Content from the Journal of the American Neurological Surgeons.
At the Society for Cardiothoracic Surgery in Great Britain and Ireland Annual Meeting, leading surgeons presented on arrhythmia surgery. Professor Aldo Rinaldi, consultant cardiologist and clinical lead for electrophysiology at St. Guy’s and Thomas’ Hospitals, London, delivered a presentation titled “When Catheter Ablation Fails: How to Select Patients for Surgical Intervention.” He discussed various surgical treatments for atrial fibrillation (AF), including surgical AF ablation and the Cox-Maze procedure. He…
In this in-depth discussion, CTSNet Senior Editors Dr. Vince Gaudiani, Associate Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Stanford University in Stanford, California, USA, and Dr. Sameh Said, Chief of the Division of Pediatric and Adult Congenital Cardiac Surgery at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital in Valhalla, New York, USA, delve into the Konno procedure and left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) enlargement. They explore several key topics, including the use of small prostheses,…
Valve-sparing aortic root replacement (VSRR) in grown-up congenital heart (GUCH) patients is a complex but feasible approach. The authors present their experience performing the David procedure in two adult patients with challenging congenital histories and failing neoaortic valves. Case 1: Post-Arterial Switch Operation An 18-year-old male presented with a history of arterial switch and coarctation repair in 2006. He exhibited severe bicuspid neoaortic valve regurgitation, neoaortic root dilation, and aortic arch kinking, with early…
The preparation of the right atrial (RA) appendage was done by incising the trabeculae under vision and everting the excised appendage over a Hegar dilator, so that the smooth external aspect of the RA appendage was in the path of blood. Eversion over the Hegar dilator also made dividing the trabeculae safer and the repair of any inadvertent perforation easier. After clearing the right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) and closing the ventricular septal defect (VSD) from the…
This video shows a step-by-step demonstration of minimally invasive aortic valve replacement through a right anterior minithoracotomy. It focuses on the key technical steps, highlighting practical nuances and explaining the advantages of this approach. The case presented involved a 79-year-old man who developed progressive dyspnea while hiking in the Alps. Echocardiography showed severe aortic valve stenosis with preserved left ventricular function. Coronary…
Anomalous origins of the coronary arteries are rare, occurring in 1-2 percent of the general population. While anomalous aortic origin of the coronary artery alone is less often problematic (for example, right coronary artery (RCA) arising cranial to the sinotubular junction (STJ)), anomalous origin with an anomalous proximal course (interarterial or intramuscular) is more likely to be associated with ischemia. While RCA origin from the left coronary sinus is the most…
This video demonstrates the robotic resection of a giant superior mediastinal mass. The patient was a middle-aged male who had been referred to the authors’ clinic for evaluation of a mediastinal mass discovered on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) during workup for dorsalgia. Imaging originally demonstrated a large, approximately 7 cm mass in the right upper mediastinum associated with tracheal deviation. Further workup with computed tomography (CT) of the chest demonstrated similar findings and a small, central, coarse calcification. Positron emission…
At the 2026 American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) Annual Meeting, CTSNet Editor-in-Chief, Joel Dunning, a cardiothoracic surgeon at James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough, UK, spoke with Dr. Philip Linden, a thoracic surgeon at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA. Their conversation focused on the newly released AATS expert consensus document on the evaluation and management of N2+ non-small cell lung cancer. During their discussion, they explored several statements from the expert consensus document regarding the proper use…
At the 2026 American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) Annual Meeting, CTSNet Editor-in-Chief, Joel Dunning, a cardiothoracic surgeon at James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough, UK, engaged in a discussion with Dr. Diego Gonzalez Rivas, thoracic surgeon and Director of the Uniportal Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery Training Program at Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, China, about single-port robotic platforms. They explored various single-port and uniportal robotic platforms, comparing their features and functionalities. The conversation delved into the advantages…
At the Society for Cardiothoracic Surgery in Great Britain and Ireland Annual Meeting, leading surgeons presented on surgery on the thymus gland. Dr. Rebecca Duerden, a consultant thoracic radiologist at Stockport NHS Foundation Trust, Stockport, UK, delivered a presentation titled “The Role and Value of the BTOG Anterior Mediastinal Pathway.” She explored thymic involution vs hyperplasia, benign appearances, and thymic hyperplasia types. Additionally, Dr. Duerden engaged in a discussion on the thymic cyst…
This video demonstrates pulmonary cuff dissection for combined heart and lung procurement, utilizing an approach in which the pulmonary and left atrial cuffs are carefully dissected and tailored to optimize organ suitability. Maximizing the length and integrity of the left atrial cuff is critical for successful lung transplantation. An inadequate cuff can cause severe technical difficulty, require reconstruction, or even lead to…
At the Society for Cardiothoracic Surgery in Great Britain and Ireland Annual Meeting, leading surgeons presented on cardiac revascularization. Dr. Tarun Mital, a consultant cardiothoracic radiologist at Harefield Hospital, UK, and honorary senior clinical lecturer at Imperial College London, delivered a presentation on “CT Imaging for Coronary Artery Disease.” He explored the challenges associated with imaging the heart, cardiac computed tomography (CT) indications, and electrocardiogram-gating. He also examined cardiac CT angiography…
CTSNet Editor-in-Chief Joel Dunning spoke with Dr. Filipe Azenha, a thoracic surgeon at Hopital Fribourgeois (HFR), Fribourg, Switzerland and a fellow in robotic and minimally invasive surgery at Hôpital Saint Joseph, Marseille, France. They discussed Dr. Azenha’s winning Instructional Video Competition video titled “RATS Extended Left Upper Lobectomy With Intrapericardial Vascular Control and Bronchoplasty.” During their conversation, they delved into the specifics of the surgical procedure, emphasizing the technique employed and the tumor identified in the patient. Dr. Azenha also provided valuable insights and tips for ensuring safety during surgeries similar to this one, utilizing robotics, and…
In this video, the authors explain their technique for intrathoracic rib fixation as a treatment for rib pseudoarthrosis. They present the case of a 52-year-old female smoker with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who worked as a glassblower. She experienced a fall at home, impacting the left hemithorax, which resulted in fractures of the sixth to eighth left ribs. The patient was initially managed conservatively…
Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) is one of the most common cyanotic congenital heart diseases, characterized by a constellation of anatomical abnormalities, including ventricular septal defect, right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) obstruction, overriding aorta, and right ventricular hypertrophy. Complete surgical repair remains the definitive treatment, and a clear understanding of operative steps is essential for trainees beginning congenital cardiac surgery. The…
Before beginning, it is essential to review the imaging to confirm the correct side and indication for the procedure. Additionally, the labs needed to be reviewed to ensure that there is no underlying coagulopathy that requires correction. This information is then used to obtain informed consent. In this case, the patient was an 80-year-old female who was postoperative day five from a minimally…
