In this study, Sogabe and colleagues investigated the impact of weather on the incidence of acute aortic dissection in a cohort of 293 patients. During a 1,096-day study period (January 2019 to December 2021), a total of 293 cases of acute aortic dissection were identified, including 206 Stanford type A and 87 type B dissections. The authors…
This ex vivo study examined human internal thoracic artery (ITA) rings from 94 coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) patients to assess whether perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT), preserved in pedicled but removed in skeletonized grafts, enhances vasorelaxation. Rings were exposed to AdipoRon, an adiponectin receptor agonist, or A23187, a calcium ionophore that stimulates endothelial and PVAT mediator release. PVAT increased AdipoRon-induced…
The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) Expert Consensus Document (2026) on Addressing Definition and Practices of Sublobar Resection in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) provides evidence-based recommendations to guide the rapidly increasing use of sublobar resection following the landmark CALGB 140503 and JCOG0802 trials. Using a structured Delphi consensus process, an expert panel from the STS developed 21 recommendations addressing key controversies in the management…
This multisociety European Society of Cardiology (ESC)/European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EACTS) consensus statement addresses three mechanical complications of acute myocardial infarction: ventricular free-wall rupture, pseudoaneurysm, and papillary muscle rupture. Now occurring in under 1 percent of cases owing to prompt revascularization, these still carry significant hemodynamic risk. Once treatable only by surgery, transcatheter options now offer alternatives for high-risk patients. The…
In this episode of The Atrium, host Dr. Alice Copperwheat speaks with Dr. Filip Casselman, Staff Surgeon and Co-Director of the Cardiovascular Center at OLV Clinic (AZORG), Aalst, Belgium, about aortic valve replacement (AVR). The discussion explores the anatomy of the aortic valve, the pathology of aortic stenosis (AS) and aortic regurgitation (AR), and their…
This video completes a day of excellent presentations by leading surgeons exploring advanced minimally invasive techniques including congenital ventricular septal defect (VSD) surgery, endoscopic transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) explantation, multivessel minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass (MIDCAB), and more at the International Society for Minimally Invasive Cardiothoracic Surgery Annual Scientific Meeting 2026. To begin,…
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…
This week on The Beat, 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…
This session features leading surgeons and cardiologists discussing various aspects of assessing and planning 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 Perreas, Cardiac Surgery, Director, 1st Dept of Cardiac…
This multicenter registry assessed long-term outcomes of thoracoscopic atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation using a bipolar irrigated radiofrequency clamp across 13 years. Among 678 patients (predominantly longstanding persistent AF), freedom from atrial tachyarrhythmias with antiarrhythmic drugs was 82.3 percent at one year, falling to 52.4 percent at five years. Off-drug rates declined from 71.7 percent (one…
This 20-year single-center study examined the impact of socioeconomic deprivation on outcomes after major aortic surgery in 2,010 patients within the UK’s publicly funded healthcare system. Among those undergoing emergency repair for acute type A aortic dissection, patients from the most deprived communities had significantly higher in-hospital mortality (20.0 percent vs 11.6 percent) and lower…
This study examines the relationship between public interest in cardiothoracic surgical conditions and corresponding research output during a 21-year period (2004–2024). Public interest was assessed using Google Trends data and correlated with PubMed-indexed publications across 26 cardiothoracic conditions. The analysis demonstrated increased public interest in pacemaker implantation, bronchiectasis, esophageal achalasia, gastroesophageal reflux disease, trauma-related conditions, and extracorporeal membrane…
This systematic review of 80 studies (7,517 patients; 10,375 imaging examinations) examined how success is assessed after surgical left atrial appendage closure. Transesophageal echocardiography dominated intraoperative assessment (83 percent), while cardiac computed tomography (CT) featured in postoperative evaluation (44 percent). Seventeen distinct success definitions emerged, most commonly absence of residual flow and a stump under…
In this session, cardiothoracic surgery experts gathered to discuss AFib ablation, AF surgery strategies, and the importance of ERAS protocols. These presentations were recorded during the Ancona Minimally Invasive and Trans-Catheter Cardiac Surgery Course on May 29, 2026. Presentations: AF Ablation, LAAM, and ERAS, Part 1 Surgical Training and Strategies for Atrial Functional MR (AFMR),…
This video highlights the case of a 55-year-old female who presented with facial swelling, breathlessness -NYHA class 3 and cough for 15 days. She had a known case of hypertension and a cerebrovascular accident (CVA) in the past, though she recovered without any neurological deficit. She required diuretics and noninvasive ventilation (NIV) support on admission.…
This video illustrates the case of a 10-day-old female neonate (2.8 kg) with antenatal diagnosis of Type A interrupted aortic arch (IAA). Preoperative echocardiography showed Type A interrupted aortic arch, large perimembranous and mid-muscular ventricular septal defects (VSDs), large constricting patent ductus arterios (PDA) continuing as the descending aorta, and good biventricular function. Operative Steps…
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