This week on The Beat, CTSNet Editor-in-Chief Joel Dunning discusses the transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) heart team potentially losing a member. He explores the current composition of the TAVR heart team, proposed changes, the thoughts of cardiothoracic societies, and future actions regarding this issue. Additionally, he spoke with Dr. Thoralf Sundt, Chief of the…
This session features leading surgeons discussing various aspects of aortic stenosis at the Transcatheter Heart Valves Greece (THVGreece) 2026 conference. Please note that all presentations are delivered in Greek. The first presentation, “Moderate AS + EF 35%: Intervene or Observe?” was delivered by Dr. Dimitris Tziakas, an Associate Professor of Cardiology at Democritus University of…
This interview centers around robotic cardiac surgery. At the 2026 American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) Annual Meeting, CTSNet JANS Editor Dr. Mujtaba Mubashir, a cardiothoracic fellow at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA, engaged in an insightful discussion with Dr. Ali Hage, a cardiac surgeon at NYU Langone Health, NY, USA, to…
This case involved a 74-year-old woman who complained of dyspnea on exertion for the past three weeks. She also reported dysphagia for solids without experiencing weight loss. The patient had a history of hypertension and dyslipidemia, and a previous occurrence of deep vein thrombosis. During a cardiac evaluation, a transthoracic ultrasound revealed a large mass…
This instructional video demonstrates techniques for managing adhesions and preventing air leaks during right upper lobe lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) in patients with severe emphysema. In Case 1, a 79-year-old patient with significant comorbidities presented with extensive adhesions between the right upper lobe and the chest wall. Careful adhesiolysis was performed using cauterization while…
A 74-year-old male with hypertension, hyperlipidemia, paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, and a previous transcatheter bioprosthetic aortic valve of less than one year presented to an outside facility with repetitive embolic phenomenon to the lower extremities, requiring open incisions and embolectomy. The patient was diagnosed with sepsis secondary to transcatheter aortic valve endocarditis, aortic root abscess, and…
This interview highlights the Salam Centre for Cardiac Surgery, situated on the outskirts of Khartoum, the capital of Sudan. The Salam Centre was opened in 2007 by the Italian Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) EMERGENCY International, the center is named “Salam,” which means “peace’” in Arabic. It has conducted more than 8,000 rheumatic valvular surgeries alone and has provided free…
This interview focuses on tracking burnout and recovery in surgical trainees. At the 2026 American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) Annual Meeting, CTSNet JANS Editor Ali Mashadi, a medical student at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland—Bahrain, spoke with Dr. Lauren Barron, a cardiothoracic surgery Assistant Professor at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas…
The mission to Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, begins with the inspiring story of Dr. Danny Kapend, an African doctor determined to transform the healthcare landscape for the people of Lubumbashi. As a cardiac surgeon, Dr. Kapend dreams of establishing cardiovascular surgery in the region. In 2023, Dr. Kapend met Dr. Marcio Rufino, a…
Esophageal leiomyoma is the most common benign tumor of the esophagus. Surgical enucleation is indicated for symptomatic or large lesions and is typically performed via a right-sided approach. Case Presentation A 42-year-old, non-smoking, otherwise healthy male presented with abdominal discomfort. An abdominal computed tomography (CT) scan was performed and demonstrated no intra-abdominal pathology; however, a…
This week on The Beat, CTSNet Editor-in-Chief Joel Dunning spoke with Dr. Isaac George, CTSNet Board Member and Co-Director of the Structural Heart and Valve Center, Surgical Director of Structural Heart Disease, and Co-Director of the Mitral and Tricuspid Center at Columbia University Medical Center/NewYork-Presbyterian, NY, USA, about the lifetime management of aortic valve disease.…
Conventional transvenous pacing is standard care; however, patients with limited venous access often face a therapeutic dead end. The authors present a novel, minimally invasive thoracoscopic technique for right atrial access and septal lead implantation, targeting the left bundle branch (LBB) area—a solution that has not been previously described. The case involved a patient with…
Tetralogy of Fallot is the most common cyanotic congenital heart disease. In patients with a small pulmonary annulus, repair often requires a transannular patch, resulting in progressive pulmonary regurgitation and eventual right ventricular dilation and dysfunction. To address these limitations, valve-sparing and right ventricular outflow tract reconstructive techniques are increasingly being used. Pulmonary valve reconstruction…
This video demonstrates video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery lobectomies, providing step-by-step instructional videos that dissect important structures in a library format, organized by each specific lobe. 1. Left Upper Lobectomy A left upper lobectomy began with the dissection of the superior pulmonary vein. A ring forceps was used to safely pass behind the pulmonary vein. A 6…
In this episode of The Atrium, host Dr. Alice Copperwheat speaks with Dr. Husam Balkhy, Professor of Surgery and Director of Robotic and Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery at the University of Chicago, IL, USA, about multi-spectrum robotic cardiac surgery. The discussion focuses on the history of robotics in cardiac surgery, emphasizing the benefits and challenges…
Pectus excavatum is the most common congenital chest wall deformity, and severe cases may require operative correction to improve both physiological and cosmetic outcomes. The authors present the case of a 16-year-old male with severe symmetric pectus excavatum and a Haller index of 5.4 who underwent correction using a modified double-bar Pectus Up technique. Preoperative…
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