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Monthly Newsletter - May 2007

Table of Contents

What's New

CTSNet Announces Search for Editor of the Residents Section

Since inception, the Residents Section has been under the supervision by a CT resident in training, the idea being that the residents themselves know best what material they wish to have on their site. There have been three editors to the present time, Dr. John Liddicoat, Dr. John Doty, and the current editor, Dr. Vinod Thourani. Dr. Thorani was kind enough to serve an extra year after he finished his resident training, but it is time for him to move on.

Therefore, we are announcing an open search for a Resident Section Editor.

Criteria for consideration for the position are as follows:

(1) Must be a current resident in cardiothoracic surgery, or beginning residency in July, 2007, and remain so for at least two years (July 2007 - June 2009)

(2) Must have working knowledge of CTSNet, as well as the global net environment.

(3) Must have access to a broadband Internet service.

(4) Responsibilities will include maintenance and oversight of the entire Resident's section; official representation of CTSNet to the Thoracic Surgery Resident's Association (TSRA); collaboration with other resident organizations around the world.

(5) The applicant must have the approval and support of his program director for this activity.

Interested residents should send an electronic cover letter and curriculum vitae to Carol Blasberg [blasbergc@wustl.edu] NO LATER THAN JUNE 9, 2007

Congenital Literature Watch Q1 2007

Congenital Literature Watch Q1 2007 is now available. This feature is compiled and edited by Doctors Carl L. Backer, Children's Memorial Hospital, Chicago, Illinois, USA, and Aditya K. Kaza, Children's Hospital, Denver, Colorado, USA.

Thoracic Literature Watch Q1 2007

Thoracic Literature Watch Q1 2007 is now available. This feature is compiled and edited by Dr. Mark K. Ferguson, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA.

STSA 2006 Congenital Heart Video

"Modified Senning and Rastelli Procedures with Bidirectional Cavopulmonary Anastomosis for Complex Heterotaxy with Pulmonary Atresia Following Multiple Systemic-to-Pulmonary Artery Shunts" by Doctors Kristine J. Guleserian, Reenu S. Eapen, Michael Spann, William A. Scott, and Joseph M. Forbess, all of the Children's Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA. Presented at the 53rd Annual Meeting of the Southern Thoracic Surgical Association (STSA), Tucson, Arizona, November 8, 2006.

Thoracic New Technology

"VISUALIZATION OF LUNG SOUNDS WITH VIBRATION RESPONSE IMAGING (VRI?): TECHNICAL AND CLINICAL ASPECTS" by Devanand Anantham, MD, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA, Heinrich D. Becker, MD, Thoraxklinik at Heidelberg University, Heidelberg Germany, and Armin Ernst, MD, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA.

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.

Vascular Surgical Society International Traveling Fellowship

The Edward B. Diethrich Vascular Surgical Society (EBDVSS) International Traveling Fellowship was established to broaden the educational experience of a cardiac or vascular surgical resident interested in endovascular surgery during their final year of training by providing an opportunity for travel to one or more established Centers of Excellence in the applicant's field of interest. One award will be granted to a North American resident to support research and/or enhancement of endovascular skills at a host institution abroad in hopes of stimulating academic inspiration, promoting international exchange and fostering fraternal fellowship. A second award will be granted to an International (non-North American) resident for travel to a North American Center of Excellence

The grant of $10,000 will be provided to the successful applicants to underwrite their travel and living expenses incurred during a maximum of three weeks of training at one or more Endovascular Centers of Excellence. The funds are also intended to provide for roundtrip travel and accommodations at the International Congress XXI on Endovascular Interventions scheduled for February 10-14, 2008 in Scottsdale, AZ. Registration for the Congress and all related events will be covered by the EBDVSS. Fellowship travel must be completed prior to January 1, 2008.

Applicants must have approval from their home and prospective host institutions. The application consists of a one-page proposal summarizing what the applicant hopes to accomplish during their training, a current curriculum vitae and a cover letter outlining their career goals. Additionally, award recipients must agree to present a summary of their experience at the International Congress.

THE DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS IS AUGUST 7, 2007.  Notification of successful applicants will take place no later than September 1, 2007.
Please send the completed form, one-page proposal, current curriculum vitae, and a cover letter outlining career goals to:
David J. Caparrelli, M.D.
Co-Chairman, Fellowship Committee
c/o Erika Scott; EBDVSS Administrator
The Arizona Heart Institute
2632 N. 20th Street
Phoenix, Arizona 85006 USA

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.

EACTS Establishes Techno-College Innovation Award

The Techno-College invites surgeons and individuals from companies active in the field of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery to apply for The Techno-College Innovation Award.

We are looking for technological breakthroughs in all areas related to thoracic and cardiovascular research in particular for new surgical methods or devices. Innovations can be in the form of patents, inventions, new products, ideas or services. The innovations should have the potential to change our standard practice and should go beyond marginal improvements in existing procedures or products.

The winner will be chosen on behalf of the European Association of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EACTS) by the members of the New Technology Resource Group. The winner will have the opportunity to present his/her work during the Annual Techno-College on Saturday September 15 2007. The prize, Euro 5,000, will be awarded during the EACTS Presidential Dinner on Tuesday September 17 2007. PLEASE COMPLETE AND SUBMIT THIS FORM WITH ANY SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION BY JULY 1, 2007.

AATS Officers 2007-2008

At the recently concluded Annual Meeting of The American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) in Washington, DC, the following slate of Officers and Councillors for 2007-2008 was elected:

Officers:
D. Craig Miller, President     
Thomas L. Spray, President-Elect    
G. Alexander Patterson, Vice-President  
Irving L. Kron, Secretary   
Thoralf M. Sundt, Secretary-Elect   
David J. Sugarbaker, Treasurer  

Councillors:
Walter Klepetko  
Bruce Lytle   
John D. Puskas
Hartzell V. Schaff  
Craig R. Smith 
Valerie W. Rusch  

Announcement from The Thoracic Surgery Residents Association (TSRA)

The Thoracic Surgery Residents Association (TSRA) is announcing nine (9) open positions on the Executive Committee. 

Each executive committee member is also assigned a position as the TSRA representative within a national organization including the Residency Review Committee, AATS, STS, and Joint Council for Thoracic Surgery Education. The TSRA representative must attend the national meetings for his or her respective organization and be an active participant. 

These positions require dedication and work. In order to accurately represent the thoracic residents, each executive member must participate in activities to communicate with residents (surveys, emails, etc), so that we speak in one voice, not offering a smattering of opinions.

You may apply if you are starting in a CT residency July 07.

You must still be a resident through June 30, 2008 to be considered.

To apply please send:

1) A letter of intent (1 page) outlining your desire to be involved in TSRA and your vision for the future of thoracic training.
2) A letter from your program director stating your leadership potential as well as confirming your financial support and schedule flexibility to attend national meetings (at least 2 per year).
3) Your CV.

All materials should be emailed to Thomas Varghese at vargthom@med.umich.edu NO LATER THAN JUNE 4, 2007.    

Thanks.

Dan Boffa
President of TSRA

ISMICS 10th Anniversary 2007 Annual Scientific Program

"Current Controversies: Do Drug-eluding Stents Represent Long-term Danger?"
Don't miss this special session with invited speakers Professor David Taggart of the University of Oxford and Professor Gerhard Schuler of the University of Leipzig Heart Center.

To preview the entire 2007 Annual Scientific Meeting program. 

Onsite Registration will open Tuesday 5 June, on the ground floor of the Aurelia Convention Center at 14:30, and will be available each day of the meeting.

CTSNet Officers

At the Board of Directors Meeting held in Washington, DC, at the time of the AATS meeting, the following slate of officers was elected:

President          Richard P. Anderson        2007 - 2008
Secretary         G. Alexander Patterson    2007 - 2008
Treasurer         Paul T. Sergeant              2007 - 2008

Members of the Board         

David H. Adams 
W. Randolph Chitwood, Jr.
Raffaele De Simone 
Jeffrey P. Gold
Bruce E. Keogh
Mark B. Orringer 
Thoralf M. Sundt

The Society for Heart Valve Disease

The 4th Biennial Meeting of The Society for Heart Valve Disease will be held at the Hotel Pennsylvania, New York, NY, USA, 15 - 18 June 2007. This meeting will provide an opportunity for presentation and discussion of work at the leading edge of this expanding and multi-disciplined field. The Scientific session will be preceded by a Postgraduate Course entitled "Difficult Decisions in Valve Replacement" on Friday, June 15th. The Course is under the Direction of Professor Blasé Carabello and Dr. David H. Adams. 

Full details about the meeting are available which includes the Program and the opportunity to view the abstracts for Presentation.

21st EACTS ANNUAL MEETING and TECHNO-COLLEGE, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND, 15-19 SEPTEMBER 2007.

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 will soon be posted at EACTS meeting website.

You are encouraged to register for the meeting by June 29th, and reserve your hotel accommodation as soon as possible.  General information about the meeting is available on the EACTS meeting website.

EACTS Health Management Course - Leadership in Healthcare Services

EACTS Health Management Course - Leadership in Healthcare Services will be held 25-27 June, 2007, Madrid, Spain. Early registration PRIOR TO 4 JUNE 2007. For further details and a very interesting programme.

EUROPEAN SOCIETY OF THORACIC SURGERY (ESTS) ANNOUNCEMENTS

1) Final Programme Book of the 15th European Conference on General Thoracic Surgery of ESTS in Leuven, Belgium, 3-6 June 2007 is now available for download. 

2) The ESTS School of Thoracic Surgery will take place in Antalya, Turkey, 14-18 November 2007.

3) The 16th European Conference on General Thoracic Surgery of ESTS is taking place in Bologna, Italy, 8-11 June 2008.

Western Thoracic Surgical Association

The Preliminary Program for the 33rd Annual Meeting of the Western Thoracic Surgical Association is now available. You can also view the 2007 Scientific program and abstracts.

Registration for the Annual Meeting is now open. This year's meeting will be held in New Mexico at the Hyatt Regency Tamaya, Santa Ana Pueblo (near Albuquerque) from June 27-30, 2007. To register for the meeting, download the Registration form and fax completed forms to (978) 524-0498.

To reserve your hotel accommodations, make your reservations online or download the Hotel Reservation form and fax completed forms directly to the hotel at fax # (505) 771-6180.

For other meeting information.

ISMICS Winter Workshop

The International Society for Minimally Invasive Cardiothoracic Surgery (ISMICS) Winter Workshop will be held 28 November - 2 December, 2007 at the Sungate Port Royal Resort, Antalya, Turkey. For more information about the meeting. For more information about the venue.

New Book Featured in CTSNet Bookstore

A new book available through the CTSNet Bookstore is titled: Cardiothoracic Surgery in China: Past, Present and Future, by Doctors Song Wan and Anthony P. C. Yim, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong, China.

Thoracic Portal Surveys Redux

This month CTSNet reintroduces survey tools on the Thoracic Portal. Surveys were initially introduced on the Thoracic Portal in August 2006, and surveys have been used sporadically on the CTSNet home page since its inception.  However, we have found that, although results have been interesting and potentially informative, the response rate hasn't been sufficiently high to permit use of these surveys to importantly influence thought or behavior.

Surveys, although used informally in our setting, have substantial potential value to the leadership of CTSNet. Our initial survey asked members about what they like on the Thoracic Portal and what changes might be desirable. This information, combined with data regarding page reads for various content on the portal, provides useful insight into how we can tailor the content of the portal to the needs of the readership. Our aim is to be as responsive to CTSNet members as possible, providing them with the information that they need to optimize their professional lives.

Surveys also can benefit CTSNet members in more immediate clinical ways. Thus far we have posted results of four clinical surveys, and a fifth clinical survey is available for members to complete. The four completed surveys focus on clinical management of lung and esophageal cancer. The current survey explores management of primary spontaneous pneumothorax. In each of the surveys published to date we found surprising variations in management of common clinical problems. Such results are bound to give the readership insight into alternative methods for approaching conditions that they may see nearly every day.

In addition to learning results of survey questions posed by others, the survey tool offers the CTSNet readership the opportunity to develop surveys of their own. Perhaps you, the reader, are curious about how different surgeons might manage a specific clinical entity that you and others have found challenging. Simply provide a clinical scenario and suggested survey questions that address the issue, and the survey will be considered for posting during one of our updates.

For the future, surveys will be posted every four to six weeks. The posting of a new survey will be announced on the CTSNet home page and on the Thoracic Portal main page. The survey tool link will be highlighted with a flashing reminder on the Thoracic Portal main page. After each survey is completed, the results will be tabulated and posted within two weeks along with a brief summary and commentary to help contextualize the outcomes.

The results of competed surveys to date can be found in the right gutter of the Thoracic Portal Home Page.

This updated survey content is designed to provide additional value to your CTSNet membership.  As always, we welcome comments and suggestions regarding it and all elements of the Thoracic Portal experience.

Mark K. Ferguson, MD
Editor, Thoracic Portal
CTSNet.org

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Industry Forum

MEDTRONIC EDGE UPDATE

We are excited to bring to you two newly developed EDGE courses:

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. The simulation packages included for this course are Transapical Aortic, Retrograde Aortic and TAA.

*** This course is specifically design 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.

Basic Minimally Invasive Hands-on and Cadaver Training for Cardiac Surgeons

The course is designed for cardiac surgeons. Surgeons will operate on cadavers under the instruction of distinguished faculty. Surgeons will be trained on minimally invasive approaches to direct vision valve surgery and port-access surgical ablation. The surgeons will be exposed and will be able to try new instruments and techniques that will improve their skills and capabilities as minimally invasive surgeons. For more information, please contact Brenda Mely at 763-526-7814.

General information on these two new EDGE Courses

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

 

MITRAL VALVE REPAIR WEBCAST with Tirone E. David, M.D., F.R.C.S.(C)

We are pleased to announce a Mitral Valve Repair Webcast with Tirone E. David, M.D., F.R.C.S.(C), on Monday, June 4, 2007, at 1:00 PM EDT.

LIVE webcast at http://www.or-live.com/medtronic/1454/

One of the first surgeons to introduce modern techniques of mitral valve repair in North America, Dr. David has performed more than 1,500 valve repairs. He is head of the Division of Cardiovascular Surgery at the Peter Munk Cardiac Program at Toronto General Hospital, University Health Network.

Mitral Valve Repair Webcast

In 2005, Dr. David, working with engineers from Medtronic, designed the Simplici-T® Annuloplasty System for use in mitral and tricuspid valve repair surgery to help restore the leaking valve opening to a more normal shape. The Simplici-T band restores proper valve coaptation and improves valve function after repair.

This educational webcast will be available at http://www.or-live.com and archived for medical professionals and patients to view.

Supported in part by funding from Medtronic, Inc.

Tirone E. David receives royalties from Medtronic, Inc. on sales of the Simplici-T® Annuloplasty System

Simplici-T® Annuloplasty System

Indications: This device is indicated for the reconstruction and/or remodeling of pathological mitral and tricuspid valves. Appropriate repair and annular remodeling may correct combined valvular insufficiency and stenosis. Contraindications: Heavily calcified valves, valvular retraction with severely reduced mobility, active bacterial endocarditis. Warnings/Precautions/Adverse Events: Only physicians who have received proper training in valve repair should use this device. Adverse events can include: thromboembolic events, band dehiscence, hemolysis, stenosis, heart block, endocarditis, systolic anterior motion, left ventricular outflow tract obstruction, anticoagulant-related bleeding or hemorrhage, uncorrected or recurrent regurgitation, low cardiac output, thrombosis, damage to coronary arteries.

For additional information please refer to the Instructions for Use provided with the product or contact your local Medtronic representative.

CAUTION: Federal law (USA) restricts this device to sale by or on the order of a physician.

Simplici-T is a registered trademark of Medtronic, Inc.

Boston Scientific Medical Symposium: "Interviews With Experts: A Collaborative Approach to Resolving Atrial Fibrillation"

Medical Symposium: "Interviews With Experts: A Collaborative Approach to Resolving Atrial Fibrillation"

Faculty:
Marc Gillinov, MD
Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery
The Cleveland Clinic Foundation
Cleveland, Ohio

Adam E. Saltman, MD, PhD
Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery
Maimonides Medical Center
Brooklyn, New York

Kalyanam Shivkumar, MD, PhD
UCLA Cardiac Arrhythmia Center
David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Los Angeles, California

A video presentation with emphasis on problem areas, plus a Post-test and Evaluation form. CME credit available.

Jointly sponsored by Postgraduate Institute for Medicine and Imprint Science.
Supported by an educational grant from Boston Scientific.

TERUMO CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEMS LAUNCHES TLINK(TM) DATA MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

Terumo Cardiovascular Systems has launched TLink(TM) Data Management System, an automated data acquisition system that enables primary focus on the patient. Data from devices in the OR environment are acquired quickly and accurately without manual intervention. Settings and features can be tailored to meet the specific requirements of different cases and different users, then saved and recalled as needed. Case data is easily transferred to a central database or HIS providing all the functionality needed to implement a paperless system for perfusion records. TLink System's integrated query management allows all data to be queried in the system. Its enhanced open-ended query capabilities can optimize post-case analysis and quality assurance management. 

Contact your Terumo Cardiovascular Systems sales representative for more information or visit TLink Data Management System.

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books

Looking for a Night Table Thriller?

Looking for a Night Table Thriller? Check the Bookstore for a New Novel "Firebase Gecko" by John C. Opie, MD, of Scottsdale, Arizona, USA.

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In My Opinion

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Clinical Resources

SPECIAL REPORT -  "The Match and Changing Times"

SPECIAL REPORT: "The Match and Changing Times" An important article by Dr. Benson R. Wilcox on the Residency Match Program in these troubled times. Dr. Wilcox is Professor Emeritus of Surgery and former Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, USA. He was President of The Society of Thoracic Surgeons in 1995. He is currently a member, and former President of the Board, of the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP).

Videos

Expert Techniques

Thoracic

Clinical Cases

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Organizations

Important! CTSNet Members

An updated, functioning e-mail address is our only way of communicating with you.

For those of you who wish to be kept up to date on all the CTSNet menu offerings, meetings, Newsletter, and other information in cardiothoracic surgery, PLEASE MAINTAIN YOUR CORRECT E-ADDRESS ON YOUR HOME PAGE. It is our only reliable way of communicating with you.

It takes only a minute to do, so go to your home page right now and double check that your address is the correct one. If it is not, and needs changing in any way, go to the top of your home page and click on Profile Update under Member Services in the blue bar. Add your password to your UserID to access your Update options. Your e-address, as well as all the other information we have about you, is found under CONTACT INFORMATION.

This is also a good time to double check all the other Contact Information to make sure it is correct, as well as update the other elements on your home page - your Specialty, Interests and Background Information.

PLEASE DO IT NOW!

New Feature - CTSNET IMAGE LIBRARY

CTSNET IMAGE LIBRARY:  The explosion in digital images and video in the past decade has provided a great opportunity for cardiothoracic surgeons to create and share spectacular images of surgical techniques. CTSNet is seeking contributions to build an online Image Library. The library will be a collection of still and videos of the highest quality that comprehensive illustrate cardiothoracic surgery. CTSNet invites contributions from all professionals in cardiothoracic surgery who wish to make images and videos available for educational use by the public. CTSNet will request a nonexclusive, royalty-free license to publish and distribute images through the CTSNet Web site. Contributors will maintain copyright and will be permitted to use their contributions elsewhere. Individual images and videos should be under 10 megabytes, and users can upload up to 100 megabytes per session. Individual user albums have a 1 gigabyte storage limit. For additional information contact Rob Oberteuffer at 410-385-1949 ext 100.

Blog Update

CTSNet welcomes two new bloggers! In his first posting, Dr. Ahmed El-Sherbini of Giza, Egypt discusses the value of EndoVentricular Circular Patch Plasty Technique especially in countries that do not have the facilities to perform heart transplants or where organ transplants are prohibited by law.

And read a new blog by Dr. George Tolis, Jr., entitled "Cyanide, Ricin and the Pump." Dr. Tolis is at the Caritas St. Elizabeth's Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. This is an interesting commentary on on-pump:off-pump question.

Veteran blogger Dr. Tom Treasure provides the lighter side of organization naming in his post, entitled "Thoracic Surgeons in the Forefront." Finally, Dr. Luis Quinonez considers that dramatic effect the Internet is now having as a replacement for medical textbooks in his most recent posting. Consider these and other thoughts on CTSNet Blogs.

And remember, there is a space reserved for your comments. Send them in!

AATS Resident Traveling Fellowships (2007-2008)

AATS Resident Traveling Fellowships (2007-2008) Online Award Applications Now Available.
Deadline:  July 1, 2007

Candidates must be a resident in their final year of an approved North American cardiothoracic surgical training program who plans to spend a maximum of two weeks at one or more institutions other than their home institution. Awardees must also plan to attend the annual meeting of the Association, May 10-14, 2008 in San Diego, CA.

More Information and to apply.

AATS Evarts A. Graham Memorial Traveling Fellowship (2008-2009)

AATS Evarts A. Graham Memorial Traveling Fellowship (2008-2009)

Candidate must be a non-North American who plans a cardiothoracic surgery training program in a North American center and who has not had significant clinical training in North America prior to making application.
Candidate should have completed his/her formal training in general surgery and in thoracic and cardiovascular surgery, but should not have reached a senior position.

More Information and to apply.

AATS Norman E. Shumway Research Scholarship (2008-2010)

AATS Norman E. Shumway Research Scholarship (2008-2010). Online Award Applications Now Available. Deadline: July 1, 2007.

Norman E. Shumway Research Scholarship (2008-2010) provides an opportunity for research, training and experience for North American surgeons committed to pursuing an academic career in cardiothoracic surgery.

Research program must be undertaken within the first three years after completion of an approved North American cardiothoracic residency. Applications for the scholarship may be submitted during the candidate's final year of cardiothoracic residency or during his or her first two years in an academic position. The duration of the scholarship is to be two years.

More Information and to apply.

Webcast of STS 2007 Annual Meeting Now Available

Don't miss Frederick L. Grover's Presidential Address, "The Bright Future of Cardiothoracic Surgery in the Era of Changing Health Care Delivery: An Update," or this year's Thomas B. Ferguson Lecture by former US Senate Majority Leader and STS member William H. Frist. Also included are the four invited presentations by Albert Starr, Mark B. Orringer, Hazim J. Safi, and G. Alexander Patterson. And look for the latest thinking on CABG vs PCI through several sessions on this important topic.

In total, 119 lectures are available for viewing. The list of available presentations may be browsed in the faculty or session sections. Presentations can also be searched by using a particular title, presenter name or keyword.

The Webcast is an excellent chance to review a session you attended during the meeting or to catch up on something you missed. Also, those who missed the STS Annual Meeting this year can still have an opportunity to learn from experts in the field.

While the Webcast captures many of the presentations on tape, it does not replace the experience of being on-site. From networking with old colleagues to hands-on sessions, there's nothing quite like being there. Plan now to attend the next STS Annual Meeting, already being planned for January 28-30, 2008 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Valvular Heart Disease 2007

We encourage you to take advantage of the early bird rate and register now for Valvular Heart Disease 2007: Advanced Surgical and Interventional Therapies, to be held September 7-9, 2007, at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers, Chicago, Illinois, USA.

Sponsored by the American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS), 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.

Preview the Program Outline
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.

STS 44th Annual Meeting - Call for Abstracts

Abstracts and surgical videos are now being accepted for consideration for presentation at the STS 44th Annual Meeting in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, January 28-30, 2008.

Abstract and surgical video submissions will be accepted until June 25, 2007. Accepted submissions will be presented as oral presentations, scientific posters, or surgical movies.

To simplify the abstract submission process, STS highly recommends a review of the Abstract and Video Submission Guidelines before beginning the submission process. Reviewing these guidelines in advance will answer many questions about the submission process. To submit an abstract.

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Residents Section

New Horizons Contribution

Another essay in the New Horizons series has been posted in the Residents' Section, entitled The "Ideal" Life as a Cardiothoracic Surgeon, by Alex G. Little, MD, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio, USA.

This feature is edited by Walter H. Merrill, MD, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio.

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Journals

Annals of Thoracic Surgery - May Issue

CME:

General Thoracic

Blackmon SH, Correa AM, Wynn B, Hofstetter WL, Martin LW, Mehran RJ, Rice DC, Swisher SG, Walsh GL, Roth JA, Vaporciyan AA.
Propensity-Matched Analysis of Three Techniques for Intrathoracic Esophagogastric Anastomosis.
Ann Thorac Surg 2007;83:1805-1813.

Pediatric Cardiac
 
Lai L, Laussen PC, Cua CL, Wessel DL, Costello JM, del Nido PJ, Mayer JE, RR Thiagarajan.
Outcomes After Bidirectional Glenn Operation: Blalock-Taussig Shunt Versus Right Ventricle-to-Pulmonary Artery Conduit.
Ann Thorac Surg 2007;83:1768-1773.

Adult Cardiac

Huybregts RAJM, Morariu AM, Rakhorst G, Spiegelenberg SR, Romijn HWA, de Vroege R, van Oeveren W.
Attenuated Renal and Intestinal Injury After Use of a Mini-Cardiopulmonary Bypass System.
Ann Thorac Surg 2007;83:1760-1766.

THE STATISTICIAN'S PAGE

Grunkemeier GL, Jin R, Eijkemans MJC, Takkenberg JJM.
Actual and Actuarial Probabilities of Competing Risks: Apples and Lemons.
Ann Thorac Surg 2007;83:1586-1592.

THORACIC SURGERY DIRECTORS ASSOCIATION AWARD

Davies RR, Coe MP, Mandapati D, Gallo A, Botta DM, Elefteriades JA, Coady MA.
What Is the Optimal Management of Late-Presenting Survivors of Acute Type A Aortic Dissection? Ann Thorac Surg 2007;83:1593-1602.

SUPPLEMENT

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Blood Conservation Guideline Task Force: Ferraris VA, Ferraris SP, Saha SP, Hessel II EA, Haan CK, Royston BD, Bridges CR, Higgins RSD, Despotis G, Brown JR; The Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists Special Task Force on Blood Transfusion: Spiess BD, Shore-Lesserson L, Stafford-Smith M, Mazer CD, Bennett-Guerrero E, Hill SE, Body S.
Perioperative Blood Transfusion and Blood Conservation in Cardiac Surgery: The Society of Thoracic Surgeons and The Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists Clinical Practice Guideline.
Ann Thorac Surg 2007;83:S27-S86.

Annals of Thoracic Surgery Discussion Paper - May 2007

May 2007: Sagbas E, Akpinar B, Sanisoglu I, Caynak B, Tamtekin B, Oral K, Onan B. Video-assisted bilateral epicardial pulmonary vein isolation for the treatment of lone atrial fibrillation. Ann Thorac Surg 2007;83:1724-30.

In the May 2007 Annals, Sagbas and colleagues from Istanbul evaluate the feasibility and the efficacy of a new off-pump, bilateral thoracoscopic pulmonary vein isolation technique in patients with atrial fibrillation.  Twenty-sis (26) drug-resistant and symptomatic isolated atrial fibrillation patients (18 permanent, 8 paroxysmal, mean age 55 years) underwent an irrigated radiofrequency ablation procedure using the Cardioblate ablation system (Medtronic). Mean duration of atrial fibrillation was 34.2 ± 18.9 months. All patients underwent a bilateral thoracoscopic procedure in which both pulmonary veins were ablated with an atrial cuff using an off-pump epicardial approach. The conduction block was assessed by pacing the pulmonary veins after each ablation. Sixteen patients underwent endoscopic stapling of the left atrial appendage. There was no mortality and all procedures were completed as planned without any conversions to sternotomy. There were no major complications. Follow-up was complete at 6 months, and 80% of the patients were in sinus rhythm (paroxysmal: 100%, permanent: 72%). Of the patients with permanent atrial fibrillation, 85% had regained their atrial transport function. No major thromboembolic event was observed during the follow-up period.

The authors concluded that the video-assisted bilateral pulmonary vein isolation technique was safe and effective, curative for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation patients and effective for permanent atrial fibrillation cases. They also state that this technique may find wider application if accumulating data further support their findings.

This is certainly an area of active controversy, marked by competing technologies and approaches with comparable results. There is also the issue of follow-up time and adequacy of atrial isolation, as has been pointed out by Cox and others well experienced in other surgical approaches employing more extensive Maze operations. 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.

JTCVS May Issue

Continuing Medical Education Articles

Surgery for Acquired Cardiovascular Disease

Hans-H. Sievers, Claudia Schmidtke.
A classification system for the bicuspid aortic valve from 304 surgical specimens.
J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2007;133:1226-1233.

General Thoracic Surgery

Delphine Trousse, Fabrice Barlesi, Anderson Loundou, Anne Marie Tasei, Christophe Doddoli, Roger Giudicelli, Philippe Astoul, Pierre Fuentes, Pascal Thomas.
Synchronous multiple primary lung cancer: An increasing clinical occurrence requiring multidisciplinary management.
J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2007;133:1193-1200

Surgery for Congenital Heart Disease

Ujjwal K. Chowdhury, K. Ganapathy Subramaniam, Kishore Joshi, Saurabh Varshney, Guresh Kumar, Rajvir Singh, Panangipalli Venugopal.
Rechanneling of total anomalous pulmonary venous connection with or without vertical vein ligation: Results and guidelines for candidate selection.
J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2007;133:1286-1294.

EJCTS June Issue

ICVTS - ESCVS Venice Abstracts (Suppl. 1 to Vol. 6) and ESTS Leuven Abstracts (Suppl. 2 to Vol. 6) are published http://icvts.ctsnetjournals.org/supplements.dtl.  
Join-in the ICVTS on-line discussion and see your citable comments published in the print journal: http://icvts.ctsnetjournals.org/papbyrecent.dtl

EJCTS - June issue is live http://ejcts.ctsnetjournals.org/content/vol31/issue6/ including 3 CME activities.

MMCTS - 3 new contributions posted in May - 95 surgical procedures now on-line: http://mmcts.ctsnetjournals.org/misc/contentsbydate.shtml

The Journal of Extracorporeal Technology - TOC for 2007 Issue 1

Table of Contents (TOC) for the 2007 first issue (March) of The Journal of Extracorporeal Technology.

Asian Annals April Issue

Issue 2 (April) of Volume 15 of the Asian Cardiovascular and Thoracic Annals is now available for viewing. There are many interesting articles in this issue. Two examples:

Radial Artery Graft Use and Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery Outcome.
Ahmet T Gurbuz, Orhan Findik, Haiyan Cui, and Aydin Aytac.
Asian Cardiovasc Thorac Ann 2007;15:106-112.

Gurbuz and colleagues at the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Tucson Medical Center, Tucson, Arizona, USA, did a study of radial artery grafts in the setting of Off-pump CABG, and found that  radial artery grafting was an independent predictor of increased symptom recurrence and adverse cardiac events. Patients with radial artery grafts also had a tendency towards more angina recurrence, coronary re-intervention, and sudden cardiac death when compared to patients with other types of conduits.

New Era in Management of Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome.
Shunji Sano.
Asian Cardiovasc Thorac Ann 2007;15:83-85.

Doctor Sano has written a thoughtful editorial assessment of the progress being made in one of the most difficult congenital heart conditions we encounter -- Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. Dr. Sano is from Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine and Dentistry, Okayama, Japan.

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Transitions

In Memory of Ellis L. Jones

Ellis L. Jones, MD, 68, a world renowned cardiothoracic surgeon, died from lung cancer February 6, 2007, at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia. Read the tribute to Dr. Jones by Dr. Kamal A. Mansour, his pupil and colleague for many years.

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Abstract Deadlines

More meeting abstract deadlines are available.

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Upcoming Meetings

33RD ANNUAL TORONTO THORACIC SURGERY REFRESHER COURSE

33RD ANNUAL TORONTO THORACIC SURGERY REFRESHER COURSE at the Sutton Place Hotel, Toronto, Canada June 1-2, 2007. For more information.

ACCREDITATION:
The Office of Continuing Education and Professional Development, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto is an accredited provider for The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and The American Medical Association.

FOR INFORMATION CONTACT: Continuing Education, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, 500 University Avenue, Suite 650, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1V7 Canada; Phone: 1 416.978.2719, Toll Free: 1.888.512.8173; Fax: 1 416.946.7028;  E-mail: ce.med@utoronto.ca; Website: www.cme.utoronto.ca

5th Annual Current Trends in Cardiothoracic Surgery

The 5th Annual Current Trends in Cardiothoracic Surgery meeting will be held June 1-2, 2007 at the Intercontinental Hotel, Houston, Texas, USA. For information, contact: Baylor College of Medicine, Office of Continuing Medical Education, One Baylor Plaza, MS: BCM 155, Houston, TX 77030, Tel. +1 713 798 8237, Fax +1 713 798 7955, Email:cme@bcm.tmc.edu; Online registration and conference program.

EUROPEAN SOCIETY OF THORACIC SURGEONS

The 15th European Conference on General Thoracic Surgeons organized by the ESTS will take place in Leuven, Belgium 3-6 June 2007. Begijnhof Congres Hotel; Novotel Leuven Centrum; Ibis Leuven Centrum; Holiday Inn Garden Court. The program is now available. For information, contact: Dirk Van Raemdonck, M.D., Phone: +44 1392 430671/32 16 34; Fax: +44 1392 430671/32 16 34; Email: secretary@ests.org.uk

ISMICS 10th Anniversary 2007 Annual Scientific Program

"Current Controversies: Do Drug-eluding Stents Represent Long-term Danger?"
Don't miss this special session with invited speakers Professor David Taggart of the University of Oxford and Professor Gerhard Schuler of the University of Leipzig Heart Center.

To preview the entire 2007 Annual Scientific Meeting program. 

Onsite Registration will open Tuesday 5 June, on the ground floor of the Aurelia Convention Center at 14:30, and will be available each day of the meeting.

American Society For Artificial Internal Organs

ASAIO's 53rd Annual Conference will be held June 7 - 9, 2007, at the Palmer House Hilton, Chicago, IL, USA. Contact Information: ASAIO Headquarters info@asaio.com; 1 561-391-8589.

Minimally Invasive Thoracic Surgery Summit

The Minimally Invasive Thoracic Surgery Summit will be held June 8-9, 2007. Course Director: Scott J. Swanson, MD, at The New York Academy of Medicine. This conference will focus on the state-of-the-art minimally invasive treatment of thoracic disease and will highlight diagnostic and therapeutic technologies that are available for diseases of the lung, esophagus, chest wall and mediastinum. Invited faculty include national and internationally recognized leaders in the field of Thoracic Surgery. For further information, please email Donald Morcone at dmorcone@nyam.org.

Contemporary Questions in Congenital Heart Disease:  The Left Heart

2007 Cardiac Symposium on Contemporary Questions in Congenital Heart Disease: The Left Heart will be held June 10 - 12, 2007, at the Four Seasons Hotel, Toronto, Ont. Canada. This symposium is sponsored by Sickkids, Toronto, Canada. More information on the symposium.

60th Congress of The French Society of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery

The 60th Congress of The French Society of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery will be held 13 - 16 June, 2007, in Besançon France. For information, contact: SFCTCV, 56, Bd Vincent Auriol - 75013 - Paris - France; Phone: +33 1 42 16 42 10; Fax: +33 1 53 62 91 20; Email: sfctcv@wanadoo.fr

AmSECT Perfusion Safety 2007

AmSECT's Perfusion Safety 2007 meeting will be held June 13-16, 2007 at the Vallarta Palace in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.  Registration is waived for AmSECT members.  For the schedule of scientific sessions and information about AmSECT membership.  For registration and lodging. The ABCP has awarded 24.8 Category I CEUs for this meeting.

The Society for Heart Valve Disease

The 4th Biennial Meeting of The Society for Heart Valve Disease will be held at the Hotel Pennsylvania, New York, NY, USA, 15 - 18 June 2007. This meeting will provide an opportunity for presentation and discussion of work at the leading edge of this expanding and multi-disciplined field. The Scientific session will be preceded by a Postgraduate Course entitled "Difficult Decisions in Valve Replacement" on Friday, June 15th. The Course is under the Direction of Professor Blasé Carabello and Dr. David H. Adams. 

Full details about the meeting are available which includes the Program and the opportunity to view the abstracts for Presentation.

Rhythm - 2007 Arrhythmias and Heart Failure

Rhythm - 2007 Arrhythmias and Heart Failure: Pharmacological and Non-Pharmacological Therapies. Meeting will be held 15-17 June, 2007 at the Majestic Hotel in Cannes, France. Contact: lcurel@rhythmcongress.com. For more information.

SOCIETY OF CARDIAC SURGEONS

The XXVth Meeting of the SOCIETY OF CARDIAC SURGEONS will be held in Pamplona, Spain, June 21-23, 2007. Registration: Miss Luisa Goni, Servicio Cirugía Cardiovascular, Clínica Universitaria de Navarra, Av. Pio XII, 36, 31008 Pamplona, Navarra, Spain; Fax +34 948 204 188.

7th Symposium on Aortic and Mitral Reconstructive Surgery

The 7th Symposium on Aortic and Mitral Reconstructive Surgery - Focus on aortic leaflet prolapse management will be held June 22-23, 2007, at the Best Western - Sodehotel in Brussels, Belgium.
Register online.

Congress secretariat: Secrétariat de chirurgie cardiovasculaire et thoracique, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc 10/6107, 1200 Bruxelles - Belgium; Telephone: 0032 2 764 61 13; Fax: 0032 2 764 89 60; E-mail : ccv@chir.ucl.ac.be

Organization: Travex Congress, Parvis de la Tinité 8, 1050 Bruxelles; Telephone :0032 2 533.20.45; Fax: 0032 2 537.75.88; E-mail : b.vandermeuse@travex-travel.be

Minimally Invasive Staging & Management of Lung Cancer

"Minimally Invasive Staging & Management of Lung Cancer" will be held 26-28 June, 2007, at The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland. Contact Name: Lorraine Judge, The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, The Adamson Centre, 3 Hill Place, Edinburgh EH8 9DS, Scotland; Telephone: +44 (0)131 668 9209; Fax: +44 (0)131 668 9241; Email:l.judge@rcsed.ac.uk More information      

Western Thoracic Surgical Association

The Preliminary Program for the 33rd Annual Meeting of the Western Thoracic Surgical Association is now available. You can also view the 2007 Scientific program and abstracts.

Registration for the Annual Meeting is now open. This year's meeting will be held in New Mexico at the Hyatt Regency Tamaya, Santa Ana Pueblo (near Albuquerque) from June 27-30, 2007. To register for the meeting, download the Registration form and fax completed forms to (978) 524-0498.

To reserve your hotel accommodations, make your reservations online or download the Hotel Reservation form and fax completed forms directly to the hotel at fax # (505) 771-6180.

For other meeting information.

2nd Polish-Ukrainian Cardiac Surgery Congress

2nd Polish-Ukrainian Cardiac Surgery Congress will be held 28 - 30 June 2007 in Lublin, Poland. For information, contact: Biuro Kongresów i Turystyki SKOLAMED, 20-070 Lublin, ul. Boczna Lubomelskiej 4; Phone: +48 (0)81 534 43 87; Fax: +48 (0)81 534 71 50; Email: kongres@paiz.com.pl  Additional information: http://www.kchir.paiz.com.pl/

JULY-SEPTEMBER

The 17th World Congress of the World Society of Cardio-Thoracic Surgeons

The 17th World Congress of the World Society of Cardio-Thoracic Surgeons will be held 11 - 13 July 2007, in Kyoto, Japan at the Kyoto International Conference Hall.  For information, contact: WSCTS 2007 Secretariat, c/o Congress Corporation, 3-6-13 Awaji-machi, Chuo-ku, Osaka 541-0047 Japan; Email: wscts2007@congre.co.jp

AmSECT Pediatric Perfusion 2007

AmSECT's Pediatric Perfusion 2007 meeting will be held July 12-15, 2007 at the Hyatt Regency Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.  More information can be obtained from mejakb@ohu.edu or by clicking here.

The Association of Physician Assistants in Cardiovascular Surgery 7th Annual Summer Educational Meeting

The Association of Physician Assistants in Cardiovascular Surgery 7th Annual Summer Educational Meeting will be held 20 - 22 July 2007 at the Marriott Washington, Washington, DC, USA. For information, contact: Lindsay McConeghy, APACVS, O Box 4834, Englewood, CO 80155; Phone: 1 877 221-5651; Fax: 1 303 771-2550; Email: lindsay@goddardassociates.com; Additional information.

Rocky XVII - 2007 - Shoot Out In The Rockies - Repair Techniques For Mitral Valve Disease

Rocky XVII - 2007 - Shoot Out in the Rockies - Repair Techniques for Mitral Valve Disease will be held 26 - 27 July, 2007 at Missoula, Montana, USA. For information, contact: The International Heart Institute of Montana Foundation, 500 W Broadway, Suite 350, Missoula, MT 59802, USA; Phone: 1 406 329-5668; Fax: 1 406 329-5880; Email: rocky@ihimontana.org  Additional information      

55th Annual Meeting of the Cardiac Society of Australian and New Zealand

The 55th Annual Meeting of the Cardiac Society of Australian and New Zealand will be held 9 - 12 August, 2007, at Christchurch, New Zealand. Abstract submission is closed. For information, contact: The Conference Company Ltd, PO Box 90-040, Auckland, New Zealand; Phone: +64 9 3601240; Fax: +64 9 3601242; Email: csanz2007@tcc.co.nz

56TH ANNUAL MEETING OF SCANDINAVIAN ASSOCIATION FOR THORACIC SURGERY AND THE 27TH ANNUAL MEETING OF SCANDINAVIAN SOCIETY FOR EXTRACORPOREAL TECHNOLOGY

The 56th Annual Meeting of Scandinavian Association for Thoracic Surgery and the 27th Annual Meeting of Scandinavian Society for Extracorporeal Technology will be held 16 - 18 August, 2007, in Helsinki Finland. For information, contact: CONGRESZON; Itälahdenkatu 22A, FI-00210 Helsinki, Finland; Phone: +358 9 5840 9351; Fax: +358 9 5840 9555; Email: sats-scansect2007@congreszon.fi

13th Conference on Electrical Bioimpedance

The 13th Conference on Electrical Bioimpedance, which will be organized by Prof. Dr. H. Scharfetter, Graz, will be held in Graz, Austria, from August 29 to September 2, 2007. Besides biophysical, technical and clinical topics, one session about "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 Stacy Gijsbers: Phone: 978-927-8330; Fax: 978-524-0498; E-Mail: sgijsbers@prri.com.

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.  CALL FOR ABSTRACTS is now open through JULY 31, 2007. For more information, contact  astammers@aol.com, or this website.

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     

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 - DECEMBER 2007

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. Abstract submission deadline: 15 July 2007. 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.  For more information, contact jeffrey.riley@osumc.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; www.mcn-nuernberg.de. Scientific organiser: Thomas Kiefer, MD, Dep. of Thoracic Surgery, Klinikum Offenburg, Ebertplatz 12, 77654 Offenburg, Germany; E-mail: tagung@tc2007.de

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. ABSTRACT SUBMISSION DEADLINE: 28 JUNE, 2007.  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. ABSTRACT SUBMISSION DEADLINE: 06 AUGUST, 2007. 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.    

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      

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.

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.  Symposium information will soon be posted at www.i-sect.cjb.net.  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.

Brochures to be mailed in June, 2007.

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.

The 54th Southern Thoracic Surgical Association (STSA) Annual Meeting

The 54th Southern Thoracic Surgical Association (STSA) Annual Meeting will be held 8 - 10 November, 2007, at the Hyatt Regency, Bonita Springs, Florida, USA. 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

12th Congress on Cardio-Thoracic Surgery for the Belgian Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery

The 12th Congress on Cardio-Thoracic Surgery for the Belgian Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery will be held 17 November, 2007, at the Sodehotel, Woluwe, Brussels, Belgium. Abstract submission deadline: 1 August, 2007. For information, contact: Dr. Y. Van Belleghem, Chairman, Scientific Committee, BACTS, Dienst Cardiochirurgie, Universitair Ziekenhuis Gent, De Pintelaan 185,  B-9000 Gent, Belgium; Email: yves.vanbelleghem@ugent.be

Congress - Association of Thoracic & Cardiovascular Surgeons of Asia (ATCSA)

18th Biennial Congress - Association of Thoracic & Cardiovascular Surgeons of Asia (ATCSA) will be held November 25-28, 2007, at the Bali Convention Centre, Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia.

Abstract submission deadline: 1 SEPTEMBER 2007.  For information, contact: Indonesian Association of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeons, National Cardiovascular Center Harapan Kita, Main Building, 4th Floor, Jl. Let. Jend. S. Parman Kav. 87, Slipi, Jakarta 11420 Indonesia; Phone: 62.21.569.44.08; Fax: 62.21.566.5993; Email: aditya_kusuma_w@yahoo.com.au

ISMICS Winter Workshop

The International Society for Minimally Invasive Cardiothoracic Surgery (ISMICS) Winter Workshop will be held 28 November - 2 December, 2007 at the Sungate Port Royal Resort, Antalya, Turkey. For more information about the meeting. For more information about the venue.

4th Asian Pacific Congress of Heart Failure

The 4th Asian Pacific Congress of Heart Failure will be held January 31 - February 3, 2008, at the Melbourne Exhibition & Convention Centre, Melbourne, Australia.

For information, contact: Congress Managers, GPO Box 128, Sydney Australia 2001; Telephone: +61 2 9265 0700; Fax: +61 2 9265 5443; Email: apchf@tourhosts.com.au; Additional Information 

JANUARY ON

26th International Cardiovascular Surgical Symposium

The 26th International Cardiovascular Surgical Symposium will be held 1 - 8 March, 2008, at Zurs/Arlberg, Austria. ABSTRACT SUBMISSION DEADLINE 10 JANUARY, 2008. For information, contact: Secretary General: M. Deutsch, M.D., European Heart Institute of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts, Monchsberg 2, 5020 Salzburg, Austria; Phone: +43 662 841345; Fax: +43 662 841343; Email: congress@herzchirurgie.at  Additional information    

Florida Valve 2008

Florida Valve 2008 will be held 7 - 9 March, 2008, at the Renaissance Vinoy Resort, St. Petersburg,
Florida, USA. For information, contact: Carole Erickson, Program Administrator, 6006 49th Street North, Suite 320, St. Petersburg, Florida 33709. Phone: 1 406 370-8555; Email: siestavc@aol.com  Additional information      

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

The 2008 Annual Meeting of the Society for Cardiothoracic Surgery in Great Britain and Ireland (SCTS) will be held March 9 - 12, 2008 at the Edinburgh International Convention Centre, Edinburgh, Scotland.  For further details, contact sctsadmin@scts.org or +44 (0)20 7869 6893, and check the website periodically.

Asian Society for Cardiovascular Surgery

The 16th Annual Meeting of the Asian Society for Cardiovascular Surgery will be held 13-16 March, 2008, at the Raffles City Convention Centre, Stamford Ballroom, Singapore, Singapore. ABSTRACT SUBMISSION DEADLINE: 1 SEPTEMBER, 2007. For information, contact: ASCVS Congress Secretariat c/o The Meeting Lab Pte Ltd, 176 B Joo Chiat Road, Singapore 427447. Phone: +65 63464402 Fax: +65 63464403 Email: mice@themeetinglab.com Additional information

The Houston Aortic Symposium - Frontiers in Cardiovascular Diseases

The Houston Aortic Symposium - Frontiers in Cardiovascular Diseases will be held 4 - 6 April, 2008, at The Westin Galleria, Houston, Texas, USA. ABSTRACT SUBMISSION DEADLINE 22 FEBRUARY, 2008. For information, contact: Laura Steigerwald, Promedica International CME, a California Corporation, 2333 State Street, Suite 203, Carlsbad, California 92008; Phone: 1 760 720-2263; Fax: 1 760 720-6263; Email: lsteigerwald@promedicacme.com  Additional information    

European Society for Cardiovascular Surgery

The 57th International Congress of the European Society for Cardiovascular Surgery (ESCVS) will be held April 24-27, 2008, in Barcelona, Spain. For more information, contact: ESCVS General Secretariat, Prof. Claudio Muneretto , ESCVS Secretary General, UDA Cardiochirurgia, Spedali Civili P.le Spedali Civili, 1, 25123 Brescia (Italy); Phone: + 39 030 3996401; Fax: + 39 030 3996096; E-mail: munerett@med.unibs.it; And consult the website.

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Member Section

Future Meetings

Please stop by to have your photograph taken at the 15th European Conference on General Thoracic Surgery in Leuven, Belgium, 3-6 June, 2007. We will also be represented at the 10th Anniversary Annual Scientific Meeting of the International Society for Minimally Invasive Cardiothoracic Surgery in booth F-1 in Rome, Italy, 6-9 June, 2007. 

Maud Zingmark will be representing EACTS and CTSNet in booth #27 at the 60th Congress of the French Society of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery from 13-16 June, in Besancon, France. CTSNet will be in booth #20 at the Fourth Biennial Meeting of The Society for Heart Valve Disease 15-18 June 2007, in New York City.

We hope to see you at one or more of these locations.

MEMBER PHOTOS

We thank all those members who have sent your photos for posting on your home page. It does make such a difference when curious fellow-members can eyeball you. For those who have not yet done so, we urge you to send a photograph soon. We prefer a jpeg file attached to an e-mail, but will accept other types (bitmap, gif). Or simply send us a wallet-sized glossy print to the address below.

Thomas B. Ferguson, M.D.
Senior Editor

Carol L. Blasberg
Managing Editor

CTSNet, Inc.
3108 Queeny Tower
Barnes-Jewish Hospital Plaza
St. Louis, MO 63110
Telephone: 1 314.361.6084
FAX: 1 314.962.1825
E-mail: ctsnet@wudosis.wustl.edu

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