CTSNet Monthly Newsletter
Dear CTSNet Member,
Turkey Day has come and gone in the United States, and the world is looking forward to the religious time of the year. Happy holidays, everyone!
This is the second month we have presented you with our new format. We hope you find it more attractive and easier to use. Let us know your thoughts, pro and con, at http://www.ctsnet.org/feedback/.
The December issues of The Annals of Thoracic Surgery (ATS), The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery (JTCVS) and the European Journal of Cardio-thoracic Surgery (EJCTS) introduce journal-based continuing medical education (CME) activities in our specialty. Each issue of the American journals, and soon thereafter of the European journal, will designate one article in each major subject category (adult cardiac, general thoracic and congenital cardiac) as CME activities. Readers interested in earning up to 1 hour of CME credit access the activity by logging into the electronic CME site via links on CTSNet. Directions take the reader to the learning objectives, questions and multiple choice answers, which are designed to engage the learner after he or she has read (and studied) the CME article. When all questions have been answered correctly, the reader can access highlighted passages of the CME article to review the answers in context.
The reader does not complete the CME activity until he or she completes a generic evaluation form. This form, required for CME accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), also asks for suggested topics for future CME activities. When the CME activity is finally completed, the article title and date of the CME activity are recorded in the learner's personal folder, “My CME”, and the learner receives instructions for printing a certificate for up to one hour of approved CME credit.
The three societies, CTSNet and HighWire Press have expended considerable treasure and effort to make CME available to subscribers of the three journals. Time, expense, availability, and relevance limit opportunities for busy cardiothoracic surgeons to earn CME credits. Specialty journal-based CME overcomes these barriers, costs the learner nothing, and is available 24 hours a day. We invite journal subscribers to give it a try beginning December 1.
ATS - L. Henry Edmunds, Jr.
EJCTS - Ludwig von Segesser
JTCVS - Andrew S. Wechsler
CTSNET LAUNCHES A BLOG FEATURE
What’s a BLOG?
A blog, or weblog, is a personal Web site updated frequently with commentary and links to news items, web sites, other blogs, or anything else you like. New items go on top and older items flow down the page. Blogs can be professional journals or personal diaries that focus on one subject or range across a universe of topics of interest to cardiothoracic surgeons.
CTSNet launches its blogs with postings from Dr. Robert Replogle and Dr. Tom Treasure. Readers are invited to comment on their postings. If you are a frustrated columnist, why not start your own blog on CTSNet? If you are interested in becoming a blogger, contact Tom Ferguson.
Available Blogs:
Access Blogs in the left menu under News and Views.
ASIAN ANNALS TO INCREASE FROM 4 TO 6 ISSUES PER YEAR
The Asian Cardiovascular & Thoracic Annals (AA or Asian Annals) announces the publication of 6 issues per year beginning in 2006. The issues will come out in February, April, June, August, October & December.
At the recently concluded STSA Annual Meeting in Orlando, a new slate of officers was elected. They are:
President - Ross M. Ungerleider
President-Elect - Carolyn E. Reed
Vice-President - W. Randolph Chitwood, Jr.
Secretary-Treasurer - John H. Calhoon
Secretary-Treasurer Elect - Robert J. Cerfolio
Editor - L. Henry Edmunds, Jr.
Historian - Harold C. Urschel, Jr.
Council Chairman - Irving L. Kron
Past President - D. Glenn Pennington
Councillors at Large:
Kirk R. Kanter
Keith S. Naunheim
Joseph B. Zwischenberger
The European Association for Cardio-thoracic Surgery (EACTS) welcomes applications for the Fontan prize. The prize is awarded to a cardiac, cardio-thoracic or thoracic surgeon with postgraduate training. It is not limited to European citizens. The amount awarded at present is EURO 30,000 and should cover the costs of one year's stay at a major European department or research facility. Deadline for applications is the 15th of April 2006.
STS SCHOLARSHIPS FOR ASPIRING CARDIOTHORACIC SURGEONS
Looking to the Future: STS Scholarships for Aspiring Cardiothoracic Surgeons
The Society of Thoracic Surgeons and its Workforce on Graduate Medical Education are pleased to announce a new scholarship program for second, third, and fourth year general surgery residents. The scholarship seeks to identify and nurture general surgery residents who are considering a career in cardiothoracic surgery.
Ten scholarships will be awarded and will cover the registration fee to the STS 42nd Annual Meeting in Chicago, January 30 – February 1, 2006, as well as reimbursement for up to $1000 in travel expenses. Scholarship winners will be assigned a mentor to assist in planning a schedule of educational programming. Scholarship awardees will also have the opportunity to participate in Tech-Con 2006, January 28 – 29, 2006. In addition, special events will be available for scholarship recipients throughout the Annual Meeting.
Program Directors are invited to recommend a general surgery resident in their institution who would be right for cardiothoracic surgery. We can accept only one recommendation per program. Program Directors are asked to provide a letter, on university letterhead, giving a brief description of the candidate’s strengths and qualities. The scholarship candidate should submit a letter addressing his or her interest in the field of cardiothoracic surgery, why he or she is interested in attending the STS Annual Meeting, and how this experience might help the applicant achieve his or her career goals. Scholarship winners will be expected to provide a brief follow-up letter with comments on the value of the experience and how the scholarship program might be improved.
Please send in the appropriate materials right away, as scholarship awardees will be announced mid-December.
Materials should be sent to: The Society of Thoracic Surgeons, Looking to the Future Scholarship Program, Attn: Nancy G. Puckett, 633 N. Saint Clair St., #2320, Chicago, IL 60611; FAX: 312.202.5801
CTSNet IMPLEMENTS GOOGLE SEARCH APPLIANCE AS ITS WEB SITE SEARCH ENGINE
CTSNet recently implemented the Google Search Appliance on the Web site. Now when readers enter terms in the search box, the CTSNet version of the Google Search Appliance provides a list of results that integrates the Web content from Participating Organizations, journals, books, and other pertinent sources. This integration enables a reader to stay apprised not only of what's happening within CTSNet Participating Organizations, but to stay at the leading edge of research, information, and opinions in the field through a single search. The current indexed collection of CTSNet content is more than 490,000 pages. The appliance provides many of the best features of the public Google search engine and provides a similar indexing structure, familiar interface, PageRank weighting, cached copies of documents, and conversion of documents into HTML.
New CTSNet Feature
Each scholarly document on CTSNet now has a print capability embedded on the page with the document. This feature has been applied across the entire CTSNet site to make it easier for readers conveniently to obtain a print copy of articles that are of special interest. For example, the latest thoracic expert technique: We hope this is of added help to all readers.
NEW VIDEO CATALOGING SYSTEM
Life has just been made easier! Our video library is now cataloged three ways: (1) chronologically - newest at top; (2) by subject area - thoracic, cardiac, and congenital; and (3) alphabetically by title. See Video Index box at top of right gutter on Video page for your selection. View the chronologic listing.
The 42nd Annual Meeting of THE SOCIETY OF THORACIC SURGEONS will be held January 30- February 1, 2006, in Chicago, Illinois. Note the change in location from New Orleans to Chicago due to the hurricane. The meeting program and online registration are now available.
STS SPOUSE POST-GRADUATE COURSE
The STS SPOUSE POST-GRADUATE COURSE will be held Sunday, January 28, 2006 from 8:30 am to 1:30 pm (luncheon included) in conjunction with the Annual Meeting in Chicago IL. The Course will take place at the Chicago Hilton and Towers Hotel.
The topic is "Leading from the Inside Out-Celebrating the Most Important Leadership Skill of All: Emotional Intelligence (EQ)"
Coursemasters are Jamie Dickey, PhD and Ross Ungerleider, MD
They will help teach EQ, mindfulness and "mindsight" using a combination of exciting lectures, provocative film clips, and other compelling audiovisual enhancements.
Dr. Jamie Dickey has a PhD. in Educational Psychology from the University of Mississippi and a Masters in Social Work from Tulane University. She has spent 25 years as an educator, psychotherapist, organizational consultant and executive coach. She is the Director of Interdisciplinary Education and is an Executive Coach at Oregon Health & Science University.
Dr. Ross Ungerleider, former Chief of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery at Duke University, is currently Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery and John C. Hursh Chair of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery at Oregon Health & Science University and Doernbecher Children's Hospital.
Please pre-register for the Course now!
Betsey Bradley Urschel
Chair, STS Spouse Post-Graduate Program
The Western Thoracic Surgical Association has a newly-designed website. Check it out.
Dr. Jeff L. Myers, Chief of Pediatric and Congenital Cardiac Surgery, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, has permitted CTSNet to publish the log of his experiences when Katrina devastated his home community. We think you will find this Special Report fascinating yet sobering reading.
CASE OF THE MONTH: NECROTIZING ESOPHAGITIS
Doctors Uttam Tripathy, C. Kristian Enestvedt, Christopher B. Komanapalli and Mithran S. Sukumar of Oregon Health and Science University Portland, OR, present a Clinical Case entitled "Necrotizing Esophagitis: The Black Esophagus."
The first in a series of videos presented at the November 2005 meeting of the Southern Thoracic Surgical Association (STSA) is entitled "Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm Repair via Bilateral Thoracosternotomy (Clamshell) Approach" by Drs. Jayesh Dhareshwar and Thoralf M. Sundt, III of the Mayo Clinic.
New Aortic Arch Video
A new video entitled ""Off Pump Hybrid (Open-Endovascular) Total Arch Exclusion: The Antegrade (Trans-Aortic) Deployment Approach" by Dr. George Tolis, Jr. of Lenox Hill Hospital, New York, is available for viewing.
NEW THORACIC EXPERT TECHNIQUE
A New Thoracic Expert Technique by Dr. Gaetano Rocco of Naples, Italy entitled "Wedge Resection of Solitary Pulmonary Nodules Through Uniportal VATS" is available.
NEW CONGENITAL EXPERT TECHNIQUE
A new Congenital Cardiac Expert Technique contribution from Dr. Victor O. Morell of Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA has been posted: "Aortic Translocation for TGA with VSD and PS." Dr. Carl L. Backer, Editor of this Section, of Chicago, IL has provided an Editor’s Note.
Need to post a Job Opportunity or looking for a Job? Remember to check the CTSNet Job Center, as it is a great resource. Those that use it report a large response.
MEDTRONIC ANNOUNCES A LIVE VIDEO PRESENTATION
“Minimally Invasive Mitral Valve Replacement with Stented Bioprosthesis”, moderated by Michael R. Petracek, M.D., will be presented Wednesday, December 7, 2005
5 pm ET/ 4 pm CT/ 3 pm MT/ 2 pm PT. Access the live webcast and obtain additional information.
EDWARDS ANNOUNCES LAUNCH OF NEW MITRAL VALVE REPAIR THERAPY
Edwards Lifesciences Corporation announces the European and U.S. launch of a new mitral valve repair therapy designed to treat mitral valve insufficiency in patients suffering from congestive heart failure.
The Edwards GeoForm annuloplasty ring, which features a unique, three-dimensional shape, has been shown to treat successfully mitral regurgitation caused by cardiomyopathy, and to improve the function of the left ventricle, according to a presentation delivered at the annual meeting of the European Association for Cardio-thoracic Surgery (EACTS) in Barcelona. Cardiomyopathy is a common form of congestive heart failure that affects tens of thousands of people annually.
In his presentation, "GeoForm: A New Valvular Solution for a Ventricular Problem," Steven F. Bolling, M.D., professor of surgery and director of the University of Michigan Health System's Mitral Valve Clinic, presented results from a prospective study of 16 congestive heart failure patients, all of whom were suffering from mitral valve regurgitation due to distortion of the left ventricle. Six months after the patients' mitral valves were surgically repaired with the Edwards GeoForm annuloplasty ring, their mitral valve regurgitation was eliminated and the left ventricle was reformed.
Edwards Lifesciences developed the GeoForm ring with Prof. Ottavio M. Alfieri, M.D., of St. Raffaele Hospital in Milan, Italy and Dr. Bolling.
For more information, please visit Edwards.com.
Cryocath technologies inc announces two new systems
CRYOCATH TECHNOLOGIES INC. announces the release of TWO NEW Surgical CryoAblation Systems, SurgiFrost 7cm probe and FrostByte, a unique 2-in-1 cryoclamp device. The systems utilize CryoCath's new Argon technology to rapidly achieve -160°C in 30 to 60 seconds. SurgiFrost & FrostByte allow surgeons to complete all lesion lines efficiently while cryoadhesion ensures certainty in lesion placement and the ability to manipulate heart tissue. In the United States the cryosurgical systems are indicated for minimally invasive cardiac surgical procedures, including the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias, 510(k) cleared.
MEDTRONIC cardiac surgery announces Cardioblate® BP2 Surgical Ablation System
MEDTRONIC CARDIAC SURGERY announces the release of its new Cardioblate® BP2 Surgical Ablation System. The new system features an irrigated bipolar ablation device with a flexible neck and slim, 7 cm. active electrodes. Simply rotate the head or shape the malleable electrodes as the situation requires.
Terumo Adds new featured product
TERUMO CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEMS has added a new Featured Product: VirtuoSaph(tm) Endoscopic Vein Harvesting System.THE ASIAN ANNALS EXPANDS FROM 4 TO 6 ISSUES PER YEAR
The Asian Cardiovascular & Thoracic Annals (AA or Asian Annals) announces the publication of 6 issues per year beginning in 2006. The issues will come out in February, April, June, August, October & December.
EACTS announces Multimedia manual of cardiothoracic surgery
The EUROPEAN ASSOCIATION FOR CARDIO-THORACIC SURGERY (EACTS) is pleased to announce the launch of the Multimedia Manual of Cardiothoracic Surgery (MMCTS) - the premier on-line manual of cardiothoracic surgical procedures. Illustrated with videos and schematics, and including literature and product hyperlinks, MMCTS provides an interactive, multimedia guide to surgical procedures and related information. Authored by invited experts and edited by Dr. Marko Turina and a team of international specialists, MMCTS is now fully integrated into the CTSNet and HighWire Press journal collection. It is targeted at students, specialists and trainees, and is open to comments from readers.
CTSNET BOOKSTORE: New Volume Available!
"Managing Failed Anti-Reflux Therapy" by Mark K. Ferguson and M. Brian Fennerty. Orders are being taken now.
When buying your holiday gifts, be sure and use our exclusive Amazon service.
Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery Center
- "Percutaneous Heart Valve Technology" is the current topic, with the lead article, "Percutaneous Heart Valve Technology As I See It", by Thomas A. Vassiliades Jr., MD of Atlanta, Georgia. The guest commentaries are by Ajit P. Yoganathan, PhD, Atlanta, Georgia; Irving L. Kron, MD, Charlottesville, Virginia; Ted Feldman, MD, Evanston, Illinois; and Steven F. Bolling, MD, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
- Doctors Ryan E. Accord, Maastricht, Krishna Khargi, The Hague, and Jos G. Maessen, Maastricht, all of The Netherlands, have written a new article entitled "The Issue of Transmurality in Surgical Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation." Drs. Khargi and Maessen are Editors of the Arrhythmia Innovation Center.
- “Minimally Invasive Mitral Valve Replacement with Stented Bioprosthesis”, moderated by Michael R. Petracek, M.D., will be presented Wednesday, December 7, 2005 5 pm ET/ 4 pm CT/ 3 pm MT/ 2 pm PT. Access the live webcast and obtain additional information.
- Dr. Vincent A. Gaudiani of Redwood City, California, in his article entitled "Rethinking Innovation" begins with these words "For the past half-century, innovation has been the tonic chord of cardiac surgery. We cannot tell our history without recounting the development of ideas, techniques, and devices that progressively revolutionized our capacity to serve those with heart disease." Read his comments and then express your own opinion in the IMO Discussion Forum.
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Two videos are available for viewing: "Closed Mitral Valvotomy," and (2) "Transatrial and Transpulmonary Closure of VSD." Both are contributed by Dr. A. Sampath Kumar of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
- The Third Quarter 2005 THORACIC LITERATURE WATCH, compiled by Dr. Mark Ferguson, is now available.
- The Adult Cardiac Literature Watch for the third quarter of 2005 is now available. This Section is edited by Doctors Eric J. Okum, Chicago, Illinois and Domenico Pagano, Birmingham, UK.
Cardiac
- A Cardiac Expert Technique entitled "Valve Sparing Aortic Root Replacement with Aortic Valve Re-Implantation" by Dr. George Tolis, Jr., Chief, Aortic Surgery Center, Lenox Hill Hospital, New York, NY, is available.
Thoracic
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"VATS Mediastinal Nodal Dissection" by Michael J. Weyant, MD of the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, CO, and Raja M. Flores, MD of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY.
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Doctors Armin Ernst, interventional pulmonologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, and Kevin L. Kovitz, interventional pulmonologist at Tulane Hospital, New Orleans, Louisiana, have contributed an article entitled "Electromagnetic Guidance for Transbronchial Biopsy of Peripheral Lung Lesions: Navigational Bronchoscopy" to the New Technology Section of the Thoracic Portal.
Organizations
TSFRE - Public Policy Management Course
The Thoracic Surgery Foundation for Research and Education (TSFRE) is pleased to announce the availability of scholarships to attend the Leadership Program in Health Policy and Management at the Heller School of Public Policy and Management at Brandeis University, May 29 - June 3, 2006.
This week-long course is an intensive introduction to health care systems theory, health care policy, economics, politics, management, and health care leadership. The course will be taught by a faculty of internationally recognized health policy experts including Stuart Altman, Jon Chilingerian, and Sarita Bhalotra. Details are available online.
TSFRE is prepared to provide up to 14 partial scholarships of $2,500 toward the $4,200 cost of the course. Attendees will be responsible for their own travel and hotel expenses.
If you would like to be considered for a scholarship to attend this outstanding new course please send:
1) Your completed application;
2) Your Curriculum Vitae;
3) A letter describing why want to attend the course;
4) Two letters of recommendation.
Application materials must be received before March 15, 2006, and should be submitted to: Rebecca Bonsaint, TSFRE, 900 Cummings Center, Suite 221-U, Beverly, MA 01915; Telephone: (978) 927-8330; email: rbonsaint@prri.com
EACTS OFFERS TRAVELING SCHOLARSHIPS
A limited number of scholarships at EUR 3,000 will be granted by EACTS International Co-Operation Committee to enable surgeons at an advanced training stage in cardio-thoracic surgery to visit some leading institution(s) of their choice in Europe.
Is your institute interested in hosting an EACTS stipend?
The Committee is looking for institutions which are willing to accept traveling fellows for the above programme. Criteria for accepting EACTS traveling fellows are available.
Marko Turina, MD, Chair
International Co-Operation Committee, EACTS
WORLD HEART FOUNDATION MEETING
The World Health Organization (WHO) has invited the World Heart Foundation to be one of its formal Affiliates with the specific assignment to assist WHO in its worldwide efforts to improve cardiac care in developing countries. This is a major milestone in the WHF's development because of the doors that should be opened by being recognized by WHO.
After much effort, the two dozen or so WHF Affiliates have agreed to participate in a Quality Assurance Program to monitor and assess the quality of surgery performed in developing countries by the visiting teams. The program was formulated over the past 3 years by a coalition of WHF Affiliates and quality assurance experts primarily from the Mayo Clinic and the University of Minnesota. The establishment of standards for surgical care and outcomes has been a major focus of the WHF since its inception and we believe that this agreement is critical to the future of all humanitarian efforts in the field of cardiothoracic surgery.
The 2005 Part I (written) examination of the American Board of Thoracic Surgery (ABTS) will be given on December 5, 2005 at multiple sites throughout the United States using an electronic format. Questions regarding the application process should be addressed to the Board office at 633 N. Saint Clair St., Suite 2320, Chicago, IL 60611.
Read the heart-warming essay by Dr. Robert M. Sade of Charleston, South Carolina entitled "All We Do Not Know."
Junior web section of the ESCVS now available
The brand new JUNIOR WEB SECTION of the EUROPEAN SOCIETY FOR CARDIOVASCULAR SURGERY (ESCVS) is now online. Dr. Gianluigi Bisleri, on behalf of the Junior Committee of ESCVS, is proud to announce the launch of this new website featuring useful information about the ESCVS and much more, in the form of educational links, interactive forums, deadlines, congress venues, and invited lectures.|CASE PRESENTATION
A case presentation entitled “Recurrent Thymoma with Intracardiac Extension” by Doctors Thomas D. Person, Hannan Chaugle, Paul H. Schipper, Matthew S. Slater, and Mithran S. Sukumar, all of Oregon Health & Sciences University, Portland, Oregon has been posted.
Please send your “Interesting Case Presentations” to Dr. Vinod Thourani. Instructions for Submission are available online.
The November issues of The Annals of Thoracic Surgery, the European Journal of Cardio-thoracic Surgery, The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, and the Interactive CardioVascular and Thoracic Surgery are now available online.
- The EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CARDIO-THORACIC SURGERY is pleased to announce that their electronic archive is now complete -- right back to Volume 1, Issue 1. Take advantage of this great resource!
- Note that Editorials, Images and Letters are all open access in EJCTS.
- The October issue of INTERACTIVE CARDIOVASCULAR AND THORACIC SURGERY (ICVTS) is posted and is completely open-access.
Join the ICVTS discussion in the Interactive Area.
THE ANNALS OF THORACIC SURGERY November 2005 Article for Discussion
Tabbutt et al “Outcomes after the stage I reconstruction comparing the right ventricular to pulmonary artery conduit with the modified Blalock Taussig Shunt.” This paper was selected as the J. Maxwell Chamberlain Memorial Paper at the STS 2005 Annual Meeting.
The team from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia present a long-awaited data set regarding the RV-PA conduit reconstruction as part of the modified Norwood operation. In brief, there was no significant advantage to this strategy, nor disadvantage. The experience is large, and comes from an institution well recognized for contributions and expertise in this area of pediatric cardiology. On the other hand, the study was not prospective, not randomized, and did not include all surgeons in the institution in both arms of the study. Furthermore, all cases were performed with circulatory arrest and classical Norwood arch reconstruction, rendering the strategy quite different to that employed in prior reports from Japan, Europe, and the United States, in which the RV-PA approach compared favorably. Obviously, this is a critically important paper for pediatric cardiac surgeons, and it deserves careful consideration. The authors have proposed a randomized prospective study to look further at this problem.
Please read the article and add your comments and experience to this Dilemma in Pediatric Cardiac Surgery in the CTSNet Discussion Forum.
Other Annals articles of interest this month:
Ethics in cardiothoracic surgery: should coronary artery bypass grafting be regionalized?
Brahmajee K. Nallamothu, Kim A. Eagle, Victor A. Ferraris, and Robert M. Sade
Ann Thorac Surg 2005;80:1572-1581
Editorial:
Impact of resident duty hour standards on cardiothoracic residents and program directors
Jacob DeLaRosa, Vinod H. Thourani, Grason H. Wheatley, III, David Michael McMullan, Raffy L. Karamanoukian, Mary G. Greene, and David L. Morales
Ann Thorac Surg 2005;80:1569-1571
VESSEL OF LIFE AWARD
The Medical College of Georgia (MCG) has presented its 2005 Vessel of Life Award to Drs. Robert G. Ellison and Lois T. Ellison.
MCG President Daniel W. Rahn presented the award, which honors professional achievement and contributions to society that enhance MCG’s mission of education, research and service, at the annual President’s Dinner Nov. 5.
“It is hard to imagine a couple that has had more impact on the Medical College of Georgia than Dr. Robert G. and Lois T. Ellison,” Dr. Rahn said. “Both are MCG School of Medicine alumni. But the Ellisons’ graduation from MCG marked the beginning, not the end, of what would become a lifelong affiliation with the university.” Dr. Robert Ellison, a 1943 graduate, joined the faculty in 1947. He went on to become chief of cardiothoracic surgery, retiring in 1987 as Charbonnier Professor Emeritus and Chief Emeritus.
His many contributions included performing Georgia’s first open-heart operation using bypass in 1956, improving modified techniques for cardiothoracic surgery, modifying methods of cardiothoracic surgery training and improving treatment of esophageal and lung cancer.
FRED GROVER HONORED
Dr. Frederick L. Grover, Chief of the Department of Surgery, University of Colorado Medical Center, Denver CO, was recently awarded the Distinguished Alumnus Award from Duke University School of Medicine. Dr. Grover is also President-elect of The Society of Thoracic Surgeons.
PIONEER CARDIAC SURGEON DIES
On 9 September 2005, Dr. Andrew Logan died. A pioneer in cardiothoracic surgery, he was best known for his part in developing a transventricular dilator used in the closed approach for treatment for mitral stenosis. His dilator is still used in many underdeveloped countries today.
- December 1, 2005: General Thoracic Surgical Club (GTSC), Tucson, Arizona.
- December 15, 2005: 16th Annual Meeting of the SCANDINAVIAN SOCIETY FOR RESEARCH IN CARDIOTHORACIC SURGERY (SSRCTS), Geilo, Norway.
- December 15, 2005: 55th International Congress of the EUROPEAN SOCIETY FOR CARDIOVASCULAR SURGERY, St. Petersburg, Russia.
- December 19, 2005: INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR MINIMALLY INVASIVE CARDIOTHORACIC SURGERY (ISMICS), San Francisco, California.
- December 20, 2005: The EUROPEAN SOCIETY FOR CARDIOVASCULAR SURGERY (ESCVS), St. Petersburg, Russia.
- December 31, 2005: POLISH SOCIETY OF CARDIO-THORACIC SURGEONS, Wroclaw, Poland.
- January 6, 2006: WESTERN THORACIC SURGICAL ASSOCIATION (WTSA), Sun Valley, Idaho.
- January 10, 2006: The 24th INTERNATIONAL CARDIOVASCULAR SURGICAL SYMPOSIUM, Zurs/Arlberg, Austria.
- January 25, 2006: THE ASIAN SOCIETY FOR CARDIOVASCULAR SURGERY (ASCVS), Osaka, Japan.
- January 31, 2006: 59th Congress of the FRENCH SOCIETY OF THORACIC AND CARDIOVASCULAR SURGERY, Bordeaux, France.
- March 10, 2006: THE WORLD SOCIETY OF CARDIO-THORACIC SURGEONS (WSCTS), Ottawa, Canada.
- April 1, 2006: The EUROPEAN ASSOCIATION OF CARDIO-THORACIC SURGERY (EACTS) and the EUROPEAN SOCIETY OF THORACIC SURGEONS (ESTS), Stockholm, Sweden.
More meeting abstract deadlines are available.
The INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR MINIMALLY INVASIVE CARDIOTHORACIC SURGERY (ISMICS) Winter Workshop will be held December 2-4, 2005, at the Galaxy Hotel in Shanghai, China
1st annual heart failure holiday symposium
FIRST ANNUAL HEART FAILURE HOLIDAY SYMPOSIUM, sponsored by The Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute of Northwestern Memorial Hospital’s Center for Heart Failure, will be held at Northwestern Memorial Hospital Conference Center, Chicago, IL, on December 2-4, 2005. Course directors are Patrick McCarthy, MD, and John O'Connell, MD, and Kathleen Grady, RN, PhD. This symposium will bring together the world’s leading cardiologists and cardiac surgeons to share their expertise in treating patients with heart failure, including the latest in surgical and percutaneous therapies. The faculty will share their unique insights through lectures, videos, case presentations and lively debates in a setting that promotes networking and idea exchange among participants and the faculty. For information, contact: Amie Devine, Northwestern University Office of CME, Phone 312 503-8533, Fax 312.503.4531, Email: a-devine@northwestern.edu
The First International MINIMALLY INVASIVE ROBOTIC ASSOCIATION (MIRA) conference will be held December 7-10, 2005 in Innsbruck Austria.
Management of early lung cancer symposium
A SYMPOSIUM on The Management of Early Lung Cancer sponsored by the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada, will be held on Friday, December 9, 2005. For details on registration, lodging, and a copy of the program, please contact Joanne Clifton, Tel: (604) 875-5355; Fax: (604) 875-4036; Email: joanne.clifton@vch.ca
aortic root surgery postgraduate course
An International postgraduate course in AORTIC ROOT SURGERY will be presented December 19-20, 2005 in Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic. Course director is Sir Magdi Yacoub, with a distinguished international and local faculty. Topics to be covered are Autografts, Allografts, Unstented Xenografts and Valve Sparing Techniques.
9th annual newear cardiac care: innovation & technology meeting
The 9th Annual NewEra CARDIAC CARE: INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY meeting, co-chaired by W. Randolph Chitwood, Jr., MD, and Mehmet C. Oz, MD, will be held January 6-8, 2006, at the Four Seasons Hotel in Newport Beach, California.
The 42nd Annual Meeting of THE SOCIETY OF THORACIC SURGEONS will be held January 30- February 1, 2006, in Chicago, Illinois. Note the change in location from New Orleans to Chicago due to the hurricane. The meeting program and online registration are now available.
InternationAL CME and Workshop
An INTERNATIONAL CME AND WORKSHOP IN CARDIOVASCULAR AND THORACIC SURGERY will be held February 10-12, 2006 in Lucknow, India.
Contact Name: Dr. Surendra Kumar Agarwal, Department of CVTS, SGPGIMS, Lucknow 226014, India; Phone: 91-522-2668700 extn. 2208 (O); 2209 (R); Fax: 91-522-2668 017; Email: surendra@sgpgi.ac.in
san diego cardiothoracic surgery symposium
The 26th Annual SAN DIEGO CARDIOTHORACIC SURGERY SYMPOSIUM, chaired by Julie A. Swain, MD, will be held February 16-19, 2006, at the San Diego Marriott Hotel and Marina in San Diego, California.
24th InternationAL Cardiovascular Surgical Symposium
The 24th INTERNATIONAL CARDIOVASCULAR SURGICAL SYMPOSIUM, sponsored by the EACTS, will be held March 4-11, 2006 in Zurs/Arlberg, Austria. Deadline for abstract submission is January 10, 2006.
general thoracic surgical club meeting
The GENERAL THORACIC SURGICAL CLUB meeting will be held March 9-12, 2006 at the Hilton El Conquistador Hotel in Tucson, Arizona. DEADLINE for abstracts is December 1, 2005. Abstract instructions available online.
soCiEty of cardiothoracic surgeons of great britain and ireland
The Annual Meeting of the SOCIETY OF CARDIOTHORACIC SURGEONS OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND will be held in Dublin, Ireland March 13-16, 2006 at the CityWest Hotel and Conference Centre. Timothy J. Gardner MD will be giving the Heart Research UK Lecture and Douglas E Wood MD will be giving the Pulse Lecture. The programme begins with the Trainees Session on Monday, March 13 at 1 PM. Following a generous donation, the British Heart Foundation invites applications for the Marian and Christina Ionescu Fellowship for Cardiac Surgery from cardiovascular surgeons in training to compete for a small number of fellowships. Please click here for further information.
brazilian congress of cardiovascular surgery
The BRAZILIAN CONGRESS OF CARDIOVASCULAR SURGERY will be held in Salvador (Bahia) Brazil, March 29 - April 1, 2006. Accepted abstracts will be published in the Brazilian Journal of Cardiovascular Surgery, in Portuguese in the print version and in Portuguese and English in the electronic version. Manuscripts (complete for publication) of the ACCEPTED presentations must be sent to the Society (Rua Beira Rio 45, 7th floor, São Paulo, Brazil ZIP 04548-050) by February 15, 2006.
The 86th Annual Meeting of THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THORACIC SURGERY will be held April 29 - May 3, 2006 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Philadelphia, PA. Abstract submission is now closed.
escvs 55th internation congress
The 55th International Congress of The EUROPEAN SOCIETY FOR CARDIOVASCULAR SURGERY will be held May 11-14, 2006 in St. Petersburg, Russian Federation. The abstract submission deadline is DECEMBER 20, 2005. For information, please contact: Prof. Claudio Muneretto, Secretary General - European Society for Cardiovascular Surgery, UDA Cardiochirurgia - Spedali Civili, P.le Spedali Civili 1, 25123 Brescia, Italy, Phone: + 39 030 3996401; Fax: + 39 030 3996096; Email: munerett@master.cci.unibs.it
PEDIATRIC MECHANICAL CIRCULATORY SUPPORT SYSTEMS AND PEDIATRIC CARDIOPULMONARY PERFUSION
The Second International Conference on PEDIATRIC MECHANICAL CIRCULATORY SUPPORT SYSTEMS AND PEDIATRIC CARDIOPULMONARY PERFUSION will be held May 18-20, 2006 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Questions concerning the conference should be directed to Bonnie J. Bixler, MEd, Director of Special Projects, Penn State College of Medicine Ph: 717-531-6483
III CONGRESS OF THE POLISH SOCIETY OF CARDIO-THORACIC SURGEONS
The 3rd Congress of the POLISH SOCIETY OF CARDIO-THORACIC SURGEONS will be held in Wroclaw, Poland from 18-20 May, 2006. Abstract deadline is 31 December 2005. For information, contact: Cardiac Surgery Department of the Medical University in Wroclaw, 50-369 Wroclaw, ul. Sklodowskiej Curie 66, Poland; Phone: (48) 71 784 15 60; Fax: (48) 71 784 15 60; Email: congress@cardiosurg.com.pl
14th Annual Meeting of the ASCVS
The 14th Annual Meeting of THE ASIAN SOCIETY FOR CARDIOVASCULAR SURGERY (ASCVS) will be held June 1-3, 2006 at the Osaka International Convention Center, Osaka, Japan. Abstract deadline is January 25, 2006. For information, contact: Secretariat of 14th ASCVS, National Cardiovascular Center , 5-7-1 Fujishirodai, Suita, Osaka, 565-8565, Japan; Phone: 81 6 4863 7290; Fax: 81 6 4863 7289 ; Email: ascvs2006@iris.ocn.ne.jp.
toronto thoracic refresher
The 32nd Annual TORONTO THORACIC REFRESHER Course will be held June 2-3, 2006 at the Sutton Place Hotel, Toronto Canada. Further details to follow. The brochure will be available online in January 2006.
The INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR MINIMALLY INVASIVE CARDIOTHORACIC SURGERY (ISMICS) will be held June 7-10, 2006, at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco. As always, ISMICS is seeking submissions featuring the newest technology and techniques in minimally invasive cardiothoracic, thoracic and vascular surgery. ABSTRACT DEADLINE is December 19, 2005. Make your hotel reservations early! San Francisco hotels will be completely full this time of year.
59th CONGRESS OF THE FRENCH SOCIETY OF THORACIC AND CARDIOVASCULAR SURGERY
The 59th Congress of the FRENCH SOCIETY OF THORACIC AND CARDIOVASCULAR SURGERY will be held June 14-17, 2006, in Bordeaux, France, at the Palais des Congres. The deadline for abstract submission is January 31, 2006. For information, contact: Societe Franaise de Chirurgie Thoracique et Cardiovasculaire , 56 bd Vincent Auriol - 75013 Paris, France; Phone: + 33 1 42 16 42 10; Fax: + 33 1 53 92 91 20; Email: sfctcv@wanadoo.fr
The 32nd Annual Meeting of the Western Thoracic Surgical Association (WTSA) will be held June 21-24, 2006 at the beautiful Sun Valley Resort in Sun Valley, Idaho. Abstract deadline is January 6, 2006.
scandinavian assocation for thoracic surgery and scansect
The 55th Annual Meeting of the SCANDINAVIAN ASSOCIATION FOR THORACIC SURGERY and the 26th Annual Meeting of SCANSECT will be held August 16-19, 2006, in Reykjavik, Iceland. Information: Iceland Travel, Conference Department, P.O. Box 8650, IS-128 Reykjavik, Iceland. Phone 354.585.4300, fax 354.585.4390; e-mail: conferences@icelandtravel.is.
The 2006 Meeting of the World Society of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (WSCTS) will be held August 17-20, 2006 at Ottawa Congress Centre, Ottawa, Canada. ABSTRACTS ARE NOW BEING ACCEPTED. ABSTRACT DEADLINE IS MARCH 10, 2006.
The 5th Annual combined meeting of the EUROPEAN ASSOCIATION OF CARDIO-THORACIC SURGERY (EACTS) and the EUROPEAN SOCIETY OF THORACIC SURGEONS (ESTS) will be held September 10-13, 2006 in Stockholm, Sweden. The EACTS-ESTS Techno-College is September 9. Abstracts are due by April 1, 2006. Watch the website for further information as it is released.
The 10th Annual HEART LAB WORKSHOP will be held at the Hotel Renaissance in Zurich, Switzerland October 18-22, 2006.
EUROPEAN SOCIETY OF EOSPHAGOLOGY
The Annual Meeting of the EUROPEAN SOCIETY OF EOSPHAGOLOGY (ESE) will be held November 30- December 2, 2006 in Leuven, Belgium. The abstract deadline is July 1, 2006. Come and learn about the latest progress in esophagology. And enjoy Leuven, city of the oldest University of the Benelux.
CITATION OF CTSNET SCHOLARLY PUBLICATIONS
We continue to get inquiries about citing articles published on CTSNet, so here is some information that should be useful. If you publish a scholarly paper on CTSNet, you should cite it in your CV. Style manuals and Index Medicus have been haggling about the proper format for several years, principally because, unlike print, net papers can be modified from time to time. Therefore, the citation should include the date of (a) posting or of modification, and/or (b) date of access when quoted as a reference. This assures that the proper iteration of the paper is being cited.
For your reference in your own CV:
Tripathy U, Enestvedt K, Komanapalli CB, Sukumar MS. Necrotizing esophagitis: the black esophagus. Available at CTSNet, Inc. http://www.ctsnet.org/sections/clinicalresources/clinicalcases/article-7.html. Posted 7 November 2005.
For an author quoting your reference in the bibliography of his or her paper:
Tripathy U, Enestvedt K, Komanapalli CB, Sukumar MS. Necrotizing esophagitis: the black esophagus. Available at CTSNet, Inc. http://www.ctsnet.org/sections/clinicalresources/clinicalcases/article-7.html. Posted 7 November 2005. Accessed 30 November 2005.
As time passes, more and more net references will be found in CVs, and they will be considered seriously by promotion committees, just as print articles are now.
MEMBER PHOTOS
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