Join Us in Cape Town for the EACTS/STS/CSIA Cardio-Thoracic Conference, ‘In Africa for Africa’ The conference takes place from September 4–6, 2026 in Cape Town, bringing together leading regional and international clinicians, fellows, and registrars to explore contemporary, context-specific approaches to cardio-thoracic surgery and care across Africa. The conference will explore a broad range of…
This interview focuses on systemic tricuspid valve surgery in congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries (ccTGA). At the 2026 American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) Annual Meeting, Sameh Said, Chief of the Division of Pediatric and Adult Congenital Cardiac Surgery at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital in Valhalla, NY, USA, interviewed Edward Buratto, a congenital…
This cardiac session features leading surgeon Mario Castillo-Sang presenting on intraoperative pearls and pitfalls at the International Society for Minimally Invasive Cardiothoracic Surgery Annual Scientific Meeting 2026. CTSNet Senior Editor—Cardiac Dr. Castillo-Sang, the Surgical Director of Mitral Valve and Heart Failure Therapies at St. Elizabeth Healthcare in Edgewood, Kentucky, USA, delivered a presentation titled “Intraoperative…
This week on The Beat, CTSNet Editor-in-Chief Joel Dunning spoke with Dr. Aamir Amin, a cardiothoracic surgery resident at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, UK, about humanoid robots and artificial intelligence (AI) in surgery. Dr. Amin shares his insights from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) (Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA) executive program on AI in healthcare,…
An 8 cm left sub-areolar thoracotomy was performed as the working port. The pericardium was opened vertically over the left ventricular apex and suspended with retraction sutures. Using 3-0 polypropylene pledgeted sutures, the apical cuff was secured to the left ventricular (LV) apex. The driveline was tunneled subcostally and exteriorized on the lateral abdominal wall.…
This session features leading surgeons discussing the tricuspid valve at the Transcatheter Heart Valves Greece (THVGreece) 2026 conference. Moderators Vassilis Voudris, Director of the Cardiology/Interventional Cardiology Division, Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center, Athens, Greece; and Vasilios Lozos, Cardiac Surgeon, Hippokration General Hospital in Athens, led an esteemed panel of specialists, including: Athanasios Pipilis, Clinical Director of…
This article explores the pathways for and challenges and implications of integrating artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled humanoid robotic systems, or embodied AI, into operating rooms (ORs). While AI is being integrated into every area of life with breathtaking speed, its manifestation as humanoid machines necessitates a careful consideration of its applications, innovation, and potential for transformation…
This international retrospective study evaluated ascending thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) for zone 0 ascending aortic pathology in patients generally unsuitable for open repair. Between 2011 and 2024, 58 patients from 17 centers were treated for type A dissection (n=18), non-dissection native pathology (n=18), or post-surgical pseudoaneurysm or dehiscence (n=22); 21 procedures (36 percent) were…
The QUACS Study prospectively evaluated quality-of-life (QoL) changes in 2,762 moderate- and high-risk cardiac surgery patients across a national multicenter cohort (2019–2023). Hospital mortality was 3.93 percent, with 5.86 percent dying after discharge. At one-year, a net QoL benefit was achieved in 74 percent of symptomatic patients but only 18 percent of those deemed asymptomatic.…
This study demonstrates that using autologous right atrial appendage (RAA) tissue to create a neovalve during RVOT reconstruction is a safe and effective alternative for pediatric patients with congenital heart disease. The technique showed promising early results with no morality, minimal pulmonary regurgitation, and preserved right ventricular function during follow-up.
The video begins with an interview featuring thoracic surgeon and CTSNet Editor-in-Chief Joel Dunning and Dr. Leanne Ashrafian, a cardiothoracic surgeon at Guy’s Hospital in London, United Kingdom, interviewing the author of this complex case Dr. Jakraphan Yu, a cardiothoracic surgeon at Vajira Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand. They discuss the intricacies of this case and the…
Congenital diverticulum of the ventricle is a rare cardiac malformation and is usually associated with other congenital abnormalities, including intracardiac, midline thoracic, diaphragmatic, and anterior abdominal wall defects, first described by Cantrell, Haller and Ravitch (1). In this video, the authors describe a single-stage repair of an apical left ventricular diverticulum with ventricular septal defect…
Three dimensional (3D) endoscopic aortic valve replacement combined with extended septal myectomy (the Morrow procedure) via right lateral minithoracotomy offers a safe and effective single-stage surgical solution for the rare and hemodynamically complex coexistence of severe degenerative aortic stenosis (AS) and hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM) with critical left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) obstruction. The coexistence…
This cardiac session features leading surgeons presenting on robotic valves at the International Society for Minimally Invasive Cardiothoracic Surgery Annual Scientific Meeting 2026. Dr. Johannes Bonatti, Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery and Director of Robotic Cardiac Surgery at the UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, opened the session with “Robotic Heart Surgery—How…
This week on The Beat, CTSNet Editor-in-Chief Joel Dunning spoke with Dr. Ahmed Ghazy, Head of Minimally Invasive Surgery at Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany, about robotic cardiac surgery adoption and training. Dr. Ghazy shares his experience working with Dr. M. M. Yusuf, a cardiothoracic and vascular surgeon at Apollo Hospitals in Chennai, India.…
This session features leading surgeons discussing mitral valve interventions at the Transcatheter Heart Valves Greece (THVGreece) 2026 conference. Moderators Lampros K. Michalis, Professor of Cardiology, University of Ioannina, Director, 2nd Cardiology Department, University General Hospital of Ioannina, Greece; and Konstantinos Spargias, Director of the Transcatheter Heart Valves Department at Hygeia Hospital in Athens, led an esteemed…
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