Issue 29 | March 2022 - EACTS News

NEWS Issue 29 / March 2022

The quarterly publication for EACTS members

EACTS IS IN SOLIDARITY WITH EACTS MEMBERS IN UKRAINE See page 2

Issue 29 Highlights 3. Improving patient outcomes 6. Domain updates 10. The 36th EACTS Annual Meeting 12. A case-based education 15. 2022 FFF Fellowship recipients announced 18. Applications open for EBCTS level 2 exam

Driving female leadership EACTS launches new webinar series to drive women leadership and inclusion in cardiothoracic surgery READ MORE ON PAGE 4

Let’s stay united...

EACTS IS IN SOLIDARITY WITH EACTS MEMBERS IN UKRAINE EACTS utterly condemns the Russian invasion of Ukraine. No doubt all of us will want to express our unequivocal support for the cardiothoracic surgeons and wider heart teams, their families and friends in Ukraine at this time. This act of aggression is having a devastating effect on the Ukrainian people, leading to multiple casualties and loss of life, separated families and a humanitarian crisis.

We are deeply concerned for our Ukrainian members and Ukrainian citizens.

As an Association, we have have considered how best to respond to this crisis in the best interests of our Ukrainian members and the patients they support. We have taken the following steps.

We are immediately designating an emergency fund of €100,000 which we will use to best support the cardiothoracic community of Ukraine. We will be consulting with Vasyl Lazoryshynets, the Director of the National Institute of Cardiovascular Surgery in Ukraine, and other relevant bodies on the best use and timing of this fund whether in the form of emergency support now or to support rebuilding services in the future.

We have invited Vasyl Lazoryshynets to address members of EACTS Council, when convenient, to help us understand how best we can further support our Ukrainian colleagues both through the use of the emergency fund and other tangible means of support.

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Our President – Friedhelm Beyesdorf – and Secretary General – Rafa Sádaba - have written personally to each Ukrainian member of EACTS detailing the steps we are taking and offering our unreserved support.

As a small gesture, we will also be waiving the membership fee for all members from Ukraine, including any new members who wish to join this year. It is crucial the services and educational tools we offer and all the benefits of EACTS’ membership, are available as widely as possible to those in greatest need.

We continue to demonstrate our solidarity and support for the people and health professionals of Ukraine, particularly by condemning the invasion via our social media channels.

Committees

Improving patient outcomes Clinical guidelines are critical to the delivery of the highest standards of patient care. Milan Milojevic, Chair of the Committee for Clinical Practice Guidelines, discusses the committee’s collaborative approach to developing trustworthy evidence-based guidelines that improve patient outcomes.

Diverse knowledge and expertise It’s a great honour to be Chair of the committee. Our members are a diverse group of experts from different fields. Each member brings not only their specific clinical skills and knowledge but also an alternative viewpoint. This means we are able to critically appraise and interpret the available evidence in an unbiased and independent way before giving an opinion and recommendations to the different healthcare professionals involved in the care of cardiothoracic and vascular patients.

Independence is crucial to the development of trustworthy clinical guidelines. We have a strict conflict of interest policy in place, so committee members with both a potentially perceived and actual conflict of interest that may influence the decisionmaking are automatically excluded from the process. In addition, we work with the Institute of Clinical Trials of Methodology at University College London (UCL) to obtain independent advice and assistance on specific recommendations.

Working in collaboration Collaboration is an integral part of the committee’s work, and we work closely with many different associations and organisations to jointly develop guidelines for clinicians to follow. We recognise the importance and value of working with organisations that bring specific expertise, knowledge and diversity. For example, if we are working on guidelines that are focused on a pure surgical topic we will collaborate with a surgical association and/ or association of anaesthesiologists and clinical perfusionists.

Our focus is always to produce recommendations that will deliver the best patient care and collaboration helps us in sharing knowledge to achieve this common goal.

We currently have nine expert documents under development in collaboration with a number of different organisations globally.

This includes the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS), the European Society of Thoracic Surgeons (ESTS), American Association of Thoracic Surgeons (AATS), the European Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care (ESAIC), the European Association of Preventive Cardiology (EAPC), European Board of Cardiovascular Perfusion (EBCP) and the European Respiratory Society (ERS). In addition to the guidelines under development we have a further 12 expert documents in the preparation phase.

Get involved EACTS members are encouraged to get involved in the committee’s work. This includes nominating a project for the committee’s consideration and working with the committee to author guideline documents. Information about working with the committee can be found here We also invite feedback and comments on the clinical guidance published by the committee. This can be submitted in writing to the European Journal of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EJCTS) Letters to the Editor at EJCTS.EditorialOffice@oup.com EACTS guidelines are well known across the cardiothoracic community. The committee understands the importance of its role in working with other associations and organisations to develop trustworthy guidelines that have a positive impact on patient care.

Collaboration with other associations and organisations European Society of Cardiology (ESC)Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) American Association of Thoracic Surgeons (AATS) European Society of Thoracic Surgeons (ESTS) European Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care (ESAIC) European Association of Preventive Cardiology (EAPC) European Respiratory Society (ERS) European Association of cardiothoracic Anesthesiology and Intensive Care (EACTAIC) European Board of Cardiovascular Perfusion (EBCP).

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Association

New initiatives have been launched by the EACTS Women in Cardiothoracic Surgery Committee to help female surgeons fulfil their educational and career ambitions and importantly, empower more women in cardiothoracic surgery to take up leadership positions. The EACTS Council has enthusiastically supported the proposals put forward by the committee.

Plans to support the professional development of women surgeons include the launch of a new eight-part webinar series focused on leadership and inclusion. The series, which will feature experts and guest speakers, will explore the challenges facing women cardiothoracic surgeons and raise awareness of gender equity in cardiothoracic surgery. The webinar series will be open to all EACTS members, regardless of gender or sex, who support the advancement of women in cardiothoracic surgery.

Work is also underway to develop a robust mentoring programme to support women in cardiothoracic surgery to grow and enhance their skills as a leader at every stage of their surgical career. In addition, the committee is developing a new diversity fellowship within the Francis Fontan Fund to enable a female resident or young surgeon to visit a female role model and learn from her (non-surgical) skills.

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The impact of gender bias A joint survey by EACTS and ESTS (European Society of Thoracic Surgeons) recently highlighted the impact of gender bias on a cardiothoracic surgery career.

The findings, which represent a snapshot of the members of the two societies, reveal that over a third of women cardiothoracic surgeons have considered leaving surgery because of gender discrimination.

The survey, which questioned 1,118 cardiothoracic surgeons (36% female and 64% male), found that women in cardiothoracic surgery experience significantly high rates of bias, with 67% of female respondents reporting unfair treatment due to gender discrimination compared to only 2.5% of male respondents. In addition, more women surgeons report feeling less valued in their current work environment compared to men and have lower career satisfaction.

Empowering and supporting women in cardiothoracic surgery from the beginning of their medical school and throughout their professional careers is key to improving the retention of female surgeons and reducing attrition along the pipeline in cardiothoracic surgery.

Dr Jolanda Kluin Chair of the Women in Cardiothoracic Surgery Committee

EACTS NEWS

According to the survey findings many women in cardiothoracic surgery believe that taking time off for parental leave is still considered an issue in cardiothoracic surgery. Both male and female respondents agree that women surgeons incur more disadvantages by having a family than male surgeons and that there is a lack of understanding about the difficulties women surgeons experience balancing work and family/personal life.

In fact, nearly half of women (44%) report postponing having children compared to a much smaller percentage of men (14%).

Professor Jolanda Kluin, Chair of the Women in Cardiothoracic Surgery Committee, said, “Empowering and supporting women in cardiothoracic surgery from the beginning of their medical school and throughout their professional careers is key to improving the retention of female surgeons and reducing attrition along the pipeline in cardiothoracic surgery. The Women in Cardiothoracic Surgery Committee seeks to provide a forum for community-building, networking and leadership development for women cardiothoracic surgeons. We have a clear mission to promote diversity and inclusion within EACTS and the wider field and help more women establish themselves in cardiothoracic surgery and take up leadership roles.”

The Women in Cardiothoracic Surgery Committee recently welcomed two new additional members - Miia Lehtinen and Maroua Eid - to further strengthen the Committee and support its ongoing work.

Empowering women in cardiothoracic surgery New intiatives • New eight-part webinar series focused on leadership and inclusion • Robust mentoring programme • New diversity fellowship within the Francis Fontan Fund • An inclusive Annual Meeting programme that provides more opportunities for women surgeons

Delivering positive change Rafael Sádaba, EACTS Secretary General, said, “There is no place for gender bias in cardiothoracic surgery. Women surgeons should feel valued in their workplace and have the same opportunities to develop their education and their cardiothoracic careers as male surgeons.

“The survey findings send a clear message that more needs to be done to address gender discrimination across our specialty.

We need to ensure women surgeons are supported and empowered to fulfil their surgical ambitions.

“Promoting diversity and inclusion is important to EACTS and we recognise that our Association has a leading role to help deliver positive cultural change. The Women in Cardiothoracic Surgery Committee was established to help more women surgeons attain leadership roles by enhancing education and development opportunities. These new initiatives demonstrate our commitment to address gender inequality, and this will continue to be a focus for our Association.

“Increasing diversity within the scientific community is important.

We are committed to delivering a scientific programme at the Annual Meeting that is both inclusive and provides more opportunities for female surgeons to take on key roles such as chairs, panelists and moderators.”

Women in Cardiothoracic Surgery Committee members Jolanda Kluin Indu Deglurkar Julie Cleuziou Anna Lena Emrich Francesca D’Auria Miia Lehtinen Maroua Eid

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Domains

DOMAIN UPDATES

We’re pleased to bring you news from our Domains. Volunteers in each domain are driving forward the Association’s mission of advancing education and promoting research, as well as playing an instrumental role in the Annual Meeting.

We are delighted to welcome two new Domain Chairs – Jürgen Hörer and Richard Milton – who were appointed at the EACTS General Assembly. Here they discuss their new roles and outline their plans for the Domains.

Congenital Heart Disease Domain Jürgen Hörer, Chair

It is a great honour to be elected as the Chair of the Congenital Heart Disease Domain. The Domain Chairs are important pillars of our organisation and they carry a heavy responsibility not only for the day-to-day management of the Domain activities but also in particular for future prospects. In this regard I would like to thank the Council and our members for their confidence.

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working alongside the education committee and the residents committee to allow residents to successfully graduate from the European Board Exam.

The second goal of the Domain is inclusion. The EACTS Annual Meeting is the largest meeting in our field, attracting participants from all over the world. I would like to give a voice to our colleagues in countries with lower standards in congenital heart surgery and provide assurance that EACTS is at their side - not only scientifically but also in their challenging daily practice.

And one important goal is quality control. It is self-evident that we must know the results of what we are doing. I think with a joint effort, EACTS and other organisations that run databases in the field of congenital heart disease that provide the best preconditions for comparing outcomes.

Insights into new technology at the Annual Meeting

Goals of the Congenital Heart Disease Domain

We have some great focus sessions planned for this year’s Annual Meeting, which will cover areas such as new developments for the management of cyanotic new-borns. This is of great interest because there is again a shift from surgery to intervention with so far, an unknown impact on outcome. As surgeons we must keep an eye on that. Other planned topics, that have not been included in the programme for a number of years include ‘late presentation’, ‘pulmonary vein surgery’ and ‘imaging’, which promises insights into fascinating new technology.

One of the main goals of the Congenital Domain, and of EACTS, is education. EACTS provides the ideal environment for education and training of surgeons throughout their career. I would like to focus on the level one courses. The aim is to develop and implement a structured curriculum

We will also provide a session on “How to make a film” which may be of interest beyond the congenital community. Personally, I am most looking forward to our session on “New technologies”.

We will see exciting new achievements that most of us have never seen before that have game-changing potential.

EACTS NEWS Promoting global links

Thoracic Disease Domain Richard Milton, Chair

It is a huge honour and privilege to be elected as the new Chair of the Thoracic Disease Domain, and not something that I undertake lightly. I am grateful to my predecessor Eric Roessner for all the work he has done whilst leading the Thoracic Domain, and I hope I can be as successful.

I have been a member of EACTS since my early days as a cardiothoracic trainee in Yorkshire in the UK. My chosen career path was in Adult Thoracic surgery, and consequently have gravitated towards this side of the Association. I was fortunate to be a member of the Thoracic Domain when Peter Licht was the chair.

Acquired Cardiac Disease Domain Filip Casselman, Chair

We are excited to announce the creation of two new Task Forces which are part of the Acquired Cardiac Disease Domain – the Robotic Surgery Task Force and the Aviation Medicine and Cardiac Surgery Task Force.

The Robotic Surgery Task Force, chaired by Wouter Oosterlinck, will oversee robotic surgery in Europe and review new robotic devices, providing a centralised education and training pathway in this field as well as the development of a European Registry for robotic cardiac (mitral and coronary) and thoracic surgery.

One of the discussions I’ve had with my domain colleagues centred around how we can promote links with developing parts of the world, both academically and in supporting the adoption of newer technologies.

I would like us to build on the success of last year’s Thoracic educational programme within the Society, and it would be great to have a face-to-face hands-on wet lab later in 2022.

I’ve always been a committed member of EACTS, and although the Thoracic side of the Association is understandably a smaller sibling when compared to the Cardiac side, we’re twinned in the chest and I would love to find some common ground, either as part of the Academy or even in the Annual Meeting, where we can attract surgeons of all subspecialties.

Equally, thoracic surgeons in Europe are fortunate to have access not only to EACTS but also to ESTS. I would like us to build on the work done by my predecessors and have a closer working relationship with ESTS, to the benefit of all.

I look forward to the Annual Meeting in October. We are working towards providing a fantastic educational and social opportunity. We have all had to adapt in many ways over the last two years, and lessons learnt during the Covid pandemic will certainly feature in this year’s programme.

research and training, and Guidelines. The creation of this new Task Force will ensure EACTS stays up to date and fully engaged in all new and emerging evidence and technologies in Aviation Medicine as it pertains to cardiac surgery.

The Translational Research and Surgical Science Task Force The Basic Science Task Force has plans to broaden its area of work and as such will now be known as the Translational Research and Surgical Science Task Force. The goal of this Task Force is to lead, advise and support EACTS’ activities in all matters concerned with basic science, clinical trials and emergent knowledge.

We are working hard with all Task Forces within the Acquired Cardiac Disease Domain to develop a balanced and highly scientific programme for the 36th EACTS Annual Meeting.

Abstract submissions are now open and we encourage members to submit abstracts for presentation. This is an excellent opportunity to showcase your work and further strengthen the Annual Meeting programme. More information about how to submit an abstract can be found at www.eacts. org/annual-meeting/abstract-submission.

Finally, keep an eye on your mailboxes for information about forthcoming courses organised by the various Task Forces.

These courses are invaluable to helping advance education and deepen specialist knowledge.

The role of the Aviation Medicine and Cardiac Surgery Task Force, chaired by Dr Thomas Syburra, is to lead, advise and support EACTS activities in all matters concerned with aviation medicine and cardiac surgery including educational output,

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Domains

Vascular Disease Domain Konstantinos Tsagakis, Chair

The Vascular Disease Domain has been very busy preparing an interesting programme for the 36th EACTS Annual Meeting in October. We are working to include all fields of aortic disease including open surgery and vascular treatment. Our aim is to develop a programme that will lead to some interesting and controversial discussions.

Last month the domain held its first online webinar, focusing on aortic dissection. The webinar, which is a new addition to the Academy education programme, was very well received and we look forward to announcing the next webinar to be held later in the year.

We also received some very positive feedback following the Aortic Forum, which took place in November last year. Over 300 participants attended the event, travelling from all around the world. We took a risk by holding an in-person event but the high level of interest in the Forum demonstrates the importance of this kind of symposium. The next Aortic Forum will be held in 2023.

Unfortunately, due to the changing COVID situation we have taken the decision to reschedule the ‘Introduction to Aortic Surgery’ course – the main course of the Vascular Disease Domain. This will now take place during the last week in October.

Domain members Members of EACTS Domains and Task Forces are drawn from relevant fields of surgery, cardiothoracic care and treatment to provide a broad but appropriate mix of skills, experience and training knowledge.

We are delighted to welcome new members to the Vascular Disease Domain and the Thoracic Disease Domain.

Acquired Cardiac Disease Domain

Vascular Disease Domain

Thoracic Disease Domain

Acquired Members are also Task Force Chairs, as identified in italics

Konstantinos Tsagakis - Chair

Richard Milton - Chair

Martin Czerny

Tim Batchelor

Filip Casselman - Chair

Nimesh Desai

Korkut Bostanci

Patrick Myers - Secretary General Elect

Davide Pacini

Fabian Dörr

Fabio Barili - Research Methodology

Florian Schoenhoff

Vincent Fang

Manuel Castella - Arrhythmia

Andreas Zierer

Tomaž Štupnik (new member)

Gry Dahle - Transcatheter Techniques Michele De Bonis - Mitral/Tricuspid Valve

Congenital Heart Disease Domain

Ruggero De Paulis - Aortic Valve including AV Repair

Juergen Hoerer – Chair

Gloria Faerber - Heart Failure

Caner Salih

Mario Gaudino - Coronary

Luca Vricella

Juan Grau - Translational Research and Surgical Science

Amir-Reza Hosseinpour (new member)

Matej Nosal

Kirolos Jacob (new member) Eva Sames-Dolzer (new member)

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Jari Räsänen (new member) Bernard Moser (new member)

Committees

Supporting the next generation of cardiothoracic surgeons Bringing Residents together At the heart of the Residents’ Committee lies the motivation to enhance networking opportunities for residents across Europe, as we believe this is key to truly represent and support residents in cardiothoracic surgery. As part of this work, we have been liaising with national representatives from across Europe to arrange a gathering so we can share experiences and discuss how we can improve training experiences. If you are a cardiothoracic surgery national representative in your country, please get in touch with the committee at eacts-residents@eacts.co.uk so we can work together to achieve this.

The EACTS Residents’ Committee continues to work towards its vision of improving resident experiences and education. Here, committee members, Nabil Hussein and Maroua Eid, discuss recent activity.

We have started preparing for the next Annual Meeting which will take place in the beautiful city of Milan in October. The Secretary General and Secretary General Elect at EACTS have challenged the Committee to propose fresh ideas and deliver the best possible sessions that reflect the energy and high quality of EACTS Residents’ members. We are very excited about the 36th EACTS Annual Meeting and wish to meet a great number of residents during this reunion.

Last month we launched our first virtual EACTS Case Corner with sessions on coronary artery disease and mitral valve repair. More than 60 participants attended these interactive sessions, in which a complex case is presented, and the best management strategy is discussed, backed with relevant evidence led by an expert panel. There will be further sessions over the coming months covering the spectrum of cardiothoracic and vascular surgery and fellow residents will be invited to submit their own cases to present. Join us to discuss high-quality cases and take part in interesting conversations on patient management.

The Residents’ Committee is well aware of the training disparities that exist across Europe, and we are currently working on a Position Paper to present our view on what training should be like. We believe that it is necessary to have validated, regulated training programmes to ensure uniformity and recognition Europe.

Finally, the Residents’ Committee believes in the importance of scholarships in developing the next generation of cardiothoracic surgeons. With this in mind, we are delighted that, with the support of the Editors-in-Chief of both the European Journal of Cardio-thoracic Surgery (EJCTS) and Interactive Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery (ICVTS) journals, we will be launching a new “Residents’ Corner” section across both journals. This new ‘manuscript type’ section aims to promote the excellent research undertaken by residents and will contain papers relevant to residents. Submitted manuscripts will be peer-reviewed with accepted articles published in the same manner as existing articles to these journals. We hope to launch this section with our Position Paper as well as our recently published editorial: “Is it time to incorporate hands-on simulation into the cardiothoracic surgery curriculum?” [doi.org/10.1093/icvts/ivab347], where we discuss the importance of adopting simulation further into training programmes and how this can be achieved. Residents and researchers are also encouraged to submit their work for publication in this new section.

The EACTS Residents’ Committee is always open to new suggestions for future projects so please do not hesitate to contact us through the Residents’ page on the EACTS website and subscribe to the newsletter to stay up to date!

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Annual Meeting

AN EXCITING PROGRAMME OF WORLD-CLASS SCIENCE The EACTS Programme Committee is working hard to deliver the world-class science and education that have become a hallmark of our Annual Meeting.

What to expect at this year’s Annual Meeting: • Opportunities to explore new technologies and techniques in cardiothoracic surgery • New scientific insights and the latest research

Milano Congressi (MiCo)

• Stimulating debates with global experts • Interactive hands-on training and development opportunities • And much more!

The Annual Meeting will take place at the magnificent Milano Congressi (MiCo), ideally placed in the centre of Milan. We look forward to seeing you there.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR INDUSTRY PARTNERS At this year’s Annual Meeting we are excited to offer a number of different engagement opportunities for our industry partners including exhibition booths and learning labs space, session sponsorship and a variety of advertising opportunities.

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SIGN UP HERE TO RECEIVE UPDATES ON THE 36TH EACTS ANNUAL MEETING.

The EACTS Annual Meeting is the largest event for the cardiothoracic community, attracting thousands of participants from across the globe.

It provides the perfect forum to promote your products and services to the world’s leading cardiothoracic surgeons as well as physicians in related specialties, residents and other allied health professionals.

SHOWCASING THE LATEST RESEARCH Abstract sessions Abstract sessions at the EACTS Annual Meeting are a fantastic opportunity for participants to learn more about the latest research and emerging evidence in cardiothoracic surgery.

Krithika Ramaprabhu, Mayo Clinic, Minnesota, US

Krithika Ramaprabhu, a cardiothoracic surgery specialist at the Mayo Clinic, Minnesota, US, discusses her experience of presenting her abstract ‘Cannulation strategies for acute type a aortic dissection – role of central cannulation’ at last year’s Annual Meeting in Barcelona.

The EACTS Annual Meeting is one of the most prestigious international meetings for the cardiothoracic community and is at the forefront of science and innovations in cardiothoracic surgery. It provides a great platform to showcase new research and I was inspired to submit an abstract to highlight our research findings on cannulation strategies.

It was a huge honour to be selected to present at the EACTS Annual Meeting. The opportunities that arose from presenting

there are myriad; enabling me to make new professional contacts and build relationships. In my opinion, this is just as important as attending and participating in the scientific sessions. I heard that my work was viewed positively and stimulated some interesting discussions.

The process of submitting my abstract was simple and uncomplicated. The powerpoint format provided by EACTS makes it easy to highlight the major findings and the user interface was simple and effortless. The team at EACTS was also available to help, especially when trying to figure out the right travel documents.

Presenting at the EACTS Annual Meeting is a huge stepping stone in my career as a cardiac surgeon, and I am grateful for the wonderful opportunity.

I would encourage anyone to submit their abstract for presentation at the EACTS Annual Meeting. It has been one of the most exciting learning experiences for me and I hope to be a part of every EACTS meeting in the future.

I’m looking forward to Milan in October.

BE PART OF THE 36TH EACTS ANNUAL MEETING There is still time to submit your abstract for presentation at the 36th EACTS Annual Meeting. This is an exciting opportunity to showcase your research and feature in this year’s programme of world-class science.

The deadline for receipt of abstracts is 30th April 11

Academy

CASE

C ORNER

Supporting a case-based education A new addition to the Academy programme is providing a fantastic opportunity for residents to discuss and debate complex cases with fellow residents and a panel of renowned specialists.

Can Gollmann-Tepeköylü, Course Director and Chair of the Residents’ Committee, explains why a case-based education is so important to the next generation of cardiac surgeons.

EACTS Case Corner, which presents a complex case on a different topic in an hour-long online session, has proved extremely popular since launching in early February. The case format is extremely beneficial to participants. All symptoms, patient characteristics and test results are described in detail, the right treatment decision is discussed along with the relevant scientific evidence before the case’s solution and clinical course is revealed.

The format is designed to improve the clinical experience; supporting clinical skills in diagnosis and decision making in complex cases, backed by clear scientific evidence. It also allows participants to get acquainted with the most crucial cardio surgical scientific literature.

The sessions provide a ‘safe space’ for residents to ask questions to some of the most renown cardiac surgeons in Europe. There are no stupid questions. This is an opportunity to present a case and get feedback. The first case corner session on coronary artery disease raised a myriad of questions about the presented coronary case, including questions around the timing of the presented examinations and interventions, the decision to replace rather than repair the valve and the rationale behind the medical optimisation of the patient? Dr Mario Gaudino, the Chair of the Coronary Artery Surgery Taskforce explained very patiently his points of view and discussed current literature. There were also great comments and views from the other two panellists, Dr Sandner and Dr Holfeld.

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EACTS Case Corner provides a platform to connect with other residents from all across Europe, which is so important particularly during covid.

A case-based education is crucial to support the professional development of residents, who are the future of cardiac surgery.

We need to strive for high quality education and academic excellence to further refine our specialty, become good surgeons and improve patient care.

The sessions provide a ‘safe space’ for residents to ask questions to some of the most renown cardiac surgeons in Europe. There are no stupid questions. This is an opportunity to present a case and get feedback.

EACTS NEWS

Academy courses in numbers Feedback from participants The EACTS Academy has added two exciting new courses to its 2022 programme the Vascular Disease Domain Webinars and EACTS Case Corner. The feedback from participants for both new courses has been overwhelmingly positive.

Don’t miss out! See our website for information on the next sessions.

Here’s what participants said:

AORTIC DISSECTION WEBINAR

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registrations

DID THIS WEBINAR MEET YOUR EXPECTATIONS?

100% said yes

WILL YOU RECOMMEND THIS WEBINAR TO A FRIEND OR COLLEAGUE?

91% said yes

“Excellent webinar” “Outstanding event” “Quality of the presentations was excellent, and the timing was perfect”

WOULD YOU ATTEND A SIMILAR WEBINAR IN 2022?

91% said yes

DO YOU THINK ATTENDING THIS WEBINAR WAS A GOOD INVESTMENT?

100% said yes

EACTS CASE CORNER: CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE

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registrations “Great idea!!! Perfect for young residents, open space to discuss cases without having the feeling of asking ‘stupid’ questions” “It was a great learning experience for me to hear the strategies and results for complicated overseas cases…”

DID THIS CASE CORNER SESSION MEET YOUR EXPECTATIONS?

WOULD YOU ATTEND ANOTHER CASE CORNER SESSION THIS YEAR?

WILL YOU RECOMMEND THE CASE CORNER SESSIONS TO A FRIEND OR COLLEAGUE?

100%

100%

100%

said yes

said yes

said yes

Feedback from participants who completed the evaluation 13

Association

New staff appointments EACTS has welcomed four new members of staff to join the central administration team in Windsor, UK. The new roles will further strengthen the team and support our invaluable work collaborating with our members and other societies and advancing education in the field of cardiac, thoracic and vascular interventions.

Stephanie Halksworth

Stephanie Halksworth joins the team as Governance and Operations Manager, with responsibility across a broad range of key governance duties and operational functions essential to the work of the Association.

Commenting on her new role, Stephanie said, “I am thrilled to be back at EACTS, and at such a pivotal time with many exciting projects ahead. EACTS is working hard to build a robust governance infrastructure and ensure the success of many of our committee projects, and I am delighted to be part of this process.”

Clara Mealing

Clara Mealing has been appointed as Education Events Coordinator.

Her role includes coordinating online and in-person courses and supporting the successful delivery of the Academy programme.

Stay in touch with the latest news at EACTS Keep up to date with the latest EACTS news and developments by signing up to receive regular email updates straight to your inbox.

Communicating with our members is important to our work as an educational association. By subscribing to our email updates, you will be the first to hear the latest news about the 36th EACTS Annual Meeting, including programme and registration announcements as well as reminders about EACTS Academy courses and the Francis Fontan Fund for Education.

Don’t miss out. Sign up here 14

Rachel Elewe

Rachel Elewe has been appointed as the Office Manager and Executive Assistant to the Chief Executive. She has a pivotal role in the day to day running and management of the EACTS office, supporting the administrative needs of the Senior Executive and the wider team in Windsor. Rachel acts as the key point of contact and support for the EACTS senior internal and external stakeholders, working across the breadth of the Association’s operations, managing, and developing relationships essential to the organisation.

Francisca Thompson

Francisca Thompson joins EACTS as Events Assistant supporting the operational team in the delivery of the Annual Meeting. Francisca has extensive international experience in event management and is fluent in English, French and Spanish.

Marian Zembala With great sadness, we share that Marian Zembala has died. Marian was EACTS President 2017-2018.

Our thoughts are with everyone who knew him.

May he rest in peace.

Look out for a tribute in the next edition.

Fellowships

Learning from the highest standard of cardiothoracic surgery Congratulations to the recipients of the 2022 Francis Fontan Fellowship Programme who have been selected following a high number of applications to the prestigious scheme.

The Francis Fontan Fund for Education supports several different Fellowships, specialising in a wide range of cardiothoracic techniques.

These Fellowships take place in centres all around the world to facilitate the global sharing of clinical knowledge and learning from the highest standards of cardiothoracic care. The successful applicants will have an opportunity to advance their education and foster their professional development.

Rafael Sádaba, EACTS Secretary General said, “The Francis Fontan Fellowship Programme offers a fantastic opportunity for cardiothoracic surgeons to gain knowledge of new techniques and innovative technologies from surgeons dedicated to the highest standards of cardiothoracic care. I look forward to hearing more about the important learnings and relationships that these fellows will undoubtedly develop as part of this invaluable experience.”

The 2022 Fellows MSTCVS Quality and Outcomes Fellowship The MSTCVS Quality and Outcomes Fellowship promotes best practice and shares surgical outcomes to improve quality and outcomes for patients. The 2022 Fellows will work with a multidisciplinary team based in Ann Arbor, Michigan led by renowned adult cardiac surgeon Professor Richard Prager who is a specialist in clinical outcomes and quality improvement.

2022 Fellowship recipients:

Dimitrios Magouliotis, University Hospital of Larissa, Greece

“I come from Larissa, Greece, where Hippocrates lived and died. His message “First do no harm” represents the core values of the EACTSMSTCVS Fellowship. Raising standards by building a safety culture for our patients. So, I feel proud for being the first Greek recipient of this prestigious fellowship and ready to make impact through this opportunity.”

Ahmet Can Topcu, Basaksehir Cam ve Sakura City Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey

“The way outcome reporting maintains and improves standards in the care of cardiac surgical patients has always fascinated me. Professor Richard Prager and his team at the MSTCVS Quality Collaborative are among the leaders in this field. I look forward to working with and learning as much as possible from them. With the insight and experience I hope to obtain from this fellowship, I wish to help establish an Adult Cardiac Surgery Database in my institution, and hopefully in the future, in my home country.

“I am more than honoured to be selected to take part in the EACTSMSTCVS Quality and Outcomes Fellowship, and I am grateful to the Francis Fontan Fund for giving me this exciting opportunity.”

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The Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass (OPCAB) Fellowship supported

by Medtronic This Fellowship provides an educational opportunity to enhance clinical understanding and to acquire theoretical and practical knowledge in the surgical management of patients with coronary artery disease, with special interest in off-pump and minimal invasive techniques. The 2022 fellows will work under the guidance of Miguel Sousa, Hospital Santa Cruz Portugal and Michal Zembala in Silesian Centre for Heart Disease, Poland.

2022 Fellowship recipients:

MICS CABG Fellowship supported by Medtronic This Fellowship provides surgeons with the foundational knowledge of the pathophysiology of coronary artery disease, the rationale for its surgical treatment and first-hand experience in OPCAB/MICS CABG. The 2022 fellows will work under Piroze Davierwala at the Leipzig Heart Center in Germany.

2022 Fellowship recipients: Ferdi Akca, Catharina Hospital Eindhoven, The Netherlands “During my residency I was trained to perform off-pump CABG cases in a high-volume centre and last year I was in the fortunate position to start a minimally invasive OPCAB program at our institution, the Catharina Hospital Eindhoven in The Netherlands. This fellowship provides a great opportunity to further improve our programme. It will be a privilege to participate in the MICS OPCAB program to learn the important procedure-specific details from leading surgeons in the field.”

Ian Cummings, Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK

“I am delighted to be selected as a recipient of the Francis Fontan Fund. I welcome the opportunity to further enhance my clinical understanding as well as acquire theoretical and practical knowledge in the field of off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting. I am fully committed to pursuing a career in OPCAB surgery. With the right mentorship I believe I can adopt total arterial revascularisation and minimally invasive techniques as my standard practice and, as a UK consultant, help to promote these techniques through education and ‘hands on’ training.”

Vasil Papestiev, University Clinic of Cardiac Surgery, Republic of North Macedonia

“International collaboration and knowledge exchange is vital to advance education and professional expertise, so it is a great honour to be a recipient of this fellowship. I have a strong interest in off-pump CABG surgery and a desire to establish an off-pump CABG programme at my institution in North Macedonia. The opportunity to spend time with outstanding experts in the field will help to progress this ambition and enable me to build relationships within our cardiac community.”

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Lorena Montes Villalobos, Fundación Cardiovascular de Colombia, Bucaramanga, Colombia

“Taking part in this Fellowship is an opportunity to advance my education in MICS CABG, and as a result provide state of the art care to those patients who are in need and currently are not able to benefit from these treatments. Working in Latin America I see that access to health services and technology is still very limited. Despite an abundance of talented individuals, the official training in technology regarding MICS CABG is limited. To provide the highest quality patient care with limited resources a surgeon must be optimally trained and learn from the very best in the field. This fellowship is a step towards achieving this.”

Dmitry Khvan, E. Meshalkin National Medical Research Center of the Ministry of Health of Russian Federation

“The MICS CABG Fellowship provides an exciting opportunity to study and work in the MICS OPCAB expert centres, helping to extend my knowledge and skills in performing this procedure. I have been working in this area for a long time and am interested in promoting minimally invasive cardiosurgical techniques among both patients and cardiovascular specialists.”

EACTS NEWS

Thoracic Surgery Foundation (TSF)/ Francis Fontan Fund (FFF) International Traveling Fellowship Established in 2021, the TSF/FFF Fellowship helps fund international travel and living expenses, allowing the awardees to continue their education outside of their home countries. This fellowship enables recipients to learn novel techniques, adapt innovative technology, and receive training from expert mentors who are dedicated to the highest standards of cardiothoracic surgery. The lead advisory surgeons are Rafa Sádaba for the European placement and Joe Bavaria for the US placement.

Inaugural fellowship recipients:

Amy G. Fiedler, MD, University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA

“Professor Large and his team at the Royal Papworth Hospital in England are at the forefront of innovation with respect to non-thermic regional perfusion heart transplantation. They have managed to increase the volume of heart transplantation at their center by over 30% due to their innovative techniques, which I hope to acquire. I feel honored and privileged to receive the International Traveling Fellowship. I look forward to a fruitful partnership, and I thank TSF, FFF, and the organisations’ generous donors for this incredible opportunity.”

EACTS Advanced Intensive Post-Operative Care Fellowship This Fellowship provides a chance to gain experience in the postoperative management in adult cardiovascular surgery, as well as a wide exposure to minimally invasive and other advanced techniques in cardiovascular surgery. The 2022 fellow will work under the guidance of Eduard Quintana at the Hospital Clínic de Barcelona.

2022 Fellowship recipients:

Gvido Janis Bergs, Pauls Stradins Clinical University Hospital, Riga, Latvia

“I submitted my application at the beginning of the fifth residency year, the last year of my training. It seemed a logical step to go abroad, acquire new skills and find new perspectives on how to approach cardiac surgery cases differently. It is one of the most prestigious fellowships in cardiac surgery and no one from Latvia has ever received it, so it was a great challenge for me to apply and be the first.”

For more information about the Francis Fontan Fund for Education go to EACTS - Francis Fontan Fund

Gianluca Folesani, MD, Sant’Orsola Malpighi Polyclinic, Bologna, Italy

“I am absolutely thrilled and feel very privileged to receive the TSF/FFF International Traveling Fellowship. I am a young cardiac surgeon and the award is such a great opportunity to enrich my education by learning from the experts in the field.”

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MMCTS

MMCTS Seeks Congenital Domain Editor

The editorial board of the Multimedia Manual of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (MMCTS) is seeking a new Congenital Domain Editor.

MMCTS, EACTS’ acclaimed online video textbook of cardiothoracic surgery, is looking for an expert in the field of congenital cardiothoracic surgery to lead the publication’s congenital domain. The domain expert will work closely with MMCTS’ editors-in-chief and will be responsible for defining the overall structure and content of the domain, as well as for commissioning and reviewing congenital surgery tutorials and case reports. This is a voluntary, unpaid position.

The MMCTS Editorial Board would like to take this opportunity to thank outgoing domain editor Lorenzo Galletti for his six years of leadership and support.

To apply, please provide a full CV and a brief letter outlining the reasons for your interest in joining MMCTS’s editorial board, as well as any key factors that make you especially suitable for this important role.

Closing date for applications: 31 March 2022 APPLY HERE

EBCTS

Applications open for the EBCTS level 2 exam Applications are now open for the European Board of Cardiothoracic Surgery (EBCTS) level 2 examination (FEBCTS).

The level 2 exam - the Fellowship of the European Board of Cardiothoracic Surgery - is a comprehensive and challenging exam which tests the scope of knowledge, clinical judgement and application of the principles and practice of an autonomous / independently practicing surgeons to the standard expected in one or more areas of established sub-specialist practice – adult cardiac surgery, thoracic surgery, congenital cardiac surgery.

EBCTS encourages common high standards and qualifications in cardiothoracic surgery in all European countries and beyond in order to deliver the highest quality patient care.

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The exams, which will take place at EACTS House in Windsor, UK, have been set for the following dates: • 6 July 2022 – Congenital Surgery • 6 July 2022 – Thoracic Surgery • 7 July 2022 – Adult Cardiac Surgery The closing date for applications is 18 April 2022. Please go to ebcts.org for further information and to apply.

Publishing the latest research and innovations

Publishing

New Editorial Board Members New Associate Editors, Assistant Editors and board members have been appointed to the editorial board of The European Journal of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EJCTS) and Interactive CardioVascular and Thoracic Surgery (ICVTS).

EJCTS has appointed Dr Hitendu Dave as Associate Editor for Congenital and ICVTS has appointed Dr Ari Mennander as Associate Editor for Assisted circulation, Cardiac general, Coronary, Translational research (cardiac).

Working across both journals, Dr Can Gollmann-Tepekoylu has been appointed as Associate Editor for the new Residents’ Corner section, Dr Paula Moreno as Associate Editor for Transplantation – Lung, and Dr Steven Tsui as Associate Editor for Transplantation – Heart.

Dr Christopher Haller becomes Assistant Editor for EJCTS, and finally, we welcome Dr Marco Moscarelli and Dr Patrick Myers to the EJCTS editorial board.

Highlights from EJCTS, ICVTS and MMCTS EJCTS Robotic off-pump totally endoscopic coronary artery bypass in the current era: report of 544 patients

Survival and adverse events in patients with atrial fibrillation at left ventricular assist device implantation: an analysis of the European Registry for Patients with Mechanical Circulatory Support Christiaan F J Antonides, Yunus C Yalcin, Kevin M Veen, et al An early access article evaluating survival and adverse events in patients with a LVAD and a history of AF in the European Registry for Patients with Mechanical Circulatory Support.

ICVTS Pulmonary valve prostheses: patient’s lifetime procedure load and durability. Evaluation of the German National Register for Congenital Heart Defects Dietmar Boethig, Murat Avsar, Ulrike M M Bauer, Samir Sarikouch et al An Editor’s Choice article from last August.

The study aimed to evaluate the German National Register for Congenital Heart Defects for how often patients with congenital heart disease and pulmonary valve prostheses undergo surgical or other interventions.

Women in Thoracic Surgery in Africa: a call for intersocietal coalition Cecilia Pompili, Paula Ugalde Figueroa, Daniela Molena, Toni Lerut An early access editorial discussing women in thoracic surgery in Africa and the need for a intersocietal coalition, providing tools for reaching out to the thoracic community in low-income countries.

Husam H Balkhy, Sarah Nisivaco, Hiroto Kitahara et al

MMCTS

An Editor’s Choice article from last August. The report aimed to examine the long-term outcomes of robotic off-pump TECAB, that is widely considered as the least invasive form of surgical coronary revascularization.

CARDIAC Tutorial | Aortic valve neocuspidization (the Ozaki procedure) Markus Krane, Andrea Amabile, Johannes A Ziegelmüller at al

CONGENITAL Case Report | Modified Starnes procedure as a bridge to 2-ventricle repair in neonatal Ebstein’s anomaly: A paradigm shift Sameh M Said and Sandeep Sainathan Neonates presenting with severe Ebstein’s anomaly who require early interventions are at high risk of mortality and morbidity. This case report demonstrates an initial Starnes’ palliation followed by conversion to 2-ventricle repair and combines the advantages of both techniques.

VASCULAR Tutorial | Aortic root reinforcement using the Florida sleeve technique in a patient with acute aortic dissection type A Sergey Boldyrev, Denis Shumkov, Kirill Barbuhatti, and Vladimir Porkanov The Florida sleeve technique is a useful addition to the toolbox of aortic root surgery procedures. The coronary ostia do not require mobilization with the Florida sleeve, so this technique, where applicable, can reduce the complexity of aortic root surgery, especially in the setting of an aortic dissection.

THORACIC Case Report | Left upper lobectomy with pulmonary artery reconstruction after neoadjuvant therapy in re-VATS Andrea Dell’Amore, Alessandro Pangoni, Alessandro Rebusso, and Federico Rea Minimally invasive lobectomy with concurrent angioplastic reconstruction is becoming a preferred technique for lung cancer patients in specialist thoracic surgery centers. It requires careful preoperative planning and evaluation, but it is an effective approach and is a good example of continuing progress in minimal invasive surgery techniques for the treatment of advanced lung cancer.

The Ozaki technique offers a versatile alternative to complex aortic valve repair, with improved hemodynamics compared to biological aortic valve replacement and no need for lifelong anticoagulation, which is required after mechanical aortic valve replacement.

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Register Now! EACTS Aortic Valve Repair Summit - 23-24 June 2022 in Rome, Italy.

The EACTS Aortic Valve Repair Summit will take place as an in-person meeting in Rome from 23-24 June. This excellent two-day programme consists of live surgical cases, interactive lectures, live-in-a-box videos, abstract presentations, intellectual challenges and fruitful debates.

This year’s Summit brings together the different schools in aortic valve repair with educational modules covering all aspects that are necessary to approach the disease of the aortic valve and root. Anatomy, physiology and all aspects of imaging will be considered and integrated with the various surgical options and the different surgical strategies. Stateof-the-art surgical treatment will be shown and discussed with formal presentations and live surgical cases. A special focus is devoted to the bicuspid aortic valve and its close relationship with the root aneurysm.

ABSTRACTS

Chairman Ruggero De Paulis, Rome Who should attend?

The Summit will appeal to cardiac surgeons, echocardiographers (cardiologists and anaesthesiologists), radiologists and advanced residents interested in the field of valve repair.

Find out more Aortic Valve Repair Summit | Rome | 23-24 June 2022 (eacts.org)

Abstract submission is now open. Please click HERE to view the submission instructions and link.

All abstracts need to be submitted no later than 15 April 2022.

Raising Standards through Education and Training

Upcoming courses Fundamentals in Congenital Heart Disease

17-18 March, Virtual meeting

EACTS Case Corner: Thoracic Surgery

31 March, Virtual meeting

Endoscopic Port-Access Mitral Valve Repair Drylab Training

11 - 12 April, Maastricht, The Netherlands

Thoracic Surgery: Part 1

25 - 27 April, Virtual meeting

Fundamentals in Cardiac Surgery: Valvular Heart Disease

11 - 13 May, Windsor, UK

EACTS Case Corner: Aortic Valve Repair

26 May, Virtual meeting

Thoracic Surgery: Part 2

9 -10 June, Virtual meeting

For the most up-to-date course details visit Courses and dates subject to change

www.eacts.org