The quarterly publication for EACTS NEWSmembersIssue 31 / September 2022 Issue FibrillationBuilding18.in-person16.summit14.Meeting8.Annualatlearning6.Regulation3.Highlights31MedicalDeviceAfullprogrammeofandconnectingthe36thEACTSMeetingDomainsattheAnnualThe6thEACTSMCSEBCTS-areturntoexamsFFFFellowships-visibilityofAtrial togetherLearning at the 36th AnnualEACTSMeeting Don’t miss being part of the most exciting and innovative event in the cardiothoracic calendar.
“This is an exciting time to be a member of EACTS as our community grows in size and our voice becomes stronger. We are committed to working with our members to drive quality improvement in cardiothoracic surgery and to support research and innovation that will continue to deliver better outcomes for patients.”
Join the communityEACTS
World-class education and research
The value of EACTS membership extends beyond world class education and training. As a truly global organisation, we provide a unique opportunity to connect and collaborate with colleagues and peers from around the world. We continue to grow our community as we welcome members from different professional backgrounds including allied health professionals and industry representatives.
Join EACTS and become part of a thriving global cardiothoracic community of over 4,000 members from 100 different countries worldwide.
Creating new connections
EACTS publishes two leading, high-quality online journals - the European Journal of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EJCTS), which can be accessed through EACTS membership, and Interactive CardioVascular and Thoracic Surgery (ICVTS), which was converted to open access last year. The importance and influence of our journals continues to grow across the cardiothoracic community, with both journals achieving their highest ever Impact Factors in 2021.
For more information about EACTS membership please visit EACTS - Membership
We support the work of residents in shaping the future of cardiothoracic surgery. 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.
EACTS is committed to raising standards in cardiothoracic surgery by providing our members with opportunities to enhance skills, knowledge and expertise in order to improve clinical practice and patient outcomes.
Every year we bring together thousands of participants from around the world at the EACTS Annual Meeting to explore new scientific insights, learn about the latest technology and innovations in cardiothoracic surgery and take part in some stimulating debates alongside global experts. This not to be missed event is the world’s largest meeting for the cardiothoracic community.
Connecting at the EACTS Annual Meeting
EACTS would like to extend our heartfelt sympathy to The Royal Family following the passing of Her Majesty, The Queen.
Patrick Myers, incoming Secretary General at EACTS said, “We are privileged to have such engaging and outstanding members, many of whom are experts in their field and lend their expertise to help EACTS provide a premier education experience.
We join people across the world to mourn the loss of a global leader and steadfast Monarch who served with such grace and composure during her 70-year reign.
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EACTS members also benefit from access to world leading surgeons and educators through the EACTS Academy. Whether you are a trainee or an established surgeon, our high-quality educational programme offers the right course at the right time to support career development. Courses are advertised as Level 1, 2, 3 to allow surgeons to access training commensurate with your level of expertise.
In addition, we are delighted to offer members the unique opportunity to participate in the prestigious Francis Fontan Fund and learn from the highest standards of cardiothoracic care at some of the most prestigious institutions around the world. The Fund is open to EACTS members from all countries and currently supports several different Fellowship schemes specialising in a breadth of cardiothoracic techniques.
3 Medical Device Regulation
EACTS is supporting calls from leading European health agencies and organisations for further action to prevent a shortage of essential medical devices across Europe following the implementation of the new EU Medical Devices Regulation (MDR).
As of May 2022, new certifications of approval have been issued for only 1,069 devices out of around 25,000 devices that need to be certified under the MDR. Furthermore, there is a risk that some medical devices may be taken off the market by manufacturers. A recent survey of medical device manufacturers by MedTech Europe found that 27% of all medical devices may become obsolete or discontinued, leading to concerns about the potential impact on patient care.
The regulation, which came into force in May 2021, requires all new and existing integrated medical devices, such as heart lung machine tubing coated with heparin and borderline products such as urinary catheters to be certified by a notified body. However, these bodies, which have taken on new responsibilities under the MDR, are already struggling to meet the huge demand for device certification due to insufficient capacity and resource.
EACTS President, Friedhelm Beyersdorf, said, “The importance of the EU medical device regulations to improve the standards of clinical evidence for high-risk medical devices is not in question. However, there are growing concerns across the medical community, including amongst cardiothoracic surgeons, that the regulations are already leading to a shortage, or in some cases, a discontinuation of important devices. This is why we are supporting efforts to ensure the medical devices that are critical to a patient’s treatment are available to surgeons across Europe.”
actionTaking shortagesdevicemedicalpreventto
Please complete this survey from the BioMedical Alliance by 18th September. Your input will help to inform the European Commission’s representatives and decision makers and support policy and political solutions.
Share your views experiencesand
EACTS supports the consensus amongst health agencies and organisations that the current grace period which delays the full implementation of the new MDR until 2024 should be extended indefinitely, and that an exemption provision should be granted for existing products which have been used without problems for many years.
In order to better understand and assess the current situation we invite you to share your views and experiences about how the unavailability of medical devices is impacting your daily practice.
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Important update for the EACTS QUIP Adult Cardiac Database
EACTS is in the process of seeking a new host and software solution to provide the participating centres in the ACD with an advanced application which inevitably involves a transitional phase.
Supporting colleagues in the Ukraine
EACTS remains united in our support for the cardiothoracic surgeons, wider heart teams and their family and friends in Ukraine as acts of aggression against the Ukrainian people continue.
This year we have introduced a new Fellowship programme through the Francis Fontan Fund to support Ukrainian residents who have had their teaching activities impacted by the conflict.
dedicated team for all the work they have done up to this point.
Since 2015, EACTS has been providing our members with a platform and benchmarking tool, the Adult Cardiac Database (ACD), as part of the Quality Improvement Programme (QUIP), for cardiothoracic surgery centres to analyse and benchmark their data with all other contributing European centres.
Although this transitional phase will cause a temporary hiatus to the access of the ACD, EACTS is striving to keep this hiatus as short as possible, until a new host has been selected. The participating centres, as well as the EACTS members at large, will be updated on a regular basis with respect to the progress in setting up the new platform. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us on quip@eacts.co.uk
Until recently, EACTS has been working with the University Hospital Birmingham (UHB) in the UK to provide the software and customer support services for the ACD. This year, however, a change in strategic direction will mean that the ACD will no longer be hosted by UHB, and the ACD will be moving to a new platform.
EACTS is thankful to UHB for the collaboration over the years in developing this innovative tool and is very grateful to their
In the March issue of EACTS News we outlined the steps we have taken to support our Ukrainian members and their patients, which include a designated emergency fund to support the cardiothoracic community in Ukraine.
Following consultation with Vasyl Lazoryshynets, Director of the National Institute of Cardiovascular Surgery in Ukraine, we have donated €20,000 to the Association of Cardiovascular Surgeons of Ukraine to support the vital work of Thissurgeons.yearwe have introduced a new Fellowship programme through the Francis Fontan Fund to support Ukrainian residents who have had their teaching activities impacted by the conflict. The Ukrainian Support Fellowship offers an opportunity for a three-month placement at the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery at Hospital Clínic de Barcelona to focus on continuing surgical education in Cardiovascular Surgery and Intensive Care Management.
EACTS is also providing fellowship support for surgeons from Ukraine to support their training in minimally invasive and video-assisted cardiac surgery. These are two priority skills for development that have been identified by the Director of the National Institute of Cardiovascular Surgery. In addition, we have waived the EACTS membership fee and Annual Meeting fees for new and existing Ukrainian members to ensure they can continue to access world class learning and educational tools.
Enhancing your Leadership Strengths
Disrupting Everyday Bias
Thursday November, 2022 – 20:00-21:30 (CEST)
Political Savvy as a Critical Leadership Skill
Thursday December, – 20:00-21:30 (CEST)
Thursday 11 May, 2023 – 20:00-21:30 (CEST)
The series, which is free for EACTS members and available to non-members for a small fee, will run until Thursday 11 May 2023. Click here to register.
Thursday 6 April, 2023 – 20:00-21:30 (CEST)
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The thought-provoking webinar series “the changing face of leadership: moving from diversity to inclusion” blends theory with practical information from experts and guest speakers with discussions on the changing face of leadership and women’s challenges and roles in the current landscape. The series will also offer tools to gain and maintain influence and leadership as a cardiothoracic surgeon.
Moving todiversityfrominclusionDon’tmiss... Embodied Leadership: The Hidden Dimension Focus Session at the Annual Meeting Thursday 6 October, 18:00 Thursday 6 October, 2022 – 18:00 (CEST) EACTS Annual Meeting: Embodied Leadership: The Hidden Dimension Followed by a networking event
Communication with Impact
Thursday 2 March, 2023 – 20:00-21:30 (CEST)
Becoming an inclusive leader: from hero to host
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Webinar series
12 January, 2023 –
Strategic Diplomacy: Mastering Everyday Negotiations
Jolanda Kluin said, “It takes two to tango which is why the webinar series is open to both female and male members of EACTS who want to be leaders who matter and want to create an inclusive workplace that establishes a sense of belonging among team members. I encourage all members to sign up.”
Building and Leveraging your Network
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Professor Lombarts has been working with medical specialists for over 30 years on the development and evaluation of physicians’ performance in patient care and postgraduate medical education. As part of the webinar, she presented some of the results of the work carried out during her Californian fellowship at Stanford University, regarding the impact of female physicians on patient care quality.
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2022
In addition to the webinar series, the WiCTS Committee is planning an in-person workshop at the 36th EACTS Annual Meeting in Milan, hosted by Maleene de Ridder, with keynote speakers to be announced shortly. ‘Developing presence (and calm) & building confidence’ will examine what defines impact and invites participants to exchange experiences. There will be an opportunity to participate in several exercises to practise presence and calm for more confidence and resilience. More details about this session will be available via the Annual Meeting Scientific Programme This workshop will take place on Thursday 6 October at 18:00 in room Amber 1 & 2, Level 2 of the MiCo Centre in Milan, and will be followed by a networking event at 19:15.
The first webinar in a new series exploring gender equity and the challenges facing women surgeons took place on 15th September with a discussion around the gender construct of physicianhood and patient care. Titled ‘Medicine is not genderneutral – She is male’ the webinar explored the truth behind physicianhood and gender and the benefits of a genderdiverse construct featuring a keynote from one of the field’s greatest experts, Professor Kiki Lombarts.
Thursday 20:00-21:30 (CEST)
The webinar was hosted by WiCTS Chair Jolanda Kluin and Webinar Coach Maleene de Ridder and introduced by EACTS President, Friedhelm Beyersdorf.
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Thursday February, 2023 20:00-21:30 (CEST)
Learning together at the 36th EACTS Annual Meeting
Learn more about what to expect at this year’s Annual Meeting from the Domain Chairs on pages 8-9.
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This year’s Annual Meeting will showcase scientific excellence and insights, along with the latest innovations in cardiothoracic surgery. Expect robust debate and discussion led by global experts, the latest technological advances on display and an opportunity to share knowledge and socialise with your peers from around the world.
Don’t miss being part of the most exciting and innovative event in the cardiothoracic calendar – the 36th EACTS Annual Meeting. Register here to secure your place today and join us at the MiCo Milan Congressi Conference Centre from the 5-8 October.
Remember, members are not automatically registered so if you wish to join us in Milan, you must register for a place here Register now for cheaper rates.
Your Annual Meeting registration fee includes 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, which is also available for those who cannot attend Milan in person.
REGISTRATION FEES Annual Meeting Fee (inc. IT VAT) Late / Onsite Techno-College Fee –AdultLate(inc.Cardiac**ITVAT)/Onsite Techno-College Fee –Late(inc.Thoracic**ITVAT)/Onsite Video On Demand*** & TV Studio (inc. UK VAT) Late / Onsite EACTS Member* € 500 / € 600 € 300 / € 400 € 125 / € 150 € 130 / € 150 Non-Member € 990 / € 1,200 € 550 / € 650 € 160 / € 200 € 200 / € 250 Trainee/Allied Health/Low Income Country# € 250 / € 350 € 150 / € 200 € 50 / € 70 € 50 / € 50 DEADLINES: 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. *** Video on demand is not a live stream.
Register today!
The 36th EACTS Annual Meeting gives us all an opportunity to explore, discover and educate, as we gather together in-person under one roof. We can’t wait to welcome you to Milan for an outstanding programme of cutting-edge science.
View the full scientific programme here
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Discuss alternatives for biventricular repair with left systemic ventricle.
Learn specialist techniques and draw on the knowledge of some of the world’s most experienced and expert surgeons with the EACTS Learning Lab training sessions. These ‘hands-on’ workshops include wet and dry labs and other small practice sessions. These can only be purchased upon registering for the 36th EACTS Annual Meeting and are available to book now
Touch and play with guidewires, valves, delivery systems and simulators and take a fascinating journey through the latest transcatheter valve devices and technologies.
15:30 – 17:30
12:30 – 14:30
Thoracic Surgery
Saturday 8 October
Get ‘hands-on’ in the EACTS Learning Lab
Come and practise your skills with our hands-on training on endovascular stent graft thoracic aortic treatment.
the official
Learn about the two main techniques for valve sparing aortic root surgery: reimplantation and remodelling. You will have the opportunity to learn the pitfalls of this technique on a model, ask questions and seek advice from our experienced faculty. Please note that delegates must choose either reimplantation OR remodelling – both sessions will run concurrently.
Understand complex cardiac malformations with the use of 3D printed models. Develop surgical strategy for repair of complex cardiac malformations.
12:30 – 14:30
09:00 – 11:00
09:00 – 11:00
09:00 – 11:00 note, these sessions do not form part of scientific programme
Learn how exponential technologies (including artificial intelligence, virtual reality and computational modelling) contribute to surgical planning and intraoperative image-guidance of anatomical (sub)lobar resections. In addition, patient-specific virtual reality (VR) simulators will be used to highlight the added value of VR for both surgical planning and surgical training/educational purposes. The educational focus will be on pulmonary lobar and segmental bronchovascular anatomy from a surgical perspective.
Please
TEVAR Simulator Session
Friday 7
AV Repair
Surgical strategy in complex congenital heart disease
15:30 – 17:30
Learn how to perform coronary anastomoses and the techniques for proximal and distal anastomoses, sequential and composite grafts. Techniques and devices for conduit harvesting and methods for intraoperative graft assessment will also be presented.
Mitral Valve
TAVI/TMVROctoberSimulator Session
Thursday 6 October
Receive basic training on mitral and tricuspid valve access, repair and replacement.
Coronary Surgery
Konstantinos Tsagakis, Chair
UPDATESDOMAIN
The Annual Meeting is the most important event for cardiothoracic education but there are many more educational offerings from the EACTS Academy. The Academy programme offers Level 1 courses that prepare residents for the European board of Cardiothoracic Surgery examinations as well as Level 3 courses for more experienced surgeons such as the excellent MCS Paediatric course in Rome, which takes place this month.
Two important sessions, that haven’t featured in the programme for a long time, will address daily challenges in our practice, including pathologies such as tricuspid regurgitation and pulmonary vein stenosis. These are pathologies where we still have some poor results, so it is important that we are able to explore and discuss new opinions and techniques to address these pathologies.
Congenital Heart Disease Domain
The Learning Labs offer a very interesting ‘hands-on’ experience this year. We will be using 3D printing models of complex heart defects to understand the anatomy and plan surgical strategies and will also focus on alternatives for biventricular repair with left systemic ventricle.
The Congenital Heart Disease will be addressing some new areas that we haven’t previously included in the programme at this year’s Annual Meeting. This includes exploring new technologies that can be applied in our domain such as robotic surgery and xenotransplantation. I’m also looking forward to discussing congenital heart disease in developing countries, primarily in Africa. We’re delighted to run a joint session with the PanAfrican Society for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery.
8 Domains
Often, it is easier to understand surgical strategies and techniques when we look at a film. It can tell us much more than 1,000 words in a textbook. For this reason, we are running a focus session on ‘How to make a film’, which is intended to provide guidance on producing videos of congenital heart surgery that will make an important contribution to our multimedia journal, MMCTS.
The Vascular Disease Domain has prepared an interesting programme for the 36th EACTS Annual Meeting, which includes all fields of aortic disease including open surgery and vascular treatment.
We will discuss the risks and decisions around Acute Type A Aortic Dissection and explore the importance of pre-procedural treatment planning as the key to success in thoracoabdominal aortic repair.
Jürgen Hörer, Chair
In our Learning Lab session ‘AV Repair’ delegates can learn about the two main techniques for valve sparing aortic root surgery: reimplantation and remodelling and there is a fantastic opportunity to practice skills with our hands-on training on endovascular stent graft thoracic aortic treatment in the TEVAR simulation Learning Lab.
Vascular Disease Domain
EACTS NEWS 9
and their place in daily practice. We will discover with our keynote speaker and former pilot, Manfred Mueller, how safety strategies in aviation can be transferred to medicine.
How we train residents is very important and simulation now plays a huge part of resident training. This year in the Learning Lab, delegates will have an opportunity to train on a VATS simulator in a session led by my domain colleague, Tomas Stupnik, who designed the VATS simulator model. The skills that delegates can practise will vary depending on training requirements and experience. Delegates can also experience 3D CT reconstruction using headsets. We’ll also demonstrate different models for CT reconstruction as part of our exciting Techno-College programme. Learn more about the Thoracic Techno-College programme on page 12.
Richard Milton, Chair
We’re delighted to welcome well-renowned experts from across the globe who are masters in their chosen topics. The Annual Meeting is a unique opportunity for established and new surgeons to meet with the experts responsible for the latest studies and trials.
Acquired Cardiac Disease Domain
The theme of this year’s Annual Meeting is explore, discover and educate, and we have used this as our focus to develop a programme that is both broad and compelling. We will explore established therapies and consider the value of new therapies
DiseaseThoracicDomain
Importantly, we will provide many opportunities to educate both theoretically with over 60 focus and abstract sessions and practically with several hands-on sessions designed for surgeons in the early stages of their career.
I am pleased that we have devised the Thoracic Domain programme with residents in mind as much possible. This includes running a lunch on the final day of the Annual Meeting.
Audience engagement is a very important part of the Thoracic Domain programme. There are two sessions in particular –‘Thoracic Multidisciplinary Team’ and ‘Difficult cases in thoracic surgery’ in which we hope to get high levels of participation as we discuss how to manage various case scenarios and cope with the unexpected.
This year’s Annual Meeting programme has a lot to offer delegates as we explore the latest innovations and evidence in thoracic surgery with engaging speakers from across Europe and North America.
We can also look forward to some interesting debates such as matching conduits for revascularisation to different patients and the influence that gender and race may play in the outcome of revascularisation strategies. We’ll also explore the limits of aortic valve repair with some fascinating discussions between proponents of aortic valve repair and those who take a more conservative approach as well as many more stimulating sessions.
Our domain is a major part of EACTS, and our future aim is to increase our footprint within the Association. Thoracic surgery is on the rise, with lung cancer screening in the UK alone anticipated to result in an extra 7,500 lung cancer resections annually. Over the coming years we will need more thoracic surgeons and I hope we can attract more and more residents into the specialty. The Annual Meeting is a great forum for residents to start their journey into thoracic surgery.
Of course, we must not forget the social aspect of the meeting, which is so very important. The EACTS Annual Meeting is a great opportunity to meet and talk one-toone with people from around the world. In my view, this is invaluable and just one of the many reasons why the 36th EACTS Annual Meeting is not to be missed.
We’re looking forward to getting together face to face to meet with friends and colleagues from across the world. We hope you can join us.
EACTS has always focused on providing attendees to the Annual Meeting with the best and latest scientific evidence and innovations in cardiothoracic surgery, and this year is no different.
The Acquired Cardiac Disease Domain has 12 taskforces and each one has worked hard to create a great programme for the 36th EACTS Annual Meeting, covering the latest developments in their specialty.
Filip Casselman,
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Exhibition and Industry led satellite symposia programme
For the full list of satellite symposia, please visit our website
Annual Meeting
In addition to the trade exhibition, our industry partners will be organising a number of satellite sessions on Thursday 6 and Friday 7 October.
Keeping abreast of the latest innovations in technology is key to furthering the advancement of cardiothoracic surgery, which is why you should not miss this year’s trade exhibition in Milan.
This year’s Exhibition is not to be missed. Over 70 companies will be exhibiting new to market technology, state of the art products, innovations and developments in the cardiothoracic market. The Learning Labs area is specifically set aside for our industry partners to organise their own training activities, including wet and dry labs, product demonstrations and other small practice sessions. Please note that these sessions do not form part of the official scientific programme of the Annual Meeting.
Click here to view the full list of exhibitors
There’s
no need to miss out if you are unable to join us in-person for the 36th EACTS Annual Meeting. Register for our online package and you will have access to our new EACTS TV Channel AND our scientific programme on demand, so you can enjoy a feast of world-class education from your home or workplace. Our new EACTS TV Channel, available to both our in-person and online audiences, will broadcast a mixture of live and recorded content. Professionally moderated and produced, highlights include: • Daily preview shows focusing on the day’s key topics • The big debates with our expert panellists • In Focus sessions with key opinion leaders • Selected keynote sessions broadcast live from the session rooms in Milan • Daily review shows summarising and debating the day’s programme Click here to view the EACTS TV programmeBringing you closer to the action with EACTS TV – our premium TV channel and onsite TV studio Don’t forget that if you register for the in-person event you will receive all the above benefits and more!
I look forward to sharing my findings and ideas to enhance patient safety with you at the 36th EACTS Annual Meeting.
Date: Friday 7 October Time: 18:00-18:30
We spent many years sharing knowledge and insights from our respective industries and exploring how to implement safety strategies from the aviation world to the medical world for the benefit of patients.
CT Surgery Masters Showdown
General Assembly
Session 1: Thursday 6 October: 12:30-14:20 Amber 8;
A relaxed round-table discussion between experts and residents over lunch. The aim is to bring together surgeons in different stages of their career to share their common interest in contemporary topics – or to discuss anything beyond it! Sign up will be via the Information Desk during the Annual Meeting.
Date: Thursday 6 October
Time: 12:00 - 12:30
Date: Thursday 6 October Time: 18:00
Whenever complex work has to be organised within a team – whether on the flight deck of an airplane or in the operating theatre in a hospital - almost identical strategies are required in order to achieve a higher safety level. In both cases sophisticated technologies are required but it is the quality of the crew interaction that determines the risk level.
Manfred Müller is the Honorary Guest speaker at this year’s Annual Meeting. His presentation ‘Why things go wrong and what can we learn for the future to avoid mishaps and catastrophic events’ takes place on Thursday 6th October from 12:00-12:30 in the main Auditorium.
Further information about the WiCTS webinar series can be found on page 5
Residents Luncheon
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
If you are a member, please do join us for this year’s General Assembly. It is in this session where members decide who sits on Council, our governing body. The Council is responsible for ensuring our Association complies with its governing document, relevant legislation and best practice guidelines. Members will also have an opportunity to endorse more than 250 people who have applied to join EACTS in the last year.
Location: Amber 1 & 2 room, Level 2, MiCo
SpeakerGuestHonorary
Session 2: Friday 7 October 13:00-14:00 EACTS TV Studio
Women in Cardiothoracic Surgery Committee – Annual Meeting session and networking event
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Date: Saturday 8 October Time: 12:15-13:45
I had always considered the main cause of accidents to be technical failure. However, after analysing accidents I learnt that human error is usually the root cause of catastrophes. Professor Troidl and I carried out many studies and experiments about eliminating human error which all reached the same conclusion that optimum team interaction is the key factor.
My interest in safety strategies began over 30 years ago when I worked in the flight safety department at Lufthansa. I was in charge of pilot flight safety training when I started working with the highly respected surgeon Professor Troidl. He had a passion for patient safety and was motivated to work with the aviation industry after coming across the statement, ‘if flying was as dangerous as surgery there would be a major accident at every large airport every day ’ in a scientific paper.
A special in-person session titled ‘Embodied Leadership: The Hidden Dimension’ will be held at the 36th EACTS Annual Meeting. Open to all who support the advancement of inclusion and diversity in cardiothoracic surgery, this session will be moderated by Maleene De Ridder and WiCTS Chair Jolanda Kluin followed by a networking event at 19:15. Please see the rest of the webinar series on this topic here and read more on page 5!
Location: Panorama Lounge, Level 3, MiCo
Location: Main Auditorium
Get ready for a Jeopardy-style competition of cognitive skills. Two-person teams of residents will face off against one another this fall in a test of knowledge in five cardiothoracic surgery categories—cardiac, congenital, thoracic, history of the specialty, and decision making.
Location: Amber 1 & 2, Level 2, MiCo
surgerythoracictrendsEmergingin
Sublobar resection is very topical and becoming more prevalent in our specialty, enabling surgeons to perform a radical oncological operation whilst preserving as much lung function as possible. Historically, lobectomy has been the gold standard but in certain situations patients can achieve an equally good oncological outcome with a sublobar resection. There is undoubtedly a role for segmentectomy, so it is important that surgeons, and in particular residents, are able to learn the techniques required to perform segmental resections.
We encourage as many people as possible to register for this year’s thoracic Techno-College programme and take advantage of the reduced registration fee. This is a great opportunity to learn more about the latest technology and techniques in thoracic surgery.
This year’s Annual Meeting includes two exciting TechnoCollege programmes featuring innovations and technological breakthroughs in cardiovascular and thoracic surgery. The full Techno-College programme is available here.
The programme features excellent speakers from across Europe who will examine the evidence behind sublobar resection. Delegates can also look forward to learning lots of tips and tricks on performing VATS segmentectomy and Robotic segmentectomy and a demonstration of the Visible Patient software, which includes how to identify segments in 3D imaging. As well as discussing the benefits of sublobar resection we will also explore when not to perform this procedure.
For more details about the cardiovascular surgery programme click here
This year’s Techno-College offers a fascinating full day thoracic programme featuring two emerging trends in thoracic surgery –sublobar resections and robotics.
Richard Milton, Chair of the Thoracic Disease Domain, discusses the Thoracic Techno-College programme at the 36th EACTS Annual Meeting
robotic surgery, featuring speakers from the US and Europe. This is an exciting time for robotic surgery as more robotic devices are coming on the market. Robotics make complex surgery more amenable to minimally invasive approaches and this Techno-College session is designed to demonstrate the value of the robot at its very best.
The demonstration of innovative technology has always been a hallmark of Techno-College and this year the Thoracic Disease Domain has put together a fantastic session on thoracic
12 Annual Meeting
Richard Milton
MILANINSIDE
Where to go and what to do in Milan
EACTS NEWS
Open 09:00 – 19:00
Drinking
Take a stroll
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Most of Milan’s tourist attractions are within walking distance of one another, which means you can soak up the sights and sounds of the city on foot.
Recognised as one of the world’s four fashion capitals, Milan is the second most-populous city in Italy after Rome with a population of 1.4 million. Milan has strengths in the fields of art, commerce, education, healthcare and research – meaning there’s something for everyone to see and explore.
Open Tuesday to Saturday, 09:00 – 19:00 and Sunday 09:00 – 13:45
Milan is a culinary hotbed for traditional dishes and the finest comfort foods – attracting some of the best talent from the Peninsula and beyond. Try some of the city’s quintessential dishes including cotoletta (burnished, buttery veal) and saffron risotto.
Why not see Leonardo da Vinci’s world-famous masterpiece which you can find at the convent of Santa Maria Delle Grazie.
If you’re looking to extend your stay, you’ll be pleased to know that Milan is brimming with transport links to nearby towns, villages and even Rome.
The Milan Linate Airport (LIN) is situated just 5 miles from the city centre, whilst the Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP) is located 30 miles northeast.
Transport
Visit the Duomo
Milan is a city where traditional charm meets modern innovation, where culture and creativity play an integral part in its social and economic development. Here are some must-see things to do:
Whether you’re wanting to try Italy’s national drink - Campari - or immerse yourself in a glass of history with a Rüsümada (an ancient drink from northern Lombardy), Milan boasts plenty of bars and wineries.
Escape the hustle of the city centre and take a walk next to the Naviglio Grande, the oldest and most important canal in Milan. The picturesque canal is easy to reach from the city centre and is lined with bars, restaurants, and shops.
Eating
Experience ‘The Last Supper’
Arguably the city’s most impressive landmark, the Duomo tells a story of faith and art spanning over six centuries. Construction work on Italy’s largest church began in 1386 when the style of Gothic cathedrals had reached its peak and various design, construction and renovation works have taken place ever since to maintain the Duomo’s impressive infrastructure. The elaborate Gothic cathedral features 3,159 sculptures and boasts panoramic views of Milan from its rooftop.
The best way to get around is by the city’s public transport system - the ATM. This system of subway, buses and trams is far reaching and very cheap. Similarly, cabs are abundant in Milan and are also reasonably priced.
the treatment of cardiogenic shock, new devices and the latest developments for mechanical support in right heart failure. The use of organ perfusion systems, prolonged use of micropumps and state of the art in Xenotransplantation will be discussed in the context of VAD as bridge to transplantation. Inspiring lectures by the international leaders in the field and interesting live-in-a-box cases will ensure the leading role of the EACTS MCS Summit in the field of MCS.”
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LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER
Programme highlights include: • Paediatric heart failure: Therapy and new drugs • MCS in post heart transplant patients • Intracorporeal VAD in small patients - how far can we go? • MCS in congenital heart disease • Alternative surgical options in ACHD with end-stage heart failure • Nightmares and creative solutions
26-27 September, Rome, Italy
There is still time to register for the 6th EACTS Mechanical Circulatory Support Summit (MCS) taking place in-person in Berlin, Germany from 17-19 November.
Circulatory Support in Paediatric Patients Course
The Summit Chairmen are Volkmar Falk (Berlin, Germany), Finn Gustafsson (Copenhagen, Denmark), Ivan Netuka (Prague, Czech Republic) and Jan Gummert (Bad Oeynhausen, Germany).
Last year’s Summit had over 200 attendees, with overwhelming positive feedback. Ninety-eight per cent of delegates who completed the evaluation agreed that the event had met their expectations and 100% would recommend to a colleague.
Join experts in the field for the three-day programme consisting of interactive lectures, live-in-a-box cases and keynote presentations on topics including preoperative optimisation and optimal treatment in advanced heart failure patients, telemedicine and new options for percutaneous LVAD use.
Find out more here
Volkmar Falk, said, “The field of MCS is rapidly evolving. Besides all aspects of VAD therapy, the 6th EACTS Mechanical Circulatory Support Summit will cover new concepts for short term assist in
Join us in Rome for this two-day course, exploring the latest developments in paediatric mechanical cardiovascular support (MCS) for both short-term and long-term care. MCS in both biventricular and univentricular hearts and in ACHD will also be discussed. Register for the 6th EACTS MCS Summit
and Visceral Protection Webinar 22 September, Virtual meeting
surgery set-up was excellent and the discussions during the operation were very Extremely“Perfect“Thanksinformative.”forthisamazingSummit,itwashighlevelknowledge.”organisationandenlighteningdiscussions.pleasedtohaveattendedthemeeting!”99% said yes 97% said yes www.eacts.org Courses and dates subject to change For the most up-to-date course details visit Raising Standards through Education and Training
CONSIDERING
“One
WiCTS
Circulatory Support in Paediatric Patients 26 - 27
Italy
Belgium
DIRECT COSTS AND THE VALUE OF YOUR TIME AWAY FROM YOUR INSTITUTION, DO YOU THINK ATTENDING THIS SUMMIT WAS A GOOD INVESTMENT? 97% said yes
of the best meetings I have attended.”
STS/EACTS
Webinar Series: The changing face of leadership 6 October - 11 May, Virtual meeting
Introduction October, Windsor, Brussels,
Cerebral
15 EACTS NEWS DID THE AVR EXPECTATIONS?MEETSUMMITYOURWILLYOURECOMMENDTHESUMMITTOAFRIENDORCOLLEAGUE?
UK 6th EACTS Mechanical Circulatory Support Summit 17 - 19 November, Berlin, Germany Aortic Valve Repair and Ross Operation 28 - 29 November,
Here’s what participants said about the AVR Summit Feedback from participants who completed the evaluation
Upcoming courses
“Live
to Aortic Surgery 27 - 29
Mechanical September, Rome,
Latin America Cardiovascular Surgery Conference 1 - 3 December, Cartagena, Colombia Endovascular Aortic Repair Webinar 8 December, Virtual meeting Thoracic Interactive Webinar 8 December, Virtual meeting
We also recognise that as many countries have relaxed their social distancing and travel rules, secure examination facilities are now more accessible to candidates.
and we have no evidence that any questions have been compromised, we have taken the decision that in September 2022 the examination will move away from being a home or office based remotely proctored process for candidates and instead be held in a small number of recognised dedicated examination/test centres around the world.
We continue to recieve enquiries from many European countries regarding using the EBCTS examinations as a credentialing tool and are proud that our examination is held in such high regard. The requirements for candidates to enter and pass the examination when used for this purpose will remain unchanged in order to maintain a common standard.
Examiner Training and Question Bank
• 95% felt that the examination was accessible with clear instructions and covered the breadth of the EBCTS syllabus.
Examiner training took place successfully with excellent feedback at EACTS House in May and further events are planned at regular intervals. As well as reviewing examination science, examiner behaviours and standard setting it also provided a focused opportunity for new question writing.
During the pandemic we worked hard to continue delivering professional high-stakes examinations whilst maintaining the security of the question bank. Many professional assessments within surgery and other medical specialties around the world have faced these difficult circumstances with some notable high-profile failures and problems in examination delivery. We pioneered the use of a remotely proctored system for the membership examination in October 2020 and September 2021, monitoring candidates sitting the examination in their home or office through video and audio recording from their computer webcam as well as a second camera positioned to view the candidate at their desk.
It is clear over the last year that the experience of other online professional examinations around the world suggests that candidates have become increasingly sophisticated in cheating techniques designed to increase pass rates and undermine the security of the question bank. This has led to the postponement of several global professional examinations.
Credentialing
The EBCTS Board and colleagues from the UEMS/ESTS examination are planning preliminary discussions regarding the potential to unify thoracic surgery examinations across Europe. This will be a complex undertaking but both organisations recognise that having two competing examinations in thoracic surgery in Europe is unnecessarily complex and confusing for surgeons and patients alike.
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Examination Number Candidatesof October2020 Numberpassed ratesPass% Number Candidatesof September2021 Numberpassed ratesPass% CardiacMEBCTS 93 37 40 73 28 38 ThoracicMEBCTS 35 9 25.7 21 3 14 Examination Number Candidatesof June2021 Numberpassed Pass% Number Candidatesof 2022July Numberpassed ratesPass% CardiacFEBCTS 14 12 86 13 13 100 CongenitalFEBCTS 9 8 89 6 6 100 ThoracicFEBCTS 4 3 75 3 2 66.6
• 95% would recommend it to their colleagues.
Common European Thoracic Surgery Examination
managing the challenges of the pandemic Stephen Clark, Chairman of EBCTS, outlines how EBCTS is moving away from remote proctoring to deliver in-person examinations at recognised centres around the world.
The question bank remains the greatest asset of the EBCTS and requires constant input of high-quality questions which have been refined, reviewed by an educationalist, mapped to the syllabus and performance metrics analysed. We thank our many examiners for their continued commitment to the submission of questions for both the MEBCTS and FEBCTS examinations and always welcome applications from colleagues to join the pool of examiners for those who wish to contribute.
Website
The EBCTS website has been redesigned with a cleaner, more modern look to help candidates access information on both examinations and submit their entry applications. in-persontoexams
A return
Whilst our remote proctoring technique for the MEBCTS is more secure than the methods used in other examinations,
Examination outcomes are indicated in the tables below:
A return to in-person exams
Our shared aim is to ensure that highly trained thoracic surgeons reach a specified and agreed high standard for the benefit of patients and draws on the strengths of each examination.
2020/21 Examinations
AfterEBCTSsuccessfully
• 90% felt that the exam should be compulsory for establishing a standard level of competence across Europe aligning with the objectives of the Board.
Feedback from candidates has been excellent, with 80% of respondents stating it was the best examination that they have taken during their medical careers. Other feedback includes:
Standard APCs EUR 1,574; EACTS/ESTS Member rate APCs EUR 1,102
Standard APCs EUR 724 EACTS/ESTS Member rate APCs EUR 505
Original Research and Reviews
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We are pleased to share that EJCTS has appointed Dr Miia Lehtinen as an Assistant Editor for the journal. Dr Cecilia Pompili has been appointed as a new Associate Editor for ICVTS. Dr Daniel Zimpfer will take up the position of the new Congenital Domain Editor for MMCTS.
The Impact Factor (IF) is a metric that represents the average number of citations in a particular year for articles published in the two previous years. It is an established indicator of the importance or rank of a journal.
Ash Merrifield, Director of Publications, said, “The impact factors for both EACTS journals are increasing year on year which is testament to the quality and robustness of the scientific and research content. I’m proud that the importance and influence of our journals continues to grow across the cardiothoracic community, and I would like to thank our authors, reviewers and editorial boards for their outstanding contribution over the past year.”
Standard APCs EUR 3,147; EACTS/ESTS Member rate APCs EUR 2,202
Short communications including Case report; Brief communications; Best evidence topic, Video article, Letter to the editor
Minimally invasive mitral valve surgery after failed transcatheter mitral valve repair in an intermediate-risk cohort
The 2021 Impact Factor for ICVTS is 1.978, up from 1.905 last year. ICVTS ranks in Q4 of Cardiac and Cardiovascular Systems and Respiratory System categories, and Q3 in the Surgery category.
Publishing
Making an impact
Original Research and Reviews
Atsushi Kamigaichi, Keiju Aokage, Shinya Katsumata, Genichiro Ishii, Masashi Wakabayashi t al
Louise Norlander, Ann-Sofie Sundqvist, Agneta AnderzénCarlsson, Mats Dreifaldt, Jesper Andreasson, Mårten Vidlund
Serdar Akansel, Markus Kofler, Karel M Van Praet, Axel Unbehaun, Simon H Sündermann et al
EJCTS
Short communications including Surgical technique; Case report; Images in Cardio-Thoracic Surgery; Letter to the editor
EJCTS’ 2021 Impact Factor is 4.534, an increase from 4.191 in 2020. The publication also ranks in Q2 of Cardiac and Cardiovascular Systems and Respiratory System categories, and Q1 in the Surgery category.
Discounted OA APCs for EJCTS introduced
versus saphenous vein versus right internal thoracic artery for coronary artery bypass grafting
Reminder of discounted member APCs on ICVTS
New board members
RadialEJCTSartery
Mario Gaudino, Katia Audisio, Antonino Di Franco, John H Alexander, Paul Kurlansky et al
quality of life after Nuss procedure for pectus excavatum: a cross-sectional study
EACTS journals achieved their highest ever Impact Factors in 2021, according to new data published by global analytics firm Clarivate.
Article highlights from EJCTS and ICVTS
Standard APCs EUR 1,998 EACTS/ESTS Member rate APCs EUR 1,399
Prognostic impact of examined mediastinal lymph node count in clinical N0 non-small cell lung cancer
Health-relatedICVTS
Four fellows discuss how the Atrial Fibrillation Fellowship has provided a fantastic opportunity to gain first-hand experience of Atrial Fibrillation surgical procedures from experts in the field and how they will use this experience to improve patient outcomes in their home centres.
The focus of my training was the management of Atrial Fibrillation (AF). This kind of surgery is uncommon in daily practice and therefore it is difficult to gain the experience in this field.
Dr CastellaManuel
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Yuriy Mandryk, Registrar in Cardiac Surgery, HKZ Bad Bevensen, Germany.
During my placement I worked at MSWiA Hospital in Warsaw, a high-volume centre with experts in the field of Atrial Fibrillation. I was able to gain hands on experience in the key options
Increasing visibility and building knowledge of Atrial Fibrillation
I am confident that the learning and knowledge gained from this Fellowship will be useful in my daily practice, with plans to establish our own AF surgery program in cooperation with Ielectrophysiologists.wouldstronglyencourage young surgeons to apply for this Fellowship, because it not only provides the important theoretical understanding of underlying pathophysiology of Atrial Fibrillation, but also gives valuable hands-on experience.
MandrykYuriy
is a cardiovascular surgeon and Chief of the cardiovascular surgery department at Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, Spain. In his role as project lead of the Francis Fontan Fund Atrial Fibrillation Fellowship he describes how the Fellowship has grown to support more Fellows to develop the skills and knowledge to treat Atrial Fibrillation. Atrial Fibrillation was previously considered a minor problem in patients submitted for cardiac surgery despite the fact it can lead to complications such as heart failure and strokes. But scientific evidence urges surgeons to treat AF both by ablation and by left appendage closure. Additionally, new surgical opportunities arise in patients with isolated AF, in the form of thoracoscopic ablation or even hybrid therapies combining surgery with catheter ablation. We surgeons have the most effective tools to treat this
Thanks to the financial support of our sponsor Atricure, we have increased the number of Atrial Fibrillation Fellowships available, with eight Fellows selected each year. I am also delighted that we now have five centres actively participating in the Fellowship. Europe has the most experienced centres in Atrial Fibrillation in the world with some of the top researchers and surgeons in the field. To have their support and involvement in the Fellowship is very welcome.
we need to look beyond Europe to give Fellowship opportunities to other EACTS members based in Latin America and Africa. This will help to widen the knowledge and expertise around Atrial Fibrillation across the global cardiothoracic community.
It is important that Fellows are able to get the most out of this amazing opportunity. We always try to pair Fellows with a centre that is most suitable for both their specific interests and level of Additionally,knowledge.
of the surgical ablation, such as minimal invasive MAZE IV procedure via lateral thoracotomy, bilateral thoracoscopic MAZE III procedure and left atrial appendage (LAA) clipping in patients with lone refractory AF. Most importantly, I learnt valuable tips and tricks about how to avoid complications which help to accelerate the learning curve.
I would like to express my great gratitude to hosting Professor Piotr Suwalski and the team of cardiac surgery of MSWiA Hospital in Warsaw.
DrFellowshipsManuelCastella
disease, but we need to increase visibility and build knowledge across the cardiovascular community. The Atrial Fibrillation Fellowship is a great step to achieve this, giving Fellows the opportunity to work with experts in Atrial Fibrillation and taking learning back to their home centres.
The Atrial Fibrillation Fellowship is designed to enhance clinical understanding and surgical proficiency in treating patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). The Fellowship supports cardiothoracic surgeons working towards a leadership role in surgical AF treatment.
EACTS NEWS
ElsaeghMohamedSnegirevMikhail
As such, I am now sharing the knowledge that I have gained from this Fellowship with my colleagues, for example, teaching the indications of AF and the necessary surgical steps. I plan to use the experience to set up an AF programme in the future, with the support of Professor Hunter.
The Northern General Hospital in Sheffield is an established centre for Atrial Fibrillation (AF) surgery and, as part of my placement, I was involved in all aspects of patient care - from pre-operative assessments to following up with patients postsurgery to assess the success of their procedure. Working as part of the surgical team I was fortunate to learn new surgical techniques as well as new and innovative approaches.
CerejoRui
There is no doubt this Fellowship will help to further establish my career. I am looking forward to continuing to build my relationship with Professor Van Putte as I explore the potential to introduce single side minimally invasive Atrial Fibrillation to my home institution.
Fellowship, I have already participated in a very interesting AF surgical ablation course, including cadaver training, which was an important part of my learning. However, the opportunity to visit and learn in a centre of high differentiation and volume in Germany for around four weeks with the chance to witness and learn from some great personalities of European Heart Surgery has been invaluable. Such an experience enhances your skills and competences and can make a real difference to the way you will carry out your clinical practice. For example, I was able to learn tricks for an effective and successful ablation as well as refining and developing new skills in other areas of cardiac surgery, such as minimally invasive surgery.
Rui Cerejo, Cardiac Surgeon, Hospital de Santa Marta - Centro Hospitalar Universitário Lisboa Central, Lisbon (Portugal)
The Atrial Fibrillation Fellowship has truly changed the way I see and practice heart surgery. I have acquired knowledge that allows me to have new notions of indications for AF ablation and new surgical techniques to achieve the goals I set for myself and my Thankspatients.tothis
Mikhail Snegirev, a cardiac surgeon from City Hospital No 40, St Petersburg
Moreover, I learnt how to overcome technical problems in standard and port-access MAZE operations and how to improve the overall flow of the concomitant cases. I also learnt other invaluable skills such as how to select patients and how to communicate effectively with other departments within a hospital and the organisation of such a multidisciplinary practice.
Many centres do not undertake Atrial Fibrillation surgical procedures. The impact of AF is often not fully appreciated but if left untreated Atrial Fibrillation can have a significant impact on a patient’s long-term outcome. Without this fellowship I would not have had the opportunity to gain first-hand experience of treating this condition, which I am confident will benefit my patients.
Find out more about the Francis Fontan Fellowship Fund here
Mohamed Elsaegh, Post CCT Fellow Cardiothoracic Surgery, Bristol Heart Institute, Bristol.
Taking part in the Atrial Fibrillation Fellowship was a very positive experience which will undoubtedly benefit my career now and in the future. The opportunity to work with and receive one-to-one coaching from world-class surgeon, Mr Steven Hunter, has been invaluable.
Taking part in the Atrial Fibrillation Fellowship was a very exciting experience. I already carried out a lot of minimally invasive atrial fibrillation operations in my home institution but St Antonius hospital in the Netherlands takes a more significantly advanced approach. This gave me the opportunity to observe different surgical options including the ultimate minimally invasive strategy – the single side mini MAZE approach, which is uncommon in my country. Professor Van Putte is one of the leaders in Europe of this approach, so it was a genuine pleasure to watch and learn from him.
I am confident that the knowledge that I have acquired as part of this Fellowship will increase my centre’s experience in treating Atrial Fibrillation. The ability to perform different procedures will help to increase the spectrum of patients who can be treated and undoubtedly improve overall outcomes.
EACTS@eactsofficial@EuropeanAssociationCardioThoracicSurgery@EACTS
