A Step-by-Step Guide to Transaxillary Minimally Invasive Aortic Valve Replacement, Mitral Valve Repair, and Rhythm Surgery

Leave a comment

The authors present a 75-year-old woman with dyspnea on exertion. She was diagnosed with an aortic valve stenosis and moderate-to-severe mitral valve regurgitation due to a localized A2 prolapse. This case demonstrates a step-by-step transaxillary, direct-vision aortic valve replacement, mitral valve repair, concomitant ablation, and left atrial appendage clip. This video submission is from the 2026 CTSNet Instructional Video Competition.…

Robotic-Assisted Biventricular Durable Assist Device Implantation: The First In Human Experience

Leave a comment

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.…

Management of SVC Injury During Right VATS Thymectomy for Myasthenia Gravis

Leave a comment

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…

3D Endoscopic Aortic Valve Replacement Combined With Extended Septal Myectomy via Right Lateral Minithoracotomy

Leave a comment

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…

Transaxillary Direct-View Double Valve Surgery: A Step-by-Step Procedural Guide

1 Comment

The transition toward minimally invasive cardiac surgery is no longer solely about reducing incision size; it is about creating a standardized, versatile, and sustainable concept. The direct-view transaxillary approach represents a significant evolution that is ready for widespread clinical adoption. It provides a simplified surgical setup that enhances the experience for both patients and surgeons.…

Navigating the Mediastinum: A VATS Solution for Ectopic Primary Hyperparathyroidism

Leave a comment

Ectopic parathyroid adenomas in the anterior mediastinum are rare and present significant diagnostic and surgical challenges. This video shows the case of a 49-year-old male with a history of hypertension who presented with severe hypercalcemia (17.9 mg/dL) and acute kidney injury. Diagnostic evaluation, including 18F-choline positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) (1), identified an ectopic parathyroid…

ISMICS 2026 | How to Do It Movie Session, Part 2

Leave a comment

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,…

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

Leave a comment

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…

Man standing at podium explaining concepts to a live audience.

Ancona Live Virtual Course: Combined Aortic and Mitral Valves

Leave a comment

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),…

A group of doctors and assistants around an operating table in an operating room.

Off-Pump Superior Vena Cava Reconstruction With Mediastinal Mass Excision for SVC Syndrome

6 Comments

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.…

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

Leave a comment

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…

Minimally Invasive Repair of Sinus Venosus Defect With PAPVC in an Adult Patient

Leave a comment

The patient was a 43-year-old man with a background in endurance sports who presented with exertional chest pain. His medical history included a cervical disc herniation in 2020, anxiety disorder, and depression. Computed tomography angiography (CTA) revealed a peripheral pulmonary embolism and a sinus venosus defect (SVD) with partial anomalous pulmonary venous connection (PAPVC), with…

ISMICS 2026 | Presidential Address

Leave a comment

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,…

Endoscopic Repair of Partial Endocardial Cushion Defect With Mitral Valve Repair

Leave a comment

Partial endocardial cushion defects, presenting as an ostium primum atrial septal defect associated with a cleft in the anterior mitral valve leaflet, traditionally requires a conventional median sternotomy. While sternotomy provides excellent exposure, it is associated with significant surgical trauma, prolonged recovery times, and less desirable cosmetic outcomes. This video presentation demonstrates a sophisticated, totally…

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

Leave a comment

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…

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

Leave a comment

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,…