Monthly Newsletter - October 2005
Dear CTSNet Member,
This month the CTSNet NEWSLETTER gets a facelift! We hope you find the new format more attractive and easier to use. Let us know your thoughts, pro and con, at http://www.ctsnet.org/feedback/
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 CARDIAC EXPERT TECHNIQUE
A New 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 now available.
Read the heart-warming essay by Dr. Robert M. Sade of Charleston, South Carolina entitled "All We Do Not Know."
The Third Quarter 2005 Thoracic Literature Watch, compiled by Dr. Mark Ferguson, Chicago, Illinois, is now available.
The Third Quarter 2005 Cardiac Literature Watch, compiled by Eric J. Okum, MD and Domenico Pagano, MD, is now available.
"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.
NEW CARDIAC VIDEOS
Two new 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.
A New Case of the Month has been posted: "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.
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.
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.
WORLD HEART FOUNDATION MEETING
The World Heart Foundation's (WHF) Third Annual International Cardiac Outreach Conference (ICOC) was held recently in Memphis, Tennessee. The meeting, which attracted over 120 registrants and attendees, featured speakers from the World Health Organization, UNICEF, Project Hope and the World Heart Foundation and its many Affiliates. A gala dinner was held at which Mr. Chad Everett, star of the television series "Medical Center" gave the Keynote Address. The evening's festivities were capped by the presentation of the World Heart Foundation's International Humanitarian Award to Dr. William M. Novick, Founder and CEO of the International Children's Heart Foundation. Dr. Novick is a previous recipient of an Academy Award for the HBO documentary "Cherynoble Heart," and continues his unparalleled humanitarian efforts in Western Europe, Asia and Africa.
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.
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.
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.
Terumo Adds new featured product
TERUMO CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEMS has added a new Featured Product: VirtuoSaph(tm) Endoscopic Vein Harvesting System.
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. Publication date 24 October, 2005, but orders are being taken now. 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.
- Dr. Dimitar O. Simov of Sophia, Bulgaria has posed this interesting question, addressed initially to Dr. Mercedes Dullum, an Editor of the Beating Heart Surgery Innovation Center:
"Dear Dr. Dullum,
I would like to address you as an Editor of Beating Heart Center on CTSNet with some questions regarding beating heart surgery in patients with neoplastic comorbidities. We have some cases at our clinic revascularised off-pump and cancer treated surgically on second stage with excellent results. Could you give me some references on superiority of off-pump against on-pump coronary revascularisation in such patients indicated for bypass surgery with extrathoracic neoplasia (gastric, haepatic, etc.) and should it be treated in one stage or in divided procedures. I am interested especially in the effect of ECC on cancer spreading and whether such patients benefit by OPCAB as a first-stage procedure. Could you refer me to some surgeon who is focused on this problem?
Kind Regards,
Dr. Simov"This is a fascinating area of inquiry, and Dr. Dullum requests that readers contribute their experience on this subject, since no one person or group will likely have a large number of such cases. If you have information, please submit your thoughts.
- A Virtual Teaching Session on Atrial Fibrillation will be presented Saturday, November 5, 2005 from 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM EST. Viewers will be provided with a comprehensive discussion on different surgical techniques and energy sources to treat isolated atrial fibrillation. The panel of experts is from the fields of surgery and electrophysiology, including among others Doctors James L. Cox, Emeritus Professor and Chief, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, and Dr. Ralph Lazzara, Natalie O. Warren, Professor of Medicine and George Lynn Cross, Research Professor and Director, Cardiac Arrhythmia Research Institute, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
For more information, check the online brochure.
Register online for the session.
On Saturday morning, November 5, check the site.
- 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.
- 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.
- A video entitled "Direct Axillary Cannulation for Cardiopulmonary Bypass" by Dr. George Tolis, Jr. of Lenox Hill Hospital, New York, NY, is available for viewing.
- The Second Quarter 2005 THORACIC LITERATURE WATCH, compiled by Dr. Mark Ferguson, is now available.
- The Adult Cardiac Literature Watch for the second quarter of 2005 is now available. This Section is edited by Doctors Eric J. Okum, Chicago, Illinois and Domenico Pagano, Birmingham, UK.
Thoracic
- A New Thoracic Expert Technique by Dr. Carolyn M. Dresler entitled "Smoking Cessation in the Cardiothoracic Surgical Clinic" has been posted. Dr. Dresler is with the International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon France.
- Parts of Chapter 3 on the anatomical drawings of Leonardo da Vinci from "Historical Heritage in Cardiovascular Medicine: A Collection of Images" by Drs. Roberto Lorusso and W. Randolph Chitwood, Jr. have been posted. This excellent series is made available through an educational grant from Edwards Lifesciences.
- 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
AATS 2005 annual meeting webcast now available
The WEBCAST for the AATS 2005 ANNUAL MEETING in San Francisco is now available for viewing. Included are the President's address, the Basic Science Lecture, the Honored Guest's lecture, and all the scientific papers and panel discussions presented at the meeting.
The full webcast of the January 2005 STS Annual Meeting held in Tampa, Florida, is available for viewing.
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'S Project China
As part of its global humanitarian mission, the World Heart Foundation (WHF) has embarked on a series of projects to establish and improve education and training programs in host programs and countries.
A model standardized six-year cardiothoracic surgery residency program has been established at Shanghai Chest Hospital in Shanghai, China.
A. Thomas Pezzella, MD, the Director of Special Projects for the World Heart Foundation, is in China for one year implementing this program. Four residents began their training August 1st. Modeled after the new American and Canadian six-year program, and modified for China, it is hoped that this program will be used as a model and adopted by other centers in China. At the national level, a graduate medical education system is still evolving. Professor Yingze Li, Vice President and Chief of Cardiac Surgery at Shanghai Chest Hospital and program director for this project, addressed The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Annual Meeting in January 2005.
SCTS Now accepting abstracts for 2006 annual meeting
THE SOCIETY OF CARDIOTHORACIC SURGEONS OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND (SCTS) is now accepting abstracts for the 2006 Annual Meeting, to be held March 13-16 in Dublin, Ireland. The online abstract system will be open from September 1 until November 5, 2005. First, please read the abstract assessment document, as there are important changes to the type of presentations for this meeting.
Then enter the abstract submission system.
Further information available online.
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.
A contribution to the New Horizons Section of the Residents page has been added. By Dr. John H. Calhoon of the University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, it is titled "If you're Uncomfortable, Change is Occurring, and with Purpose -- It Should be Good."
"Management of a Left Ventricular Aneurysm in an Adult" by Doctors Sorin V. Pusca, Barry C. Esrig, Preet M.S. Randhawa, Dusan Knezevic, and Muhamed Saric, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Newark, NJ.
And follow the Discussion Thread on this paper.
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.
The last of the interviews (#9) conducted with Pioneers in our specialty by Dr. W. Gerald Rainer is with Dr. Ake Senning. Enjoy this interchange, as well as all the interviews in this remarkable series.
CASE PRESENTATIONS
Please send your "Interesting Case Presentations" to Dr. Vinod Thourani. Instructions for submission are available online.
The October 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 October issue of the JOURNAL OF THORACIC AND CARDIOVASCULAR SURGERY contains this year's Presidential address by Dr. Tirone David of Toronto, Canada, entitled "For Everything There is a Season."
- 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!
- The EJCTS open access article for October is:
Robert H. Anderson, Siew Yen Ho, Klaus Redmann, Damian Sanchez-Quintana, and Paul P. Lunkenheimer, "The anatomical arrangement of the myocardial cells making up the ventricular mass." - 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 October 2005 Article for Discussion:
Karkouti K et al. Low hematocrit during cardiopulmonary bypass is associated with increased risk of perioperative stroke in cardiac surgery. Ann Thorac Surg 2005;80:1381-1387 - Karkouti, et al, explore the relationship between degree of hemodilution during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and perioperative stroke. The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between nadir hematocrit during CPB and perioperative stroke while adjusting for variables known to have an association with stroke and anemia. Perioperative data were collected prospectively on 10,949 consecutive patients undergoing cardiac bypass from 1999 to 2004. Stroke was defined as a persistent neurologic deficit, consistent with a central nervous system lesion, occurring within 30 days of operation. Stroke was classified as perioperative if patients awoke from anesthesia with neurologic symptoms and postoperative if patients awoke without symptoms. The prevalence of perioperative stroke was 1.0% (n = 110). An additional 50 patients had postoperative stroke. Nadir hematocrit during CPB was an independent predictor of perioperative stroke.
After controlling for confounding variables with logistic regression analysis, each percent decrease in hematocrit was associated with a 10% increase in the odds of suffering perioperative stroke (95% confidence interval, 4% to 18%; p =0.002). The model was accurate (c-index = 0.85) and reliable (Hosmer-Lemeshow test p = 0.4). Thus, there was an independent, direct association between degree of hemodilution during CPB and risk of perioperative stroke. The authors suggest that prospective randomized clinical trials comparing different degrees of hemodilution during CPB are required to determine whether this is a cause-effect relationship or a simple association. Clearly these results could have an important effect on clinical practice, as there is enormous variability in what is considered a safe hematocrit during CPB, both in pediatric and adult cases.
Please read the article and add your comments and experience to this Dilemma in Adult Cardiac Surgery in the CTSNet Discussion Forum.
There is an interesting discussion developing on the Case of the Month "Blunt Traumatic Tracheal Laceration" By Christopher Komanapalli, MD, Hannan Chaugle, MD, Ileana Esquivel, PA-C and Mithran Sukumar, MD.
BEATING HEART INNOVATION CENTER discussion
Dr. Dimitar O. Simov of Sophia, Bulgaria has posed this interesting question, addressed initially to Dr. Mercedes Dullum, an Editor of the Beating Heart Surgery Innovation Center:
"Dear Dr. Dullum,
I would like to address you as an Editor of Beating Heart Center on CTSNet with some questions regarding beating heart surgery in patients with neoplastic comorbidities. We have some cases at our clinic revascularised off-pump and cancer treated surgically on second stage with excellent results. Could you give me some references on superiority of off-pump against on-pump coronary revascularisation in such patients indicated for bypass surgery with extrathoracic neoplasia (gastric, haepatic, etc.) and should it be treated in one stage or in divided procedures. I am interested especially in the effect of ECC on cancer spreading and whether such patients benefit by OPCAB as a first-stage procedure. Could you refer me to some surgeon who is focused on this problem?
Kind Regards,
Dr. Simov"
This is a fascinating area of inquiry, and Dr. Dullum requests that readers contribute their experience on this subject, since no one person or group will likely have a large number of such cases. If you have information, please respond online.
ABTS Changes
At the recent meeting of the American Board of Thoracic Surgery, a new Vice Chair and three New Directors were elected. Dr. Richard Feins, Chapel Hill, NC, was elected Vice-Chair from 2005-2007, and then will become the Board Chair from 2007-2009.
Three New Directors were elected. They will serve from 2005-2011.
Dr. Bruce W. Lytle, Cleveland, Ohio
Dr. Richard J. Shemin, Boston, Massachusetts
Dr.George Hicks, Rochester, New York
Retiring Directors are:
Dr. Delos M. Cosgrove, III
Dr. Irving L. Kron
Dr. Timothy J. Gardner
EACTS-ESTS Officers Ratified
At the EACTS-ESTS meeting in Barcelona, the EACTS 2005-2006 officers were ratified. They are:
President - Tom Treasure
Vice President - Siegfried Hagl
Secretary General - Bruce Keogh
Treasurer - Jose Pomar
Editor-in-chief - Ludwig von Segesser
Information Officer - Paul Sergeant
Past President - Torkel Aberg
Councillors
Friedhelm Beyersdorf
Juan Comas
Stefano Elia
Timothy J. Gardner
Pieter Kappetein
Ralph Alexander Schmid
- November 1, 2005: NewEra CARDIAC CARE: INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY, Newport Beach, California.
- November 1, 2005: Autumn Meeting of the FRENCH SOCIETY OF THORACIC AND CARDIOVASCULAR SURGERY, Paris, France.
- November 5, 2005: THE SOCIETY OF CARDIOTHORACIC SURGEONS OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND (SCTS), Dublin, Ireland.
- December 1, 2005: SAN DIEGO CARDIOTHORACIC SURGERY SYMPOSIUM, San Diego, California.
- December 1, 2005: The GENERAL THORACIC SURGICAL CLUB, 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.
- 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.
SERBIAN SOCIETY FOR CARDIOVASCULAR SURGERY 4th ANNUAL MEETING
The 4th Annual Meeting of the SERBIAN SOCIETY FOR CARDIOVASCULAR SURGERY will be held at the Hotel Intercontinental, Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro, on 5 November, 2005.
For more information: Travel Centar, Kralja Petra 11/1, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro,Tel/Fax: + 381 11 3281 390, E-mail: office@tcentar.co.yu.
The SOUTHERN THORACIC SURGICAL ASSOCIATION (STSA) 52nd Annual Meeting will be held November 10-12, 2005, at the Disney Yacht & Beach Club, Orlando, Florida. You can also download meeting registration and hotel reservation forms. See STSA website for further details.
ALFRED HOSPITAL HEART & LUNG TRANSPLANT SERVICE DINNER
Current and former staff of the Alfred Hospital Heart & Lung Transplant Service are warmly invited to attend the "1000th Transplant Celebration Dinner". Thursday 17th November 2005 at The Great Hall, National Gallery Victoria, Melbourne. For full details: www.alfred.org.au and click on the "1000th Transplant Celebration Dinner" link.
BELGIAN ASSOCIATION FOR CARDIO-THORACIC SURGERY 10th ANNIVERSARY CONGRESS
The 10th Anniversary Congress of the BELGIAN ASSOCIATION FOR CARDIO-THORACIC SURGERY will be held 19 November 2005 at the Sodehotel-Woluwe, B-1200 Brussels, Belgium. Invited speakers are Andrew S. Wechsler, Philadelphia, and Joel D. Cooper, Philadelphia. More information available at the BACTS website.
The 17th Biennial Congress of ASSOCIATION OF THORACIC AND CARDIOVASCULAR SURGEONS OF ASIA (ATCSA) will be held at the Makati Shangri-la Hotel, Manila, Philippines, November 20-23, 2005.
"HEART VALVE CLUB" LIVE SURGERY CONFERENCE
Alain Carpentier, MD, PhD, announces the "Heart Valve Club" Live Surgery Conference to be held November 28-30, 2005 in Paris, France. This CME-accredited course includes live surgeries by Prof. Carpentier, joined by an esteemed faculty for an interactive discussion of aortic, mitral, and tricuspid valve repair and replacement surgeries. Invited faculty include Sir Magdi Yacoub, MD, PhD; Hugo Vanerman, MD, PhD; Friedrich Mohr, MD, PhD; and Gilles Dreyfus, MD. CME credits are available for U.S. and Canadian physicians.
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. Abstracts are being accepted through October 31, 2005.
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
MANAGEMENT OF EARLY LUNG CANCER
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 POSTGRAD 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 NEWERA 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 DEADLINE for abstracts and videos is November 1, 2005.
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.
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. The abstract DEADLINE is December 1, 2005.
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 SOCIETY OF CARDIOTHORACIC SURGEONS OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND will be held in Dublin, Ireland March 13-16, 2006. The online abstract system will be open from September 1 until November 5, 2005.
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 INTERNATIONAL 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
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:
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 submission guidelines and deadline information will be available soon online.
SCANDINAVIAN ASSOCIATION 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.
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.
Update your home page periodically. The tool is very simple to use. When others are curious enough about you to go to the member list and click on your home page, they are disappointed when there is no picture, and the page is largely blank. You have had that same experience, and so know what we are talking about.
We will be attending the 4th Annual Meeting of the Serbian Society for Cardiovascular Surgery on November 5 in Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro, the Southern Thoracic Surgical Association (STSA) meeting 10-12 November in Orlando, Florida, booth #207, and the 17th Biennial Congress of the Association of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeons of Asia (ATCSA) 20-23 November in Manila, Philippines. If you are at these meetings, stop by and say hello.
Thomas B. Ferguson, M.D.
Senior Editor
Carol L. Blasberg
Managing Editor
CTSNet, Inc.
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Telephone: 1 314-361-6084
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E-mail: ctsnet@wustl.edu
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