Issue 30 | June 2022 - EACTS News

NEWS Issue 30 / June 2022

The quarterly publication for EACTS members

Issue 30 Highlights 2. Empowering surgeons: From diversity to inclusion 3. Advancing improvements in clinical outcomes 4. Introducing two new EACTS’ taskforces 7. Explore, discover, educate at the 36th EACTS Annual Meeting 13. A return to in-person courses 14. New Fellowship programme announced 18. Marko Turina award open for entries

Robotic cardiac surgery With the introduction of a new robotic surgery taskforce and Fellowship programme, EACTS continues to play an important role in enhancing the educational opportunities for surgeons in the field of robotic systems.

Committees

Empowering surgeons: From diversity to inclusion The EACTS Women in Cardiothoracic Surgery committee has launched a new webinar series to discuss the changing face of leadership, explore the topic of gender in medicine and enhance management and leadership skills for cardiothoracic surgeons.

The eight-part series will blend theory with practical information from experts and guest speakers, creating a community of like-minded peers to discuss and enhance understanding of women’s challenges and roles in the current landscape. The series will also offer ‘tools’ to help all surgeons gain and maintain influence and leadership in their roles.

Open to all EACTS members who support the advancement of inclusion and diversity in cardiothoracic surgery, the series will kick off on Thursday 1st September and dive straight into the heart of the gender debate ‘Medicine is not gender-neutral She is male’, hosted by Jolanda Kluin, Chair of the Women in Cardiothoracic Surgery committee.

The webinar series will then follow every first Thursday of the month covering a wide-range of topics and tools for surgeons to develop leadership skills and realise their ambitions as leaders in the field.

Jolanda Kluin said, “The main objective of the Women in Cardiothoracic Surgery committee is to make the Association an inclusive one where every talent can flourish. We want to empower the female surgeons to work with the Association itself so that it’s really inclusive. It is important that we approach the topic with a very positive attitude. We are proud to be women and to be a role model for the next generation.”

The webinar series is part of a number of new initiatives developed by the 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.

For more information and to register click here

Webinar series Thursday 1 September – 20:00-21:30 Medicine is not gender-neutral

Thursday 12 January – 20:00-21:30 Communication with Impact

Thursday 6 October – 18:00 EACTS Annual Meeting: Embodied Leadership: The Hidden Dimension. Followed by a networking event

Thursday 2 February – 20:00-21:30 Strategic Diplomacy: Mastering Negotiations

Thursday 3 November – 20:00-21:30 Disrupting Everyday Bias Thursday 1 December – 20:00-21:30 Enhancing your Leadership Strengths

*webinar titles are subject to change

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Thursday 2 March – 20:00-21:30 Building and Leveraging your Network Thursday 6 April – 20:00-21:30 Political Savvy as a Critical Leadership Skill Thursday 11 May – 20:00-21:30 Becoming an inclusive leader: from hero to host

QUIP

Advancing improvements in clinical outcomes Driving quality improvement in cardiothoracic surgery is a significant part of EACTS’ work. The Quality Improvement Programme (QUIP) works with participating centres across Europe to promote the importance of integrating quality improvement initiatives into daily clinical practice.

The European Registry for Patients with Mechanical Circulatory Support (EUROMACS), part of the EACTS Quality Improvement Programme, offers the tools to collect clinical procedural updates and scientific data for patients receiving Mechanical Circulatory Support (MCS).

Currently, there are 70 centres contributing data to EUROMACS. The data collected are made available for research purposes to assess patient outcomes and benchmark these outcomes with all participating centres.

It is therefore critical to the success and integrity of the registry that the data provided by each centre are high quality and reliable.

Dr. Antonio Loforte from the S. Orsola University Hospital, IRCCS Bologna, Italy, one of the participating centres in the EUROMACS registry, discusses his experience of the QUIP audit and outlines why it is a privilege to be involved in EUROMACS

The volume of MCS procedures carried out across Europe is the largest in the world. As a result, EUROMACS is an extremely significant registry. What makes EUROMACS data so unique is not just the number of cases but also the variety of devices adopted.

Policlinico Sant’Orsola-Malpighi has been part of the EUROMACS registry for several years and it is both a privilege and opportunity to be involved. It’s important for our reputation and also for our visibility within the cardiothoracic community.

The relationship between the Quality Improvement Programme and the participating centres is collaborative and as such we welcome the audit process. It helps to guarantee the quality of our data and demonstrates our commitment to transparency.

The audit is beneficial not just for database managers but also for clinicians, surgeons and cardiologists.

The feedback received at the end of the audit is hugely helpful; providing suggestions on how we can enhance our data entry and improve variables. Data entry should be quick, fluid and correct. If we don’t get it right, the impact could be considerable.

It is for the benefit of the scientific community and our patients that we need to be confident we are providing high quality data to the EUROMACS registry.

Theo de By, EUROMACS Managing Director, discusses how the Quality Improvement Programme works closely with participating centres to help improve systems and processes with the ultimate aim of securing better outcomes for patients

Our onsite audits help determine the quality of the data and include a review of a random sample of 10-20 patients to compare the hospital medical administration data with EUROMACS Registry data, looking for any differences between the two data sets. We ascertain whether there is a specific individual who is responsible for inputting the data and if there is a methodical approach in place to ensure regular updates of data.

After the visit, I prepare a draft audit report for approval of the participating centre, which includes recommendations that are designed to improve the centre’s data. These recommendations are followed up after a few weeks.

The data audits are a collaborative process between the EACTS and the participating centres. For example, a recent audit revealed that one of the participating centres didn’t always have cause of death data available so we discussed ways to ensure this data could be retrieved in the future. We work together to achieve the same goal of driving quality improvement in cardiothoracic surgery.

For more information about the EACTS Quality Improvement Programme click here 3

Taskforces

Keeping pilots flying safely after cardiac surgery Thomas Syburra, Senior consultant cardiac surgeon, Military deputy head aviation medicine, Swiss air force and Chair of the Aviation Medicine and Cardiac Surgery Taskforce

The work of the aviation group began over five years ago at the 31st EACTS Annual Meeting in Vienna. The group’s longstanding members have a strong background working in the aviation industry and we recognised the lack of reciprocal knowledge and understanding between the cardiothoracic community and aviation medical examiners.

I am delighted that the group is now officially an EACTS Taskforce, which is important for our long-term goals and success.

Transfer of knowledge Aircrew work in a tightly regulated environment and must obey strict safety considerations. This is critical to maintaining the excellent safety record of the aviation industry. As cardiac surgeons we must be able to treat aircrew using the best scientific, evidence-based knowledge whilst also recognising and abiding by rigorous aeromedical regulations.

It is important that we leverage the knowledge and expertise between the two different worlds to keep pilots flying safely after cardiac surgery.

In practice, this means enhancing the situational awareness of cardiac surgeons to recognise that different regulations apply when a pilot comes to an outpatient clinic and likewise that aviation medical examiners and flight surgeons understand that there are effective options to treat pilots with heart conditions.

Communication and engagement between both parties is key to avoiding unnecessary groundings.

The Aviation Medicine and Cardiac Surgery Taskforce has clear goals: • To provide assistance to the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) in the UK to support the transfer of knowledge from the latest cardiothoracic guidelines to the aeromedical regulations in an appropriate way, and specifically recommending updates to the chapters in valvular and cardiac disease.

• To publish more evidence-based research.

• To gather data from EACTS members on the clinical outcomes of pilots who have undergone cardiac surgery procedures.

Longer term we hope to broaden our scope to extend beyond the aviation industry, using our knowledge and findings to support other sectors of occupational medicine.

Taskforce members Maj. Dr. med. Thomas Syburra

Dr Stuart Mitchell

Prof. John Pepper

Dr Mark Popplestone

Dr. med. Denis Bron

Paulo Alves

Mr Ulrich Rosendahl

Wg Cdr Joanna d’Arcy

Wg Cdr Ed Nicol

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EACTS NEWS

The future of cardiac surgery Wouter Oosterlinck, MD, PhD, Cardiac Surgery Professor of Leuven University and Chair of the Robotic Surgery Taskforce

This is an exciting time for robotic surgery. We have a huge opportunity to further develop robotic surgery and optimise its use for the benefit of patients around the world.

Working at Leuven University, which is one of the biggest robotic centres in Europe, the impact of robotic surgery on delivering improved surgical outcomes for patients is clear. We carry out over 100 robotic cases a year and for these patients we see a reduction in wound infection and an increase in functional gain. Over the past few years, we have also seen other benefits from robotic surgery including reduced hospital stays and a reduction in material costs.

I am convinced that robotic surgery is the future of cardiac surgery, but to integrate robotics more widely we need to introduce more training in robotic procedures and establish quality control. The new Robotic Surgery Taskforce, which I am honoured to chair, will play a pivotal role in achieving these objectives.

The taskforce is committed to bringing centres and experts together to share learning, exchange information and insights and develop training opportunities. By working together, we are in a stronger position to work with industry partners to support the development of new robotic platforms for cardiac and thoracic surgery.

The Robotic Surgery Taskforce has set out three specific aims: • To provide training and education opportunities, ensuring the surgeons of the future have access to training on how to implement robotic procedures.

• To develop a comprehensive registry of all robotic surgery in order to monitor the results of surgery and act as a feedback mechanism for the training. The registry will help us better understand the procedures that are benefiting from robotic surgery.

• Greater interaction with industry partners to develop new robotic platforms that meet the new medical devices regulations and achieve the right accreditation.

We recognise there are challenges, but, as a group, we are extremely motivated to help surgeons and centres around the world realise the potential of robotic surgery.

Taskforce members Wouter Oosterlinck

Ulrich Franke

Johannes Bonatti

Franca Melfi

Marion Durand

Paul Modi

Thierry Folliguet

Sandeep Singh

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In Memory of...

Professor Marian Zembala EACTS mourns the passing of our Past President, Marian Zembala, who died on March 19, 2022, in his home in Tarnowskie Gory (Silesian Voivodeship - Poland).

Patrick Perier, EACTS Vice President, looks back at his remarkable life.

He held other notable roles throughout his career, including:

Marian Zembala 11 February 1950 – 19 March 2022

• General Director of the Silesian Centre for Heart Diseases in Zabrze, which is internationally recognised as one of the most successful clinical and academic centres in Poland.

This was a position he held until his passing in March 2022.

• Chairman of the Department of Cardiac Surgery, Transplantology, Vascular and Endovascular Surgery in Zabrze.

• EACTS President from 2017-2018 and, a few years later, became Chair of the nominating committee.

An inspiring and respectful leader, Professor Zembala’s truly extraordinary career marks him as one of cardiac surgery’s most influential figures.

After training at Poland’s renowned Medical Academy of Wrocław, he built his experience in Belgium, the Netherlands, the US, the UK, and in Poland.

Marian was involved in numerous clinical firsts in Poland.

In 1985, together with Professors Andrzej Bochenek and Zbigniew Religa, he performed the first successful heart transplantation. He was also involved in the country’s first single lung transplantation and first heart lung transplant.

His scientific activity was intense, as evidenced by the fact that he authored nearly 700 papers and 92 book chapters.

In addition to his clinical achievements, Marian also embraced a political career. In 2014, he was elected as a member of the upper Silesia regional assembly. A year later he was appointed to the Ministry of Health of Poland and became the Polish National Consultant in Cardiac Surgery.

Recognising the impact of cross-border collaboration, Marian established a charity programme which enabled 427 Polish children with congenital heart defects to be treated at St Antonius Hospital in Utrecht. The programme also provided training for 70 Polish cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, neonatologists, nurses and perfusionists. Soon after he returned to Poland from the Netherlands. In 1984 Marian initiated long-term support programmes for Kosovo, Moldovia, Georgia, Albany and Ukraine – programmes that are still conducted today.

The importance of partnership working was evident throughout his tenure as EACTS President. During this time, he worked towards greater integration between EACTS and similar organisations across Europe. Commenting on this ambition, he poignantly remarked, “In the global world, you need to make a strong voice and partnership. War is devastating; we need peace and pragmatism. That is my message – peace and pragmatism.”

Marian Zembala will be remembered as one of the greatest cardiac surgeons of his time due to his commitment, passion, dedication and unwavering optimism.

We send our deepest condolences to the whole family and our thoughts are with everyone who knew him.

May he rest in peace.

A full obituary by Patrick Perier will be published in EJCTS.

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Annual Meeting

Home to one of the largest cathedrals in Europe, the magnificent Italian city of Milan will once again become the setting for the largest event in the cardiothoracic calendar, as the 36th EACTS Annual Meeting takes over the MiCo Congressi Conference Centre from the 5-8 October.

Now that the world is opening back up, we are thrilled to welcome you all to the MiCo, a modern, visitor friendly, and wellconnected congress centre that will not disappoint. The 36th EACTS Annual Meeting gives us all an opportunity to explore, discover and educate, as we gather together in-person under one roof.

Why attend this year’s Annual Meeting?

The scientific world is moving fast which makes this year’s Annual Meeting an exciting opportunity to explore new scientific insights, learn about the latest innovations in cardiothoracic surgery and, importantly, take part in some stimulating debates alongside global experts.

Our domains and committees have developed a feast of world class education and science for the 36th EACTS Annual Meeting.

Explore

Discover

Educate

Extensive exhibition featuring the latest innovations from industry

Industry led satellite symposia

Presentations from global experts on the latest surgical techniques

Interactive, hands-on training opportunities

Honoured Guest keynote presentation

Discussions on the latest clinical practice guidelines

A myriad of opportunities to network with peers and colleagues from around the world

The 2022 EACTS Presidential Address

Debates on hot topics, and results from the latest clinical trials Rapid Response abstract sessions

The full scientific programme is now live. View the programme here

Some of our session highlights • Will cardiac xenotransplantation fulfil its promise?

• Ebstein and non Ebstein Tricuspid Valve Insufficiency

• The heart failure surgeon & heart failure interventionalist • AV repair in Challenging Cases

• Neurological outcome in aortic arch surgery - Opening Pandora´s box

• Clinical trials in coronary surgery – a look into the future

• Difficult cases in Thoracic surgery

• Thoracoabdominal aortic surgery – “Houston – do we have a problem?”

• Bioprosthetic structural aortic valve degeneration: from incidence to management

• EACTS/STS Joint Meeting - Connecting to connective tissue aortic disease

• Acute aortic syndrome - a 360° view

• Residents’ Case Corner Live on Stage

• Acute type A aortic dissection – surgical solutions for an otherwise catastrophic disease

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Annual Meeting

PROGRAMME AT A GLANCE 5 - 8 O C TO BE R 2 0 2 2 - M I L AN, IT A LY

Wednesday 5 October

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Thursday 6 October

Friday 7 October

Saturday 8 October

Learn about the latest research We received a tremendous response to our call for abstracts with over 1,000 submissions by colleagues from 66 countries. This is more than a 60% increase on last year. Abstract sessions at the Annual Meeting are a fantastic opportunity for participants to learn more about the latest research and techniques in cardiothoracic surgery.

This year 11 of the 31 abstract sessions will be held in a rapid response format which will add an extra layer of excitement and interactivity.

Register today and join colleagues from around the world in Milan to learn together at the 36th EACTS Annual Meeting.

Announcing the 36th EACTS Annual Meeting Honoured Guest Speaker Manfred H. Mueller, University Lecturer on Risk Management, Training Captain on Airbus A330/340/350 ret., and former General Manager, Flight Safety Research of the Lufthansa Group.

This year we are delighted to welcome Manfred Mueller to the 36th EACTS Annual Meeting as our Honoured Guest speaker.

For 41 years Manfred Mueller worked as a pilot for Lufthansa. He will offer his unique perspective on risk management, experience training pilots and his career as General Manager of Flight Safety Research for the Lufthansa Group, in a keynote session that will explore aviation safety concepts that can be applied in a medical context.

His work and research on flight safety, ways to minimise medical risks in the aviation sector and strategies to optimise management of personnel in unmonitored workspaces will draw many parallels with risk management in the cardiothoracic world.

For two decades Manfred has lectured on Risk Management at the University of Bremen and the Technical University of Munich. From 2014 he supported the European Commission in organising projects to improve flight safety within the EU. In 2019, his work was recognised when he was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit for diverse commitments in the field of risk management.

We are looking forward to hearing more on Thursday 6 October.

New for 2022 EACTS TV We are excited to announce - new for 2022 - the EACTS premium TV channel! Delegates can watch live in the exhibition hall or online as we get the low down from our expert panelists and key opinion leaders, with one-to-one interviews, punditry and an opportunity for live audience participation and discussion. This will be an exciting addition to our programme giving you even more access to experienced surgeons, their specialist knowledge, and their immediate reactions to important scientific sessions.

We are delighted to announce the return of the joint STS/ EACTS Jeopardy style quiz this year in Milan which has been renamed the CT Surgery Masters Showdown!

Two-person teams of residents will face off against one another during this entertaining competition of cognitive skills.

Beginning Wednesday 1 June, you can sign up your team for a test of knowledge in five cardiothoracic surgery categories: cardiac, congenital, thoracic, history of the specialty, and decision making. Each individual participant will need to take an initial online qualifying exam. Accept the challenge.

The European Qualifying Tournament will be held during this year’s Annual Meeting in Milan with the semi-final winners going on to the STS Annual Meeting in 2023 to compete against the winning North American team where the CT Surgery Masters World Champions will be crowned!

Make sure that you attend the sessions on Thursday and Friday to cheer on your teams and test your own knowledge!

Techno-College Taking place on Wednesday 5 October ahead of the main Annual Meeting programme, this year we are offering two innovative Techno-College programmes featuring technological breakthroughs in cardiovascular and thoracic surgery. Please see the fee table overleaf for more information on how to book.

The acquired cardiac programme will include live surgery and live in a box cases that are designed to educate surgeons on the appropriate use of new cardiovascular techniques.

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Annual Meeting

REGISTER NOW FOR UP TO

Register now for best savings!

Your Annual Meeting registration fee includes in-person access to all scientific sessions running Thursday-Saturday and entrance to the exhibition. You also get access to the premium EACTS TV Channel and the Video on Demand package.

A THIRD OFF

Remember, members are not automatically registered. If you wish to join us in Milan, you must register for a place.

Register for your place here

FEES FOR 2022 Annual Meeting Fee (inc. IT VAT) Early / Late / Onsite

Techno-College Fee – Adult Cardiac ** (inc. IT VAT) Early / Late / Onsite

Techno-College Fee – Thoracic ** (inc. IT VAT) Early / Late / Onsite

€ 400 / € 500 / € 600

€ 200 / € 300 / € 400

€ 100 / € 125 / € 150

€ 850 / € 990 / € 1,200

€ 450 / € 550 / € 650

€ 130 / € 160 / € 200

€ 180 / € 250 / € 350

€ 100 / € 150 / € 200

€ 50 / € 50 / € 70

EACTS Member* Non-Member Trainee/Allied Health/Low Income Country#

DEADLINES: Early: up to and including 1 Jul 2022 / Late: 2 Jul – 3 Oct 2022 / Onsite: 4 – 8 Oct 2022 * This category is for EACTS Members. Those with a completed EACTS membership application may also register within this category. ** Techno-College is a separate fee to the Annual Meeting – you will need to select either Adult Cardiac or Thoracic which will give you access to that specific session of your choosing.

EACTS Learning Lab We shall be organising a number of training sessions throughout this year’s event within the EACTS Learning Lab in the main exhibition hall. These will include ‘Hands-on’ workshops, including wet and dry labs and other small practice sessions. These sessions do not form part of the official scientific programme of the Annual Meeting and can be accessed at an additional cost of €50 per session.

There is limited space available so book your place now when registering for the 36th EACTS Annual Meeting.

Thursday 6 October 09:00 - 11:00 – Aortic Valve Repair 12:30 - 14:30 – Congenital Surgery 15:30 - 17:30 – Mitral Valve Repair Friday 7 October 09:00 - 11:00 – TAVI/TMVI 12:30 - 14:30 – TEVAR 15:30 - 17:30 – Thoracic Surgery Saturday 8 October 09:00 - 11:00 – Coronary Surgery

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Opportunities for Industry Reach the people that matter to your business The EACTS trade exhibition is an important and time-efficient way to keep up to date with new to market technology, state of the art products, innovations, and developments in the cardiothoracic market.

Are you an exhibiting company? An exhibition booth at the 36th EACTS Annual Meeting allows you to meet the people that matter to your business, demonstrate new products and attract interest from new prospects and existing customers.

The exhibition is a great opportunity for exhibitors and delegates to enjoy face-to-face meetings and feel the buzz about new products hitting the market.

There has been lots of interest in our industry satellite programmes too, so if you are keen to be involved please do get in touch via industry@eacts.co.uk.

Our popular daily newspaper – EACTS Daily News – will be back again this year, bringing you the highlights from the 36th EACTS Annual Meeting.

Advertising and sponsored content opportunities are available, so if you are eager to get in front of all our delegates in Milan, please contact us industry@eacts.co.uk to discuss the options.

With our industry satellite programmes, extensive exhibition and our EACTS TV Channel there will be plenty of opportunity to learn together. We look forward to exploring world-class science, discovering new connections with friends and colleagues, and benefitting from a wealth of quality education.

Techno College

A FOCUS ON TECHNIQUES AND TECHNOLOGY Our profession is rapidly changing. As we continually strive to improve patient outcomes, it is critical that all surgeons have an interest in learning about the latest technology and innovative techniques in cardiothoracic surgery.

The best place to learn is undoubtedly at Techno-College, taking place on Wednesday 5 October as part of the 36th EACTS Annual Meeting.

This year, the New Technology Taskforce has put together an compelling programme, with a specific focus on techniques and technology in valve interventions and aortic surgery.

The unique format of Techno-College includes live surgery designed to educate surgeons on the appropriate use of new cardiovascular techniques. Delegates can look forward to live surgery demonstrating normothermic arch surgery without circulatory arrest and a new interventional technique for endovascular thorcoabdominal repair.

There will also be live surgery focusing on the mitral valve including a demonstration of a transapical beating heart mitral repair procedure and the presentation of a mitral valve prothesis which is new to the market.

Professor Volkmar Falk Chair of the New Technology Taskforce

Techno-College has always pioneered innovative methods and new concepts in cardiovascular surgery and this year is no exception. The full day programme will highlight new surgical, endovascular and interventional techniques and will enable a lively discussion with experts in the field.

The EACTS Annual Meeting is the primary meeting for the cardiothoracic community, leading the way in both format and content. The New Technology Taskforce is proud to be involved in shaping the programme to deliver an exciting Annual Meeting.

New Technology Taskforce members Volkmar Falk

Joerg Kempfert

Husam Balkhy

Theo Kofidis

Daniel Blackman

Thilo Noack

Lenard Conradi

Piotr Suwalski

Marco Di Eusanio

Nicolas Van Mieghem

Tomas Holubec

Joseph Zacharias

This year’s Annual Meeting includes two exciting Techno-College programmes featuring innovations and technological breakthroughs in cardiovascular and thoracic surgery. Find out more about the thoracic surgery programme in the next issue of EACTS News.

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Academy

Transferring learning into clinical practice EACTS Academy offers meaningful learning opportunities for surgeons around the globe to enhance skills and expertise that can be used in clinical practice to improve patient outcomes.

Christian Heim, Managing Senior Physician and Deputy Clinic Director

Christian Heim, Managing Senior Physician and Deputy Clinic Director, Cardiac Surgery Clinic at the Friedrich Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg describes how drylab training through the EACTS Academy gave him the specialist skills and confidence to introduce an endoscopic mitral valve programme to his department.

MIVS has become the standard approach for the treatment of degenerative mitral valve pathologies. However, starting a minimally invasive cardiac surgery (MICS) for mitral valve repair (MVR) programme can be challenging as it requires a significant new learning curve.

In order to start a new MICS programme in my department it was necessary to advance my surgical education. To develop the specialist skills and knowledge required for this complex procedure I registered for the EACTS Academy Endoscopic Port-Access Mitral Valve Repair Drylab Training.

The course was an extremely valuable learning experience, teaching all the defined stages of minimally invasive mitral valve surgery.

The use of a simulator as a training tool was hugely helpful. It gave me the opportunity to perform the different stages of the procedure and receive useful feedback on my technique, both directly from the simulator and from the course director, Peyman

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Sardari Nia. Thanks to this unique approach to training, I felt confident to undertake this procedure.

My progress with learning this new technique was also supported by a mentor based at a centre with a previously established MIVS programme.

To date, I have carried out minimally invasive mitral valve surgery on more than 100 patients with good outcomes for these patients.

Courses offered by EACTS Academy, such as the drylab training, are incredibly useful for enhancing our clinical practice and critical for our ongoing professional development. As a result of this training and through the support of the mentor-mentee relationship we were able to facilitate the safe and effective startup of an MICS programme in a busy university heart centre.

The use of a simulator as a training tool was hugely helpful. It gave me the opportunity to perform the different stages of the procedure and receive useful feedback on my technique, both directly from the simulator and from the course director.

Click here to register for the next Endoscopic Port-Access Mitral Valve Repair Drylab Training Course

EACTS NEWS Raising Standards through Education and Training

Upcoming courses Endoscopic Port-Access Mitral Valve Repair Drylab Training

1 - 2 September, Maastricht, The Netherlands

Reconstruction of the Aortic Valve and Root: A practical approach

7 - 9 September, Homburg Saar, Germany

Cerebral and Visceral Protection Webinar

22 September, Virtual Meeting

Mechanical Circulatory Support in Paediatric Patients

26 - 27 September, Rome, Italy

For the most up-to-date course details visit

www.eacts.org

Courses and dates subject to change

A welcome return to in-person courses The EACTS Academy team has welcomed delegates back to EACTS House for the first in-person training course in two years.

For the first time since the pandemic, attendees experienced in-person presentations, MDT sessions and an entire day of Wetlab training as part of the updated Fundamentals in Cardiac Surgery: Valvular Heart Disease course, focusing particularly on valvular heart disease – aortic, mitral and tricuspid.

Aaron Ranasinghe, EACTS Academy Director, said, “There was growing demand from EACTS members to take part in face-to-face courses again, so it is fantastic to welcome delegates back to Windsor. The course was sold out which really demonstrates the value and importance of holding in-person training.

“We are also mindful of the need to keep the EACTS Academy open to every member which is why we will continue to offer Academy courses in different formats.”

Here’s what participants said about the course

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registrations – sold out course

DID THIS COURSE MEET YOUR EXPECTATIONS?

96% said yes

WOULD YOU ATTEND A SIMILAR COURSE IN 2022/23?

96%

DO YOU THINK ATTENDING THIS COURSE WAS A GOOD INVESTMENT?

96%

said yes

“Excellent wetlab!”

“Great Course” “It’s a very well formatted programme. We like to see programmes specifically directed at the EBCTS exam.”

WILL YOU RECOMMEND THIS COURSE TO A FRIEND OR COLLEAGUE?

100% said yes

said yes

Feedback from participants who completed the evaluation

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Fellowships

EACTS launches exciting Fellowship Programme for 2023 The Francis Fontan Fund is expanding its Fellowship programme to offer new opportunities for members to learn new skills and techniques from experts in their field and become part of the global cardiothoracic community.

Five exciting new Fellowship programmes will be launched this year including a fellowship that provides an excellent grounding in statistics for clinical trials and a programme to help master techniques in robotic surgery.

In addition, the Fund’s existing eight Fellowship schemes will also be available to EACTS members throughout the world. These include: • Advanced Postoperative Care • Aortic Root and Valve Repair

New fellowships for 2023 We are delighted to offer the following new Fellowships in 2023.

OPCAB Extended in partnership with Medtronic

• Atrial Fibrillation Fellowship sponsored by Atricure • Aortic TEVAR sponsored by Terumo • OPCAB sponsored by Medtronic • MiCS - CABG Europe/Canada sponsored by Medtronic • TSF/FFF International Travelling • Quality & Outcomes with MSTCVS 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.

Professor Ruggero de Paulis, Chair of the Francis Fontan Fund, said, “The Francis Fontan Fellowship programme is devoted to supporting young cardiothoracic surgeons by giving them an opportunity to work closely with masters in their field. By taking part in the programme fellows learn new techniques and gain knowledge that they can take back to their home institution for the benefit of their patients.

“I am delighted that we are able to offer more opportunities for EACTS members by introducing a number of exciting new fellowships. I encourage anyone who is keen to further develop their career to apply to the scheme and become part of this wonderful global cardiothoracic community.”

Applications are open between 1 July – 1 September 2022 and successful Fellows will start their training in early 2023.

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The Fellowship goal is to enhance young cardiothoracic surgeons’ understanding of cardiothoracic surgical outcomes and to acquire theoretical and practical knowledge in the surgical and anaesthesiologic management of patients with coronary artery disease, with special interest in off-pump (OPCABG) techniques.

Successful Fellows will have the opportunity to be tutored by experienced and high OPCABG-volume surgeons, in a highvolume centre (around 300 OPCABG procedures per year).

Robotic Surgery - Thoracic in partnership with Medtronic This Fellowship programme will provide the successful Fellow with the opportunity to acquire both theoretical and practical skills in robotic thoracic surgery.

Aimed at young cardiothoracic surgeons, this fellowship includes simulations, integrated system training and live procedureobservation and offers a unique opportunity to visit Medical Research and Advanced Technological Institutes in Europe.

EACTS NEWS

TSF-FFF International Traveling Fellowship in Association with LACES Following the success of the Thoracic Surgery Foundation / Francis Fontan Fund International Traveling Fellowship, EACTS and STS are expanding to partner with the Latin American Association of Cardio and Endovascular Surgery (LACES).

This Fellowship provides an opportunity for members of LACES to learn from the highest standards of cardiothoracic care in Europe and North America, and gain knowledge of novel techniques and innovative technologies used by other institutes in either Europe or North America.

VATS Fellowship in General Thoracic Surgery The VATS Fellowship in General Thoracic Surgery is an opportunity to receive appropriate training in VATS. This includes acquiring all necessary knowledge and competences to safely perform VATS Lobectomies.

In addition, this Fellowship will enable the successful fellow to compile the necessary training in all aspects of lung cancer surgery to be able to achieve the European Board of Cardiothoracic Surgery (Membership and General Thoracic subspecialty) during or after completion of fellowship.

Fellows will be involved with hands-on experience every day in a stepwise training process that will eventually allow them to safely perform VATS lobectomy in patients undergoing resection for early-stage lung cancer.

Clinical Trials & Statistics (closing date - 13 June 2022) This exciting new Fellowship offers the opportunity to study statistics in the context of clinical trials. The selected Fellow will be funded to complete the online MSc Statistics for Clinical Trials at University College London.

Comprising a series of compelling modules, the online programme will provide an excellent grounding in both Frequentist and Bayesian statistics. EACTS - through the Francis Fontan Fund - will provide financial support to the successful Fellow, who will learn about all types of trials - from early to late phase trials and simple to complex interventions.

The Fund’s mission is to create a global community by which to share and learn the highest standards of cardiothoracic care

For more information about the Francis Fontan Fund for Education and to apply for a fellowship click here.

Closing date for applications - 1st September 2022 15

Fellowships

A unique learning opportunity The prestigious Francis Fontan Fund offers an exciting opportunity to advance your surgical education and learn from the highest standards of cardiothoracic care at some of the most prestigious institutions around the world.

Four recipients of the Aortic Root and Valve Repair Fellowship share their experience of taking part in the Fellowship programme

Valeria Iturriaga Cardiac surgeon, Hospital de Especialidades Pediatrico León, Mexico

I work in a small hospital where I am the only cardiac surgeon.

The Aortic Root and Valve Repair Fellowship provided an invaluable opportunity to visit different hospitals and learn more about the different techniques that are used by fantastic surgeons who are experts in aortic valve repair. To talk with these surgeons and get their advice is hugely beneficial. For example, they emphasised the importance of taking an ordered step-bystep approach to each procedure.

From my training and reading papers, I was already aware of the range of techniques used for aortic root and valve repair but to see the procedures firsthand is a very different learning opportunity. The experience not only reinforced my existing knowledge but has given me confidence to apply these techniques in my own department.

The Fellowship programme is much more than education. I was able to build relationships with other surgeons from around the world to share knowledge and compare patient outcomes. I am confident these relationships will continue to support my professional development for many years.

Overall, the Fellowship has been an amazing experience which I would recommend to anyone thinking of applying to the programme.

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Ziv Beckerman Assistant Professor of Surgery & Perioperative Care, Dell Medical School, University of Texas

The Francis Fontan Fellowship programme offers the best opportunity for surgeons to extend their knowledge and share experiences with colleagues. To visit centres of excellence around the globe and have the ability to discuss surgical approaches is both unique and invaluable.

There is a diverse range of approaches in aortic surgery and often a surgeon’s exposure to different approaches is limited. The fellowship progamme offers the chance to experience first-hand the huge diversity of approaches across all aspects of clinical decision making and patient care. It’s a really effective way to improve and substantiate surgical expertise.

I have developed long lasting friendships and relationships that I’m confident will provide support and advice throughout my career. In fact, just recently I discussed a surgical case with the team in Saint-Luc Hospital in Belgium, where I undertook a oneweek placement. Following these discussions, I am considering changing my approach to the patient’s treatment.

I would encourage all surgeons to seize the opportunity to take part in the Fellowship programme and experience the work of centres around the world.

EACTS NEWS

Benjamim Marinho Cardiothoracic surgeon, Hospital São João, Oporto, Portugal

The Francis Fontan Fellowship is a unique learning opportunity, supporting surgeons who want to adopt root surgery in their practice.

Earlier this year, I visited Professor Laurent de Kerchove and Professor Gebrine El Khoury at Saint-Luc Hospital, Bruxelles, in Belgium for a one-week placement. I had the opportunity to observe and participate in aortic root surgeries, namely Ross surgery, valve sparing surgery (David procedure) and aortic root homograft. I was able to discuss with these experts the indications, techniques, tips and tricks, which will help to implement and spread root surgery with safety.

Although we have access to presentations, articles and online videos that address all the issues involved in aortic valve repair, all this material, without a mentor, can make the systematization of the surgery difficult. Direct contact with experts and their own practice helps to fill this gap.

Márcio Madeira Cardiac Surgeon, Hospital de Santa Cruz, Lisbon, Portugal

I decided to apply for the Aortic Root and Valve Repair Fellowship to improve my knowledge of aortic valve repair so I could spare the repairable aortic valves and importantly, improve patient outcomes.

The experience has been amazing. Having the opportunity to work in different hospitals across Europe and learn from the best surgeons has been incredible. The knowledge I have acquired during these placements has been extremely valuable. For example, learning the steps of different procedures in order to achieve the best result for the patient and understanding how to utilise the scientific tools and measurements to perform a reproducible procedure.

I am confident that this experience will benefit my patients and I hope to increase the aortic valve repair rate in my department.

This Fellowship is a fantastic opportunity to learn a very important procedure from the best.

To have the opportunity to interact with experts and discuss cases with them is invaluable. It helps to understand the process of decision-making, including how to assess problems on a case-by-case basis, and how to find solutions.

I have already put into practice the knowledge that I acquired through the Fellowship which has helped to achieve good outcomes for my patients. I look forward to expanding my experience in the field through the Aortic Root and Valve Repair Fellowship, and to be able to guide future surgeons interested in root surgery.

The Aortic Root and Valve Repair Fellowship The Aortic Root and Valve Repair Fellowship provides an opportunity to acquire theoretical and practical knowledge in the surgical management of patients with aortic root dilatation and aortic regurgitation, with special interest in the sparing of the aortic valve.

The Fellowship includes attendance at two specialist EACTS courses - ‘Introduction to Aortic Surgery’, and the ‘Aortic Valve Repair Summit’ as well as the opportunity to complete a two-week internship in a high-volume centre.

(Paris/Brussels/Homburg/Rome).

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MMCTS

Marko Turina award open for entries Applications are now open for the MMCTS Residents’ Tutorial Competition 2022. The competition, launched by EACTS and the Thoracic Surgery Residents Association (TSRA), recognises the best core skills video tutorial with a specific focus on technical quality, surgical skills and educational clarity.

The winner of the competition will receive the Marko Turina Award for Best MMCTS Residents’ Tutorial, which will be presented at the 36th EACTS Annual Meeting.

Dr Kelly says, “The MMCTS Residents’ Tutorial Competition was a fun project. The video was our third submission to MMCTS, with all three videos detailing different modules with our cardiac surgery simulator. MMCTS is a fantastic video resource and I’m looking forward to submitting more videos in the future.”

Submissions must meet MMCTS’s standard tutorial requirements and will be judged according to how well they meet the following standards: • Demonstrate surgical skill: is the procedure performed correctly?

The tutorial topic must cover core skills that are relevant to the basic education of residents. For example, the treatment of sternal wound infection after sternotomy and LVAD, RVAD related content. For thoracic core skills potential topics include esophageal stent and tracheostomy.

• Technical excellence of recorded video and narration: is the video steady and focused; is the narration clear?

Tutorials submitted to the competition will be eligible for publication in MMCTS, which is published by EACTS as a free service to surgeons worldwide.

• Educational proficiency: does the tutorial effectively teach surgeons how to perform the presented procedure?

• Succinctness and precision of accompanying descriptive text: is the copy accurate and well written in plain language?

Dr John Kelly, from the University of Pennsylvania was awarded the best MMCTS Residents’ Tutorial last year for the video ‘Cardiac surgery simulation – Part 3: Coronary anastomosis’.

Deadline for entries is 31st July.

For more information on how to apply to go MMCTS

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Publishing

Publishing the latest research and innovations New Editorial Board Members

2021 Reviewers of the Year

In line with the regular refreshment of the journal editorial boards, new Associate Editors, Assistant Editors and board members have been appointed. We are pleased to share that EJCTS has appointed Dr Julie Cleuziou as an Assistant Editor for the journal.

We are delighted to announce the 2021 Reviewers of Year.

Dr Frank A Baciewicz has been awarded the EJCTS 2021 Reviewer of the Year and Dr Syed Murfad Peer has been awarded the ICVTS 2021 Reviewer of the Year. We would like to sincerely thank Dr Baciewicz and Dr Peer for all their hard work and support on peer review and welcome them to the journal editorial boards.

Latest articles from EJCTS and ICVTS EJCTS

ICVTS

The impact of gender bias in cardiothoracic surgery in Europe: a European Society of Thoracic Surgeons and European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery survey

Biomechanical engineering analysis of an acute papillary muscle rupture disease model using an innovative 3D-printed left heart simulator

Pompili C, Opitz I, Backhus L, et al

Marin-Cuartas M, Zhu Y, Imbrie-Moore AM, et al

An Editor’s Choice article from January. The ESTS and the EACTS conducted a questionnaire to assess the impact of gender bias on a cardiothoracic surgical career. The results found that women in cardiothoracic surgery experienced significantly higher rates of bias that may prevent qualified women from advancing to positions of leadership.

An Editor’s Choice article from January. The study aimed to investigate the use of the novel ex vivo model in the treatment of acute papillary muscle rupture to improve clinical management.

The impact of sex and gender on aortic events in patients with Marfan syndrome

Bottet B, Rivera C, Dahan M, et al

Nucera M, Heinisch PP, Langhammer B, et al An early access article exploring the sex and gender difference in aortic events in Marfan patients. Results suggest that male patients have a higher risk of aortic events than female patients.

Reporting of patient-safety incidents in minimally invasive Thoracic Surgery: a national registered thoracic surgeons experience for improvement of patient safety An early access report on patient-safety incidents in minimally invasive Thoracic Surgery, indicating the majority of reported incidents were non-catastrophic and human factors were the main cause of patient-safety incidents.

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OPPORTUNITY TO JOIN THE RESIDENTS’ COMMITTEE The EACTS Residents’ Committee is currently looking for two motivated residents to join the committee and help shape the future of cardiothoracic surgery across Europe.

The EACTS Residents’ Committee is devoted to representing the views and interests of cardiothoracic surgery residents and helping to facilitate education and identify training needs. The 3-year term will start in October 2022.

How to apply

Selection criteria

Complete your application via EACTS User Area, including a CV and a Letter of Motivation before Thursday 30th July 2022. The Letter of Motivation will be assessed using a transparent scoring system.

Motivation letter: Please focus on your ideas for the Resident’s Committee and give us an overview about a project which you have led/accomplished. How can you contribute to the committee and become an active member in teaching and training residents across Europe? We are also interested in your special field. Let us know if you are mainly working in congenital, thoracic, or adult cardiac surgery (this information does not affect the selection).

For more information please visit: Residents - EACTS

CV: Focus on your accomplishments in education and training. We would also like to hear about your involvement in the EACTS (for example, participation in courses, fellowships, and congresses).

Please note: To ensure fair representation, a maximum of two residents from the same country can join the committee. For this reason, we are currently not accepting applications from Austria and the UK.

@EACTS @EuropeanAssociationCardioThoracicSurgery @eactsofficial EACTS