Content from the Journal of the American Neurological Surgeons.
Introduction Minimally invasive closure of atrial septal defects (ASD) can be safely achieved using a range of techniques. In pediatric patients, femoral cannulation can be difficult due to the small caliber of their vessels. Peripheral cannulation is convenient but carries risks of retrograde dissection, embolization, stroke, and ipsilateral limb ischemia. Central aortic cannulation has…
In this video, the authors present an urgent case of atrial septal defect (ASD) in a young patient. The percutaneous ASD closure device migrated into the main pulmonary artery, creating a life-threatening situation. The surgeons performed emergency surgery to carefully remove the device and reconstruct the pulmonary artery using a Dacron patch, followed by the…
Each month, thoracic surgeon and CTSNet Senior Editor Leanne Ashrafian spotlights unique surgical cases in cardiothoracic surgery through this Case of the Month series. For more videos in this series, click here. In this first episode of the Case of the Month, thoracic surgeon and CTSNet Senior Editor Leanne Ashrafian is joined by CTSNet Editor-in-Chief Joel Dunning to discuss “The Case…
This video submission is from the 2025 CTSNet Innovation Video Competition. Watch all entries from the competition, including the winning videos. The integration of mixed reality (MR) into robotic thoracic surgery represents a transformative step toward enhanced precision, safety, and standardization in complex procedures. By merging 3D planning with MR tools and advanced imaging platforms, surgeons can interact with…
In the attached video, a technique for robotically implanting a partial mitral annuloplasty band is described. It was important to anchor the band to the medial and lateral trigones and to appropriately space the band so that the center mark aligned with the middle of the posterior leaflet. Several techniques may be used to improve…
This video submission is from the 2025 CTSNet Innovation Video Competition. Watch all entries from the competition, including the winning videos. This video shows the different discussions between the surgeon and the proctor that were made possible thanks to teleproctoring in a complex robotic-assisted thoracic surgery (RATS) case. A 66 -year-old patient with a metachronous squamous cell carcinoma originating…
Patient Selection This 42-year-old female patient with seropositive myasthenia gravis was receiving treatment with oral prednisone and pyridostigmine. She presented with persistent generalized weakness. Imaging revealed a 9 cm lobulated mass in the right anterior mediastinum. Magnetic mesonance imaging (MRI) indicated a predominantly cystic lesion with soft tissue nodules, highly suspicious for thymoma, without evidence…
This video submission is from the 2025 CTSNet Innovation Video Competition. Watch all entries from the competition, including the winning videos. Nowadays, despite strong evidence of the benefits of concomitant atrial fibrillation ablation during cardiac surgery, this condition is widely undertreated. One reason for this is that ablation often requires opening the left atrium or extensive dissection around the…
A 30-year-old man underwent a Bentall procedure (mechanical prosthesis) for aortic root aneurysm and bicuspid aortic valve at the age of 20. Subsequently, at the age of 28, he had a spontaneous type B aortic dissection, which was treated medically. He was followed with serial computed tomography angiography (CTA) and was found to have expansion…
At the 2025 European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery Annual Meeting, CTSNet senior editors set out to interview the most knowledgeable CT surgeons from around the world. Watch for more interviews from the meeting. At the 2025 European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EACTS) Annual Meeting, CTSNet Senior Editor Dr. Lorena Montes spoke with Professor Michael A. Borger, Chief…
Infective endocarditis (IE) is defined as an infection of the endocardium, most frequently involving the cardiac valves. This condition is associated with high morbidity and mortality, as well as considerable surgical complexity, despite advances in diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. Individuals with congenital heart disease are at significantly higher risk for IE compared to the general…
At the 2025 Endoscopic Cardiac Surgeons Club Annual Meeting, CTSNet Senior Editor Dr. Lorena Montes conducted insightful interviews with leading cardiothoracic surgeons from around the world. Stay tuned for more interviews from the meeting. At the 2025 Endoscopic Cardiac Surgeons (ECS) Club Annual Meeting, CTSNet Senior Editor Dr. Lorena Montes spoke with Dr. Husam Balkhy, Professor of…
This video submission is from the 2025 CTSNet Innovation Video Competition. Watch all entries from the competition, including the winning videos. This video demonstrates a novel hybrid strategy that combines transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCABG), and ascending aortic wrapping in a case of ascending aortic aneurysm in conjunction with severe…
In this new CTSNet President’s Series, Dr. Mara Antonoff, president of WTS, shares insights about the upcoming WTS Annual Meeting. Watch for more videos in this series coming soon. Dr. Mara Antonoff, president of Women in Thoracic Surgery (WTS) and Associate Professor and Program Director of Education at MD Anderson Cancer Center, spoke with Dr.…
Background In a field where precision saves lives and innovation shapes futures, every opportunity to learn globally becomes a responsibility to act locally. As a pediatric cardiac surgeon trained in Pakistan, I have long worked in a resource-limited, high-volume environment where each intervention carries immense weight—not just for a child’s survival, but for a family’s…
A 55-year-old male with no known medical diseases presented to the emergency department with exertional dyspnea that had became severe in the past three days. Echocardiography was performed as part of his workup and showed a reduced ejection fraction of 30 percent with a dilated left ventricle (LV), along with an inferior wall aneurysm…
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