Recent approvals by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have made available two new technologies for treating aortic disease. The GORE® TAG® Thoracic Branch Endoprosthesis (TBE) is single-branch aortic stent graft that provides an off-the-shelf solution for patients that need zone II aortic coverage and obviates the need for prior left subclavian revascularization. The Thoraflex Hybrid Frozen Elephant Trunk (FET) device is a pre-mated surgical graft and an aortic stent graft to facilitate single-stage treatment of arch and proximal descending aortic pathologies.

Date
Duration
1 hr. 7 min.

Last year, the lung transplant community was excited by reports from Toronto General Hospital of successful lung transplants with seemingly improved perioperative outcomes compared to standard of care ice storage, after donor lungs were stored for up to 16 hours at 10 degrees Celsius. While a clinical trial is ongoing, preclinical evidence suggests that organ storage may be successfully extended to more than a day, with intermittent normothermic ex-vivo lung perfusion (EVLP) utilization. Is it time to consider lung transplantation as a semi-elective procedure?

Date
Duration
1 hr.
During Peer Review Week, Annals Editor-in-Chief Joanna Chikwe, MD, FRCS, is joined by a panel of editors, editorial board members, and experts to highlight touchstones of publication ethics and how research drives quality.
Date
Duration
1 hr. 2 min.

Procedures to evaluate lymph nodes before lung cancer therapy, including endobronchial guided nodal aspiration and mediastinoscopy, can help diagnose and stage the patient effectively. Research findings demonstrate, however, that these procedures are underutilized overall or employed in a highly variable fashion. In this STS webinar, an expert panel of pulmonologists and thoracic surgeons discusses the changing role of pretreatment nodal staging to include diagnosis, staging, and acquisition of sufficient tissue for biomarker testing.

Date
Duration
57 min.

Recent data from two large randomized studies of segmentectomy for small (≤2cm) peripheral non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treatment suggest a change is coming in the standard of care. In this STS webinar, an expert panel discusses how evolving robotic and imaging technologies are changing the landscape of treatment for early stage NSCLC. The session features a review of recent trials, advanced imaging, complex segmentectomy videos, and case scenarios. 

Date
Duration
58 min.
An expert panel highlights a team-based approach to managing cardiac surgery patients who suffer sudden postoperative cardiac arrest.
Date
1 hr.
A panel comprising residents and surgeons demonstrate a novel approach to Quality Improvement and Patient Safety (QIPS) rounds.
Date
Duration
59 min.

Learn about the different facets of STS advocacy, what it can do for you, and how you can make a lasting impact on the cardiothoracic surgery specialty. Presenters share how STS advocacy intersects with everyday aspects of members' surgical practices, as well as their personal, professional, and institutional priorities from quality improvement to coding and reimbursement.

Date
Duration
51 min.
An expert panel discusses the necessary components of building a successful robotic mitral valve repair program.
Date
Duration
1 hr. 12 min.

Recently the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer (CoC) updated its Quality of Care Measures for CoC-accredited cancer programs to treat patients. In this episode of the STS Webinar Series, an expert panel discusses the rationale behind the revised CoC Standard 5.8, how implementation of the new measures can optimize surgical processes and improve patient outcomes—and how to react when your institution’s performance reports indicate you could do more. 

Date
Duration
1 hr. 1 min.

The Congenital Heart Surgery Database (CHSD) continues to undergo improvements to enhance quality of care for patients. In this webinar for CHSD participants, the panel discusses the forthcoming upgrade to version 6.22 and implementation of new STAT scores. The webinar also includes a review of the brand-new Adults with Congenital Heart Disease (ACHD) component. The surgeon leaders discuss the goals for the ACHD component, how data will be captured, and what the future holds in terms of risk assessment for this rapidly growing population.

Date
Duration
34 min.
Several coauthors of the STS/AATS Clinical Practice Guideline on the Management of Type B Aortic Dissection discuss the key takeaways from this comprehensive, up-to-date summary of the state of the evidence.
Date
Duration
1 hr.