capitol Hill and emphasize the implications of their decisions on patient care and the future of cardiothoracic surgery.

To learn more about the Legislative Advocacy Workshop. For additional information, e-mail advocacy@sts.org or call (202) 481-1027.

Human Factors in Health Care: A Mayo Clinic Symposium

This Mayo Clinic Symposium will be held October 17-19, 2007, at The Saint Paul Hotel, 350 Market Street, St. Paul, Minnesota USA.

This course is an introduction to the practical use of human factors and the practical application of its principles to improve patient care.

Human Factors science explores how humans behave physically, psychologically, socially, and biologically in relation to the particular environment in which they live and work. It can be used to determine how the systems that combine human behavior with technology can be designed to maximize safety and efficiency in the healthcare environment.

Human Factors in Health Care provides a forum to examine the core elements of human factors in science, how each element influences system safety, and methods for appropriately utilizing the tools, methodologies and teamwork required to improve the quality and safety of patient care.

Course Directors are Thoralf M. Sundt, MD and Douglas A. Wiegmann, PhD, Rochester Minnesota.

Course endorsed by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS).

Contact: (800)-323-2688 More Information

Looking to the Future: STS Scholarship for Aspiring Cardiothoracic Surgeons

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) and its Workforce on Graduate Medical Education and Thoracic Surgery Resident Issues are pleased to announce the 2008 Looking to the Future Scholarship Program, designed for second, third, and fourth year general surgery residents within the United States and Canada. The scholarship seeks to identify and encourage general surgery residents who are considering but not yet committed to a career in cardiothoracic surgery.

Twenty scholarships will be awarded and will cover the registration fees to the STS 44th Annual Meeting in Fort Lauderdale, FL, January 28-30, 2008. The scholarship will also include up to four nights at an STS-designated hotel and reimbursement of up to $500 in related travel expenses. Each scholarship recipient will be assigned a mentor in cardiothoracic surgery to assist in planning a schedule of educational programming, to answer questions and to facilitate introductions. Scholarship awardees will also have the opportunity to participate in STS/AATS Tech-Con 2008, January 26-27, 2008, at no cost. In addition, special events will be available for scholarship recipients throughout the Annual Meeting.

Program Directors are invited to recommend general surgery residents from their institutions who have expressed an interest in pursuing a career in cardiothoracic surgery. (Note; there can be only one scholarship winner from each institution.) Applicants must ask their Program Director or CT mentor to provide a letter, on university letterhead, giving a brief description of the candidate's strengths and qualities, and fax it to (312) 202-5829. Applicants must complete an online application form. CVs are also required and should be submitted to residents@sts.org. Scholarship recipients will also be expected to provide a brief follow-up letter with comments on the value of the experience and how this scholarship program might be improved. In addition, they may be asked in the future to participate in activities with the program and/or STS, and to provide follow-up information concerning their career plans.

All materials (application form, CV, and letter of recommendation) must be received by October 1, 2007. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Scholarship awardees will be announced by November 15. If you have questions, please contact Sharon Porta at (312) 202-5844 or sporta@sts.org.

TSFRE 2008 Research Funding Cycle

The Thoracic Surgery Foundation for Research and Education (TSFRE) is now accepting online applications for the 2008 Research Funding Cycle. The following research awards are available:

Research Fellowship Award:

Support of up to $35,000 per year for up to two years for surgical residents who have not yet completed cardiothoracic surgical training.

Research Grants:

Operational support of original research efforts by cardiothoracic surgeons who have completed their formal training and who are seeking initial support and recognition for their research program. Awards of up to $30,000 a year for up to two years are made each year to support the work of an early-career cardiothoracic surgeon (within five years of first faculty appointment).

Career Development Award:

Salary support of up to $50,000 a year for up to two years for applicants who have completed their residency training and who wish to pursue investigative careers in cardiothoracic surgery.

Nina Star Braunwald Award:

Provides a biennial award of $110,000 for two years to support the research career development of a woman cardiac surgeon who holds a full-time faculty appointment and who is within ten years of completion of thoracic surgery residency.

Application Timeline:

OCTOBER 15, 2007 - APPLICATION DEADLINE

Early January 2008 - applications reviewed
by TSFRE's Research Committee

Late January 2008 - recommendations approved
by TSFRE's Board of Directors

TSFRE Award Announcements are made in February 2008

For more information visit the TSFRE website.

Deadline for STS Young Investigator Applications September 1st

The application deadline for the inaugural W. Gerald Austen Young Investigator Award is September 1. This one-year award, to be presented at the STS 44th Annual Meeting in January, is designed to encourage individuals to embark on a career in cardiothoracic research and education, with a focus on the recovery of heart function after an acute injury or illness.

Established with financial support from Abiomed, Inc., the award is a tribute to Dr. Austen, who is internationally recognized for his contributions as a cardiac surgeon, teacher, and clinical investigator. Recipients will receive $40,000 for the costs of conducting research, and up to an additional $10,000 for associated indirect costs, for a total of up to $50,000. The award may be used to supplement other funding for research that is already planned or in progress.

To apply for this award, an applicant must:

Submit a joint application with his/her sponsoring institution;
Be board-certified, board-eligible or a resident in a U.S. cardiothoracic residency program (board-certified applicants should have completed their training in the last 10 years); and
Include a research proposal focusing on the clinical care of patients with an acute cardiac injury or illness, which may include work with registries, clinical trials, investigator-initiated activities, or other areas of clinical investigation.

Click here to view instructions and download the required application form.

Any questions about the award should be directed to STS Governance Manager Grahame Rush, who can be reached at grush@sts.org or (312) 202-5848.

A Call for New Members

Become a part of the Southern Thoracic Surgical Association
A unique mix of outstanding educational programming, thoughtful discussion and collegial spirit

STSA membership requirements were recently expanded.
Those eligible to apply for membership include Thoracic Surgeons who:

-currently practice in the STSA region
-previously practiced for at least two consecutive years in the STSA region
-completed a thoracic residency training program in the STSA region

Membership applications are available here or by calling 1 800-685-7872.
THE 2007 APPLICATION DEADLINE IS SEPTEMBER 15. APPLY TODAY.

SCTS Executive Committee 2007-2008

Society for Cardiothoracic Surgery in Great Britain and Ireland (SCTS)
Executive Committee

President: Bruce E. Keogh
President-Elect: Leslie Hamilton
Secretary: James Cathcart Roxburgh
Treasurer: Babulal Sethia
Editor: Sunil Kumar Ohri

Members:

Tara Bartley
Benjamin Bridgewater
Graham Cooper
Malcolm John Dalrymple-Hay
Steven Hunter
Jonathan A.J. Hyde
Simon William Henry Kendall
Eilis Maire McGovern
Jim A. McGuigan
Samer A. M. Nashef
John R. Pepper
David Paul Taggart
Alfred Edward Wood

Society of Cardiothoracic Surgeons of South Africa

The Society of Cardiothoracic Surgeons of South Africa will hold its 'Heart 2 Heart/Africa Congress 2007' November 22-25, 2007 in Sun City, South Africa. Abstract Submission deadline: Friday, September 28, 2007. More information.

AORTIC 2008 COURSE ABSTRACT SUBMISSIONS NOW BEING ACCEPTED

Course chairs Randall B. Griepp, M.D. and Steven L. Lansman, M.D. have announced that abstracts representing videos for presentation are now being accepted for the 2008 Aortic Symposium. This symposium, sponsored by the AATS, will primarily feature "How To Do It" videos.

Mark your calendar now for this two-day postgraduate course: May 8-9, 2008, Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers, New York, NY USA. This course will be held immediately prior to the 88th Annual Meeting of the AATS, May 10-14, 2008, in San Diego, California USA.

The abstract submission site contains complete submission instructions and guidelines.

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: FRIDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2007.

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Industry Forum

Flexibility That Stands Alone: Medtronic Gemini(TM) Surgical Ablation System

Medtronic's family of Cardioblate(R) bipolar solutions has expanded with the introduction of a true endoscopic ablation device for stand-alone procedures - the Gemini(TM) Surgical Ablation System. The Gemini(TM) system provides the efficacy of bipolar irrigated RF energy, with a choice of device designs that enables the surgeon to control the procedural approach.

MEDTRONIC EDGE UPDATE

We are excited to bring to you a newly developed EDGE course:

Advanced Endosurgical Training for Cardiac Surgery Teams Course

The course is designed for both cardiac surgeons and their surgical team members to include perfusionists, scrub techs, PAs and other OR personnel. The surgeons will participate in hands-on training via advanced simulation as well as procedural complication management and advanced endosurgical device study.

The surgery team member will be participating in a simultaneous track on the basics of endosurgery. The two tracks will then be brought together near the end of the course to work as a team on simulation.

*** This course is specifically designed for the cardiac surgeon who has completed the EDGE Basic Guidewire, Catheter and Imaging Skills Course or has significant experience in endosurgical procedures as the primary operator. Significant experience would include > 15 endograft cases or other interventional experience. For more details contact Melanie Anderson at 763-391-9908.

General information on this new EDGE Course

Disclaimer: These courses offer skills-based training and case analysis only and do not provide training on any specific Medtronic product or related therapy.

General Information on the Medtronic EDGE Basic Guidewire, Catheter and Imaging Skills Course

Dates Available Include:
September 20-21
October 25-26
November 15-16

Reducing the incidence rate of new-onset post-operative atrial fibrillation

Clinicians are adopting a variety of therapies to reduce the incidence rate of new-onset post-operative atrial fibrillation, estimated at 30 to 40 percent in U.S. cardiac surgery patients.

Studies suggest that using leukocyte filtration can reduce the incidence of new onset post-op Afib up to 72%. Visit Terumo Cardiovascular Systems to learn more about leukocyte filtration for CPB.

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books

New Title Available in CTSNet Bookstore

"Amazing Adventures of a Heart Surgeon: The Artificial Heart. The Frontiers of Human Life" by Domingo S. Liotta, M.D.

A new volume that records the development and clinical use of one of the earliest mechanical hearts at the Texas Heart Institute. Dr. Liotta is now Dean of the School of Medicine at the University of Morón, Morón, Argentina. The book is available through the CTSNet Bookstore.

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In My Opinion

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Clinical Resources

NEW FEATURE - Cardiothoracic Safety Reporting System (CTSRS)

Drawing on the experience of the aviation industry, CTSNet, with generous financial support from The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS), announces the opening of the CTSNet Cardiothoracic Safety Reporting System (CTSRS). Similar to the well-known "Aviation Safety Reporting System," the CTSRS serves as the central location for capturing information on adverse events and close calls ("near-misses") that occur in the cardiothoracic environment. The safety reporting system was conceived by the STS Workforce on Patient Safety and jointly developed with CTSNet.

The purpose of the CTSRS is to enable all who work in the CT environment to learn from a full range of patient safety issues and events that are submitted anonymously by cardiothoracic care-providers (surgeons, nurses, perfusionists, surgical assistants, and ICU staff) who observed or participated in the events. The system presents case studies of events encountered in the cardiothoracic setting. Each report receives an editorial review (Thoralf M. Sundt, M.D. and Thomas B. Ferguson, M.D.) and comments from patient safety experts (Sarah E Henrickson, M.S., and Douglas A. Wiegmann, Ph.D.).

Coming soon are a discussion forum to engage comments from readers and a rating system to note the usefulness of the reports. Overall supervisors of the Project are Thoralf M. Sundt, M.D., Chairman, STS Workforce on Patient Safety, and CTSNet Board Member, and Richard P. Anderson, M.D., CTSNET Board President.

We urge all CTSNet readers to visit the site often and read new vignettes as they are posted. We also encourage you (must have member ID and Password) to submit an experience of your own that taught you a lesson. In this way we can learn and teach each other new ways to improve the quality of care for and the safety of our patients.

Access the Cardiothoracic Safety Reporting System (CTSRS) home page from the left menu (under Clinical Resources) of the CTSNet home page, or in the New Community Tool box at the top of the right gutter. The vignettes are accessible from the CTSRS home page. Instructions for submitting a case study are also there.

CTSNet Launches e-Learning Center

The CTSNet e-Learning Center is the result of a 3-year effort by the Joint Council for Thoracic Surgery Education, The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS), the American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS), the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EACTS), and the Children's Memorial Hospital (Chicago, IL) to identify and implement an online Learning Management System to deliver innovative e-learning modules for cardiothoracic surgeons.

The goals of the project were:
- To deliver effective e-learning modules on specific topics for target audiences of thoracic surgeons,
- To enable the thoracic surgery community (including learners, educators, and organizational leaders) to acquire experience with developing and supplying effective e-learning,
- To gain from a knowledge transfer from experts in instructional design and e-learning delivery, and
- To minimize and coordinate the risks of e-learning program development across several thoracic surgery organizations.

Currently, two modules are available publicly. The first module, "Off Pump Coronary Artery Bypass: Positioning and Stabilization," was developed by John D. Puskas, M.D., and Joseph F. Sabik III, M.D. The purpose of the module is to educate cardiothoracic surgeons and residents on the techniques and devices used in cardiac positioning and stabilization during the performance of off-pump coronary revascularization. The module is sponsored by the American Association for Thoracic Surgery and awards CME credit and certificate for successful completion.

A second module is "Off Pump Coronary Bypass Debriefing," by Paul Sergeant, M.D. In this module, the Off Pump Coronary Bypass Team of the Katholieke Universiteit of Leuven presents a debriefing exercise of the learner's OPCAB procedures versus their Standard Operating Procedures. The module is sponsored by the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery.

Additional modules are under development and will be available soon.

As part of the e-learning project, CTSNet has developed templates for use by Participating Organizations and the CTSNet community for effectively developing sophisticated e-modules for delivery through the CTSNet Learning Management System. For more information on developing online e-learning modules, contact Ray Everngam, CTSNet Managing Publisher.

Access the CTSNet e-Learning Center from the left menu (under Clinical Resources) of the CTSNet home page, or in the New Community Tool box at the top of the right gutter.

Videos

Literature Watch

Expert Techniques

Thoracic

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Organizations

Second Global Report on Pediatric Heart Disease, June 2007

Published by Children's HeartLink, this follow up report entitled "Linked by a common purpose: Global efforts for improving pediatric heart health," discusses factors influencing the difficulty of diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart disease outside developed countries. Building on prior incidence and prevalence reports, it highlights trends and issues in the attraction and retention of specially trained nurses and physicians into the global pediatric heart health arena.

Issues discussed are factors and potential obstacles in the detection and treatment of congenital heart disease (CHD), which affects one in one hundred live births the world over and is the most common birth defect in the developing world. Because of the challenge of funding tertiary health services, many countries limit the amount of treatment available for children with CHD and depend on international NGOs to support this treatment.

The two principle recommendations are: 1) coordination and consolidation of efforts between organizations, individuals, facilities, and partner hospitals and 2) increase efforts to build sustainable centers of excellence for assisting children. Acquired heart disease (AHD) in these children is also a significant burden. Rheumatic fever and Chagas disease causing AHD are preventable.

The relevance of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) is discussed. While pediatric heart diseases are not explicitly included in the MDGs, improving CHD goals will have a direct impact on children with heart disease in poor countries. Creation of regional health centers facilitates prevention and treatment of most types of heart disease. The effects the Health Worker Migration Crisis on pediatric cardiac care are also examined, having a significant impact on the sustainability of programs.

CHD and AHD affect millions of children around the world who need treatment. The information provided in this report will help the international community make real strides toward reducing the prevalence of AHD and improving the diagnosis and management of CHD in developing countries.

To receive a copy of the full report and full list of references. Or contact Bistra Zheleva at bistra@childrensheartlink.org.

AATS Webcast of 2007 Meeting Now Available

The American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) has posted the webcast of the 2007 Annual meeting held May 5-9, 2007 in Washington, DC.

STS W. Gerald Austen Young Investigator Award

The deadline is approaching for the first W. Gerald Austen Young Investigator Award, a one-year career development award to support junior faculty in the specialty of cardiothoracic surgery. This $50,000 award ($40,000 for salary and fringe benefits and/or the costs of doing research, plus up to 25 percent of associated indirect costs, for a total of up to $50,000) is designed to support surgeons pursuing research in cardiothoracic surgery that focuses on the recovery of heart function after an acute injury or illness. Established in 2007 by STS with financial support from Abiomed, Inc., the award is a tribute to Dr. Austen, who is internationally recognized for his contributions as a cardiac surgeon, teacher, and clinical investigator.

To apply for this award, an applicant must:

-Submit a joint application with his/her sponsoring institution
-Be board-certified, board-eligible or a resident in a U.S. cardiothoracic residency program (board-certified applicants should have completed their training in the last 10 years)
-Include a research proposal focusing on the clinical care of patients with an acute cardiac injury or illness, which may include work with registries, clinical trials, investigator-initiated activities, or other areas of clinical investigation.

Applications are due by September 1, 2007, and will be evaluated by an award committee of senior cardiothoracic surgeons. The award will be presented at the STS 44th Annual Meeting in January 2008. Click here to view instructions and download the required application form.

Any questions about the award should be directed to STS Governance Manager Grahame Rush, who can be reached at grush@sts.org or (312) 202-5848.

American Board of Thoracic Surgery Announcements

SESATS IX

Applications for the 2007 Recertification process will be mailed to all eligible Diplomates in 2007. Eligible Diplomates are those individuals who certified in 1977, 1978, 1979, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1997, 1998, and 1999.


New Certification Pathways and Operative Requirements

In response to current practice patterns in Thoracic Surgery and to insure adequate preparation for contemporary Thoracic Surgery practice, the American Board of Thoracic Surgery has revised the standards required of individuals to qualify for entrance into its certification process. Starting in July 2007, the Board will establish 2 primary pathways to certification, a Cardiothoracic Surgery Pathway and a General Thoracic Surgery Pathway. For more information on the new pathways and operative requirements, Click Here.


New Congenital Heart Surgery Certificate

An additional special certificate pathway will be established for candidates who complete the Cardiothoracic Surgery Track and plan to perform congenital heart surgery. For more information on the new Certificate of Added Qualifications in Congenital Heart Surgery, Click Here.


Maintenance of Certification Initiative

In response to an initiative by the American Board of Medical Specialties, the ABTS, along with the other medical certifying boards, has begun the transition towards a Maintenance of Certification Program® (MOC), to replace the current Recertification process. For more information on MOC, Click Here.


Certification Categories

As recommended by the American Board of Medical Specialties, the ABTS has recently redefined its clinically active and clinically inactive status. For a full description of these two categories, Click Here.

2007 Valvular Heart Disease - AATS Postgraduate Course

September 7-9, 2007. Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers, Chicago, Illinois, USA.

Who Should Attend:
Sponsored by the American Association for Thoracic Surgery, this postgraduate course is designed to foster collaboration among cardiac surgeons, interventional cardiologists and echocardiographers.

The course is also designed for medical practitioners involved in cardiac surgery, such as perfusionists and physician assistants, as well as nurses and technicians working in cardiac surgery, interventional cardiovascular medicine and echocardiography. Cardiothoracic residents and fellows are encouraged to attend.

Note the sessions most important to you; here is a partial sampling of topics:
Aortic Valve - Stenosis, Ross Procedure, Anatomy & Pathology, Echocardiographic Selection of Patients, Repair for Aortic Insufficiency or Aortic Root Aneurysm, Trans-catheter Aortic Valve Implantation
Mitral Valve - Pathophysiology of Ischemic Mitral Regurgitation, Echocardiographic Selection of Patients, Combined Treatment of AF and Mitral Valve Disease, Endocarditis, What Now? - It's Not Repairable, Trans-catheter Mitral Valve Therapies
Tricuspid & Pulmonary Valves - Management of Isolated Tricuspid Insufficiency, Always a Mechanical Valve - Other Choices? Trans-catheter Pulmonary Valve Implantation

Course Director: Tirone E. David, MD, Toronto, Canada

Register now!
Make your hotel reservations - the hotel is expected to be booked completely.

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Residents Section

Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery CORE Curriculum Review

The Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery CORE Curriculum Review Course will be held September 8-11, 2007, at the Doty Family Education Center at Intermountain Medical Center, Salt Lake City, Utah. For registration and additional information, contact the Intermountain CME office at 1-800-842-5498 or visit the website.

New Horizons Contribution

"Mentors are Needed" A useful and informative dialog between Dr. Benson R. Wilcox and Ashok Venkataraman, 4th-year medical student, National University of Singapore. Dr. Wilcox is Professor Emeritus of Surgery and former Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA. He is currently a member, and former President of the Board, of the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP). There is also a forward by Dr. Walter H. Merrill, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, and Editor of the New Horizons Section of CTSNet.

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Journals

Asian Annals - August Issue

The August issue of the Asian Annals is now available. There are many excellent and thought-provoking articles in this issue. A representative sampling follows:

EDITORIAL

Endovascular Aortic Stent Grafting for Thoracic Diseases: Current Status.
Stephen WK Cheng.
Asian Cardiovasc Thorac Ann 2007;15:275-277.

ORIGINAL CONTRIBUTION

Surgical Results in Bronchiectasis: Analysis of 149 Patients.
Thomas Stephen, Roy Thankachen, Andrew P Madhu, Nithya Neelakantan, Vinayak Shukla, and Roy J Korula.
Asian Cardiovasc Thorac Ann 2007;15:290-296.

REVIEW PAPER

Mitral Valve Repair: Is There Still a Place for Suture Annuloplasty?
Pino Fundarò, Paolo M Tartara, Emmanuel Villa, Pasquale Fratto, Salvatore Campisi, and Ettore O Vitali.
Asian Cardiovasc Thorac Ann 2007;15:351-358.

EJCTS August Issue

ICVTS - is now included in PubMed as from Volume 1, Issue 1 (2002)!

EACTS 21st Meeting Abstracts are available on-line as Supplement 3 to Volume 6. The August issue is available. Join in the ICVTS on-line discussion and see your citable comments published in the print journal.

EJCTS is 20 years old - read EJCTS Vol. 1, Issue 1, July 1987 on-line. The August issue is live, including 3 CME activities.

MMCTS hits the century mark and now has 102 surgical procedures on-line.

For information on all of the above, and free sample copies, visit our booth at EACTS 21st Annual Meeting, Geneva, 15-19 September 2007, Exhibition Hall 1, Booth 1521.

Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery - August issue

CME Articles

Surgery for Acquired Cardiovascular Disease

Matthias Thielmann, Markus Neuhäuser, Stephan Knipp, Eva Kottenberg-Assenmacher, Anja Marr, Nikolaus Pizanis, Matthias Hartmann, Markus Kamler, Parwis Massoudy, and Heinz Jakob.
Prognostic impact of previous percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with diabetes mellitus and triple-vessel disease undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery.
J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2007;134:470-476.

Surgery for Congenital Heart Disease

Jean A. Ballweg, Troy E. Dominguez, Chitra Ravishankar, Jacqueline Kreutzer, Bradley S. Marino, Geoffrey L. Bird, Peter J. Gruber, Gil Wernovsky, J. William Gaynor, Susan C. Nicolson, Thomas L. Spray, and Sarah Tabbutt.
A contemporary comparison of the effect of shunt type in hypoplastic left heart syndrome on the hemodynamics and outcome at stage 2 reconstruction.
J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2007;134:297-303.

General Thoracic Surgery

Sevval Eren, Hidir Esme, and Alper Avci.
Risk factors affecting outcome and morbidity in the surgical management of bronchiectasis.
J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2007;134:392-398.

ATS Discussion Paper - August Issue

ATS AUG 2007: Jokinen JJ, et al. Mitral valve replacement versus repair: Propensity-adjusted survival and quality-of-life analysis. Ann Thorac Surg 2007;84:451-8.

In this month's Annals, Jokinen et al from Helsinki present their investigation of whether mitral valve repair (MVP) is superior to mitral valve replacement (MVR) in terms of survival and quality of life in the long-term. This is an often discussed question with a relative paucity of data. One hundred eighty-four consecutive patients underwent MVP or MVR for mitral regurgitation with or without concomitant coronary artery bypass grafting. Data for the Nottingham Health Profile quality-of-life analysis were collected cross-sectionally.

The mean follow-up time was 7.3 +/- 1.4 years. After adjustment for baseline characteristics by the propensity score, there was a survival benefit for the patients who underwent MVP (p = 0.02). Risk factors for death were preoperative unstable angina pectoris (relative risk ratio: 4.4), age older than 60 years (relative risk ratio: 1.1), use of mitral prosthesis (relative risk ratio: 2.7), preoperative renal insufficiency (relative risk ratio: 1.0), and preoperative cerebrovascular disorder (relative risk ratio: 2.7). The quality of life of the MVP and MVR groups did not differ from one another, but both the MVP and the MVR patients had lower energy and mobility scores than an age- and sex-matched reference population.

The authors concluded that survival is better after MVP than after MVR. The quality of life of MVP and MVR patients does not differ. Patients who undergo mitral valve operations cope similarly to an age- and sex-matched reference population. Only the scores reflecting energy and mobility were lower in the operated patients, compared with the reference population.

Is this type of study an appropriate instrument to answer the study questions? Do others have a different experience? Is this finding likely to be institution specific? Please read the article, and add your comments and experience to this Dilemma in Adult Cardiac Surgery in the CTSNet Discussion Forum.

The monthly articles for discussion are selected and summarized by Dr. Tom Karl, University of California at San Francisco, UCSF Children's Hospital, Department of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery, San Francisco, California USA. Dr. Karl is Editor of the ATS Discussion Section.

Annals of Thoracic Surgery - August Issue

CME ARTICLES

General Thoracic

Murthy SC, Blackstone EH, Gildea TR, Gonzalez-Stawinski GV, Feng J, Budev M, Mason DP, Pettersson GB, Mehta AC, Members of Cleveland Clinic's Pulmonary Transplant Team.
Impact of Anastomotic Airway Complications After Lung Transplantation.
Ann Thorac Surg 2007;84:401-409.

Adult Cardiac

Lehmann S, Walther T, Kempfert J, Leontjev S, Rastan A, Falk V, Mohr FW.
Stentless Versus Conventional Xenograft Aortic Valve Replacement: Midterm Results of a Prospectively Randomized Trial.
Ann Thorac Surg 2007;84:467-472.

Pediatric Cardiac

Knott-Craig CJ, Goldberg SP, Overholt ED, Colvin EV, Kirklin JK.
Repair of Neonates and Young Infants With Ebstein's Anomaly and Related Disorders.
Ann Thorac Surg 2007;84:587-593.

EDITORIAL

Benfield JR.
Cardiothoracic Surgeons Divided By a Common Language.
Ann Thorac Surg 2007;84:363-364.

ANNOUNCEMENT - ICVTS Accepted for MedLine/PubMed Indexing

We have received official notification from the NIH-NLM that ICVTS is to be indexed in MedLine as from 2007. This will also mean inclusion in the PubMed database.

Note that there will probably be some delay in the processing/uploading of the electronic data until ICVTS actually appears on the various MedLine/PubMed websites.

We are sure that you will agree that this is a great day for ICVTS. Many thanks to everyone who has helped us to get there.

Ludwig von Segesser, EIC and Ian Beecroft, Managing Editor

ICVTS Editorial Office
av. Gd. St. Bernard 69B (app. 6)
CH-1920 Martigny
Switzerland

tel: +41 27 7236171
fax: +41 27 7236173
e-mail: ian.beecroft@ejcts.ch

MMCTS Nears the Century Mark

The MultiMedia Manual of Cardiothoracic Surgery (MMCTS) now has 99 surgical procedures on-line.

The three newest contributions are the following:

Karen Harrison-Phipps, Stephen D. Cassivi, Francis C. Nichols III, Mark S. Allen, Peter C. Pairolero and Claude Deschamps.
Conventional resection of pulmonary metastases.
MMCTS. doi:10.1510/mmcts.2005.001818.

Viktor Hraska, Joachim Photiadis and Claudia Arenz.
Open valvotomy for aortic valve stenosis in newborns and infants.
MMCTS. doi:10.1510/mmcts.2006.002311.

Ludwig K. von Segesser.
Perfusion techniques during surgery of the thoracic and thoraco-abdominal aorta: the veno-arterial bypass.
MMCTS. doi:10.1510/mmcts.2006.002535.

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Transitions

William M. Novick, MD Annnounced A Winner of Passion Award

In a previous announcement, it was reported that William Novick, MD, Pediatric Cardiac Surgeon from the University of Tennessee, Memphis, TN, and Director of the International Children's Heart Foundation, had been nominated for the Passion Award. The award, given yearly by Frederique Constant of Geneva, recognizes a commitment to and success in one's chosen field. We are pleased to annouce that at the annual ceremony June 28, 2007, Dr Novick was selected as a co-winnder from a group of 10 finalists representing 7 countries. For more details.

Professor Solomon Victor passed away on July 7, 2006

Solomon Victor had a brilliant academic career. He completed his MBBS at Stanley Medical College, Chennai and finished as the best outgoing student (Blue Ribbon). He did his M.S. general surgery and M.S. (Thoracic Surgery) at Madras Medical College, Chennai, under Prof. C.S. Sadasivan. Victor was his favourite student; the prestigious Sadasivan oration was created by Dr. Solomon Victor in his honour. He won the Hallet prize for the best outgoing student in FRCS. He also passed MRCP (Cardiology) and was later conferred FRCP. He went to the United Kingdom and United States of America and was trained by Donald Ross with whom he kept in touch till the end. He was appointed professor of open heart surgery in Madras Medical College and Government General Hospital, where he treated many poor patients and trained many students who are now well placed in life. He was the past secretary, editor and president of our Indian association, and was the organizing secretary of two of our conferences, which he conducted very well. After voluntary retirement from Madras Medical College he started the Heart Institute at Vijaya Hospital, Chennai. He has done pioneering work in anatomy of mitral and tricuspid valves and comparative cardiac anatomy of different mammals and fishes. He has delivered the prestigious Huntarian lecture of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. He has many publications, has traveled widely within and outside our country, and has presented papers in national and international conferences. He is survived by his aged mother, his wife Dr. Sunithi Solomon and his son Dr. Sunil Solomon. The Association deeply mourns his death. It is a great loss to our association, which he loved and served.

Rajan Santosham, MD
Santosham Chest Hospital
Chennai, India


Solomon, as the name suggests, was indeed a wise man. He is the only surgeon to have an MRCP, truly an achievement few others attempted. Much of the pioneering work he did during his lifetime was way above the ordinary, bordering on the ingenious. His insight into the nature of cardiac lesions and their evolutionary origin and his original descriptions are truly monuments to his genius. Solomon Victor was one of the few who attempted to know, and indeed understood, nature (or creation) of the human heart in its morphology and function. His lifetime collection of hearts from several species provided the world with a unique museum that is one of a kind. It is difficult to fill the void Solomon has left behind. I have personally lost a good friend and the profession has lost a great intellectual.

A Sampath Kumar, MD
New Delhi, India

ISMICS 2007-2008 Officers

At the 10th Annual Meeting of the International Society for Minimally Invasive Cardiothoracic Surgery (ISMICS) June 6-9, 2007, in Rome, Italy, the following slate of officers was elected for 2007-2008:

President
Rex Stanbridge, London, UK
President-Elect
John D. Puskas, Atlanta, GA, USA
Past-President
James D. Fonger, Columbia, SC, USA
Vice-President
Anno Diegeler, Bad Neustadt, Germany
Secretary
John L. Knight, Bedford Park, SAN, Australia
Treasurer
Thomas A. Vassiliades, Atlanta, GA, USA

Directors:

Lishan Aklog, Phoenix, AZ, USA
Gianni D. Angelini, Bristol, UK
Kit V. Arom, Bangkok, Thailand
Christian Detter, Hamburg, Germany
Robert J. Downey, New York, NY, USA
Gregory P. Fontana, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Jan F. Gummert, Jena, Germany
Yugal K. Mishra, New Delhi, India
Toshiya Ohtsuka, Tokyo, Japan

WTSA Officers 2007-2008

At the 33rd Annual Meeting of the Western Thoracic Surgical Association (WTSA) June 27-30, 2007, in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico, the following slate of officers was elected for 2007-2008:

President
Douglas E. Wood, Seattle, Washington
Vice President
David A. Fullerton, Denver, Colorado
Immediate Past President
Elliot T. Gelfand, Edmonton, AB, Canada
Secretary
John A. Hawkins, Salt Lake City, Utah
Treasurer
Robbin G. Cohen. Los Angeles, California

Councillors-at-Large
John C. Chen (2010), Honolulu, Hawaii
Robert C. Robbins (2009), Stanford, California
David M. Follette (2008), Sacramento, California
Councilor/Founder
Arthur N. Thomas, San Francisco, California
Historian
Marvin Pomerantz, Denver, Colorado
Governor, American College of Surgeons
Gabriel S. Aldea, Seattle, Washington
Editor
Andrew S. Wechsler, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Editor-Elect (1-1-2008)
Lawrence H. Cohn, Boston, Massachusetts

Dr. Arkalgud Sampath Kumar Named Chief of the Cardiothoracic Centre

Dr. Arkalgud Sampath Kumar, Professor, Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India, has been elevated to the position of Head of the Department of CTVS and Chief of the Cardiothoracic Centre at the All India Institute as of April, 2007.

Professor N. Gonipath Head of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences

Prof. N Gopinath, one of the pioneer Cardiothoracic surgeons in India, passed away on 3rd June, 2007, at age 84. A graduate of Madras Medical College, he served in the army from 1945 where he had the opportunity to work with Dr. Sam Oram and Col. Leigh Collis. It was during this period that he acquired skills in Thoracic Surgery. He then moved to Christian Medical College, Vellore, where under Dr. Reeve H Betts he performed the first open heart surgery under hypothermia done in India. He was among the first to use the Heart Lung Machine as early as 1962 at Vellore for open heart surgery. He moved from CMC to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in 1964, where he established the first academic training programme leading to the M.Ch degree. The department grew and extended under his able leadership and in 1978 he was able to begin the cardiothoracic centre exclusively for Cardiovascular disease. He has trained nearly all contemporary cardiovascular surgeons in India today.

Prof. Gopinath as a Rockefeller fellow in 1957 worked with Prof. C.W. Lillehei at Minnesota along with Dr. Christian Barnard and Norman Shumway. Prof. Gopinath traveled widely and had a global influence. His circle of friends included Juro Wada of Japan, Sir Brian Barratt-Boyes of New Zealand, Tim Catmill and Rowan Nicks from Australia, Denton Cooley from US, Donald Ross from UK and Christian Barnard in South Africa.

Prof. Gopinath was a great human being, a warm and affectionate person whose family of students extends through out the country. He is a recipient of national and international awards. His passing leaves a permanent void in the Indian Cardiothoracic Surgical sphere.

Arkalgud Sampath Kumar MCh
All India Institute of Medical Sciences
New Delhi, India

Rainer receives the WTSA Distinguished Service Award

At the recently concluded meeting of the Western Thoracic Surgical Association (WTSA), the recipient of the David Dugan Distinguished Service Award was W. Gerald Rainer, MD of Denver, Colorado, USA.

New TSDA Officers

New Thoracic Surgery Directors Association (TSDA) Officers Elected at the General Session, May 5, 2007:

President: John W. Brown, MD (2009)

President Elect: John H. Calhoon, MD (2009)

Secretary-Treasurer: George L. Hicks, MD (2009)

Councilors:

Walter H. Merrill, MD (2010)

Scott J. Swanson, MD (2009)

Cynthia S. Herrington, MD (2008)

William S. Pierce, MD, receives the ACS 2007 Jacobson Award

William S. Pierce, MD, thoracic surgeon and chemical engineer from Hershey, Pennsylvania, is the recipient of the 2007 Jacobson Innovation Award of the American College of Surgeons (ACS). Dr. Pierce was honored with the award in recognition of his pioneering work in the conception and development of mechanical circulatory support and the total artificial mechanical heart and his contributions to surgical bioengineering and patient care. His contributions to science, medicine, and education have benefited countless surgical patients with heart failure. Dr. Pierce is the Evan Pugh Emeritus Professor of Surgery at Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA.

The 13th Jacobson Innovation Award was presented to Dr. Pierce at a dinner on June 8, 2007, at the John B. Murphy Memorial Auditorium, Chicago, Illinois. The purpose of the award is to honor living surgeons who have been innovators of a new development or technique in any field of surgery. The award is made possible through a gift from Julius H. Jacobson II, MD, FACS, and his wife Joan. Dr. Jacobson is a general vascular surgeon known for his pioneering work in the development of microsurgery.

ESTS Announcements

At the recent ESTS 15th European Conference on General Thoracic Surgery held in Leuven, Belgium, 3-6 June 2007, the following Officers and Councilors were elected:

COUNCIL OFFICERS 2007-8

President
Gaetano Rocco, Naples, Italy

Past President
Richard G. Berrisford, Exeter, UK

President-Elect
Laureano Molins, Barcelona, Spain

Treasurer
Michael R. Mueller, Vienna, Austria

Secretary
Dirk E. M. Van Raemdonck, Leuven, Belgium

Editor-in-Charge
Erino Rendina, Rome, Italy

COUNCILLORS 2007-8

Past-Past President
Semih H. Halezeroglu, Istanbul, Turkey

Jozsef Furak, Szeged, Hungary

Mariano Garcia Yuste, Valladolid, Spain

Jaroslaw Kuzdzal, Zakopane, Poland

Gunda Leschber, Berlin, Germany

Sandro Mattioli, Bologna, Italy

Pavel Pafko, Prague, Czech Republic

Danail Borisov Petrov, Sofia, Bulgaria

Pascal A. Thomas, Marseille, France

The European Society of Thoracic Surgeons (ESTS) is delighted to announce that a European School of Thoracic Surgery has been established. The aim is to provide high quality educational opportunities for thoracic surgeons including interactive case presentations, operative video, and lectures written by invited experts. The ESTS School of Thoracic Surgery will be held 14-18 November 2007 at the Kremlin Palace Hotel in Antalya, Turkey. For information and registration.

ESTS announces the Directory of Thoracic Surgery in Europe. ESTS has established the largest online resource of thoracic surgeons in Europe. For information and to enter your unit into the Directory.

The 16th European Conference on General Thoracic Surgery will be held 8-11 June 2008 in Bologna, Italy. DEADLINE FOR ABSTRACT SUBMISSION IS 1 FEBRUARY, 2008. Early registration deadline 30 April 2008. Download the first announcement.

Turkish Society of Cardiovascular Surgery Officers

The new Executive Committee elected at the last General Assembly of the Turkish Society of Cardiovascular Surgery follows:

Honorary President
Aydin Aytac - Istanbul

President
Isa Durmaz - Izmir

Vice-President
Erol Sener - Ankara

Secretary-General
Serap Aykut Aka - Istanbul

Treasurer
Fuat Bilgen - Istanbul

Accountant
Cem H. Alhan - Istanbul

Council Members

Ahmet Ruchan Akar - Ankara

Atif Akcevin - Istanbul

Sertac M. Cicek - Istanbul

Ali Gurbuz - Izmir

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Abstract Deadlines

More meeting abstract deadlines are available.

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Upcoming Meetings

13th Conference on Electrical Bioimpedance

The 13th Conference on Electrical Bioimpedance, organized by Prof. H. Scharfetter, Graz, will be held from August 29 - September 2, 2007, in Graz, Austria. Besides biophysical, technical and clinical topics, one session entitled "Organ Monitoring" is devoted to ischemia, reperfusion and transplantation.

AATS Postgraduate Course: Valvular Heart Disease 2007

The AATS Valvular Heart Disease 2007 course will be held on September 7-9, 2007 in Chicago, IL, USA. This postgraduate course is designed for practicing cardiac surgeons and cardiologists. It will cover all aspects of medical, interventional and surgical management of patients with heart valve disease. This unique course will bring together the world's leading interventional cardiologists and cardiac surgeons to share the latest progress made on percutaneous/transventricular interventional and surgical therapies on heart valve disease. By combining cutting-edge surgical techniques with state of the art interventional strategies, the program will afford participants the opportunity to network and share lessons learned in a focused and intimate setting. For more information, contact Laura Biringer: Phone: 978-927-8330; Fax: 978-524-0498; E-Mail: Lbiringer@prri.com

RENAISSANCE SUMMIT 2007: "REINVENTING THE CARDIOTHORACIC AND VASCULAR SURGEON"

Renaissance Summit 2007 at the New Cardiovascular Horizons conference, will be held September 8, 2007 in New Orleans, LA. 50% registration discount to CTSNet members for the entire 4-day CME "Endovascular & Live Cases." Faculty include: Drs. Ted Diethrich, Tom Fogarty, Grayson Wheatley, Michael Tuchek, David Allie. "Hands-on" Workshops include: simulation, EDGE Program and The B.E.S.T. Program.

European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery

The 21st Annual Meeting of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery will be held 15-19 September, 2007 at the Geneva Palexpo, Geneva, Switzerland.

New for 2007 - Wednesday Re-Do Symposium: EACTS is pleased to introduce a new session at this year's meeting entitled Towards Safer Repeat Cardiac and Thoracic Surgery. The programme of this session is available here.

General information about the meeting is available on the EACTS website. Deadline for registration is 24 August. After this date you are welcome to register on-site.

For information, contact: EACTS Executive Secretariat, 3 Park Street, Windsor, Berkshire SL4 1LU, UK; Phone: +44 1753 832166; Fax: +44 1753 620407; Email: info@eacts.co.uk Additional information

Abstract Book for EACTS Geneva meeting available online

The full program, including abstracts, is now available for the upcoming European Association for Thoracic Surgery (EACTS) meeting in Geneva. It is accessable online in a supplement to Interactive CardioVascular and Thoracic Surgery (ICVTS).

7th European Conference on Perfusion Education and Training

The 7th European Conference on Perfusion Education and Training will be held 15 September, 2007, at the Crowne Plaza Geneva, Le Grand-Saconnex, Geneva, Switzerland. For information, contact: Mrs. Carole Hamilton/Mr. Heinz Weitkemper; Email: carole.hamilton@gmx.net/HWeitkemper@t-online.de Additional information

AmSECT 15th Annual Symposium on New Advances in Blood Management

AmSECT 15th Annual Symposium on New Advances in Blood Management will be held at Westin Crown Center, Kansas City, MO, September 19-23, 2007. For more information, contact astammers@aol.com, or this website.

The II Symposium on Dissection and Aortic Root Surgery

The II Symposium on Dissection and Aortic Root Surgery will be held September 21, 2007, at Parador de Baiona, Baiona, Pontevedra Spain. For information, contact: Congrega, S.L., Technical Secretariat, Rosalía de Castro, 13 - 1ºIzq., 15004 A Coruña (Spain); Phone: 34-981-216 416; Fax: 34-981-217 542; Email: patricia@congrega.es

VIVA 07 - Vascular Interventional Advances - The National Education Course for Peripheral Vascular Interventions

VIVA 07 - Vascular Interventional Advances - The National Education Course for Peripheral Vascular Interventions will be held 25 - 28 September, 2007, at the Mandalay Bay Resort, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. For information, contact: MMC, 6133 N. River Road, Rosemont, Illinois 60018; Phone: 1 866-511-VIVA; Fax: 1 847 292-5801; Email: viva@medicalmedia.net Additional information

Retirement Symposium for Prof. Robert H. Anderson

The meeting will mark the retirement of Professor Robert Anderson. The meeting will review the advances made in the understanding of the development and structure of the normal and congenitally malformed heart during the time of his support by the British Heart Foundation.

Musical recitals will take place during the lunch breaks on all 3 days, and there will be a symposium reception with a musical recital on the evening of Thursday 27th September 2007.

The dates of the symposium are: 26-28 September, 2007.

Venue: The UCL Institute of Child Health (ICH), University College London, 30 Guilford Street, London WC1N 1EH, United Kingdom; How to find us

For more information.

Birmingham Review Course in Cardiothoracic Surgery

The Birmingham Review Course in Cardiothoracic Surgery will be held 27-30 September, 2007, at the Education Centre, Birmingham Heartlands Hospital, Birmingham, UK. Course approved by EACTS. For information, contact: Lorraine Richardson, L.R. Associates, 58, Kiln Close, Calvert Green, Buckingham, MK18 2FD, United Kingdom; Phone: +44 (0)1296 733 823; Fax: +44 (0)77111 32946; Email: lrassociates@lycos.co.uk

Cardiac Insufficiency 2007 (Herzinsuffizienz 2007 - Das Dreiländertreffen)

Cardiac Insufficiency 2007 (Herzinsuffizienz 2007 - Das Dreiländertreffen) will be held 27 - 29 September, 2007, in Nürnberg, Germany. For additional information, contact: E&E PCO, Nobilegasse 23-25, 1150 Vienna, Austria; Telephone: + 43 (1) 867 49 44 0; Fax: + 43 (1) 867 49 44 9; Email: office@ee-pco.com; Website information

OCTOBER

Cleveland Clinic Innovations 2007 Medical Innovation Summit

Cleveland Clinic Innovations 2007 Medical Innovation Summit State of the Heart: Cardiovascular Technologies will be held October 1-3, 2007 at the InterContinental Hotel & Bank of America Conference Center, Cleveland, Ohio, USA

Join Kerry Clark, Cardinal Health; Sidney Taurel, Eli Lilly; Tony Zook, AstraZeneca; and many other top CEOs, venture investors, medical leaders and journalists as they highlight new technologies, economics and trends in cardiovascular technologies. Also featured will be the Cleveland Clinic's annual selection of the "Top 10" health care innovations, interactive surgeries and in-depth debates on industry challenges. 900 top-level senior industry executives, entrepreneurs, investors and clinicians will attend the 5th annual Medical Innovation Summit on the Cleveland Clinic campus.

The summit is geared toward:

-Senior executives at medical device firms
-Clinical, medical affairs, regulatory and business development executives and their teams
-Venture capitalists and angel investor groups
-Investment bankers
-Buy-side and sell-side researchers
-Consulting, legal and other service providers

To register, or call 1-800-884-9951.

XVI Argentine Congress of Cardiovascular and Endovascular Surgeons, II Congress of the Latin American Society of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery

Joint Meetings of the XVI Argentine Congress of Cardiovascular and Endovascular Surgeons and the II Congress of the Latin American Society of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery will be held October 3-5, 2007 at the Sheraton Hotel & Towers, Av. Leandro N. Alem 1151, Buenos Aires, Argentina. For information, contact: Pilar Ponce de León, Tinogasta 4151 (C1417EIQ), Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina; Telephone: +54 911 4422-4410; Fax: +54 11 4567-4481; Email: pilarponcedeleon.ppl@gmail.com Additional information.

POSTINTERVENTIONAL BLOOD-RELATED COMPLICATIONS IN CARDIAC SURGERY AND PCI

POSTINTERVENTIONAL BLOOD-RELATED COMPLICATIONS IN CARDIAC SURGERY AND PCI will be held October 3-5, 2007 in Lund, Sweden.

AmSECT Best Practices in Perfusion Meeting

AmSECT's Best Practices in Perfusion meeting will be held October 4-6, 2007 at the Delta Centre-Ville on University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. For more information and to submit an application. For more information about the meeting, or contact jeffrey.riley@osumc.edu.

Translational Research in Thoracic Malignancies: How Cancer Management Will Change in the Next Five Years

Translational Research in Thoracic Malignancies: How Cancer Management Will Change in the Next Five Years. A symposium, will be held October 4, 2007 from 2 to 6 pm at The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA. Approved for 4 category 1 CME credits. Additional information and registration is available at the address and number below:

Mark K. Ferguson, M.D.
Professor of Surgery
The University of Chicago
5841 S. Maryland Avenue MC5035
Chicago, IL 60637
Phone: 773-702-3551
FAX: 773-702-2642
mferguso@surgery.bsd.uchicago.edu

JOINT MEETING

The Joint meeting of the GERMAN SOCIETY FOR THORACIC SURGERY, the SWISS SOCIETY FOR THORACIC SURGERY and the AUSTRIAN SOCIETY FOR THORACIC AND CARDIOVASCULAR SURGERY will be held October 4-7, 2007 in Konstanz, Germany. For information, contact: Medizinische Congress-organisation Nürnberg, Zerzabelhofstr. 29, 90478 Nürnberg, Germany; Tel. +49(0) 911/39 31 60; Fax: +49 (0) 911/33 12 04; Scientific organiser: Thomas Kiefer, MD, Dep. of Thoracic Surgery, Klinikum Offenburg, Ebertplatz 12, 77654 Offenburg, Germany; E-mail: tagung@tc2007.de

YORKSHIRE CHEST IMAGING COURSE

5 OCTOBER 2007, Friday. Venue: Radiology Academy, Leeds General Infirmary, Leeds LS1 3EX, UK.

A comprehensive 1-day course aimed at developing an understanding of radiological pattern recognition and providing an outline for evaluating chest radiographs. It is aimed at specialist registrars in radiology, general and respiratory medicine, cardiothoracic surgery, and those working in the ICU and A & E. A significant portion of the time will be spent viewing films. The faculty is comprised of Consultant Radiologists from Yorkshire, with a special interest in chest radiology. Course convenor: Dr. RJH Robertson, Consultant Radiologist, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS trust.

Email: radiologycourses@hotmail.co.uk for the information pack and application form. Places limited to 45, reserved on a first-come first-serve basis. Course fee: £80.

The Failing Heart: a Paradigm for Multidisciplinary Approach

The Failing Heart: a Paradigm for Multidisciplinary Approach will be held 13 October, 2007, at the Palzaao dei Congressi (Piazza Indipendenza 4) in Lugano, Switzerland. This is a Lugano Cardiosurgical Postgraduate Course. For information, contact: Annapaola Sürder-Boschet, Congress Manager, Cardiocentro Ticino, Via Tesserete 48, 6900 Lugano; Phone: 41/91/805.31.92; Fax: 41/91/805.31.67; Email: annapaola@cardiocentro.org. For more information.

VIII Annual International Symposium On Advances In Understanding Aortic Diseases

The VIII Annual International Symposium on Advances in Understanding Aortic Diseases - Joint Symposium with the 15th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society for Aortic Surgery - will be held 13 - 14 October, 2007, at the Kieo Plaza Hotel, Tokyo, Japan. For information, contact: Secretary General: Tetsuro Morota, M.D., Ph.D.; Phone: +81 3 5800 9155; Fax: +81 3 5800 9156; Email: office@8auad.com Additional information

5th INTERNATIONAL MEETING ON CARDIAC INTENSIVE CARE

The 5th INTERNATIONAL MEETING ON CARDIAC INTENSIVE CARE will be held October 14-16, 2007, in Tel Aviv, Israel. For information, contact ISAS International Seminars, P.O. Box 574, Jerusalem 91004, Israel. Tel: 972-2-6520574; Fax: 972-2-6520558; e-mail: meetings@isas.co.il

2007 Australasian Society of Cardiac & Thoracic Surgeons Annual Scientific Meeting

The 2007 Australasian Society of Cardiac & Thoracic Surgeons Annual Scientific Meeting will be held Monday 15 - Sunday 21 October, 2007 at the Sheraton Noosa Resort, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia. For information, contact: Lauren Born, Taylored Images, PO Box 247 Ashgrove, Queensland 4060 Australia; Phone: +61 7 3366 2205; Fax: +61 7 3366 5170: Email: 2007ascts@tayloredimages.com.au Additional information.

Heart Lab 2007 - Focus on Valved Stents for Surgeons

Heart Lab 2007 - Focus on Valved Stents for Surgeons will be held October 17-21, 2007, in Zurich, Switzerland. For more information, ludwig.von-segesser@chuv.ch or go to website.

Human Factors in Health Care: A Mayo Clinic Symposium

This Mayo Clinic Symposium will be held October 17-19, 2007, at The Saint Paul Hotel, 350 Market Street, St. Paul, Minnesota USA.

This course is an introduction to the practical use of human factors and the practical application of its principles to improve patient care.

Human Factors science explores how humans behave physically, psychologically, socially, and biologically in relation to the particular environment in which they live and work. It can be used to determine how the systems that combine human behavior with technology can be designed to maximize safety and efficiency in the healthcare environment.

Human Factors in Health Care provides a forum to examine the core elements of human factors in science, how each element influences system safety, and methods for appropriately utilizing the tools, methodologies and teamwork required to improve the quality and safety of patient care.

Course Directors are Thoralf M. Sundt, MD and Douglas A. Wiegmann, PhD, Rochester Minnesota.

Course endorsed by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS).

Contact: (800)-323-2688 More Information

Contemporary General Thoracic Surgery

Contemporary General Thoracic Surgery will be held 18 - 19 October, 2007, at the Eric P. Newman Education Center, St. Louis, Missouri, USA. For information, contact: Washington University School of Medicine Continuing Medical Education, CME - WUSM, Campus Box 8063, 660 South Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA. Phone: 1 314 362-6891; Fax: 1 314 362-1087; Email: cme@wustl.edu Additional information

Swedish Association for Cardiothoracic Surgery

The Swedish Association for Cardiothoracic Surgery will have its next annual meeting October 18-20, 2007 in Örebro, Sweden. ABSTRACT DEADLINE: SEPTEMBER 15, 2007. For more information.

21st Century Treatment of Heart Failure

21st Century Treatment of Heart Failure: Synchronizing Surgical and Medical Therapies for Better Outcomes will be held 18-20 October, 2007, at the InterContinental Hotel and Bank of America Conference Center, Cleveland, Ohio, USA. ABSTRACT SUBMISSION DEADLINE: 8 SEPTEMBER, 2007. For information, contact: Laura Sears or Jamie Belkin. The Heart Failure Summit, The Cleveland Clinic Educational Foundation, P.O. Box 931653, Cleveland, Ohio 44193-1082; Phone: 1 216 932-3448; Fax: 1 216 445-9406; Email: laura@jamieblekin.com Additional information

Applied Cardiothoracic Basic Sciences Course

Applied Cardiothoracic Basic Sciences Course will be held 25-26 October, 2007, at The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, The Adamson Centre, 3 Hill Place, Edinburgh , Scotland, UK, EH8 9DS. For information contact: Laura McQuade; Phone: 44 (0)131 668 9238; Fax: 44 (0)131 668 9241; Email:l.mcquade@rcsed.ac.uk Additional Information.

NOVEMBER

Eighth Biennial Congress of the Syrian Cardiovascular Association

Eighth Biennial Congress of the Syrian Cardiovascular Association will be held in Damascus, Syria, November 1-3, 2007. Information: Prof. Sami Kabbani, P.O. Box: 8487, Damascus, Syria; Tel/Fax: 00963 94 27 27 55; E-mail: scva@scs-net.org; More information.

The 2nd Annual Meeting of International Chinese Society of Thoracic Surgery (ICSTS)

The 2nd Annual Meeting of International Chinese Society of Thoracic Surgery (ICSTS) in conjunction with The Third International Chinese Forum of Thoracoscopic Surgery will be held 1-4 November, 2007, at the Xiamen International Seaside Hotel, Xiamen, China. ABSTRACT SUBMISSION DEADLINE: 30 SEPTEMBER, 2007. For information, contact: Division of Thoracic Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, 199 Tun-Hwa North Road, Taipei, Taiwan 105; Phone: 886-3-3281200, ext 2118, 2104; Fax: 886-3-328-5818; Email: chestsurgery@icsts.com More information.

STSA Annual Meeting

Register now for the upcoming STSA 54th Annual Meeting, to be held November 7-10, 2007 in Bonita Springs, Florida. Many will remember the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point as the site of STSA's 50th anniversary celebration. The tropical gardens, warm breezes and sparkling gulf coast waters will provide a breathtaking background for another stimulating, scientific session.

The 2007 Program Committee has selected a robust program that provides a balance between education, opportunity for thoughtful discussion and time to renew friendships and enjoy camaraderie - all of which make the Southern special.

The advance registration deadline is October 11, 2007. If you are unable to register by this date you may register on-site, but please note, there will be an additional $50 charge for attendees registering on-site in Bonita Springs.

For information, contact: Katie McAuliff, 633 North Saint Clair, Suite 2320, Chicago, IL 60611; Phone: 1 800 685-7872; Fax: 1 312 202-5801; Email: stsa@stsa.org

AmSECT Meeting Announcments

The Program Committee for NNJAECT & I-SECT's 16th International Symposium, CARDIAC SURGERY, BEYOND, is now accepting abstracts and/or case studies for the meeting to be held November 7 - 11, 2007, at the Naples Grande Resort & Club, Naples, Florida USA. Anyone needing immediate information, please contact Paul Cappola, Craig Vocelka or Travel Unlimited New Jersey USA, (Official coordinator for registration & accommodations). The travel center will also assist you with any travel needs.

Program Contacts: Paul Cappola: ecmoinc@aol.com or 1.401.455-0618; Craig Vocelka: vocelka@u.washington.edu or 1.206.685-3677. Travel Unlimited, New Jersey USA, (Alan or Anne): 800.228-1502 or e-mail info@travelunlimited.com or 1.973-228-1500.

International Symposium on Lung and Pleural Malignancies

International Symposium on Lung and Pleural Malignancies will be held on 15-17 November, 2007, in Istanbul, Turkey. Eighteen foreign speakers will be attending this 3-day symposium. The language of the symposium is English and Turkish with simultaneous translation. The symposium program is available in English. This event is organized by Turkish Thoracic Society, European Respiratory Society (ERS) and International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC). For more details, contact: Hasan F. Batirel, MD, PhD; email: hbatirel@marmara.edu.tr Tel: 90 216 325-9133; Fax: 90 216 325-2426.

12th Annual Perspectives in Thoracic Oncology

The 12th Annual Perspectives in Thoracic Oncology Meeting will be held November 16-17, 2007, at the Westin New York Times Square hotel, New York, New York, USA. The Chair is Corey J. Langer, MD, FACP, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. For more information, including program and speakers, click here.

The Transfer of Knowledge and Skills to the Young Cardio-Thoracic Surgeons

The Transfer of Knowledge and Skills to the Young Cardio-Thoracic Surgeons will be held November 17, 2007, at the Centro Congressi Giovanni XXIII, Bergamo, Italy. For information, contact: Organising Secretariat: Barbara Del Maggio, Centro Congressi Giovanni XXIII, V.le Papa Giovanni XXIII° 106, 24121 Bergamo; Phone: +39 035 236435; Fax: +39 035 236474; Email: infocon@congresscenter.bg.it

Society of Cardiothoracic Surgeons of South Africa

The Society of Cardiothoracic Surgeons of South Africa will hold its 'Heart 2 Heart/Africa Congress 2007' November 22-25, 2007 in Sun City, South Africa. Abstract Submission deadline: Friday, September 28, 2007. More information.

The 9th Annual Conference of the Paediatric Cardiac Society of India

The 9th Annual Conference of the Paediatric Cardiac Society of India will be held 23-25 November, 2007, at Swabhumi, The Heritage Plaza, Kolkata, West Bengal India. ABSTRACT SUBMISSION DEADLINE: 29 AUGUST, 2007.