CTSNet Newsletter

Monthly Newsletter - May 2008

Table of Contents

What's New

Carl L. Backer, MD, Editor of the Congenital Portal, and his Editorial Board, are pleased to announce that this newest CTSNet Portal is now live and available for viewing and use. Please read Dr. Backer's introductory remarks in the Specialty Portals Section, and then view this valuable new resource. In Dr. Backer's words: "We plan to maintain the Congenital Portal as a dynamic and evolving resource available to the entire international congenital heart surgery community."

Thoracic Literature Watch - First Quarter 2008

Thoracic Literature Watch - First Quarter 2008 is now available. This covers articles published between 1/1/08 – 3/31/08. Thoracic Section Editor Dr. Mark K. Ferguson of Chicago selects and collates the articles for this feature.

A New Cardiac Expert Technique Has Been Posted - May 2008

A New Cardiac Expert Technique Has Been Posted - May 2008: "Ascending-To-Descending Aortic Bypass for Coarctation of the Aorta" by John S. Thurber, MD and Subrato J. Deb, MD, both of National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland USA, and Lucas R. Collazo, MD, Inova Heart and Vascular Institute and Inova Fairfax Hospital for Children, Falls Church, Virginia USA.

Special Report - May 2008

This is the newest Special Report on CTSNet. "Revascularization for Unprotected Left Main Stem Coronary Artery Stenosis: Stenting or Surgery" by Mr. David P. Taggart, Professor of Cardiac Surgery, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford UK, and a list of co-authors from around the world.
Reprinted with permission from the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC) and Elsevier, Inc. For the interested, this is must reading!

New Book Available from CTSNet Bookstore

"Techniques in Valvular Heart Surgery" by A. Sampath Kumar, MD, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India. He is currently Editor of the Indian Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery. Dr. Kumar has generously contributed many videos of his operative procedures to CTSNet. Click here to go to the Bookstore to find this and other recently published volumes.

Pennsylvania Association for Thoracic Surgery

CTSNet welcomes its newest member organization, The Pennsylvania Association for Thoracic Surgery. Their website design and slate of current officers is viewable here. The call for abstracts for their 46th Annual Meeting has just been issued, and abstracts can be submitted here. ABSTRACT SUBMISSION DEADLINE JULY 15, 2008. The meeting will be held at at the Amelia Island Plantation, Florida, October 1-5, 2008. Find more information here. A preliminary program will be forthcoming.

ATS Discussion Paper

ATS MAY 2008: Moainie SL, et al. Endovascular stenting for traumatic aortic injury: an emerging new standard of care. Ann Thorac Surg 2008;85:1625-30.

Thoracic aortic injury remains a leading cause of death after blunt trauma. Thoracic aortic stents have the potential to treat aortic tears using a less invasive approach.

The current report (summarized and exerpted herein) presents details of a large series of patients treated with blunt thoracic aortic injury over a 2-year period. From July 2005 to present, 26 patients presenting with blunt aortic injury were treated with thoracic aortic endografts, and compared with the prior 26 patients presenting with similar aortic injury who were treated by open surgical repair. A Severity Characterization of Trauma Score calculated for each patient predicted mortality based on severity of injury and degree of physiologic derangement on presentation. Patients treated with endografting had a significantly shorter length of stay, less intraoperative blood loss, decreased 24-hour blood transfusion, and lower incidence of postoperative tracheostomy compared with patients undergoing open repair. Survival in both groups was similar despite a trend toward higher injury severity among patients treated with endografting. The authors conclude that their early experience suggests that aortic endografting may provide a safe and efficient treatment of aortic tears that cardiac surgeons can employ.

Is this the emerging standard of care? The current report is impressive and seems to support that point of view, yet controversy remains and not all centers have embraced this now well studied technology.

Please read the article, and add your comments and experience to this Dilemma in Adult Cardiac Surgery and in Pediatric Cardiac Surgery in the CTSNet Discussion Forum.

The monthly articles for discussion are selected and summarized by Dr. Tom R. 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.

The Italian Society for Cardiac Surgery Call for Abstracts

The Italian Society for Cardiac Surgery has announced a call for abstracts for the XXIV National Meeting November 8-11, 2008 at the Cavalieri Hilton Hotel, Rome Italy. ABSTRACT SUBMISSION DEADLINE: 30 JUNE 2008. To submit an abstract. For more information, contact: Alessandro Fabbri, MD; Phone: +39 0444 753986; Fax: +39 0444 753142; Email: alessandro@fabbrispace.it
For additional information.

Survey - Cardiac Arrest Following Cardiac Surgery

In 2005, the American Heart Association and the European Resuscitation Council published a new comprehensive guideline for the management of patients who suffered a cardiac arrest. The guidelines were derived from a worldwide consensus from the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation published that same year.

While the document provides significant advances in the resuscitation of out-of-hospital and ward-based patients, it does not address many of the issues that we face in cardiac surgery when a patient arrests shortly after surgery.

Issues such as the timing of chest reopening, CPR versus immediate defibrillation for VF, a 3-shock or a 1-shock protocol, Precordial thump, external pacing, administration of adrenaline in an arrest, sterility of chest reopenings, personnel, and training for cardiac arrests are unaddressed.

We would very much appreciate your input on these issues and encourage you to participate in a survey. The responses collected in the survey will be used in drafting a more comprehensive set of guidelines for resuscitation of patients who arrest after cardiac surgery. If you also provide your email address, we will provide you with a draft of the guidelines once the survey answers have been collated.

Thank you in advance for taking the time to complete this survey. Results will appear here soon.

Joel Dunning, MRCS, PhD
Specialist Registrar
Editor of Best Evidence Topics in the ICVTS, Course Director for Cardiothoracic Advanced Life Support (CALS) Editorial Board of the EJCTS
Middlesbrough TS4 3BW
United Kingdom
+44 780 154 8122
www.csu-als.com

Perioperative Blood Management Technologist Examination

The International Board of Blood Management (IBBM) will administer a certification exam for specialization in blood management techniques on August 13, 2008, immediately preceding AmSECT's 16th Annual Symposium on New Advances in Blood Management, Snow King Resort, Jackson Hole Wyoming. The examination is a prerequisite to certification by the IBBM as a Perioperative Blood Management Technologist. This exam is available to individuals who are currently performing techniques of clinical Autotransfusion and cell processing in the perioperative environment. Registration for the exam is $200, annual renewal fee is $100. For examination qualification and registration information

International Society for Minimally Invasive Cardiothoracic Surgery (ISMICS)

The 11th Annual Meeting of the International Society for Minimally Invasive Cardiothoracic Surgery (ISMICS) will be held June 11-14, 2008 at the Marriott Copley Place, Boston, Massachusetts USA.

You can register ONLINE, or download the Registration Form and fax the completed form to +1.978.524.0498. After June 3, 2008, registration will be on-site only.

To view preliminary program and abstracts.

To reserve your hotel accommodations, make your reservations online at the Marriott Copley Place or download the Housing Form and fax completed form directly to the hotel at fax # +1.505.771.6180. Make sure to mention the ISMICS Group Code (ISMISMA).

For further information.

Message from ICVTS Editor

ICVTS is EACTS' OPEN-ACCESS journal and there are NO AUTHORSHIP CHARGES. ICVTS is cited in MEDLINE/PubMed.

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

The accepted papers for ICVTS volume 7/issue 4 (Aug 2008) have now been posted on the website and are open for discussion.

To submit an eComment for a particular article in the listing, open it then simply click on the link 'eComments: submit' which appears in the content box to the right of the article Abstract or PDF proof. To respond to a specific eComment simply click on the link which appears to its left. We would be delighted if you could look at the papers posted and contribute any appropriate 'eComments' - your comments will be citable, posted on-line and subsequently published in print in ICVTS volume 7/issue 4. eComments will also appear in PubMed.

To submit an article to ICVTS.

Many thanks for your support, interest and cooperation.

Yours sincerely,

Ludwig von Segesser - Editor-in-Chief ICVTS

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

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

German Society of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery

The Board of Directors for the German Society of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery were elected at the Joint Meeting of the German, Austrian and Swiss Societies for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery held 17-20 February, 2008, in Innsbruck Austria.

President
Axel Haverich

First Vice-President
Friedhelm Beyersdorf

Second Vice-President
Arno Krian

Secretary
Jochen Cremer

Treasurer
Joachim-Gerd Rein

Committee Members
Sabine Daebritz
Christian Hagl
Wolfgang Harringer
Hans-Hinrich Sievers
Christian-Friedrich Vahl
Armin Welz

The 38th Annual Meeting of the German Society for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery will be from 15-18 February 2009 in Stuttgart Germany.

If you have not yet registered for the upcoming Western Thoracic Surgical Association Meeting June 25-28, 2008 in Kona, Hawaii, please be sure to register now. Registration fees will increase after Friday, May 23, 2008. To see the program and full abstracts, Click Here. Download Registration Form here.

Housing Information: Due to unprecedented interest in the 2008 WTSA Annual Meeting in Kona, Hawaii, the initial block of rooms at the Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort & Spa has completely sold out. The Western has obtained additional rooms at the Outrigger Keauhou Bay Resort. When making reservations, please mention code WTSA. Download Reservation Form. Please fax completed forms to the Outrigger Keauhou Bay Resort to 808-324-2509 or call directly for reservations toll free: 1-877-532-8468 ext. 2515 or direct: 808-324-2515.

Western Thoracic Surgical Association
900 Cummings Center, Suite 221-U
Beverly, MA 01915
Tel: +1 978-927-8330
www.westernthoracic.org/

Asian Society of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery (ASCVTS)

The following officers were elected at the 16th Annual Meeting of the Asian Society for Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery in Singapore 13 - 16 March 2008.

President of the Society
Akira Furuse (Tokyo)

President of the Congress
Tarng Jenn Yu (Taipei)

President-elect of the Congress
Arkalgud Sampath Kumar (New Delhi)

Immediate Past President of the Congress
Chuen Neng Lee (Sinapore)

Secretary General
Shinichi Takamoto (Tokyo)

Assistant Secretary General
Shunji Sano (Okayama)

Treasurer
Yuichi Ueda (Aich)

Councillors
Qing-Yu Wu (Beijing)
Bum-Koo Cho (Seoul)
Yong-Jin Kim (Seoul)
Yasuyuki Hosoda (Tokyo)
Prinya Sakiyalak (Bangkok)
David Lik-Ching Cheung (Hong Kong)
Mohamed Azhari Yakub (Kuala Lumpur)
Omer Isik (Istanbul)
Masashi Komeda (Kyoto)
Teruhisa Kazui (Hokkaido)
Tarmizi Hakim (Jakarta)

The 17th Annual Meeting of the Asian Society for Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery will be 5-8 March 2009 in Taipei.

16th European Conference on General Thoracic Surgery

16th European Conference on General Thoracic Surgery organized by the European Society of Thoracic Surgeons (ESTS), 8-11 June 2008 in Bologna, Italy. Thefinal programme book and abstract book are now available.

22nd Annual Meeting of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery

The 22nd Annual Meeting of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery will be held September 13-17, 2008, at the Lisbon Congress Centre, Lisbon Portugal. For information, contact: EACTS Executive Secretariat, 3 Park Street, Berkshire, SL4 1LU , UK; Phone: +44 1753 832166; Fax: +44 1753 620407; Email: info@eacts.co.uk If you wish to enjoy the early registration fee, please register prior to the 29^th of June. For more information.

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Industry Forum

Live Webcast: Minimally Invasive Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery (June 3, 2008)

Webpage Capture

Cardiac Surgery: Medtronic and The Heart Institute of Staten Island announce that at 3:00 PM EDT on June 3, 2008, Dr. Joseph McGinn will conduct a live surgical webcast of Minimally Invasive Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery.

NEW in Mitral Valve Repair - Medtronic's Profile 3D™ Annuloplasty System

Medtronic's Profile 3D™

The Profile 3D™ ring is a fully rigid remodeling ring with a physiologic mitral valve shape and can be used to treat functional mitral valve diseases, such as ischemic mitral regurgitation and dilated cardiomyopathy.

Profile 3D™ Annuloplasty System
Indications: This device is indicated for the reconstruction and/or remodeling of pathological mitral valves. Valvular insufficiency and/or stenosis may be corrected by appropriate repair and annular remodeling.

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, dehiscence, hemolysis, stenosis, residual incompetence, heart block, endocarditis, systolic anterior motion, left ventricular outflow tract obstruction, anticoagulant-related bleeding or hemorrhage.

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.
Profile 3D is a trademark of Medtronic, Inc.

Medtronic Announces A New Web site for the Performer® CPB

Medtronic Performer® CPB

When you visit www.performercpb.com you’ll see more. More flexibility . . . more standard features . . . and more reasons to invest in a heart lung machine that takes up about 1/3 the space of traditional heart lung machines. It is a desirable size for your Hybrid OR, but that’s not all. Through this Web site, you can actually get a feel for how the Performer® CPB works. Created for perfusionists and surgeons, this new Web site lets you download an online demo, explore the standard features and shows you how the Performer® CPB can prepare you for the expected changes in cardiac surgery moving forward.

To see what the Performer® CPB has to offer, visit www.performercpb.com. It’s the next best thing to a live demonstration.

Medtronic Edge Update — New Dates Added

The Medtronic EDGE Basic Guidewire, Catheter and Imaging Skill Course - July 24 & 25 - Spaces available! For more information, contact Charlene Luppino at 763-391-9284 or at charlene.luppino@medtronic.com.

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In My Opinion

"Only a bubble in the molten mass? Lung cancer management in the indigent" by Raymond U. Osarogiagbon, MD, FACP, Multidisciplinary Thoracic Oncology Program, University of Tennessee Cancer Institute, Memphis, TN USA, and Mathew Ninan, MD, Mid-South Thoracic Multidisciplinary Clinic, University of Tennessee, Memphis, TN USA.

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Clinical Resources

New Safety Reporting System Vignette

"Ascending Aortic Graft Igniting (Catching Fire) during Bentall's Procedure" This vignette offers an interesting and unusual experience in the operating room. How it was dealt with is instructive.

Expert Techniques

Thoracic

A New Thoracic Survey has been posted, "Management of Pericardial Effusion." These surveys are constructed and the results analyzed and reported by Dr. Mark K. Ferguson, Editor of the Thoracic Portal. Participate in the survey today!
Dr. Nasser K. Altorki, The New York Hospital and Cornell Medical Center, New York, NY USA, writes: CALGB has recently activated a randomized trial comparing lobectomy with limited resection for small (2 cm or less) peripheral NSCLC that is node-negative. It calls for randomizing nearly 900 patients. It was endorsed by all the co-operative groups, including AGOSOG and NCI-Canada. Unfortunately, accrual has been slow, and we would like to raise awareness of the trial since it is likely, when completed, to be an important contribution."

To those interested in participating, he writes: "A large randomized trial of lobectomy versus sublobar resection for early stage NSCLC has been activated throughout the US and Canada. Read the Trial Proposal, and see how you can participate."
Dr. Mark Ferguson, Editor of the Thoracic Portal and author of the Thoracic Portal Surveys, writes: "Invitation: View the survey results on Management of Patients with Barrett’s Esophagus and High Grade Dysplasia and learn about current clinical practice for this problem."

Cardiac

A new article has been added to the CTSNet Cardiac Expert Techniques. The article, "Off-Pump Insertion of the Jarvik 2000 Left Ventricular Assist Device," was authored by Craig H. Selzman, MD.

Congenital

"Valve-sparing aortic root replacement in a six year old child with bicuspid aortic valve and Loeys-Dietz syndrome" by Luca A. Vricella MD and Duke E. Cameron MD, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland USA.

Videos

"Repair of a Symptomatic Bochdalek Hernia in the Adult" by John Alfred Carr, MD, Jacksonville, Illinois USA.

"Robotic Mitral Valve Replacement Using the Haircut Technique" by Michael W. Chu, MD, Karen A. Gersch MD, L. Wiley Nifong MD, W. R. Chitwood, Jr, MD, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina USA.

This video was presented at the fall 2007 meeting of the Southern Thoracic Surgical Association (STSA).

A New Cardiac Video has been posted - "Aortic Valve Replacement with Stentless Autologous Gluteraldehyde Treated Pericardium" by A. Sampath Kumar, MD, All India Institute of Medical Sciences. New Delhi India, and Carlos MG Duran, MD, PhD, The International Heart Institute of Montana, Missoula, MT USA. An additional feature is an Editor's note by Dr. George Tolis, Jr, and a response from Dr. A. Sampath Kumar.

“Combined Open Proximal and Stent Graft Distal Repair for Complex Arch Aneurysm” by Andreas Zierer MD, Luis A. Sanchez MD, and Mark R. Moon MD, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri USA.

This video was presented at the fall 2007 meeting of the Southern Thoracic Surgical Association (STSA).

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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!

STS Webcast of 2008 Annual Meeting Now Available

The webcast of The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) 2008 Annual Meeting January 26-30, 2008 in Ft Lauderdale, Florida USA is now available. This includes the Presidential Address by Dr. John E. Mayer, Jr. entitled "Is There a Role for Our Profession in Solving the Problems of the American Health Care System?

AATS Award Opportunities

Evarts A. Graham Memorial Traveling Fellowship (2009-2010)

The Evarts A. Graham Memorial Traveling Fellowship grants support study by young cardiothoracic surgeons from outside North America at sites in North America, to broaden overall training and increase international contacts.

Candidates should have completed formal training in general surgery, thoracic surgery, and cardiovascular surgery, but not reached a senior position.
Candidates must be proficient in English at a sufficient level to realize the full benefits.
Awards are made to surgeons of unique promise with a potential for future international thoracic surgical leadership.

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Third Edward D. Churchill Research Scholarship (2009-2011)

The American Association for Thoracic Surgery Research Scholarship provides an opportunity for research, training and experience for North American surgeons 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.

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Resident Traveling Fellowship (2008-2009)

The American Association for Thoracic Surgery Resident Traveling Fellowship provides residents with an opportunity to gain additional insights and innovative techniques from another institution and bring this knowledge back to his or her home institution.

Candidate 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 9-13, 2009 in Boston, MA

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Again, the APPLICATION DEADLINE FOR EACH GRANT IS JULY 1, 2008.

Fourth Annual STS Legislative Advocacy Workshop (LAW)

The Fourth Annual Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) Legislative Advocacy Workshop (LAW) will be held July 13-15, 2008 at the Phoenix Park Hotel, Washington, DC USA. By attending, you can:

- Help prevent the two cuts totaling more than 16% in your Medicare reimbursement this year.
- Protect your future and that of your patients.
- Hold Congress accountable for their inability to reform the health care payment system.
- Get involved in the legislative process by advocating for your profession.

For questions concerning the Workshop, e-mail: advocacy@sts.org.

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Residents Section

American Board of Thoracic Surgery

The American Board of Thoracic Surgery (ABTS) 2008 Certification Registration is available 1 January-15 August 2008. For information, contact: American Board of Thoracic Surgery, 633 North St. Clair Street, Suite 2320, Chicago, IL 60611; Phone: 1 312-202-5900; Fax: 1 312-202-5960; Email: info@abts.org or info@abts.org
Additional information.

Edward B. Diethrich Endovascular Traveling Fellowships

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 $7,500 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 XXII on Endovascular Interventions scheduled for February 8-12, 2009 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, 2009.

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. For application form click here.

The deadline for applications shall be July 1, 2008 and notification of successful applicants will take place no later than August 1, 2008.

New Horizons

"Why Choose Cardiothoracic Surgery?" by Yolonda Colson, MD, PhD, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Boston, MA USA.

Contributions for the New Horizons Section of the Resident's site are solicited and edited by Editor Walter H. Merrill MD, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio USA. Dr. Merrill would welcome more comments for this Section. If you have thoughts that you wish to express, please read his statement about this activity, and then get in touch with him: walter.merrill@uc.edu.

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Journals

EACTS Publications

EJCTS: May issue now published, including 3 CME articles.

ICVTS: June issue now published. ESTS Annual Meeting Abstracts are published.

MMCTS has a total of 119 surgical procedures on-line.

JOURNAL OF THORACIC AND CARDIOVASCULAR SURGERY – MAY ISSUE 2008

CME
ACQUIRED CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE
Should emergency surgical intervention be performed for an octogenarian with type A acute aortic dissection?
Mitsumasa Hata, Akira Sezai, Tetsuya Niino, Masataka Yoda, Satoshi Unosawa, Nobuyuki Furukawa, Shunji Osaka, Tomohiko Murakami, and Kazutomo Minami.
J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2008;135:1042-1046.

CONGENITAL HEART DISEASE
The outcomes of operations for 539 patients with Ebstein anomaly
Morgan L. Brown, Joseph A. Dearani, Gordon K. Danielson, Frank Cetta, Heidi M. Connolly, Carole A. Warnes, Zhuo Li, David O. Hodge, David J. Driscoll.
J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2008;135:1120-1136.

GENERAL THORACIC SURGERY
Growing clinical evidence for the interaction of the p53 genotype and response to induction chemotherapy in advanced non–small cell lung cancer
Daniela Kandioler, Georgios Stamatis, Wilfried Eberhardt, Sonja Kappel, Sabine Zöchbauer-Müller, Irene Kührer, Martina Mittlböck, Ronald Zwrtek, Clemens Aigner, Christoph Bichler, Victoria Tichy, Marcus Hudec, Thomas Bachleitner, Adelheid End, Michael Rolf Müller, Erich Roth, and Walter Klepetko.
J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2008;135:1036-1041.

SELECTED ARTICLES OF INTEREST
This month the following articles appear on the cover of The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery:

PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS
Who we are–Who we will be
Bruce W. Lytle.
J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2008;135:965-975.

CARDIOPULMONARY SUPPORT AND PHYSIOLOGY
The inflammatory effect of cardiopulmonary bypass on leukocyte extravasation in vivo
B.J. Evans, D.O. Haskard, J.R. Finch, I.R. Hambleton, R.C. Landis, and K.M. Taylor.
J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2008;135:999-1006.

GENERAL THORACIC SURGERY
Extension of survival by resection of asynchronous renal cell carcinoma metastases to mediastinal lymph nodes
Bryan A. Whitson, Shawn S. Groth, Rafael S. Andrade, Laurel Garrett, Arkadiusz Z. Dudek, Jose Jessurun, and Michael A. Maddaus.
J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2008;135:1022-1028.

ACQUIRED CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE
Should emergency surgical intervention be performed for an octogenarian with type A acute aortic dissection?
Mitsumasa Hata, Akira Sezai, Tetsuya Niino, Masataka Yoda, Satoshi Unosawa, Nobuyuki Furukawa, Shunji Osaka, Tomohiko Murakami, and Kazutomo Minami.
J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2008;135:1042-1046.

Coming in our June issue is an article by Albert Starr commenting on the Lasker award, as well as articles on low volume coronary artery surgery, postpneumonectomy syndrome, bio-engineered vascular grafts, congenital mitral valve disease, and hybrid treatment of type-B aortic dissection.

Annals of Thoracic Surgery – May 2008

ANNOUNCEMENT
Editorial Board Changes.
Ann Thorac Surg 2008;85:1509-1510.

PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS
Reed CE.
Patient Versus Customer, Technology Versus Touch: Where Has Humanism Gone?
Ann Thorac Surg 2008;85;1511-1514.

CME
GENERAL THORACIC

Schuchert MJ, Luketich JD, Landreneau RJ, Kilic A, Gooding WE, Alvelo-Rivera M, Christie NA, Gilbert S, Pennathur A.
Minimally-Invasive Esophagomyotomy in 200 Consecutive Patients: Factors Influencing Postoperative Outcomes.
Ann Thorac Surg 2008;85;1729-1734.

ADULT CARDIAC
Kourliouros A, De Souza A, Roberts N, Marciniak A, Tsiouris A, Valencia O, Camm J, Jahangiri M.
Dose-Related Effect of Statins on Atrial Fibrillation After Cardiac Surgery.
Ann Thorac Surg 2008;85:1515-1520.

CARDIOTHORACIC ANESTHESIA
Sweet JJ, Finnin E, Wolfe PL, Beaumont JL, Hahn E, Marymont J, Sanborn T, Rosengart TK.
Absence of Cognitive Decline One Year After Coronary Bypass Surgery: Comparison to Nonsurgical and Healthy Controls.
Ann Thorac Surg 2008;85 1571-1578.

PEDIATRIC CARDIAC
Hoohenkerk GJF, Schoof PH, Bruggemans EF, Rijlaarsdam M, Hazekamp MG.
28 Years' Experience With Transatrial-Transpulmonary Repair of Atrioventricular Septal Defect With Tetralogy of Fallot.
Ann Thorac Surg 2008;85 1686-1689.

MMCTS Adds Four Articles

MMTCS has added 4 articles this past month, bringing the total to 119 contributions.

François Lacour-Gayet and Steven Goldberg.
Surgical repair of truncus arteriosus associated with interrupted aortic arch.
MMCTS (March 28, 2008). doi:10.1510/mmcts.2006.002451.

Gaetano Gargiulo, Carlo Pace Napoleone, Emanuela Angeli and Guido Oppido.
Neonatal coarctation repair using extended end-to-end anastomosis.
MMCTS (March 28, 2008). doi:10.1510/mmcts.2007.002691.

Hyde M. Russell, Patrick M. McCarthy, Richard Lee, S. Chris Malaisrie and Edwin C. McGee Jr.
Tricuspid valve replacement with a bioprosthetic valve.
MMCTS (March 28, 2008). doi:10.1510/mmcts.2007.002774.

Michele De Bonis and Ottavio Alfieri.
Editorial comment on valve repair for traumatic tricuspid regurgitation:
Michele De Bonis and Ottavio Alfieri.
MMCTS (March 28, 2008). doi:10.1510/mmcts.2008.003251.

Asian Annals – April 2008

Volume 16 Issue 2 (April 2008) of the Asian Annals is available.

A selection of interesting articles:

EDITORIAL
From Vision to Mission in Myocardial Restoration.
Theo Kofidis, Chuen Neng Lee.
Asian Cardiovasc Thorac Ann 2008;16:91-92.

ADULT CARDIAC
Valvuloplasty in the Treatment of Rheumatic Tricuspid Disease.
Shantanu Pande, Surendra K Agarwal, Gauranga Majumdar, Aditya Kapoor, Niraj Kale, Anirban Kundu.
Asian Cardiovasc Thorac Ann 2008;16:107-111.

THORACIC
Abscess of Residual Lobe After Pulmonary Resection for Lung Cancer.
Tommaso Ligabue, Luca Voltolini, Claudia Ghiribelli, Luca Luzzi, Cristian Rapicetta, Giuseppe Gotti.
Asian Cardiovasc Thorac Ann 2008;16:112-114.

PEDIATRIC CARDIAC
Valve Repair in Rheumatic Heart Disease in Pediatric Age Group.
Pramod K Reddy, Anil K Dharmapuram, Sunil K Swain, Nagarajan Ramdoss, Sreekanth S Raghavan, Kona S Murthy.
Asian Cardiovasc Thorac Ann 2008;16:129-133.

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Transitions

IACTS Executive Committee 2008-2009

At the 54th Annual Conference of the Indian Association of Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgeons (IACTS) 21–24 February 2008 at the Armed Forces Medical College in Pune, India the following Executive Committee was named:

Vivek Jawali (President)
Rajan Santosham (Senior Vice President)
James Thomas (Junior Vice President)
C.P. Srivatsava (General Secretary)
J.M.S. Khandeparkar (Treasurer cum Joint Secretary)
A. Sampath Kumar (Editor-Journal of IACTS)
D. Prasada Rao (Past President)
Deepak Kumar Satsangi (Past President)

P.S. Seetharama Bhat (Member)
S. Raghupathi (Member)
R.M. Mathur (Member)
Vijoy Sinha (Member)
Ashutosh Raghuvanshi (Member)
(Col) Manoj Luthra (Member)

In Memory of Mortimer J. Buckley, MD

Read the moving tribute to Dr. Mortimer Buckley by longtime associate and colleague Dr. Cary W. Akins.

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Abstract Deadlines

June 1, 2008: INTERNATIONAL MESOTHELIOMA INTEREST GROUP-EACTS JOINT MEETING, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
June 6, 2008: 9th INTERNATIONAL DEAD SEA SYMPOSIUM ON CARDIAC ARRHYTHMIAS AND DEVICE THERAPY, Tel Aviv, Israel.
June 15, 2008: INTERNATIONAL MEETING ON AORTIC ANEURYSMS, Leige, Belgium.
June 30, 2008: 11th BelSECT SYMPOSIUM ON PERFUSION, Brussels, Belgium.
June 30, 2008: ITALIAN SOCIETY FOR CARDIAC SURGERY, Rome, Italy.
July 1, 2008: CANADIAN SOCIETY OF CLINICAL PERFUSION, Toronto, ON Canada.
July 1, 2008: TURKISH CARDIOVASCULAR SURGERY SOCIETY, Cesme, Izmir, Turkey.
July 5, 2008: EASTERN ASSOCIATION FOR THE SURGERY OF TRAUMA, Orlando, Florida USA.
July 15, 2008: 46TH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE PENNSYLVANIA ASSOCIATION FOR THORACIC SURGERY, Amelia Island Plantation, Florida USA.
July 18, 2008: CONTROVERSIES AND ADVANCES IN THE TREATMENT OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE, Beverly Hills, California USA.
August 1, 2008: 2008 HEART VALVE SUMMIT - CASE-BASED REVIEW: MEDICAL AND SURGICAL MANAGEMENT, Chicago, Illinois USA.
August 1, 2008: BELGIAN ASSOCIATION FOR CARDIO-THORACIC SURGERY, Brussels, Belgium.
August 31, 2008: CHINESE SOCIETY FOR THORACIC AND CARDIOVASCULAR SURGERY, Chengdu, China.
September 12, 2008: SOCIETY OF CLINICAL PERFUSION SCIENTISTS OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND, Manchester, UK.
September 30, 2008: ICR 2008: INTEGRATED CARDIOVASCULAR REPAIR-WORKSHOP, Innsbruck, Austria.
March 13, 2009: 13th WORLD CONFERENCE ON LUNG CANCER, San Francisco, California USA

More meeting abstract deadlines are available.

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Upcoming Meetings

French Society for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery Congress

The 61 Congress of the French Society for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery will be held in Versailles, France, 4-8 June 2008 at the Palais des congrès de Versailles. For information, contact: SFCTCV, 56 Boulevard Vincent Auriol - 75013 - Paris – France, Phone: + 33 1 42 16 42 10, Fax: + 33 1 53 62 91 20, Email: sfctcv@wanadoo.fr

Society for Vascular Surgery

The Society for Vascular Surgery 2008 Annual Meeting will be held 5-8 June, 2008 at the San Diego Convention Center, San Diego, CA USA. For information, contact: Society for Vascular Surgery, 633 N. Saint Clair Street, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60611; Phone: +1 800 258-7188; Email: vascular@vascularsociety.org
Additional information.

34th Annual Toronto Thoracic Surgery

The 34th Annual Toronto Thoracic Surgery will be held June 6-7, 2008 at the Sutton Place Hotel, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. For more information: Office of Continuing Education and Professional Development Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto; Phone: 1.416.978.2719; Toll Free: 1.888.512.8173; Fax: 1.416.946.7028; E-mail: help-SUR0807@cmetoronto.ca
Conference website

16th European Conference on General Thoracic Surgery

16th European Conference on General Thoracic Surgery organized by the European Society of Thoracic Surgeons (ESTS), 8-11 June 2008 in Bologna, Italy. The final programme book and abstract book are now available.

16th European Conference on General Thoracic Surgery

The 16th European Conference on General Thoracic Surgery will be held June 8-11 2008 at the Palazzo Re Enzo, Piazza Nettuno 1/c, Bologna, Italy. For information, contact: Registration and Accommodation: Mondial Congress and Events, Mondial GrmbH & Co., KG, Operngasse 20b, 10-40 Vienna, Austria; Phone: + 43 1 58804 0; Fax: + 43 1 58804 0 185; Email: ests2008@mondial-congress.com
Additional information.

European School for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery

European School for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery, Bergamo, Italy, Cardiac Course level B, 9-14 June 2008. For further details.

ISMICS Annual Scientific Meeting

The 2008 Annual Scientific Meeting will be held 11-14 June 2008, at the Marriott Copley Place Hotel in Boston, Massachusetts USA. For more information.

Polish Society of Cardiothoracic Surgeons

IVth Biennial Conference of the Polish Society of Cardiothoracic Surgeons will meet 12 - 14 June 2008 at the Gromada Hotel, Warsaw Poland. For information, contact: Mazurkas Travel, Dluga Street 8/14, Phone: +48 22 38 94 150-165; Fax: +48 22 831 91 77; Email: ptkt2008@mazurkas.com.pl
Additional information.

SURGERY-BASED MULTIMODALITY THERAPY FOR MALIGNANT PLEURAL MESOTHELIOMA

SURGERY-BASED MULTIMODALITY THERAPY FOR MALIGNANT PLEURAL MESOTHELIOMA will be held June 13- 14, 2008 at the Ritz Carlton Hotel, Dallas, Texas USA.

The meeting is sponsored by the International Mesothelioma Program, the Division of Thoracic Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston Massachusetts USA, and the American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS). It is under the direction of David J. Sugarbaker, MD, Richard E. Wilson Professor of Surgical Oncology, Harvard Medical School.

Inquiries should be directed to Harvard Medical School Continuing Education Department by phone: (617) 384-8600, Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (EST), or by e-mail: hms-cme@hms.harvard.edu.

Master of Valve Repair Program

Master of Valve Repair Program - The Premier College on Endoscopic and Transcatheter Valve Interventions will be held June 16-18, 2008, at the Onze-Lieve-Vrouw Clinic in Aalst, Belgium. The Program Chairman is Hugo Vanermen, MD. For Program.
For more information.

AmSECT PERFUSION SAFETY MEETING

AmSECT's Perfusion Safety meeting will be held June 18-21, 2008, at the Vallarta Palace, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. For registration and lodging.

World Summit on Pediatric and Congenital Heart Surgery Services

World Summit on Pediatric and Congenital Heart Surgery Services, Education and Cardiac Care in Children and Adults with Congenital Heart Disease will be held 19-21 June 2008 at the Sheraton Centre Montreal, Montreal, PQ Canada. For information, contact: Phone: 1 514 973-5351; Fax: 1 514 403-4662;