As the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services reevaluates the scientific evidence supporting volume requirements for hospitals and heart team members who perform transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedures, an esteemed panel of TAVR experts gathered on January 27, 2019, to discuss the value of The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS)/American College of Cardiology (ACC) Transcatheter Valve Therapy (TVT) Registry for quality improvement initiatives, outcomes research, and device surveillance. Their discussion, “TAVR and the Value of the STS/ACC TVT Registry,” was led by Dr.

Lung cancer morbidity and mortality remains high in the United States and beyond despite major changes over the past few years in early detection and treatment for advanced disease.
25 min.

The Thoracic Surgery Foundation offered its first International Medical Volunteer Scholarship to cardiothoracic surgery resident Kellianne Kleeman, MD, from the University of Michigan, so that she could participate in a charitable medical mission to an underserved region of the world. Dr. Kleeman recently traveled to Nepal, with Fred Grover, MD, and his team on their annual trip to help people in South Asia.

Dr. V. Seenu Reddy moderates a panel discussion about the elements of forming good relationships, breaking through the anonymity resulting from electronic health records, creating a patient-centered experience, how to communicate bad news, and building a solid reputation.
22 min.
Drs. Joe Bavaria, Tom Gleason, Richard Shemin, Vinod Thourani, and Michael Deeb discuss the value of The Society of Thoracic Surgeons/American College of Cardiology Transcatheter Valve Therapy Registry for quality improvement initiatives, outcomes research, and device surveillance.
22 min.
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Career Development Blog
5 min read
Mara B. Antonoff, MD
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Career Development Blog
4 min read
V. Seenu Reddy, MD, MBA

Four cardiothoracic surgeons discuss the opioid epidemic in the United States, the scope of the problem among lung cancer patients, how else the epidemic is affecting the cardiothoracic surgery community, and what cardiothoracic surgeons are doing to stem the crisis.

Keith S. Naunheim, MD (Saint Louis University) - moderator
David T. Cooke, MD (UC Davis, Sacramento)
James D. Luketich, MD (University of Pittsburgh)
Alexander A. Brescia, MD (University of Michigan)

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Career Development Blog
What is your first job supposed to look like?
4 min read
Damien J. LaPar, MD, MSc

New technologies and innovative treatments are making it easier to successfully diagnose and treat patients with lung cancer. Douglas E. Wood, MD (University of Washington) moderates a discussion with Leah Backhus, MD, MPH (Stanford University), Elizabeth David, MD (UC Davis), and Moishe Liberman, MD, PhD (University of Montreal) about how low-dose computed tomography, wearable devices, energy-sealing devices, and robots are changing patient outcomes and experiences.

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Career Development Blog
Having a niche as junior cardiothoracic surgery faculty can make you more valuable to your team and patients.
3 min read
Gabriel Loor, MD

The volumes of two aortic valve replacements (AVR) procedures have changed dramatically over the past few years, with more transcatheter procedures now being performed than open surgical procedures. Four cardiac surgeons discuss the evolving trends in TAVR, why the changes are occurring, and what’s ahead for TAVR and SAVR. Wilson Y. Szeto, MD (University of Pennsylvania) moderates the discussion that also features Michael J. Mack, MD (The Heart Hospital Baylor Plano), John V. Conte, MD (Penn State University), and Thomas E. MacGillivray, (Houston Methodist).