Content from the Journal of the American Neurological Surgeons.
The patient was a 20-year-old female referred to the heart center for the evaluation of rheumatic heart disease and severe mitral regurgitation. She reported dyspnea on moderate exertion New York Heart Association (NYHA) Class III, as well as palpitations and reduced exercise tolerance, which progressively worsened over a period of three years. Her rheumatic history…
The Warden procedure (1) has been performed for partial anomalous pulmonary venous connection in which the right upper pulmonary vein (RUPV) drains into the superior vena cava (SVC). This involves transecting the SVC and performing an end-to-end anastomosis with the right atrial appendage (RAA). However, the Warden procedure raises concerns regarding SVC stenosis and anastomotic…
A 52-year-old old male was diagnosed with acute coronary syndrome, specifically anterior wall myocardial infarction (MI) with moderate left ventricular (LV) dysfunction, and without congestive heart failure (CCF). He had a history of hypertension, diabetes, and an ischemic cerebrovascular accident (CVA) affecting the right cerebellum, but he exhibited no deficits. A coronary angiogram performed in…
This video demonstrates a robotic-assisted, right-sided minimally invasive coronary artery bypass using the right internal thoracic artery (RITA) to the right coronary artery (RCA) in a patient with an anomalous origin of the RCA. The patient was a 73-year-old man who presented with exertional chest discomfort. Coronary angiography revealed an anomalous origin of the RCA…
Case Presentation A 31-year-old female presented with recurrent pneumonias and progressive shortness of breath attributed to suspected congenital lobar emphysema of the left upper lobe. She was initially evaluated by interventional pulmonology for possible endobronchial valve placement; however, this approach was deferred due to concerns about left upper lobe bronchial atresia. Thoracic surgery was subsequently…
In this inspiring interview, Cristina Ruiz Segria, CTSNet Senior Editor—Clinical Care Providers and nurse practitioner at James Cook University Hospital, UK, speaks with Dr. Ben Youdelman, Director of Thoracic Aortic Surgery and Co-Director of the Maimonides Aortic Center in Brooklynn, NY, USA, and Gareth Owens, a former acute aortic dissection patient and leader of the…
This video demonstrates the key surgical steps of transdiaphragmatic aorto-supra-celiac aortic extra-anatomic bypass. The case involved a 16-year-old boy who presented with shortness of breath on exertion. Echocardiography revealed type A interrupted aortic arch (IAA) with multiple collaterals draining into the distal part of the descending thoracic aorta (DTA), generalized wall hypokinesia, and an ejection…
Case Presentation A 55-year-old female was evaluated for a large, asymptomatic Morgagni hernia containing the transverse colon and a significant portion of the greater omentum that had been incidentally noted on imaging. Preoperative imaging demonstrated a sizable anterior diaphragmatic defect measuring approximately 30 cm². Elective operative repair of this hernia was chosen. Given the size…
Watch the on‑demand recording of this expert‑led webinar focused on the contemporary management of atrial fibrillation (AF) and left atrial appendage (LAA). In this session, leading international cardiac surgeons shared clinical evidence, guideline perspectives, and real‑world experience on LAA management and surgical treatment of AF, with a particular focus on translating evidence into daily practice.…
This video presents the case of a 67-year-old man with situs inversus totalis who underwent a robotic-assisted right upper lobe segmentectomy, specifically a culminectomy, for the treatment of lung cancer. The patient had a significant oncological history, having previously been treated in 2014 for a pulmonary squamous cell carcinoma (pT1bN1) with a left middle lobectomy…
Pulmonary mucoepidermoid carcinoma (PMEC) is a rare salivary-gland–type endobronchial malignancy in children and may present with recurrent unilateral infections despite a deceptively subtle chest radiograph. The authors present an educational case of an adolescent male with months of febrile respiratory episodes treated as pneumonia, including hypoxemia requiring oxygen and repeated hospital admissions. Subsequent bronchoscopy demonstrated…
The authors present a case of a patient who underwent right anterior thoracotomy aortic valve replacement with concomitant ascending and hemiarch replacement. This video demonstrates the feasibility of combining a minimally invasive thoracotomy approach with complex aortic surgery. Key technical aspects included femoral cannulation, limited thoracotomy exposure, safe myocardial and cerebral protection strategies, and meticulous…
In this insightful interview, Cristina Ruiz Segria, CTSNet Senior Editor—Clinical Care Providers and nurse practitioner at James Cook University Hospital, UK, speaks with Amy Luckert, a physician assistant at Northwell Health, NY, USA, about bedside assistant training for robotic cardiac surgery care. They discuss the transition from being a bedside assistant for minimally invasive…
There are several surgical techniques to access the mediastinum and thoracic cavity. For the removal of large mediastinal tumors, the most commonly employed methods are midline sternotomy or a lateral thoracotomy. Less frequently, incisions such as the classic clamshell or hemi-clamshell are used. While minimally invasive techniques such as robotic-assisted surgery and video-assisted thoracic surgery…
In this excellent interview, CTSNet Editor-in-Chief Joel Dunning spoke with Dr. Sameer Hirji, an associate surgeon at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, MA, USA, about a paper he presented on at the 62nd Society of Thoracic Surgeons Annual Meeting titled “Concerning Trends Seen in Aortic Stenosis-Related Mortality: CDC WONDER.” They discussed the study…
This video is part of CTSNet’s 2025 Resident Video Competition. Watch all entries into the competition, including the winning videos. This video represents a case of a robotic left upper lobectomy with chest wall resection and reconstruction. Patient History The patient was a 77-year-old male with a 30 pack-per-year smoking history who presented with left upper lobe mass with rib…
