News & Media

Read Clinical Practice Documents on Pulmonary Metastasectomy, Management of Malignant Pleural Effusions Although pulmonary metastasectomy has been performed for decades, there has been a lack of clinically relevant guidance, particularly with regard to timing and indications. As a result, STS convened a multidisciplinary group of general thoracic surgeons, radiation oncologists, and medical oncologists to create a consensus statement. Written by John R. Handy, MD and colleagues, the “STS Expert Consensus Document on Pulmonary Metastasectomy” is currently available online and will be published in the February issue of The Annals of Thoracic Surgery. Read the statement at sts.org/expertconsensus. Additionally, STS, the American Thoracic Society, and the Society of Thoracic Radiology have developed a new clinical practice guideline designed to help manage patients with malignant pleural effusions. “Management of Malignant Pleural Effusions: An Official ATS/STS/STR Clinical Practice Guideline” uses evidence-based recommendations from a multidisciplinary panel that included Malcolm M. DeCamp, MD as the STS representative. Read the document at sts.org/endorsed-documents. Listen to New Podcast Series The Society has expanded its Surgical Hot Topics podcast series with a new program called “Beyond the Abstract.” Hosted by Thomas K. Varghese Jr., MD, MS, Annals Deputy Editor, Digital Media and Digital Scholarship, the program explores the “whys” behind recent articles in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery and discusses next steps with authors and thought leaders. In the first episode, David M. Shahian, MD and Keith S. Naunheim, MD join Dr. Varghese to discuss the motivation for developing surgeon-level outcomes metrics and why it’s important, as outlined in the October 2018 Annals article, “Individual Surgeon Performance in Adult Cardiac Surgery.” Subscribe to Surgical Hot Topics via your favorite podcast app, or listen at sts.org/podcast. Scholarships Encourage CT Surgery Careers The Society’s Looking to the Future (LTTF) Scholarship Program will bring 30 general surgery residents and 30 medical students, each with an interest in exploring a career in cardiothoracic surgery, to the upcoming STS 55th Annual Meeting in San Diego.  More than 150 medical students and residents applied for the 2019 scholarships. Initiated in 2006, the program was developed to identify and encourage general surgery residents who are considering, but not yet committed to, a career in cardiothoracic surgery. In 2011, medical students became eligible. Since its inception, the Society has awarded 550 scholarships. During the meeting, educational programs for medical students and residents provide targeted information about cardiothoracic surgery as a profession, life as a cardiothoracic surgeon, and the application processes for training programs. In addition, each scholarship recipient is assigned a surgeon mentor to provide one-on-one insights. To view a list of the 2019 scholarship recipients, visit sts.org/lttf. For information regarding the LTTF program, contact Rachel Pebworth, Affiliate Manager, Awards and Operations, at rpebworth@sts.org or 312-202-5835. AQO Online Now Available If you missed the 2018 Advances in Quality & Outcomes (AQO): A Data Managers Meeting, you can still experience the exceptional meeting content through AQO Online. AQO Online provides unlimited, on-demand viewing of meeting presentations with audio, is compatible with computers and mobile devices, and—new!—offers the ability to earn CE or CEU credit. Purchase access to specific sessions or a complete set, which includes all Database components. Those who attended AQO 2018 receive free access to the online products that correspond to the sessions for which they were registered; log in with the credentials that were used to register for the meeting. Visit sts.org/AQOonline for details. View Photos from CT Surgery in the Future Course In an effort to help recruit medical students and general surgery residents into the specialty, the Society offers an annual Cardiothoracic Surgery in the Future Course in conjunction with the American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress. The 2018 course, which took place on October 22 in Boston, was a huge success with record-breaking attendance. Check out the course photos featuring approximately 150 eager attendees getting hands-on experience with six different cardiothoracic surgical procedures at sts.org/2018CTfuturephotos. CT Surgery Residents Prepare for Jeopardy Title Cardiothoracic surgery residents from Europe and North America will face off at the STS 55th Annual Meeting in the ultimate cognitive challenge—the STS Cardiothoracic Surgery Jeopardy Championship. Qualifying competitions were held at the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery Annual Meeting in October 2018 and the Southern Thoracic Surgical Association Annual Meeting in November 2018. The winners, representing the Hospital Santa Cruz in Lisbon and the University of Rochester in New York, respectively, will compete for international bragging rights on Sunday, January 27, at 4:45 p.m. in the Exhibit Hall at the San Diego Convention Center. STS Engages the General Public via Press Release Program As part of its continuing effort to raise public awareness about the Society, cardiothoracic surgery, and the role that cardiothoracic surgeons play in the health care arena, STS issued one press release October 12–December 18, 2018. A brief recap can be found below. To read the full press release, visit sts.org/media. December 18: “Brain Health Not Affected by Major Heart Surgery” described a study in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery showing that patients who undergo coronary artery bypass grafting surgery do not experience major memory changes—either better or worse—when compared with those who have minimally invasive cardiac catheterization.

STS News, Winter 2019 -- The results of the midterm elections this past November in the United States will provide new opportunities and challenges for STS advocacy. Although Congress is now divided, the election was a successful one for cardiothoracic surgery, as 91% of the candidates supported by STS-PAC won their elections. Republicans expanded their majority in the Senate and Democrats now control the House, with a net gain of 40 seats.  House Democrats already have signaled that they intend to kick off the new year by addressing important health care issues, including health insurance protections for preexisting conditions and drug pricing. They also are expected to actively wield oversight powers when it comes to the Executive Branch. This may prove useful to STS when, for example, the Society believes a proposed regulation would be too onerous for cardiothoracic surgeons or would threaten patient safety; STS regularly comments on proposed rules and regulations issued by the Administration. Although Congress is now divided, the election was a successful one for cardiothoracic surgery, as 91% of the candidates supported by STS-PAC won their elections. Push for Bipartisanship As many new members of Congress begin their terms, there may be a renewed emphasis on bipartisanship in hopes of passing substantial legislation. STS surgeon leaders and staff in Washington, DC, will work to take advantage of that bipartisan mindset and leverage relationships with those elected officials; the Society’s unique, nonpartisan priorities may strike a chord with them. In addition, STS will continue to strengthen its relationships with the current co-chairs of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, Reps. Tom Reed (R-NY) and Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), and make sure that the issues important to cardiothoracic surgeons are heard and carefully considered. Get Involved Today With health care on the agenda so soon in the new Congress, STS members are strongly encouraged to meet with their representatives early in 2019, especially with freshman members who will be eager to forge relationships with surgeon constituents. If you are interested in connecting with your representatives, sign up as an STS Key Contact at sts.org/advocacy. Annual Meeting Sessions Highlight STS Advocacy You’ll have a number of opportunities to learn more about the Society’s advocacy efforts—and how you can help—at the upcoming STS 55th Annual Meeting in San Diego, January 27-29. On Sunday, January 27, the Key Contacts: Advocates for Cardiothoracic Surgery session will provide you with the tools to become involved. Experienced Key Contacts will share their perspectives from the front lines of STS advocacy, as well as role-play a meeting with a member of Congress—showing how to make things go well and explaining what to do if they don’t. Speakers also will discuss the Society’s advocacy priorities, focusing especially on health care issues that will be facing the new Congress. The Health Policy Forum on Tuesday, January 29, will delve into the intricacies of the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS), which affects Medicare payments for cardiothoracic surgeons. MIPS assesses physicians in four categories—quality, resource use, participation in clinical practice improvement activities, and use of electronic health records. You’ll learn what you are required to report and how you can achieve maximum scores in all four categories. In addition, Alternative Payment Models and bundled payments for coronary artery bypass grafting surgery will be reviewed. Please stop by the STS booth in the Exhibit Hall (#601), where staff from the Washington, DC, office will be available to discuss the legislative and regulatory issues that most directly impact you and your practice. You also can hear about STS-PAC, the only political action committee that exclusively represents cardiothoracic surgery. Get more details about the Annual Meeting program on page 1, or visit sts.org/annualmeeting.  

Jessica G.Y. Luc, MD, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada Mara B. Antonoff, MD, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston STS News, Winter 2019 -- Using Twitter for communication and information dissemination at major medical conferences such as the STS 55th Annual Meeting allows for real-time international conversations, critical appraisal, and networking. Discourse via Twitter broadens the discussion venue for scholarly activity by engaging those attending a meeting, as well as those who are unable to attend. Best of all, these conversations often continue even after the meeting adjourns. Just in time for the upcoming Annual Meeting in San Diego, here is a how-to guide for utilizing Twitter to maximize your conference experience and expand the reach of the exciting science presented at the meeting. Prepare Before the Meeting If you don’t already have one, sign up for a Twitter account. When creating a username, use your full name and designate yourself as a physician. Include a professional picture, your occupation, academic/hospital affiliations, and biography to improve the credibility of your content. You’ll need to make your profile public so that anyone attending the STS Annual Meeting can see your tweets. If it’s private, only those who you have approved to follow you will see your tweets. You’ll also want to follow individuals in the cardiothoracic surgery community, as well as organizations such as STS (@STS_CTsurgery). Familiarize yourself with Twitter’s key features, including liking, retweeting, and replying to tweets. In addition to tweeting your own thoughts, you can interact with other Annual Meeting attendees by responding to their posts. Key STS Handles for the 2019 Annual Meeting The Society of Thoracic Surgeons @STS_CTSurgery The Annals of Thoracic Surgery @annalsthorsurg STS Advocacy @STS_Advocacy STS Workforce on Career Development @CTSurgCareers The Thoracic Surgery Foundation @CTSurgeryFdn Encourage Discussion of Your Work If you’re presenting at the STS Annual Meeting, tweet about your talk in advance to build anticipation. You also can schedule tweets to be sent out during your presentation using a third-party app. You may want to include your Twitter handle and your institution’s handle on your slides, as well as the conference hashtag (#STS2019). Create slides that are designed to be tweeted, like a visual abstract or summary slide. Assume by default that data are no longer private once presented.  Craft the Perfect Conference Tweet Once you arrive in San Diego, start sharing your meeting experience! You can highlight sessions that you’re looking forward to attending or share something interesting that you heard during a presentation. Construct your tweets carefully to have the highest impact. Essential components include: Hashtags – Using the meeting hashtag, #STS2019, ensures that anyone who is following the meeting feed will see your tweet. Your tweets also could appear in the STS Meetings app or the STS Meeting Bulletin. Additional hashtags that may be relevant are shown in the chart below. Speaker tags – If you’re tweeting about a specific presentation, tag the speakers and their institutions by typing @ in front of their usernames. This will notify the speakers that you’ve tweeted about their presentation; they may retweet, reply to, or like your tweet.  Quotes – Differentiate your personal views from those of the speakers by using quotations. Additional resources – Make your tweet more interactive by linking to relevant studies mentioned in the presentation or including a photo of key slides. (Note that taking photos of slides during Tech-Con 2019 is not permitted.) Key Hashtags #STS2019 STS Annual Meeting 2019 #CTCareers Cardiothoracic surgery careers #CTSurgery Cardiothoracic surgery #CVICU Cardiovascular intensive care unit #ERAS Enhanced recovery after surgery #Radialfirst Radial artery first #LCSM Lung cancer social media #FOAMed Free open access medical education #meded Medical education #SoMe4Surgery Social media for surgery #TSSMN Thoracic Surgery Social Media Network Follow Appropriate Twitter Etiquette It’s important not to disturb your fellow meeting attendees while you’re tweeting. Turn down your phone brightness and volume, and do not obstruct the view of other attendees. In addition, respect intellectual property if requested by the presenter. And keep in mind that while controversy is acceptable, don’t attack someone who may hold different views than you do. Keep your conversation civil. If you have any questions, please reach out to either of us on Twitter (@JessicaLuc1, @maraantonoff) or in person in San Diego. We look forward to your participation at #STS2019!

STS News, Winter 2019 -- In its second year, the STS/EACTS Latin America Cardiovascular Surgery Conference saw growth in both the number of attendees and the number of countries represented. The STS/EACTS Latin America Conference featured faculty from three continents. More than 300 people from 33 countries attended the 2018 meeting, held November 15-17 in Cartagena, Colombia, compared to approximately 230 attendees from 23 countries in 2017. “The second edition of this conference consolidated an educational tool for those who practice in Latin America and have no chance to attend the STS or EACTS annual meetings,” said course director Jose L. Pomar, MD, PhD, from Barcelona, Spain, who is an EACTS Past President. Other course directors included Juan P. Umana, MD, from Bogota, Colombia, Vinod H. Thourani, MD, from Washington, DC, Nestor F. Sandoval, MD, from Bogota, Colombia, Manuel J. Antunes, MD, PhD, DSc, from Coimbra, Portugal, and STS Past President Joseph E. Bavaria, MD, from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Jose L. Pomar, MD, PhD gave the keynote speech, “Antoni Gaudi and the Mitral Valve.” The 2.5-day conference featured invited lectures, scientific abstract presentations, Stump the Professor sessions, and how-to videos that concentrated on the multidisciplinary approach to coronary artery disease, valvular heart disease, thoracic aorta disease, atrial fibrillation, and the surgical management of heart failure. A congenital heart disease component was added this year as well. An exciting and well-attended literature review session was held Friday morning, during which panelists discussed the transcatheter mitral valve revolution and insights from COAPT, MITRA-FR, and other related trials. “It was important to put these trials into context and explain what they mean for the cardiothoracic surgical  community; we need to have more of these sessions next year,” said Dr. Bavaria. STS and EACTS representatives are already hard at work planning the 2020 meeting. “The course format will continue to evolve. In the future, we hope to further integrate with other specialties, such as cardiology and imaging,” Dr. Pomar said. For more photos from the meeting, view the STS Flickr album at sts.org/LatinAmericaPhotos. The Thoracic Surgery Foundation offered 25 scholarships to attend the conference. This photo depicts 16 of the scholars.

Robert A. Wynbrandt, Executive Director & General Counsel STS News, Winter 2019 -- On January 30, 2012, Mike Mack delivered his STS Presidential Address, titled “If This Were My Last Speech, What Would I Say?,” to an SRO audience at the Society’s 48th Annual Meeting in Fort Lauderdale. To no one’s surprise, Mike knocked it out of the park, touching on themes of pride in being a thoracic surgeon, innovation in the specialty, and collaboration. As I now prepare to exit the stage as the Society’s chief staff officer in March and compose this final column for STS News, I find myself confronted with a variation on Mike’s topic—just as Keith Naunheim did in his final column as STS President (see page 2); my apologies at the outset for the double-dose of memory lane in this edition, but it couldn’t be avoided. As we all confront endings, it’s a simple matter of human nature to instinctively recall beginnings. My personal STS beginning occurred in 1987, as one of the Society’s outside attorneys working to secure protections for the organization and its leaders conducting a peer review of a Pennsylvania cardiac surgery unit (the STS peer review program having been a precursor to the National Database in terms of distinguishing the Society among all US medical specialty societies). The real beginning for purposes of this column, however, came on June 1, 2002, when I became an STS employee as the organization began its era of self-management. Things were not so rosy on June 1, 2002, for the organization or for the specialty. STS financial reserves recently had shrunk, with back-to-back years of substantial losses from operations; moreover, the specialty itself was staring at significant challenges—the volume of PCI procedures was rapidly growing while the volume of CABG procedures was heading south, the federal government was reducing reimbursement for the entire specialty (and threatening to do so even more dramatically), and fewer medical students were seeking thoracic surgery residency positions. It was against this backdrop that I went for a run with then STS President Bill Baumgartner just a few months into my new job, while attending an American Society of Association Executives CEO Symposium in Tysons Corner, Virginia. Whether in an attempt to bolster my newly informed/alarmed spirits or just as a function of his eternally optimistic nature, Bill could not have been more positive about the future of thoracic surgery, regaling me with lessons of its past as a specialty that consistently continued to thrive, even after the diseases that had contributed to its growth were in retreat. This positive, can-do spirit of thoracic surgery was also in evidence 4 years later, when Fred Grover chimed in with a 2007 Presidential Address titled “The Bright Future of Cardiothoracic Surgery in the Era of Changing Health Care Delivery,” just as the specialty was by some measures hitting bottom. Thankfully, both the organization and the specialty have persevered and succeeded since those early days of my tenure. That said, all is not rosy for thoracic surgery as we enter 2019 (is it ever?). The hospital employment model has taken hold in the United States, with many of its longer term ramifications still unknown; competition within the specialty has only increased with the advent of third party rankings that capture the public’s (and hospital administrators’) attention; quality vs. access questions abound; and thoracic surgery—like the rest of medicine—remains vulnerable to the whims of political forces beyond its control, in Washington and throughout the world. With insight gained over the course of 16+ years since that run with Bill, however, I too am confident that thoracic surgery is well-equipped to successfully face these and other challenges going forward. As for the organization, I would like to think it’s in a better place in 2019 than it was in 2002. And for that, the list of people I wish to acknowledge and thank is simply too long to detail here. I will, however, take the prerogative of highlighting a few, as is customary in farewell columns like this one. Special thanks go to Mark Orringer, for being a role model for the kind of professional I’d want to work closely with and for if I were to leave my private law practice; to the late Gordon Murray for composing a well-timed “carpe diem” editorial for CTSNet that inspired me; to Doug Mathisen, for articulating in my initial STS job interview a new vision of partnership for STS volunteer leaders and staff that has sustained me and my now-70+ colleagues in an environment of mutual respect and collaboration; to all of the other Presidents, Secretaries, and other volunteer leaders with whom I’ve been privileged to work closely; to Cheryl Wilson, for being my professional partner since agreeing to serve as the legal secretary for a reputably tough customer in 1997 and then taking that pivotal plunge with me to a new career 5 years later; to the rest of our terrific STS staff, past and present; and to an engaged and loyal membership, without whom there would be no STS. And so to answer Mike’s question as it pertains to this column—and as is particularly fitting with the holiday season now coming to an end, I will say what Fred Grover (perhaps the best ambassador for the specialty and the Society I’ve encountered since 1987, and winner of the Houston Academy of Medicine’s 2019 John P. McGovern Compleat [sic] Physician Award for “extraordinary contributions to medicine and humanity”) has said to me at the end of virtually every conversation between us for at least 25 years: “peace” – and best wishes to you and yours for the New Year on behalf of the entire staff. See you in San Diego!

STS News, Winter 2019 -- Despite many years of clinical training, most cardiothoracic surgeons aren’t provided with sufficient education in a key area of career development—optimizing their value to their organizations. Speakers at the upcoming Practice Management Summit during the STS Annual Meeting in San Diego on Sunday, January 27, will seek to close that knowledge gap, helping attendees understand their value and obtain appropriate compensation. “We certainly don’t get this education in our training, so we’re ill-prepared when starting our careers,” said Frank L. Fazzalari, MD, MBA, Chair of the Workforce on Practice Management. “The landscape is evolving very quickly, so cardiothoracic surgeons must adapt.” A major change in the employment environment over the last few years has been the increasing number of surgeons employed by hospitals rather than private practices. During the Summit, attendees will learn how to weigh factors in their local areas when making decisions regarding their employment arrangements. The US government also has made a number of recent changes that impact reimbursement for cardiothoracic surgical procedures. The Summit will provide an overview of STS efforts to advocate for regulations and programs that fairly compensate surgeons for their work. Expanding Roles With a greater push for health care quality over quantity, how do surgeons continue demonstrating their value to the hospital administration? “The work Relative Value Unit model does not value the presence of a cardiothoracic surgeon on a hospital staff,” said Workforce member Paul S. Levy, MD, MBA. “Compensational value has to be shown in other ways.” “We certainly don’t get this education in our training, so we’re ill-prepared when starting our careers.” Frank L. Fazzalari, MD, MBA One option is to take a more active role in hospital administration—a path that is especially suitable for surgeons, given their leadership in the operating room. Of course, that means knowing how to negotiate a contract with suitable compensation for these efforts. “Surgeons may not have a lot of experience with contract negotiation,” Dr. Fazzalari said. “It can be difficult to know whether you should accept what you’re offered or walk away.” Attendees will hear from a health care attorney on the potential landmines to avoid and important components to address. Answering the Tough Questions An important component to this Summit is giving surgeons an opportunity to ask the questions that they may not feel comfortable asking in the workplace, including questions about salary. “We’ll provide hard numbers regarding what you can expect in compensation,” said Dr. Levy. “We’ll also share what employers look for when recruiting. The Summit will help you best position yourself for success.” View the full agenda for the Summit in the Program, Registration, and Housing brochure at sts.org/annualmeeting. Get Tips on Excelling Early in Your Career A new Annual Meeting session on Monday, January 28, will focus specifically on career advice for cardiothoracic surgeons in their first 7 years of practice. Speakers will explain how to balance clinical and research responsibilities, establish a strong mentor-mentee relationship, and connect with colleagues and patients on social media. The session also will feature ample time for group discussion on hot-button issues facing early career surgeons, including dealing with a difficult job, what to do when you’re in over your head, and developing a niche. “This is often a critical time in one’s career, and it can be difficult to access information on navigating challenges outside of the operating room,” said Vinay Badhwar, MD, Chair of the Workforce on Career Development. “We’ll answer all burning questions, no matter how simple or complex.” See page 12 for information on registering for the Annual Meeting.

Keith S. Naunheim, MD, President STS News, Winter 2019 -- I realized I had come to the end of my presidential year and still owed the Society one column’s worth of “wisdom,” but had no idea what to tackle. To help inform my choices, I first reviewed my past editorials. My first column dealt with the issue of gender bias, and my second was about the Society’s appropriate role in the opioid crisis. So to summarize: First column was about sex…  Second column was about drugs…  That must mean I'm overdue for one on rock and roll! I initially started down that path and actually picked appropriate rock songs for each cardiothoracic subspecialty (see the end of the column for my choices). Then I decided I probably needed to be just a little more mature… for a change.  While reminiscing about the last year, I was reminded about the amount of time and effort required of the STS President and, God knows, I would love to be portrayed as a selfless martyr in the service of a greater good (Saint Keith?). But the real, less altruistic motivation is finally being given the chance to lead. And make a difference. Though our specialty includes surgeons who vary in age, gender, religion, and ethnicity, we all share one characteristic—we are all alpha personalities who want to be in charge and recognized as leaders. There is no small amount of pride (read “ego”) in being elected as the “Big Dog” of an organization, and any president who says that’s not true is likely fooling him/herself. But after the first month or so, the bloom comes off the rose and you realize that the real joy comes when you get to really make a difference on a larger scale, not just for yourself or your department or your hospital, but for your specialty. To be given that chance is, in and of itself, a great gift; one for which I am grateful. In preparing this column, I was reminded of a quote from the recently deceased President Bush 41: “There could be no definition of a successful life that does not include service to others.”  Has this last year been “successful”? In 2018, we integrated the Intermacs LVAD registry into the STS National Database, culminating an effort spanning 4 years. In addition, the Society began to confront two major issues by conducting surveys to determine the current status of gender bias, as well as the patterns of opioid utilization within the specialty; these surveys may be just the first steps, but you can’t address a problem until you have begun to understand it. Our organization is collaborating with international cardiothoracic surgical societies to jointly provide significant education opportunities for both cardiac and thoracic surgeons in Latin America, hoping to offer affordable courses to surgeons who otherwise would be unable to attend. Domestically, the Society has continued its major education efforts by assisting our members in upgrading their skills with regard to percutaneous valve placement, mechanical circulatory assistance, and robotic surgery. The real joy comes when you get to really make a difference on a larger scale, not just for yourself or your department or your hospital, but for your specialty. On the political front, we were a major player in reversing the move toward a CABG bundle and made significant strides in connecting data in the STS National Database with Medicare data, a step that would enable us to establish the true cost effectiveness of our procedures. And efforts in conjunction with the ACC and CMS have helped ensure our ongoing participation in percutaneous valve procedures for the foreseeable future. Finally, the charitable arm of STS, The Thoracic Surgery Foundation, has provided a record amount of funding (nearly $900,000) for cardiothoracic surgery research. In addition, TSF continues to underwrite multiple philanthropic cardiothoracic missions to underserved populations throughout the world. In just a few weeks, I will get to stand on the podium, deliver a Presidential Address heralding these accomplishments, and nominally take a bow. But I know the real truth, as does every president before me. While we get to act as the face of the specialty, we cannot take credit personally for those accomplishments. We are privileged for a 1-year period of time to be the caretaker of a well-oiled and efficient machine comprising hundreds of volunteer surgeons and staff. They are the ones who do all the work, and they are the ones who deserve all the credit. Let me take this opportunity to thank all of you who, throughout the year, have given your Blood, Sweat, and Tears (rock and roll analogy) to make my presidential year both successful and gratifying. I owe you a huge debt of thanks… as do all of our members and their patients. Happy New Year to you all. Answers to rock and roll quiz: Adult Cardiac: “The Heart of Rock & Roll,” Huey Lewis and the News General Thoracic: “Every Breath You Take,” The Police Congenital: “A Hole in My Heart,” Cyndi Lauper

STS News, Winter 2019 -- The STS 55th Annual Meeting is just a few weeks away, but it’s not too late to plan to join your colleagues in San Diego, California, for one of the largest cardiothoracic surgery meetings in the world. Save $100 from onsite pricing by registering on or before January 24 at sts.org/annualmeeting. Registration provides access to educational sessions on Sunday, January 27, Monday, January 28, and Tuesday, January 29. Additionally, you will receive complimentary access to Annual Meeting Online, a web-based video presentation of most sessions offered at the Annual Meeting that will provide the opportunity to earn more than 100 continuing medical education credits. Separate tickets are required to attend STS University courses and the President’s Reception (both on Sunday, January 27). Registration also is separate for Tech-Con 2019, which will be held on Saturday, January 26. Browse the educational program, save favorite sessions/presentations to your custom itinerary, read scientific abstracts, and more by downloading the STS Meetings app. Search for “STS Meetings” in the Apple iOS App or Google Play stores, or visit sts.org/mobileapp. Please note that printed copies of the meeting program will not be distributed onsite. The Best Forum for Scientific Research The meeting schedule has been reorganized, and the opening plenary session will be held on Sunday afternoon instead of Monday morning. This session will include presentation of the J. Maxwell Chamberlain Memorial Papers, which represent some of the top-rated abstracts at the meeting. The Chamberlain paper for adult cardiac surgery examines the relationship between a hospital’s surgical aortic valve replacement volume and its transcatheter aortic valve replacement outcomes. The congenital heart surgery paper reviews patient-perceived functional health status for adults who underwent transposition of the great arteries repair as children during the transition from atrial to arterial repair. And the general thoracic surgery paper takes a look at whether thoracic surgery regionalization within an integrated health care system improves outcomes of major pulmonary resections for lung cancer. The Richard E. Clark Memorial Papers highlight research utilizing data from the STS National Database. These papers will be featured during specialty-specific parallel sessions on Monday and Tuesday. The Clark paper for adult cardiac surgery looks at reoperative surgical aortic valve replacement for bioprosthetic failure. The congenital heart surgery paper describes outcomes of the Fontan operation with and without Down syndrome, and the general thoracic surgery paper evaluates survival for lobectomy versus segmentectomy for clinical stage IA lung cancer in elderly patients. Hear from Experts Around the World The STS Annual Meeting brings together surgeons from across the globe to share their unique experiences and also features a number of joint sessions with international medical societies. A session to be presented on Sunday by STS, the Canadian Association of Thoracic Surgeons, and the Canadian Society of Cardiac Surgeons will review trends in the utilization of minimally invasive surgical techniques for anatomic pulmonary resection, including both video-assisted thoracoscopic and robotic surgery. On Monday, the Society will team with the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery in a session on alternatives to the standard classic repair for DeBakey type I aortic dissection. Experts will discuss the outcomes of innovative extended arch repair techniques, including the distal aortic frozen elephant trunk, novel branched arch endografts, and valve retention root reconstructive surgery. Also on Monday, STS will join the European Society of Thoracic Surgeons to discuss controversial issues in general thoracic surgery, including invasive staging in early stage lung cancer, multimodal approaches for the treatment of stage IIIAN2 lung cancer, and the use of induction therapy in patients with T2N0 esophageal cancer.  Finally, STS and the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation will hold a symposium on Monday looking at how ventricular assist devices are utilized in European and Asian populations, as well as the latest innovations in univentricular and biventricular support. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. The Annual Meeting will feature dozens of oral abstract presentations, invited talks by renowned speakers, lively debates, and surgical videos. If you are not registered for the Annual Meeting, you can register online at sts.org/annualmeeting or onsite in San Diego beginning Friday, January 25. Put Knowledge into Practice at STS University STS University, a popular series of hands-on learning activities, will take place during two sessions on Sunday morning, January 27. Several courses still have space available, so add one or more to your schedule. Each course is $175. These courses feature both didactic lectures, to be viewed online before January 27, and hands-on experiences in a wet lab or on a simulator in San Diego. You can view the lectures for all STS U courses at sts.org/stsuniversity. Course 1: Essentials of TAVR Course 2: TEVAR and Aortic Arch Debranching Procedures Course 3: Mitral Valve Repair Course 4: Valve-Sparing Aortic Root Replacement – Reimplantation Course 5: Aortic Root Enlargement Procedures and Aortic Valve Leaflet Reconstruction Course 6: VATS Lobectomy Course 7: Advanced Open Esophageal and Tracheal Procedures Course 8: Complex Chest Wall Issues for the Thoracic Surgeon: Reconstruction After Tumor Resection, Pectus Deformities, and Rib Fractures Course 9: Minimally Invasive Aortic and Mitral Surgery Course 10: Peroral Endoscopic Myotomy (POEM) Skills Course 11: Robotic Lobectomy Course 12: VATS Sleeve Lobectomy Course 13: Percutaneous Transseptal Access, Transcatheter Mitral Valve Repair, and Mitral Valve-in-Valve Replacement Keynote Lecturers to Address Immunotherapy, Artificial Intelligence Two intriguing and inspiring keynote lectures are planned for the Annual Meeting. In a change from previous years, the lectures will be presented on separate days—Sunday afternoon and Tuesday morning. Thomas B. Ferguson Lecture Laurie H. Glimcher, MD Sunday, January 27, 3:30 p.m. Dr. Glimcher is an immunologist who has made seminal discoveries in cancer immunology research, particularly in the fields of transcriptional regulation, lymphocyte differentiation, immunology, and osteobiology. She is President and CEO of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston—the first woman to hold that position—and also is Principal Investigator and Director of the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center, as well as the Richard and Susan Smith Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Her address is titled “Cancer Immunotherapy: The End of the Beginning.” C. Walton Lillehei Lecture Eric Topol, MD Tuesday, January 29, 9:45 a.m. Dr. Topol is a cardiologist and geneticist specializing in the use of artificial intelligence, “deep” data, and smart technology for individualized treatment approaches. He holds the Gary and Mary West Endowed Chair of Innovative Medicine at Scripps Research, is the Director and Founder of the Scripps Research Translational Institute, and is Chief Academic Officer of Scripps Health in La Jolla, California. His talk will explore “High-Performance Medicine: The Convergence of Artificial Intelligence and Health Care.” Thank You! The Society of Thoracic Surgeons gratefully acknowledges the following companies for providing educational grants for the STS 55th Annual Meeting. This list is accurate as of January 3, 2019. Platinum Benefactors Provided $50,000 or more Abbott Medtronic Silver Benefactors Provided $10,000-$24,999 Boston Scientific Corporation Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices Companies Olympus