Adult Cardiac

The Society is offering a new opportunity for self-assessment and quality improvement in cardiothoracic surgery—surgeon-specific outcomes reports from the Adult Cardiac Surgery Database (ACSD). For those who affirmatively opt in, these feedback reports will be available beginning in fall 2019 and will include data on coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), aortic valve replacement (AVR), CABG+AVR, mitral valve repair and replacement (MVRR), and CABG+MVRR. Four STS leaders, Drs. Richard Prager, David M. Shahian, Alan M.

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.

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).

The latest advances in mitral valve repair and replacement include a shift toward the transseptal platform. Four leading experts discuss how catheter-based techniques will re-emulate the gold standard for mitral valve surgery, the important role of 3D Echo technology, the need for transseptal puncture skills, and navigating the local politics.