Issue 26 | June 2021 - EACTS News

NEWS Issue 26 / June 2021

The quarterly publication for EACTS members

Issue 26 Highlights 3. Looking forward to the year ahead 4. Getting to know....

5. Domains update 10. Annual Meeting 18. Academy update 27. International collaboration

PLUS: Fellowships/ EBTCS exams/ MMCTS Residents’ Tutorial Competition/ EACTS QUIP/ EUROMACS Registry

Welcome to your new look EACTS News Mark Hazekamp, President As I introduce this edition of EACTS News, it’s hard to avoid the clichés that have become a natural part of our language as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic: unprecedented, challenging, difficult. The last year or so has been all of these and more. On behalf of the EACTS Council, our staff and volunteers, I send you, your patients and your loved ones all good fortune and hope that some level of healthy normality is now not far away for us all.

Mark Hazekamp

The reintroduction of EACTS News, now in this digital only format, is part of our positive ‘emergence’ from the last year’s difficulties and our commitment to communicate better with you, our members. And, we have much positive news to report. In this edition, we showcase our very exciting plans for the 35th EACTS Annual Meeting, our first hybrid (in-person and digital) event, to be held in the historical, cultural world city of Barcelona, this October.

THE 35TH EACTS ANNUAL MEETING

I firmly believe that EACTS has never been in a stronger or more commanding position to lead, innovate and serve its members.

Explore, discover, educate 13  16 O C T O B E R 2 0 21 B A R C E LO N A , S PA I N

FIND OUT MORE ON PAGE 10

Association

You will also see how our education programme is developing, with the 5th EACTS Mechanical Circulatory Support Summit running from 4-6 November 2021 in Berlin, Germany and the Aortic Forum in Bologna, Italy between 15-16 November. As well as a round-up of activities across our clinical Domains, we are also announcing our widest and most exciting range of Francis Fontan Fellowships giving EACTS members career-defining opportunities to experience world-leading training and mentorship across Europe and the USA, including our new joint initiative with the Thoracic Surgery Foundation (the charitable arm of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons).

The challenges facing cardiothoracic surgery in a post-COVID world are significant. For the benefit of our patients, first class education, information exchange and networking among our members, as well as increased cooperation with our sister associations, are more important than ever. I firmly believe that EACTS has never been in a stronger or more commanding position to lead, innovate and serve its members. I sincerely hope you enjoy reading EACTS News and getting more involved with your Association over the coming year.

Importantly, I would like to pay special tribute to Domenico Pagano, perhaps one of the hardest working and most passionate Secretary Generals in EACTS’ history, who has had to step down from his role and duties on Council for personal reasons. We all send Domenico our very best wishes and trust that he will be able to join us in Barcelona later this year.

FIRST CLASS EDUCATION

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HA

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Rafael Sádaba has been appointed by Council as Secretary General at least until October. Council appreciates Rafael’s commitment to the role and we all wish him the very best, especially as he drives the activities for this year’s Annual Meeting.

This month, we have also welcomed Mark Whiteling to Council as EACTS’ Honorary Treasurer. Mark, a qualified accountant with a long and successful career in the corporate sector, has joined the Council following changes to our constitution made at the General Assembly in October 2020 which allowed the appointment, for the first time, of a non-surgeon to the Association’s governing body.

Mark will be supporting the continued improvement of EACTS’ governance and financial systems and we all look forward to working with him. You can find out more about Mark on page 4.

MATION FOR EX IN

I would like to pay special tribute to Domenico Pagano, perhaps one of the hardest working and most passionate Secretary Generals in EACTS’ history, who has had to step down from his role and duties on Council.

NETWORKING

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EACTS NEWS

Looking forward to the year ahead Rafael Sádaba, Secretary General

The 35th EACTS Annual Meeting will be the first major meeting in cardiovascular and thoracic medicine to be held in-person since the start of the pandemic. This represents risks and challenges, in particular in a period of continuous uncertainty about the progression of the pandemic worldwide and in Europe. The desire to get back together, meet old friends and colleagues, make new ones, and to participate in the experience of the EACTS Annual Meeting will I’m sure overcome the potential difficulties. We’ve learnt from experience to improve the virtual side of the meeting, and the hybrid format will give us the opportunity to reach out further to more physicians and healthcare professionals. Our virtual platform will not disappoint and will ensure that the meeting is accessible for those of you unable to join in-person.

This challenging period has allowed us to rethink strategies and tactics to achieve our educational goals and to serve our charitable objectives more effectively and efficiently.

The year ahead with EACTS will be exciting. But before looking to the future, let´s look back to the recent past, which has been different - and also challenging - because of the pandemic. The 34th EACTS Annual Meeting was the first one in our history to be held virtually, and although it was a great event under the circumstances, we all missed the opportunity of getting together to enjoy the special essence of the EACTS Annual Meeting.

We also had to put on hold our in-person educational activities and the Francis Fontan Fellowship programme due to the travel restrictions. But on a positive note, this challenging period has allowed us to rethink strategies and tactics to achieve our educational goals and to serve our charitable objectives more effectively and efficiently.

The year ahead will see EACTS reconnecting with its members and we will continue to raise standards through education and training.

Our Academy programme has also been challenged by the current difficulties. In order to adapt to the new situation, we have embraced new digital opportunities and changed the format of our courses under the direction of Mr Aaron Ranasinghe, the new Academy Director, and with the invaluable help of Dr Alicja Zientara and Ms Kirsty Clarke. The Academy courses are now available to surgeons from every corner of the world. Running the sessions over a few evenings has made it easier for many who would otherwise find it difficult to travel to Windsor and be away from their centres for a few days. Once travel restrictions are lifted, we will look to design these courses in a hybrid format, trying to get the best of the virtual and in-person worlds. Do have a look at our Academy news, starting on page 18, for more information on what’s coming up.

With Francis Fontan Fellowships also affected by COVID-19, we have been working hard to ensure that Fellowships can restart in early 2022. Page 25 provides a great overview of the Fellowships; do also read about our collaboration with The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) on page 27.

Finally, a new opportunity I’d like to highlight to members.

Organised by the EACTS Residents Committee and the Thoracic Surgery Residents Association (TSRA) from the USA, the new MMCTS Residents’ Tutorial Competition will recognise the best core skills video tutorial and will reward technical quality, surgical skills, and educational clarity. See page 25 for more information on how to participate in the competition.

The year ahead will see EACTS reconnecting with its members and we will continue to raise standards through education and training. By embracing new ways of learning and new technologies, we will aim to extend our reach to more surgeons worldwide. We look forward to seeing you – either virtually or in person – very soon.

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Association

GETTING TO KNOW...

We caught up with our new Honorary Treasurer, Mark Whiteling, who will be supporting the continued improvement of EACTS’ governance and financial systems.

Q: Tell us a bit about your background…

I’m originally from New Zealand, where I qualified as an accountant before moving to the USA, where I also qualified as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). I lived in the USA for eight years in total and joined SmithKline Beckman in 1989 before moving to the UK following the merger with Beecham. I’ve worked as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) in several industries and been on the Board of a number of public companies. I’ve also been a non-executive director on three other public company Boards.

Q: What attracted you to the role at EACTS? I admire the fact that EACTS wants to continue to evolve and grow as an organisation and, in doing so, offer more to its members. Although I don’t have a medical background, ensuring that EACTS manages its resources efficiently and delivers more to its members - so that we can achieve a greater public benefit - seems a real positive. From a personal point of view, my mother was a physiotherapist who specialised in postoperative rehabilitation for cardiac patients, so EACTS touched something in me.

Q: What are your plans now you’re in post?

As a new trustee, my plan is to ensure that I have a successful induction – learning about EACTS, what we do, how we do it and make sure that I understand how the Council wants EACTS to evolve and be stronger for the future. I need to make sure that the financial processes within EACTS are all that they should be for a top-flight charitable organisation. I’m sure that I’ll be doing a lot of listening and really look forward to meeting colleagues and members in the coming months.

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Domains

We’re pleased to bring you news from our Domains, who work hard to drive forward the Association’s mission of advancing education and promoting research, as well as playing an instrumental role in the Annual Meeting. Find out more about our Domains here.

Acquired Cardiac Disease Domain Dr Patrick Myers, Chair The past year has seen, as for all of us during this pandemic, large changes in our practice and training. We are now busy planning Academy courses and sessions. We look forward to reconnecting with you in Barcelona.

Academy During 2021, the Acquired Cardiac Disease Domain was eager to contribute to the Academy, which held the first virtual course of Fundamentals in Coronary Artery Disease. We look forward to continuing this, with the Fundamentals of the Aortic Valve and Root in September (virtual) and Fundamentals of the Mitral and Tricuspid Valve in December (virtual). The 5th EACTS Mechanical Circulatory Support Summit will offer the first in-person meeting in MCS since the pandemic, from 4-6 November 2021 in Berlin, Germany. Find out more on page 19.

Taskforce news The Domain welcomed Gry Dahle as Chair of the Transcatheter Techniques taskforce. Professor Dahle has put together an outstanding programme for the Annual Meeting on the latest results of transcatheter interventions, courses to learn the basics and advanced techniques, and the latest technical advances and imaging in collaboration with Arnaud Linden (imaging taskforce chair), and we are working on a MITACS hands-on course as soon as we can reasonably hold this in-person.

EBCTS Gry Dahle, Pietro Bajona and myself represent the Acquired Cardiac Domain on the EBCTS board. Under the leadership of its new chair, Stephen Clark, and the lead for the level 1 examinations, Eduard Quintana, the EBCTS pivoted to an entirely online level 1 examination, as well as separate cardiac (adult and congenital) and thoracic examinations. This drew a record number of applicants from around the world, who could take the examinations on a safe electronic platform from home.

The level 2 cardiac examinations were postponed, as it was deemed unfair to the candidates to hold the examinations at the crux of the second wave, even using an online format. Read more about EBCTS on page 24.

Annual Meeting This year’s Acquired Cardiac Domain programme at the Annual Meeting will feature many interesting sessions, including expert lectures, abstract sessions, live-in-box video presentations and training courses. Topics to be covered include the latest evidence in coronary artery bypass grafting organised by Mario Gaudino, aortic valve repair and replacement by Ruggero De Paulis, mitral and tricuspid valve repair by Michele De Bonis, heart failure therapy by Gloria Färber, arrhythmia surgery by Manuel Castella and advances in basic science by H. Jan Ankersmit. As we discuss the intricacies of cardiovascular trials in the Heart Team, understanding methodology has become ever more important. The research methodology taskforce led

by Fabio Barili has organized sessions and hands-on courses.

The new technology taskforce, chaired by Volkmar Falk, will renew with a Techno College day separate from the regular programme, highlighting the importance of innovation in our Domain. The trial update session will, for the third year, be a highlight of the programme not to miss! Turn to page 10 for more on the Annual Meeting.

Guidelines A major effort by the Domain over the past year has been on guidelines. EACTS and ESC (European Society of Cardiology) have been working hard, and an update for the Valvular Heart Disease guidelines is on track to be published in August. A notable change is the creation of a methodology group to assist the taskforce in the interpretation of the evidence supporting recommendations.

We have also agreed to revise the Left Main chapter of the Myocardial Revascularization guidelines. A team independent from controversial trials included in the guidelines has been nominated, and we look forward to their continued work.

The Domain has many taskforces, as you can see above. If you wish to participate in a taskforce, please apply via your EACTS user account in the self nomination area.

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Domains

Congenital Disease Domain Dr Lorenzo Galletti, Chair The Congenital Domain activity during the past months has been severely influenced by the COVID-19 restrictions that have dominated our lives. Except for the Annual Meeting, which was held virtually, all the courses in 2020 and in the first part 2021 were cancelled or postponed.

The 2021 Congenital Domain activities are as follows:

Education • In early June we ran a level 3 course on the management of complex cono-truncal disease. The course was virtual, held

by Leiden group, and directed by Dr M Hazekamp, EACTS’ President, and Dr N Blom, past President of AEPC. The course focused on the management of Common Arterial Trunk and complex forms of Transposition, characterised by presence of VSD and systemic or pulmonary obstruction, lesions in which the Leiden group accumulated substantial experience in primary treatment as well as management of late sequelae. As usual for level 3, the course was multidisciplinary, including morphological aspect, diagnostic tool and surgical management. The course was aimed at surgeons, cardiologists, anaesthesiologists and intensivists • From 7-9 September we are holding the Fundamentals in Congenital Heart Disease course, directed by Dr L Galletti.

This course, also in virtual format, is aimed mainly at fellows and residents who are at the beginning of their career in congenital heart surgery. The learning objectives of this course are related to clinical evaluation, interpreting basic and advanced imaging, establishing a correct surgical indication and learning the principles of surgical repair for the most common congenital heart defects. The faculty will include cardiologists to stimulate discussion around real clinical cases. Our Academy section on page 18 has more information on how to sign up for courses • We are looking forward to the Annual Meeting, which will include 14 sessions dedicated to the management of congenital heart disease • We are also busy preparing for 2022. We are planning two level 3 courses, one in Rome, dedicated to mechanical circulatory support in paediatric, and the second one probably dedicated to management of single ventricle lesions.

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Contributing to guidelines and position papers The second important activity is providing expert contributions to the development of guidelines and position papers. In 2020, together with the AEPC (Association for European Paediatric and Congenital Cardiology), we published guidelines for Management of Norwood Stage 1, and recently, in collaboration with the ESC (European Society of Cardiology), a position paper for the management of adult congenital patients in emergency departments. Meanwhile, guidelines for the management of common arterial trunk will soon be published in EJCTS. We are also in the process of evaluating two other guidelines, dedicated to the management of vascular rings and Tetralogy of Fallot.

QUIP The third element of our work currently is the creation of a Quality Improvement Programme (QUIP) to evaluate congenital surgery outcomes in Europe. This initiative has been backed by EACTS’ Council. The general idea is to follow the example of the new voluntary public reporting rules for CHD. Participating institutions could get a certification of being a good and trustworthy centre for CHD surgery. Selected institutions must participate and commit to publicly report the numbers of procedures, risk adjusted mortality data, and on the outcomes and volume of benchmark operations. This is an ambitious programme, but will represent a fantastic tool that will contribute to a significant improvement of congenital heart surgery. Turn to page 8 to find out more about QUIP.

EACTS NEWS

Domains

Thoracic Disease Domain Professor Eric Roessner, Chair The Thoracic Domain is looking forward to restarting its activities. We are working very hard to deliver one of the best programmes for the Annual Meeting in Barcelona in October.

While the abstracts are evaluated, we are configuring the focus sessions with an emphasis on modern techniques as well as interaction with our colleagues from oncology, pulmonology, pathology and AHP.

On behalf of the Thoracic Domain it is our pleasure to welcome four new members:

For the first time we will have a joint session with the IASLC (International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer), giving a profound insight in modern multimodal treatment of lung cancer.

We would also like to thank the following members, who have recently left the Domain, for their outstanding contributions:

We will continue to contribute to partner associations and their annual meetings around the world focusing, besides the traditional contributions, on Asia (Asian Society for Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery) and Latin America (STSEACTS-ESTS Latin America Collaboration).

• Marlies Keijzers, Netherlands

Together with our colleagues from ESTS (European Society of Thoracic Surgeons) we joined a taskforce to produce European guidelines for pneumothorax and ground glass opacities in collaboration with our medical partners from ERS (European Respiratory Society).

• Tim Batchelor, UK • Korkut Bostanci, Turkey • Fabian Doerr, Germany • Vincent Fang, China

• Mohsen Ibrahimi, Italy • Alan Sihoe, Hong Kong The Domain would like to thank Peter Licht, Denmark, and Giuseppe Cardillo, Italy, for their constant support for the Domain in the (Executive) Council.

The Domain also wants to thank Michael Dusmet, UK, for his outstanding work to develop the Thoracic Academy courses and for serving as the very successful course director for Thoracic for over a decade; enjoy your retirement Michael!

To support members’ professional development, the Thoracic Domain has restarted Academy courses (turn to page 18 to find out more) and we are also restarting the thoracic contribution in the Francis Fontan Fund (page 25).

Domains

Vascular Domain Dr Konstantinos Tsagakis, Chair The Vascular Domain is launching a new web-based platform for education and scientific discussion at the end of 2021. The four Vascular Domain taskforces will offer webinars on specific topics of their specialty. These webinars will allow EACTS members the opportunity to learn more about specific aortic pathologies and aortic treatments beyond the fundamentals during a short course that can work within a busy schedule.

During the year, we’re aiming for four taskforce webinars related to aortic dissection, organ protection, connective tissue aortic disease and endovascular aortic repair.

Introduction to aortic surgery

We hope the use of these new online courses will help us to reach a broad audience, offering new perspectives in aortic education.

The scientific topics will be covered by a combination of experts and young investigators. The aim of these focused webinars is to improve education in the field, giving a stimulus for further investigations and perspectives in relation to aortic treatment.

Keep an eye on the EACTS website for information on future courses.

At the end of May, we ran the above course online following an initial cancellation back in March due to COVID. Over two days, 38 participants learnt about the fundamentals of aortic disease, including the standard and advanced techniques for aortic treatment. Questions were discussed between experts from both EACTS and STS. The course included four web labs, during which surgical and endovascular techniques were presented and discussed in detail.

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Committees

The EACTS Committees are member led groups working across the four EACTS Domains to support the drive to advance education and promote research. Committees are active across a range of projects and meetings.

Look out for more news from our committees in future issues of EACTS News.

• Clinical

guidelines

• Education

• Residents • Women

in cardiothoracic surgery

turn to page 18 for an update from the Education committee • Quality

improvement & databases (QUIP)

find out the latest below

The EACTS QUIP moving forward in 2021 Theo de By, EUROMACS Director, QUIP Project Manager The continuous efforts of clinicians, nurses, VAD (ventricular assist device) coordinators and data managers has enabled the EACTS Quality Improvement Programme (QUIP) to grow to new levels. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, which has shifted priorities in many hospitals, data in both areas of QUIP continued to grow in 2020 and 2021.

Number of procedures in the Adult Cardiac Database reaches a significant milestone By the end of 2020, over 200,000 anonymised cardiac surgical procedures were recorded in the Adult Cardiac Database (ACD). These data were submitted by 66 participating hospitals which have been submitting cardiac surgical data since 2010.

Reaching this milestone, as well as the fact that 32 additional cardiothoracic surgery units signed to join the ACD, is a good indicator that more data can be expected this year.

By the end of 2020, over 200,000 anonymised cardiac surgical procedures were recorded in the Adult Cardiac Database (ACD)

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The purpose of the ACD is not only to provide a benchmarking platform, but also to provide a guide for clinical decision making. That’s why data quality is of such interest to EACTS. The 2021 plan encompasses several steps to ensure that those who consult the database can rely on the completeness and accuracy of the data. This includes a feedback report of the results to the individual units so that they can confirm the observations. Additionally, the data are checked to correspond with the most recent ACD data definitions and demands. During 2021, we’ll be publishing a comprehensive report on the ACD.

The purpose of the Adult Cardiac Database is not only to provide a benchmarking platform, but also to provide a guide for clinical decision making.

EACTS NEWS

EUROMACS Registry - a source for scientific analysis The EUROMACS Registry records data on survival and morbidity for patients with Mechanical Circulatory Support (MCS) device implants. EUROMACS helps clinicians and industry representatives by enabling them to understand the factors that influence the results of MCS therapy in more detail.

Research initiatives from the contributing centres are evaluated against criteria including their originality, innovation, focus, methodology and feasibility.

By 2020, 19 studies had been published by scientists using data from the EUROMACS Registry. A further seven studies are currently in progress, due to be submitted during 2021.

Data quality is of paramount importance on the EUROMACS Registry. Methods to ensure optimal data quality include data input control, onsite audits and statistical analysis. Sub-optimal data are excluded from the Registry reports.

Up until May 2021, a total of 6,750 procedures have been registered on EUROMACS, with more than 500 of these procedures relating to children. The EACTS EUROMACS Committee has formed a paediatric sub-committee in order to be advised on specific requirements to carry out analysis on paediatric data. In 2021, EACTS members will be able to access Registry reports for both adult and paediatric outcomes.

In its 10 years of existence, the EUROMACS Registry has grown into a robust repository of clinical data on long term MCS from a large international community.

For more information about the ACD and how to join please click here For more information about EUROMACS please click here

In its 10 years of existence, the EUROMACS Registry has grown into a robust repository of clinical data on long term MCS from a large international community.

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Annual Meeting

The 35th EACTS Annual Meeting Reconnecting: see you in Barcelona Art and architecture, carnival and cuisine, and of course football... Barcelona is already famous for many things, and EACTS is delighted to announce that from 13-16 October this year, it will become the centre of the cardiothoracic world, as the city hosts the 35th EACTS Annual Meeting.

For the first time, the event will run in a hybrid format - delegates can attend in-person at the Barcelona International Convention Centre (CCIB), or via our new virtual platform. This new format means that whether you join us in Spain, or from your office or home, more people than ever can access this exciting opportunity to explore new scientific insights, learn about the latest innovations in cardiothoracic surgery and importantly, take part in stimulating debates alongside global experts.

As we develop our plans for the Annual Meeting, the health and safety of delegates, partners and exhibitors is of course our primary concern.

The most up to date information, including how to register, is now available on the EACTS website - there is a discounted registration fee for all EACTS members, plus further reductions for groups including Residents, Allied Health Professionals, students, retired members and those on lower incomes. With places limited at the in-person event, due to the need to ensure social distancing, we encourage EACTS members hoping to travel to Barcelona to book soon to avoid disappointment.

Registration fees

Annual Meeting Hybrid*+ (14-16 October)

Annual Meeting Virtual (14-16 October)

Techno College Hybrid (13 October)

Techno College Virtual (13 October)

Member

€500

€125

€350

€90

Non-member

€990

€400

€650

€170

Allied health/ Residents**

€250

€30

Not applicable

*The hybrid fee includes access to the in-person meeting in Barcelona AND to the virtual event via the EACTS platform + Reduced registration fees are available for delegates attending both the Techno College and the Annual Meeting (hybrid only) - find out more on the website

**Reduced registration restricted to EACTS members

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EACTS NEWS

As we develop our plans for the Annual Meeting, the health and safety of delegates, partners and exhibitors is of course our primary concern. We are making adaptations to allow for physical distancing, as required by the Spanish Government, and continue to actively review the government’s guidance to ensure full compliance with restrictions. The CCIB itself has also developed a set of safety measures, including cleaning and disinfection, and has installed new air conditioning.

For those people joining remotely, we are using a different platform to that used for the fully remote 34th EACTS Annual Meeting in 2020. Taking account of feedback from participants last year, and making use of this new, innovative, flexible platform, means we will be able to deliver a great experience wherever you are.

Rafael Sádaba, Secretary General of EACTS, comments: “Although COVID-19 restrictions across the world have made life more difficult for many people, including our members, they have also encouraged organisations like EACTS to make better use of digital platforms. I’m delighted that we can offer this hybrid format for the 35th EACTS Annual Meeting, which will make the event more inclusive by being accessible to our members and colleagues across the world, regardless of where they live and their ability to travel.”

However you join, we’re sure that the largest event for the cardiothoracic community will be a great opportunity to explore, discover and learn. We can’t wait to reconnect with you.

Although COVID-19 restrictions across the world have made life more difficult for many people, including our members, they have also encouraged organisations like EACTS to make better use of digital platforms. I’m delighted that we can offer this hybrid format for the 35th EACTS Annual Meeting, which will make the event more inclusive by being accessible to our members and colleagues across the world, regardless of where they live and their ability to travel.

Update on abstracts General Abstract submission closed at the beginning of May and over 400 peers blind reviewed the submissions before the EACTS Programme Committee spent their weekend selecting abstracts for presentation at the Annual Meeting.

A great programme has been arranged, so don’t miss out and get planning to attend the 35th EACTS Annual Meeting.

Notifications to people who submitted abstracts and to presenters will be issued shortly.

Allied Health Professionals are invited to submit their abstracts now. The deadline is 1 July 2021. Papers examining any part of the patient journey will be considered. These may include aspects of quality, clinical care, research, case studies or roles and workforce issues. Accepted abstracts will be presented in the Allied Health Professionals session on Saturday 16 October 2021.

You can now also submit entries for the Techno College Award. We are looking for technological breakthroughs in all areas related to thoracic and cardiovascular research, in particular for new surgical methods or devices. Innovations can be in the form of patents, inventions, new products, ideas or services. The innovations should have the potential to change our standard practice and should go beyond marginal improvements in existing procedures or products. The closing date for applications is 12 September 2021.

For more information, please click here For more information on Techno College, see page 13

Submissions for Late Breaking Clinical Trials can be entered from 1 July 2021. The deadline is 15 August 2021. Late breaking trials are typically first-time international presentations of the primary endpoint or important secondary endpoint results of prospective multi centre randomised trials or presentations of large-scale, impactful single centre or multi centre registries, first-in-man experiences with novel devices or drugs, and important follow up data from major randomised trials.

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Annual Meeting

Programme preview: explore, discover, educate and shape the future of cardiothoracic surgery

Explore, discover, educate THE 35TH EACTS ANNUAL MEETING

PROGRAMME AT A GLANCE Wednesday 13 October

Thursday 14 October

Friday 15 October

Saturday 16 October

08:00

08:00

08:15

08:15

08:30

08:30

Parallel Sessions

08:45 09:00

08:45

Parallel Sessions

09:15

Parallel Sessions

09:30 09:45 10:00 10:15 10:30

Hands on Training

Break

10:45

09:45

Break

Parallel Sessions

11:00

Plenary

11:15

Parallel Sessions

11:30 11:45

Break

Break

Parallel Sessions (Thoracic & Congenital)

13:00

Industry Satellite Sessions

13:30 13:45

Break

14:45 15:00

Techno-College

15:30

Break

16:00 16:15 16:30 16:45 17:00

11:15 11:30

12:00 12:15

Industry Satellite Sessions

12:30

Exhibition

Parallel Sessions

Break

12:45 13:00 13:15 13:30 13:45

Break

14:00 14:15

Parallel Sessions

Parallel Sessions

Parallel Sessions Hands on Training

Hands on Training

14:45 15:00 15:15 15:30

Exhibition

Break

Hands on Training

Parallel Sessions

Break

15:45 16:00 16:15

Parallel Sessions

16:30 16:45 17:00

17:15

17:15

17:30

17:30

17:45 18:00 18:15 18:30 18:45

12

10:45

14:30

Parallel Sessions

15:15

15:45

10:30

Exhibition

Break

14:15 14:30

10:15

11:00

Break

12:45

14:00

Parallel Sessions (Thoracic & Congenital)

Break

12:15

13:15

10:00

Hands on Training

11:45

Presidential address

12:00

12:30

09:15 09:30

Hands on Training

Break

09:00

17:45

General Assembly (EACTS Members Only)

18:00 18:15 18:30 18:45

EACTS NEWS

The 35th EACTS Annual Meeting is the largest event for the cardiothoracic community. This year we continue to break new boundaries by offering a packed programme of education and discussion ranging from plenary sessions covering the latest guidelines and clinical trials, to informative debate through professional challenge, focus and abstract sessions and interactive hands-on training.

Our team, including surgeons from across the globe, is working hard to bring you a best in class programme that works both for those attending in Barcelona and those planning to join us virtually. We look forward to sharing a more detailed programme with you shortly. In the meantime, here’s a preview of some of the activity we have lined up for you.

Techno College Our world class science will start on Wednesday 13 October with a full day showcasing new technology and techniques in our Techno College sessions. While we have sessions focused on new technology throughout the Annual Meeting, the Techno College is an opportunity for a more focused look at the latest technologies in the field of cardiovascular and thoracic surgery as well as interventional cardiology.

The Techno College has a unique format which includes live surgery and interventions, live-in-box cases and state of the art lectures – educating surgeons and cardiologists on the appropriate use of new cardiovascular techniques and technologies.

Since its foundation, EACTS’ Techno College has emerged as one of the leading meetings in cardiac surgery worldwide. This year’s programme provides in-depth review of current and future technologies, innovative methods, and techniques in the field.

Topics for the Techno College are selected by the New Technology Taskforce, which is chaired by Professor Volkmar Falk. The topics chosen are based on their relevance and potential impact to change practice. They include innovations in the form of patents, inventions, techniques and new products.

Professor Volkmar Falk is medical director and director of the DHZB Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery of the German Heart Centre, Berlin. He is also Chair of the Division of Cardiovascular Surgery at the Charité Berlin.

After successfully completing medical school and his doctorate at the University of Bonn he began his basic surgical training at the University in Göttingen and completed his residency at the Department of Cardiac Surgery of the Heart Center Leipzig. His main areas of current clinical and academic research are in the field of endoscopic and minimally invasive cardiac surgery and image guided transcatheter therapies.

Professor Falk was co-founder of the Innovation Center for Computer Assisted Surgery (ICCAS) at the University of Leipzig. In Zurich, he established numerous research collaborations, including the ‘Zurich Heart’ Project, an interdisciplinary project at the interface of medical engineering and surgery for the development of new components for

I recently met with the newly formed New Technology Taskforce to discuss and choose the subject areas for this year’s Techno College. These sessions are vital for surgeons to attend as it gives them the opportunity to explore the latest and greatest innovations in treatments and techniques required in their daily practice. Innovations and advances in the field are now emerging at incredible speed, so keeping abreast of developments in the market is key. These sessions will be a great way to start the Annual Meeting and we look forward to sharing more information on the programme for the day very soon. Professor Volkmar Falk

mechanical circulatory assist systems.

He has authored and co-authored over 566 scientific publications and serves on the editorial board of a number of journals in the field, as well as on a number of International Guideline Committees.

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Annual Meeting

The New Technology Taskforce members

14

Surgeon

Practising in

Volkmar Falk (Chair)

Germany

Husam Balkhy

USA

Daniel Blackman

UK

Michael Borger

Germany

Lenard Conradi

Germany

Paolo Denti

Italy

Marco Di Eusanio

Italy

Omer Dzemali

Germany

Tomas Holubec

Germany

Joerg Kempfert

Germany

Theo Kofidis

Singapore

Piotr Suwalski

Poland

Simo Syrjälä

Finland

Nicolas Van Mieghem

Netherlands

Joseph Zacharias

UK

Michal Zembala

Poland

EACTS NEWS

Skills Corner

Brand new for the 35th EACTS Annual Meeting, the Skills Corner is an innovative new way of sharing content with our worldwide audience. It will be available for those attending our event in Barcelona, as well as via our online platform.

The Skills Corner will provide attendees with in-depth training focusing on specific products via live demonstrations, step by step masterclasses and educational tutorials.

Attendees will benefit from the skills of experienced surgeons and key opinion leaders, expanding their knowledge in specialist areas through a combination of: • Live training workshops from the EACTS training village on-site in Barcelona including: coronary surgery, aortic valve repair, mitral valve surgery, TAVI/TMVI, congenital surgery, TEVAR and thoracic surgery • Live training workshops brought to you by our industry partners • How-I-Do-It video training sessions with step-by-step demonstrations of key procedures • Video presentations highlighting new procedures and techniques • Newsfeed and discussion/chat feature • Editorial content.

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Annual Meeting

Barcelona travel guide – where the city meets the beach

EACTS NEWS

Exploring Barcelona

A museum for all interests

The cosmopolitan city of Barcelona will host the 35th EACTS Annual Meeting.

Barcelona boasts an impressive number of museums, celebrating the city’s rich Catalan history and culture as well as some of its most famous artists. In fact, with over 70 museums to enjoy there is something to suit all interests. The most famous is the Museu Picasso, home to the largest collection of Picasso’s art in the world. The most delicious museum in the city is perhaps the chocolate museum, Museu de la Xocolata, which explores the history of chocolate throughout Europe and features chocolate sculptures of Barcelona’s most iconic buildings.

With its winding narrow streets, golden beaches and mix of modern and gothic architecture, Barcelona offers something for all visitors.

Cultural heritage The works by Art Noveau architect Antoni Gaudi are synonymous with Barcelona and a trip to the city is not complete without visiting some of his most famous buildings. One of the most recognisable is the Sagrada Familia, Gaudi’s unfinished masterpiece. The church is an iconic symbol of Barcelona and has remained under construction for over 100 years.

Situated on the edge of the city is the Park Guell, a municipal park and gardens filled with unique architectural features, designed by Gaudi to integrate with the natural surroundings. Free to the public, the park offers expansive views of the city all the way to the sea.

Culinary delights Barcelona, and the region of Catalonia, has a strong culinary reputation, influenced by neighbouring France and Valencia. Due to its proximity to the Mediterranean, Barcelona is well known for its great fresh seafood as well as its classic tapas dishes such as la bomba.

The city has an abundance of world class eateries, including over 20 Michelin starred restaurants. Delicious Catalan cuisine can also be found in the many smaller cafes and restaurants hidden down the city’s narrow streets as well as in the food markets such as La Boqueria Market.

Discover the history One of the oldest and most beautiful districts in Barcelona is the gothic quarter.

A labyrinth of small medieval streets full of little bars, restaurants and shops.

It is here where the oldest buildings in Barcelona can be found including the Cathedral of Barcelona and the Placa Sant Jaume, the city’s political hub.

After exploring the rich history and culture of Barcelona, the wide variety of excellent beaches located along 4.5km of coastline offer an inviting opportunity to relax and soak up the atmosphere of this truly exciting and vibrant city.

After exploring the Gothic Quarter visitors can easily reach La Ramblas, the tree lined pedestrian street which runs through the heart of the city. The busy street is famous for its street performers and human statues as well as the circular tile mosaic designed by the artist, Miro.

#EACTS2021

#EACTS35 17

Academy

EACTS Academy goes digital Update from the Education Committee The impact that COVID-19 has had on our lives has been profound. New ways of socialising and working have had to be embraced in a short period of time.

Embracing the new normal Traditional methods of education have had to be abandoned and one of our most important tasks has been to generate a solution to allow a continuing commitment to education in these times through the EACTS Academy by embracing the ‘new normal’.

New Director of the EACTS Academy This year, EACTS welcomed Aaron Ranasinghe from Birmingham, UK, as the new Director of the EACTS Academy with a focus primarily on the popular Fundamentals courses, which are the backbone of the Academy. For the implementation, technical support and management, Kirsty Clarke, Education Programme Manager, has continued to work tirelessly to ensure that the Academy delivers.

With the aim of not only updating the courses to a digital format, but also for the first time to specifically link them to the EBCTS syllabus (turn to page 24), the first Fundamentals course focusing on coronary artery bypass surgery was conducted virtually in April 2021, with double the number of registrations.

On pages 21 to 22, we hear directly from some people who benefited from attending the course. The next Cardiac Fundamentals courses (Aortic Valve, Mitral and Tricuspid) are planned for September and December 2021.

The Thoracic Domain has successfully launched the first EACTS online webinar on a fortnightly basis, covering the topics from previous Thoracic Fundamentals courses. Again, registrations have surpassed previous years.

The faculty for all of these courses have been drawn mainly from the accompanying Domains and Taskforces and have included truly world class speakers. The ability for delegates to interact with members of faculty (even in an online setting) has been exciting to see. We hope that the aim to solidify the links between the courses and the EBCTS syllabus will be of benefit to delegates.

The faculty for all of these courses have been drawn mainly from the accompanying Domains and Taskforces and have included truly world class speakers.

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Looking to the future What about the future? Despite the ease of just having to switch a computer on, feedback suggests that there is still a desire for the human contact of face to face courses. We’re aiming to run approximately 70% of the usual course content in 2022 and are planning for a mixture of online, hybrid and face to face courses.

New for 2022 will be our online ‘teaser’ seminars to highlight the high quality of the Level 1 Fundamentals courses, as well as online Level 2/3 courses which will be Taskforce directed encompassing all areas of cardiothoracic surgery.

The last year has been difficult but we hope that we are now coming out of the tunnel and into an exciting new educational experience for all EACTS members.

Over the coming months we will start to advertise courses as Level 1, 2 or 3, depending on the target audience. The aim is to ensure that the right delegates attend the right course at the right time in their career.

Level 1 Residents in training with the course content closely allied to the EBCTS syllabus (refer to page 24)

Level 2 Residents in the final years of training and surgeons at the beginning of independent practice

Level 3 Surgeons established in independent practice

EACTS NEWS

What’s coming up… dates for your diary We’re delighted to announce the following Academy courses that are scheduled to take place during 2021. All information, including how to book, is available on the EACTS website. These courses are very popular, so we advise early booking to avoid disappointment.

Name of course

Date (s) - 2021

Format

Thoracic Surgery Series 2

6 September - 4 October

Online

Congenital Heart Disease

7 - 9 September

Online

Fundamentals in Cardiac Surgery: Aortic Valve and Root

16 - 17 September

Online

5th EACTS Mechanical Circulatory Support Summit

4 - 6 November

Berlin, Germany – see below for an overview of the Summit

Aortic Forum

15 - 16 November

Bologna, Italy

Fundamentals in Cardiac Surgery: Mitral and Tricuspid Valve

9 - 10 December

Online

Please note: all courses are subject to change

A look forward to the 5th EACTS Mechanical Circulatory Support Summit, 4-6 November

The Course Directors are: Jan Gummert (Bad Oeynhausen, Germany), Volkmar Falk (Berlin, Germany), Ivan Netuka (Prague, Czech Republic) and Finn Gustafsson (Copenhagen, Denmark).

If you’re interested in learning more about the topics below, attendance at the Summit is a must!

The three day programme will consist of interactive lectures, live-in-a-box cases and keynote presentations.

• Paediatric MCS

Who should attend?

• Rehabilitation after MCS

The Summit will appeal to a wide target audience including cardiologists, heart failure cardiologists, emergency and ICU specialists (ECLS), cardiac surgeons, perfusionists, heart failure nurses and ventricular assist device (VAD) coordinators, medical industry representatives (cardiac devices including ECMO development and production), paediatric cardiologists and congenital heart disease surgeons.

• Current status of heart failure therapy • Update on guidelines and registries • Challenges in long term support (case oriented) • Unusual cases and creative solutions • Challenges in ongoing VAD therapy – different centre, different approach • Reviews of the latest developments and perspectives in the VAD field.

Find more information on the Summit here

We’re delighted to announce that the 5th EACTS Mechanical Circulatory Support Summit will be returning to Berlin this year, as an in-person meeting, from 4-6 November.

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Academy

The Thoracic Surgery Series The Thoracic Surgery Series is a unique opportunity for junior thoracic surgeons to interact with renowned surgeons and to become experts in all aspects of surgery, from the bench to the operating table.

The course, run as a series in three separate parts, has been fully revised to ensure it aligns with the current EBCTS syllabus (see page 24) for those currently working as a surgeon in training in a thoracic and/or cardiac department.

Series 1:

Series 2:

Series 3:

The first course (Series 1) took place this year from April to June and was attended by nearly 50 people from three continents – Europe, Australia and Asia.

Starting in September, the second course (Series 2) will cover intermediate knowledge of thoracic surgery, addressing procedures such as sleeve/ double sleeve lobectomies.

Taking place in Winter 2021 (date to be confirmed), the third course (Series 3) will address the most advanced procedures in thoracic surgery, including tracheal surgery from subglottic stenosis to tracheal transplantation, ECMO and much more demanding procedures that require great skill.

The course covered basic knowledge in thoracic surgery, with a special focus on the management of complications. Interactive lectures and case scenarios allowed attendees to actively participate in the evaluation of various clinical scenarios. The course also focused on problem solving and evaluation of pre and postoperative imaging.

The course was run by Giuseppe Cardillo, thoracic surgeon at San Camillo Forlanini Hospital in Rome, Italy.

Find more on the Thoracic Surgery Series here

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The course is run by Mohsen Ibrahim, thoracic surgeon at San Andrea University Hospital in Rome, Italy.

The course is run by Davor Stamenovic, thoracic surgeon from Mainz, Germany.

EACTS NEWS

Academy

Fundamentals courses remain popular The highly successful Fundamentals courses are running this year and we have already seen excellent levels of participation.

In April, a two day online Fundamentals in Coronary Artery Disease course took place with experts from around the world delivering high quality lectures and engaging in stimulating debates with the delegates.

Let’s hear from the delegates Below we hear directly from three delegates who attended the first Fundamentals course focusing on coronary artery disease, that took place in April.

Two further online Fundamentals courses are planned for later in 2021: • Aortic Valve and Root - 16 – 17 September • Mitral and Tricuspid - 9 – 10 December.

We hope that these topic focused Fundamentals courses will continue to be successful.

Katrine Hordnes Slagsvold, MD PhD, final year of training in Cardiothoracic surgery St Olavs hospital, Trondheim University Hospital This year’s EACTS Fundamentals in Cardiac Surgery course took place online due to the obvious challenges with the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of us currently training in cardiothoracic surgery have had to postpone

course participation during the last year as the majority of courses have unfortunately been cancelled.

Along with other colleagues I was very pleased with how the EACTS Academy adapted to arrange a course online. At the same time, I was apprehensive as to whether the experience and educational benefit would be the same via a computer screen as it’s previously been with inperson courses.

I must say I was impressed with the implementation of the course on all levels - both the expertise of the lecturers and their ability and willingness to communicate their experience and knowledge through their presentations. I also enjoyed the lively discussions where differences of opinion were welcomed and reflected upon in a highly informative manner that illuminated the nuances and pitfalls in the treatment of coronary artery disease.

The engagement of the faculty members and their ability to speak freely amongst themselves and with participants, not holding back differences of opinion and being open to hearing each other’s pros and cons, made this course one that I would highly recommend. They were able to highlight the importance of our role as cardiac surgeons in treating coronary artery disease in the best possible way for our patients, and to be adaptable to the diverse situations and challenges that we may encounter. Although being able to meet in person when the situation allows will add a social level that I think is missed by most of us, I think this form of online interaction is a great way of maintaining educational activities as an alternative.

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Academy

Ilias Iakovakis, Cardiac Surgeon, Locum Consultant Hippokratio Hospital, Athens, Greece EACTS always aims to raise high standards in education, by supporting cardiothoracic surgeons to achieve and maintain all the necessary theoretical and surgical skills. The

Fundamentals in Coronary Artery Disease course that I attended in April 2021, maintained this high standard.

in touch with the lecturers and faculty members, exchange experience and discuss questions.

It was a two day course with excellent structure and content. It included basics such as anatomy and clinical trials, as well as discussions around angiograms and clinical scenarios, as well as tips and tricks for surgical excellence. The lectures covered clinical aspects from the diagnosis of coronary artery disease through to advanced investigations and medical therapy necessary for decisionmaking and treatment of patients.

Overall, I have a very positive experience and have already recommended this course to my younger colleagues and residents.

It is an excellent course for younger surgeons at the beginning of their career as well as for more experienced surgeons, as there is always the opportunity to learn something new, for example, the TUTE calculator that Mr Nashef presented to us. Since the course, I have started using it daily with my surgical patients as part of my hospital practice.

The topics were well selected and all the presentations were from an amazing faculty, all of them experts and very well known in their field.

One of the best components of this course is the high level of interaction.

All the participants were invited to join the discussions of selected cases, get

presents to the ER, followed by interpretation of the findings and discussion about therapy options.

Numerous lectures on various topics were presented by cardiac surgeons from around the world. Discussions of case studies also took place in small groups.

Overall, the entire course was well structured and organised.

Maria Nucera, Resident at Department of Cardiovascular Surgery Inselspital University Hospital, University Bern, Switzerland The intense two day programme provided a variety of step-by-step instructions from the time a patient

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There was an easy start investigating patients with chest pain where every participant could interpret a part of the findings. Medical treatment, PCI or CABG as therapy options were then debated. Conduit selection for CABG as well as on-pump or off-pump options were also discussed, with a focus on the importance of heart teams as part of the decision-making process.

To sum up: Very impressed. Fantastic faculty. Excellent discussions. Highly recommended.

Due to the fact that the course was online, the interaction between participants was somewhat limited.

I’m hoping that the pandemic will soon be over and we can meet in person at a course soon.

EACTS NEWS

The first Fundamentals course in numbers – feedback from attendees:

82% of respondents rated the presentations as ‘excellent’

93% said they’d learnt information they could use in their current job

86%

100%

said they’d learnt ‘a lot’ that would be useful in terms of advancing their careers

would recommend the course to a friend or colleague

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EBTCS exams

Cardiothoracic surgery examinations bringing quality and patient safety to the frontline Stephen Clark, Chair of EBCTS Amanda Cameron, Registration Manager, EACTS

The European Board of Cardiothoracic Surgery level 1 examination (MEBCTS) is a comprehensive, complete and challenging examination focusing on adult cardiac and congenital surgery, and thoracic surgery and critical care management.

In 2020, the pandemic meant that we had to adapt our Level 1 examination process as the previous method of an in-person examination became became impossible in the context of a global pandemic. We also separated the exam into two specialities – adult cardiac and congenital surgery, and thoracic surgery to better represent the nature and realities of training. Candidates can however choose to take one or both specialities according to their preference. Despite the difficulties that COVID-19 had imposed, we were determined to deliver a top-level examination for our candidates and the wider surgical community to ensure that career progression was unaffected.

After rigorous testing and standard setting by 18 examiners, the first remote live proctored exams - where candidates could sit the exam from their own home or office - were held in October 2020. Candidates were monitored through their webcam, their mobile phone camera in another location, computer screen capture and audio recording along with live monitoring by professionally trained invigilators.

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128 candidates participated over the two specialities (+203% on 2019). Success rates of 25% in thoracic surgery and 40% in adult cardiac and congenital surgery were recorded. In a post examination survey, candidates indicated that remote proctoring was a success and overwhelmingly agreed that they would recommend the examination to their colleagues.

Great effort continues to be put into creating and delivering EBCTS exams, with a significant number of surgeons being trained and engaging in question writing, assessment and peer-reviewing.

For future candidates, it’s imperative to be familiar with the syllabus, as well as currently available literature and state-ofthe-art practice to ensure success. Our surgical community exists to provide the very best care to our patients and the EBCTS examination will continue to put the highest quality and patient safety at the frontline as we adapt the examination process to the post pandemic environment.

The next level 1 exams will be held on 28 and 29 September 2021, again via remote live proctoring given the success of this platform. Applications are open and more information can be found at ebcts.org. The deadline for applying is 30 June 2021.

2020 saw a huge increase - +203% in people taking the MEBCTS exams, despite having to move them online due to the pandemic.

Fellowships

EACTS launches largest Fellowship programme The Francis Fontan Fund for Education represents a vital part of EACTS’ educational offering. This year, the Fund is making available its largest and most generous programme of training and mentorship awards ever. The Fellowship programme offers unique career opportunities across a range of cardio and thoracic surgical experiences, with access to world-class courses, residential training in both European and American centres of excellence and clinical proctorship with surgical leaders.

Open for applications from 1 July, the Fund is making available a wide variety of different Fellowship schemes to EACTS members throughout the world.

Applications deadlines are set for later this year and successful Fellows will start their training from January 2022.

Fellowships available include: • 2022 Atrial Fibrillation Fellowship sponsored by Atricure • 2022 Aortic TEVAR Fellowship sponsored by Terumo • 2022 Aortic Root & Valve Repair Fellowship • 2022 Fellowship in Advanced Intensive Postoperative Care • 2022 Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Fellowship sponsored by Medtronic • 2022 EACTS-MSTCVS Quality and Outcomes Fellowship • 2022 Thoracic Surgery Foundation/ Francis Fontan Fund International Traveling Fellowship Professor Rafael Sádaba, Chairman of the Francis Fontan Fund, commented:

“The Fund’s mission is to create a global community sharing and learning from the highest standards of cardiothoracic care. Our Fellows are given the tools to establish life-saving new techniques in their institution and to emerge with skills, techniques and supportive professional networks that they could not have gained in any other way.

“The Fund offers generous awards to support travel and living costs and previous Fellows have spoken enthusiastically about the career defining opportunities the scheme has given them. This year’s offering is larger, more generous and with the widest array of surgical areas covered. I would encourage anyone with an interest in taking that important leap in their surgical career, to find out more.”

For more information click here

MMCTS

‘A video speaks a million words’: call for entries for MMCTS Residents’ Tutorial Competition Cardiothoracic surgery residents have until the end of July to create and submit a video tutorial for a new annual competition which reflects the ‘essential’ role of video in modern medical education.

The MMCTS Residents’ Tutorial Competition will recognise the best core skills video tutorial, based on four criteria: demonstrated surgical skill; technical excellence of recorded video and narration; succinctness and precision of accompanying descriptive text; and educational proficiency. The winning tutorial will also be published in MMCTS, as will other submissions that pass editorial review.

The competition is a joint initiative between EACTS, the Multimedia Association for Cardiothoracic Surgery

(MMCTS) and the Thoracic Surgery Residents Association (TSRA), with the winner receiving the Marko Turina Award, named in honour of MMCTS’s founding editor.

Miia Lehtinen, past Chairwoman of EACTS Residents Committee and member of the TSRA Education Committee, said: “A picture is worth a thousand words - and a video is worth a million! Textbooks often simplify surgical anatomy and procedures and, for a cardiothoracic trainee, learning by watching videos is crucial.

“Trainees themselves are the best experts on what is difficult to learn from books and where real-world videos are simply essential for profound learning. Thus, we want to engage all residents worldwide to share their learning experiences by recording and narrating their own video tutorials, with topics ranging from VATS port placement to ECMO initiation and beyond.”

Entries will be reviewed initially by members of the EACTS Residents’ Committee and the TSRA. Finalists and the winning entry will be selected by the MMCTS Editors in Chief René Prêtre and Roberto Lorusso, along with the Domain Editor for Core Skills, Bartosz Rylski.

The Marko Turina Award will be presented at the EACTS Awards Ceremony during the 35th EACTS Annual Meeting in October 2021, with the lead author of the winning submission being given complimentary admission to the event. All members of the winning team will receive an award certificate. For the first time, the EACTS Annual Meeting will be held in a hybrid format with both attendees in Barcelona, and remote delegates joining virtually from across the world (see p10 for more on the event).

Deadline for entries: 31 July 2021 Visit MMCTS for more information Winner honoured at EACTS Annual Meeting - and receives complimentary admission

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Journals

EJCTS increasing the visibility and reuse of academic research results

funders and charitable foundations, to provide free online access to research published in scientific journals in order to make science freely available to everyone.

The European Journal of Cardiothoracic Surgery (EJCTS) is undergoing some important changes following the appointment of Professor Matthias Siepe as the new Editor in Chief late last year.

The international journal, which publishes high quality original scientific reports documenting progress in cardiac and thoracic surgery, recently moved to an online only publication. By accessing the journal online, readers can find information easier and faster from any device in any location.

Improving access to research To further improve access to the scientific reports and research published in both the EJCTS and the Interactive Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery (ICVTS) the journals are set to become open access. This means that all peer reviewed research articles will be openly available from the point of publication.

There is a drive across the scientific community, including from research

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This is good news for both authors and readers. One of the most important advantages of open access is that it increases the visibility and reuse of academic research results. This means that authors who submit papers to the EJCTS will achieve the widest possible dissemination and greater exposure for their work.

In line with other open access journals, authors will be asked to pay an article processing charge (ACP) to publish their contributions. A discounted ACP charge will be offered to EACTS members.

Whilst the move to become an open access journal will take place over the coming months, authors can now request and pay for their work to be open access.

Significant and informative research The EJCTS publishes reports of significant clinical and experimental advances related to surgery of the heart, the great vessels and the chest. This includes, most recently, the results of a prospective observational cohort study to determine the 5 year outcome in patients treated by isolated transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) or surgical aortic valve replacement (sAVR).

As a result, reader engagement with the EJCTS continues to increase, with an average of over 109,000 visits to the journal’s content to date this year.

Professor Siepe says: “As Editor in Chief it’s a real privilege to be in contact with so many excellent surgeons and editors of other journals and have the opportunity to review important research. The role involves making some challenging decisions, but it is also enlarging my view of the scientific world.

“We continue to build on our relationship with Oxford University Press (OUP), which includes making a seamless transition to a virtual editorial office run by the OUP. I look forward to steering the journals through these important changes and continuing to ensure our papers withstand the test of integrity and accountability.”

As Editor in Chief it’s a real privilege to be in contact with so many excellent surgeons and editors of other journals and have the opportunity to review important research.

International collaboration

EACTS and The Society of Thoracic Surgeons extend support for traveling surgeons

For young faculty surgeons wishing to continue their education outside of their home countries, a new Fellowship provides financial support for international travel to learn novel techniques, adapt innovative technology, and foster collaboration among surgical investigators.

Successful applicants will demonstrate a record of excellence in training and academic achievement. They must have secured a position at a host institution and with a mentor capable of providing continued growth and development in the realm of cardiothoracic surgery.

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS), based in the US, and EACTS have collaborated to offer The Thoracic Surgery Foundation (TSF)/ Francis Fontan Fund International Traveling Fellowship.

The award, €16,500 ($20,000 USD) for up to 16 weeks, is to be used for international travel to study under the guidance of a mentor, learning new skills that the recipients can use to further the progress of cardiothoracic surgery at their home institutions. TSF is the charitable arm of STS.

In addition, applicants must be cardiothoracic surgeons who are certified by the American Board of Thoracic Surgery or its equivalent in a country outside of the US and within seven years of their first faculty appointment. Mentors are required to be members of STS or EACTS. Applications open on 1 July and must be submitted by 15 September.

“This Fellowship is the first collaborative effort of these foundations with the aim of building a global community of thoracic surgeons,” said Rafael Sádaba, EACTS Secretary General and chair of the Fund.

“It will give surgeons from Europe and North America the opportunity to learn from surgeons dedicated to the highest standards of cardiothoracic care.”

This Fellowship is the first collaborative effort of these foundations with the aim of building a global community of thoracic surgeons.

It will give surgeons from Europe and North America the opportunity to learn from surgeons dedicated to the highest standards of cardiothoracic care.

Abstract submissions for STS 2022 are underway, and international researchers and educators are welcome to submit by 3 August. For more information, visit sts.org/annualmeeting.

All Fellowship recipients will be notified this autumn, with the official announcement being made at the STS Annual Meeting, 29 January - 1 February 2022, in Miami Beach, Florida.

Turn to page 25 for more news on Fellowships.

More details are available at thoracicsurgeryfoundation.org/awards.

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International collaboration

News from Latin America Dr Victor Dayan

About LACES The Latin American Association of Cardiac and Endovascular Surgery (LACES), headed up by President Dr Victor Dayan, represents Latin American professionals and trainees from the cardiovascular, endovascular and thoracic surgery fields. Other specialties such as cardiology, cardiovascular anesthesia, cardiovascular nursing and perfusion are also welcome to join LACES. The association carries out scientific activities related to the clinical practice of cardiac and endovascular surgery. It also encourages research to increase and disseminate knowledge and innovations about cardiovascular physiology, pathology and therapy across Latin America and the world.

LACES also promotes free academic discussion of science and new developments related to the cardiovascular, endovascular and thoracic surgery field. To find out more about LACES please visit www.latamlaces.org

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Dr Mateo Marin-Cuartas

The impact and influence of LACES has been rapidly growing worldwide and our membership now includes international specialists from all continents. Recently, the American Association of Thoracic Surgeons (AATS) publicly acknowledged LACES as a partner association.

LACES Grand Rounds – a virtual review of clinical cases The LACES Grand Rounds, headed up

by Dr Mateo Marin-Cuartas, Chair of the LACES Residents Committee and residents’ representative at the LACES Board of Directors, have been possible thanks to the valuable support of EACTS. These monthly virtual meetings allow residents and staff surgeons from

EACTS NEWS

Latin America to present and discuss challenging and interesting clinical cases.

We’re also grateful for the support EACTS offered for the recent publication of the ‘The Latin American Association of Cardiac and Endovascular Surgery statement regarding the recently released 2020 ACC/AHA Guidelines for the Management of Patients with Valvular Heart Disease’, which was featured in over six national and international cardiac surgery journals.

LACES Editorial Committee We’re pleased to announce that the LACES Editorial Committee, our online platform for peer-reviewed and open access online publication of scientific content, has been officially launched.

Given the regional differences of Latin America in comparison to North American and European countries, a project to develop the LatamSCORE for preoperative prediction of morbidity and mortality following cardiac surgery is currently ongoing, with centres from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico and Uruguay participating.

Unification and standardisation of training quality LACES has also been working on the first multinational Latin American wide survey to analyse differences and disparities in the training and professional practice of cardiac surgery in Latin America. This multinational comparative analysis is the first step in the design and development of a Latin American Cardiac Surgery Board Exam for unification and standardisation of training quality across the continent.

Collaboration is the way forward These important developments at LACES have been the result of a strong collaboration with EACTS. We would like to particularly pay tribute to former EACTS Secretary General, Dr Domenico Pagano, who helped cement our position globally as an independent and respected scientific association representing the interests of Latin American surgeons.

With what we believe to be similar moral and ethical principles, we look forward to working with EACTS on mutually beneficial projects for many years to come.

The impact and influence of LACES has been rapidly growing worldwide and our membership now includes international specialists from all continents.

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