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Portals
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» Specialty Portals
The concept of Portals evolved while seeking a better method to manage and organize the huge amount of data accumulating on CTSNet, now 10 years old. Busy surgeons and other users of the site need a way to find and retrieve material more quickly. Our goal for the present is to have four Portals covering Cardiac, Endoluminal (vascular), Pediatric, and Thoracic subjects. The Thoracic Portal has been open for just over two years, the Cardiac Portal was launched recently. The remaining two portals are under development. It is not our intent that CTSNet be fragmented into subsections (Portals). The concept of the full site will always be maintained. As an example, the extensive video library will still be accessible as it is now, searchable alphabetically, chronologically, and by subject. But in addition, viewers can search the Portals and find there all the videos pertinent to each of those specialty areas. In addition, each Portal will have special features as developed by the Portal Editor and each Portal Editorial Board. These will be discussed further by the Portal Editors in their plans for their Portal sites. The Portal concept has taken a great deal of planning and work. The motivation of the CTSNet staff and Board of Directors for this activity is simple and direct–to improve CTSNet for our viewers. Please use the Portals, then tell us what you think, and how we can further refine them. Tom Ferguson, MD 
ADULT CARDIAC PORTALI would like to introduce the Adult Cardiac Surgery Portal. You will see a link to this in the side banner on the main page, and if you choose, you may make this your home page. The top of the portal will have streaming announcements, similar to those on the main page, and it will have direct access to many of the content areas relevant to adult cardiac surgery with highlights of new additions as they are posted. In addition, the portal creates a framework for us to further develop content in an organized fashion. We hope that you find it useful and appreciate suggestions from you, as community members, regarding improvements that we can make in the portal as the purpose of the portal is to assist you in navigating through the content continually being added to the CTSNet. Edward B. Savage, MD 
CONGENITAL PORTALOn behalf of the CTSNet Congenital Editorial Board, I am pleased to announce the launching of the Congenital Portal. The primary mission of the Congenital Portal is to educate the congenital cardiac surgery community using the various tools that CTSNet provides. These include a quarterly Literature Watch, “Expert Techniques,” Videos of surgical techniques, Clinical Case studies, and congenital articles designated for CME credit by the STS and AATS. The Congenital Portal will provide links to organizations frequently used by the congenital community, such as the Congenital Heart Surgeons' Society, the Children's Heart Foundation, the World Society for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Surgery, the Aristotle Score, the International Pediatric and Congenital Cardiac Codes, and the World Heart Foundation. A new addition is the Research Section which will focus on new and interesting research in congenital heart surgery. Subsections include In the News, Research Trials, and Funding Sources for congenital heart research. A final work-in-progress is the development of a congenital archive linked to the EACTS/STS Nomenclature and Database short list. The goal is to have, within each of the diagnoses, linked content of anatomy, pathology, imaging studies, and surgical techniques. We plan to maintain the Congenital Portal as a dynamic and evolving resource available to the entire international congenital heart surgery community. Carl L. Backer, MD 
ENDOVASCULAR PORTALI am very pleased to introduce the Endovascular Portal as the newest addition to the CTSNet Portals. Please take some time to read through the missions of this Portal. The Portal includes familiar tools for CTSNet community such as endovascular case collection, literature watch, endovascular journals and endovascular associations. Furthermore, it includes a few novel tools: "Nuts and Bolts" gives an overview of basics of endovascular procedures such as imaging, wires, catheters, balloons, sheaths, and various vascular accesses. "Procedures 101" is a basic description of most common endovascular procedures and it entails indications for interventions, operative steps, preference card, tips and common pitfalls as well as references. "Evolving Technology" on the other side, has the description of non-FDA approved and investigational procedures that are currently performed in a few institutions under trial protocols. The Portal has been a work in progress over the last two years to populate the current content. As in any endeavor, the success of the Endovascular Portal will not only rely on the efforts of the Editorial Board but ultimately on the input and contributions from the surgical/interventional community. So I welcome your enthusiastic future support in making this Portal a unique source of information for endovascular specialists worldwide. Ali Khoynezhad, MD 
THORACIC PORTALThe Thoracic Portal was launched as the prototype portal in 2005. It has gradually expanded its content, and currently encompasses functions including experts' techniques, case of the month, literature review, videos, new technology, cancer treatment protocols, clinical practice surveys, and advances in thoracic biology. Surveys are administered periodically to assess reader interest in current categories and to invite suggestions as to how thez portal can be improved. The portal was established to improve the experience of the website user, and will continue to evolve as new opportunities and areas of interest develop. Mark K. Ferguson, MD |