STS News, Winter 2021 — Imagine this: You’re standing beside renowned surgeon Robert J. Cerfolio, MD, MBA, in an operating room at NYU Langone Health in New York City. You are watching every move he makes during a robotic lobectomy. You are listening intently as he talks you through his thought processes. You are looking around and able to see who is in the operating room, where they are standing, and what equipment is being used.
And, almost unbelievably, you are doing all of this while sitting in front of your computer at home or in the office.
That’s exactly what attendees can expect from “Immersive Video Experiences”—a new and exciting course series offered during STS 2021.
“This is an amazing opportunity to bring the outside world into your operating room,” said Dr. Cerfolio. “Attendees will not only witness the technical aspects of a procedure, but they also will see and feel how you lead, how you inspire those around you to perform at their optimal levels, and how you make everyone in that room understand that although this is just another day of work for them, it’s that patient's only operation.”
In the OR with…
The series, scheduled for Friday morning of STS 2021, will open with visits to the operating rooms of five different surgeon luminaries. These “In the OR” sessions will offer an interactive and visceral way to experience a robotic lobectomy, a congenital heart surgery, a valve-sparing aortic root procedure (reimplantation), a video-assisted thoracoscopic (VATS) lobectomy, a transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), and a transcatheter mitral valve-in-valve replacement.
Alongside world-class surgeons—Dr. Cerfolio, Joseph A. Dearani, MD, from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, Joseph E. Bavaria, MD, from Penn Medicine in Philadelphia, Shanda H. Blackmon, MD, MPH, from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and Vinod H. Thourani, MD, from Piedmont Heart Institute in Atlanta, Georgia—attendees will experience these procedures from start to finish and be able to take in the entire operating room environment in a way that they’ve never been able to do before—at least from in front of a computer screen.
With the use of specialized 360° cameras, participants will observe not just the insides of the chests, but they also will witness all of the outside happenings, including the sights and sounds of the surgeries—all real-life, no avatars, drawings, or animations—just as though they are in the room.
Dr. Cerfolio explained that the series makes available “all of the optics” in the operating room: How do the team members get along? How do they move around the OR? What’s the culture in the room? How is the OR set up? What's being said during the surgery? What is the leadership style of the surgeon? Is it effective?
“The immersive video experiences don’t offer a myopic view that just studies the surgical field and the technical exercise of the operation. But more so, the series offers additional unique features that help participants really understand how surgery is a team sport,” he said.
During the sessions, the surgeons will talk through the actual operative techniques, as well as demonstrate the difference between good outcomes and masterful ones. A moderator will discuss with the surgeon key aspects of the procedure, drive the 360° views, and engage the audience during interactive discussion periods.
“While traditional videos of surgical or transcatheter procedures offer only a unidimensional experience, this program allows participants to be engrossed within all aspects of the procedures and is guaranteed to enhance the learning of these complex surgeries for not only practicing physicians, but also residents and the entire heart team,” said Dr. Thourani.
Deep Dives into...
Following the “In the OR with...” series will be 11 “Deep Dive” courses. In these sessions, expert surgeons will share comprehensive dives into particular procedures, using a combination of video segments and interactive group discussions. The detailed descriptions, in-depth explanations, and meaningful conversations will provide participants with a full-bodied understanding of the following topics:
- Essentials of TAVR
- Valve-Sparing Aortic Root Procedure (Reimplantation)
- VATS Lobectomy
- Robotic Lobectomy
- Transseptal Puncture for Surgeons
- Minimally Invasive Mitral Valve Surgery
- Minimally Invasive Esophagectomy
- Chest Wall Reconstruction after Tumor Resection
- Ross and Ross-Konno–Preventing Neoaortic Root Dilatation
- Navigating Initial Nights on Call: A GPS Guide for Residents
- How can I get out of this operating room? Valve Replacement Strategies in Neonates and Infants
The Immersive Video Experiences are an optional add-on program that can be secured during STS 2021 registration for an extra fee and include both the “In the OR with…” and “Deep Dives into...” sessions (16 in all). For more information, visit sts.org/annualmeeting.