Stable Sternotomies Without Wound Complications: An Interview With Klaudiusz Stoklosa

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This interview highlights safer sternotomies and reducing wound complications. At the 2026 American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) Annual Meeting, thoracic surgeon and CTSNet Editor-in-Chief Joel Dunning spoke with Dr. Klaudiusz Stoklosa, third year cardiac surgeon resident at McGill University, Toronto, Canada, sharing important insights on safer sternotomies. The discussion included the pathology of deep…

The TAVR Heart Team at Risk: An Interview With Michael Mack and Tom Nguyen

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CTSNet Editor-in-Chief Joel Dunning speaks with Drs. Michael Mack and Tom Nguyen about the proposed US Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services changes to how cardiologists and cardiac surgeons interact during transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedures. Dr. Mack explained the current heart team system, established in 2011 through collaboration with the US Food and…

A 30-Year-Old Bullet Injury Causing Carotid Stenosis—Simultaneous Carotid Endarterectomy and Off-Pump CABG

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This case presents an exceptionally rare and previously unreported combination of intrinsic carotid stenosis and chronic external compression due to a retained ballistic injury. A retained stray bullet injury from 1995 remained untreated for nearly 30 years. In 2025, the patient presented with chest pain. Evaluation revealed 85 percent carotid artery stenosis. The retained bullet…

The History and Evolution of Robotic Cardiac Surgery: An Interview With Dr. Volkmar Falk

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This interview highlights the history and evolution of robotic cardiac surgery. At the 2026 American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) Annual Meeting, CTSNet JANS Editor Dr. Mateo Marin-Cuartas, a cardiac surgeon at Leipzig Heart Center, Germany, spoke with Dr. Volkmar Falk, Medical Director and Director of the Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery of the…

ISMICS 2026 | Presidential Address

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This session features the presidential address delivered by Dr. Gry Dahle at the International Society for Minimally Invasive Cardiothoracic Surgery Annual Scientific Meeting 2026. As the society’s first female president, Dr. Dahle—who holds positions at the Emergency Department of Akerhus University Hospital in Nordbyhagen and the Lørenskog Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Oslo University Hospital,…

The Beat With Joel Dunning Ep. 165: Valve-Sparing Aortic Root Replacement Techniques

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This week on The Beat, CTSNet Editor-in-Chief Joel Dunning spoke with Dr. Chris Malaisrie, a Professor of Surgery in the Division of Cardiac Surgery at Northwestern University and an Attending Cardiac Surgeon at Northwestern Medicine, about valve-sparing aortic root replacement techniques. The conversation covers a wide range of procedures, including the Bentall, Yacoub, and David…

Robotic-Assisted Resection of the Left Fifth Rib for Oligometastatic Melanoma of the Chest Wall

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This video demonstrates a robotic-assisted resection of the left fifth rib for oligometastatic melanoma involving the chest wall. An 83-year-old man with a history of cutaneous melanoma presented with progressive left posterior chest wall pain that required escalating analgesia. Preoperative computed tomography (CT) demonstrated two areas of lytic disease involving the left fifth rib, with…

Technical Considerations for Aberrant Left Hepatic Artery Preservation During Robotic-Assisted Minimally Invasive Esophagectomy

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This clinical video demonstrates the preservation of a replaced left hepatic artery during the creation of a gastric conduit in a robotic-assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy (RAMIE) for post-neoadjuvant esophageal adenocarcinoma. The patient was a 61-year-old male with cT3N0M0 (Stage IIA) lower-esophageal adenocarcinoma. He completed neoadjuvant therapy with four cycles of fluorouracil, leucovorin, oxaliplatin, and docetaxel.…

Improving and Evaluating Surgical Programs: An Interview With Dr. Christopher Caldarone

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This interview centers around improving and evaluating surgical programs. At the 2026 American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) Annual Meeting, CTSNet Senior Editor—Congenital, Dr. Sameh Said, Chief of the Division of Pediatric and Adult Congenital Cardiac Surgery at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital in Valhalla, NY, USA, engaged in a scholarly discussion with Dr. Christopher Caldarone,…

The Beat With Joel Dunning Ep. 164: TAVR National Coverage Analysis

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This week on The Beat, CTSNet Editor-in-Chief Joel Dunning discusses the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services proposed decision memo regarding the national coverage analysis for transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). He outlines crucial deadlines, actionable steps for surgeons, the importance of submitting public comments, and the necessity of data collection. Additionally, he spoke with…

Direct Axillary Artery Cannulation With the Open Seldinger Technique

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Minimally invasive cardiac surgery (MICS) frequently requires peripheral cannulation strategies. Femoral cannulation remains the standard approach; however, it is associated with potential complications such as lymphorrhea, hematoma, infection, and an increased risk of embolic stroke in patients with significant atherosclerotic burden due to retrograde perfusion during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) (1, 2). Axillary artery cannulation represents…