January 2018
I am working primarily with 2 high volume mitral valve repair firms, and have already had the opportunity to assist and perform both simple and more complex mitral valve repair procedures. Teaching the complexities of mitral valve surgery is a daily affair in Bristol and the full immersion system in a high volume centre is not only gratifying for the surgeons performing the repairs, it is an invaluable experience for my future practice. The consultant surgeons are good at “giving away,� and my first case as the primary operator occurred my first day in theatre. On average, I am involved in 2-3 theatre days each week. In my 3 months at the BHI, I have been involved in 58 cases, 25
of which have been mitral operations. In this short time, the volume of mitral valve cases I have been exposed to has allowed me to develop an understanding of the finer points of mitral valve surgery. I was started with simple valve exposure and tying in rings, with gradual progression to performing the setup, exposure, annuloplasty sutures, resections / reconstructions, and related procedures such as tricuspid valve repairs and atrial ablations. Even when not the primary operator, I am always involved in a key component of the operation, ensuring my skills continue to develop. Importantly, I have also gained additional experience in the minimally invasive approach to the mitral valve, a
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modality becoming increasingly prevalent in the UK and standard of care in many centres internationally. Though this approach is requires a more advanced skill set compared with conventional mitral valve surgery, fellows are involved nonetheless. This ranges from exposing the femoral vessels and peripheral cannulation, to performing components of the valve repair using endoscopic instruments. As a fellow at the BHI, my skills have continued to develop beyond that of a newly qualified specialist surgeon. Seeing the progress I have made at 3 months of a 12-month fellowship instills confidence that I will be leaving Bristol a competent young mitral surgeon. n
Yorkshire Trainees Win Top European Cardiothoracic Knowledge Competition M Loubani, Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon
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wo Yorkshire Cardiothoracic Trainees have won the Cardiothoracic Masters Jeopardy Competition at EACTS in Vienna. Priyad Ariyaratnam (ST5 & NIHR Clinical Lecturer at Castle Hill Hospital, Cottingham) and Josh Lodhia (ST4 at St James’ Hospital, Leeds) entered the competition representing Castle Hill Hospital. They both passed an intense screening exam in August 2017 to qualify to compete against 5 other top scoring Resident teams from across Europe and Asia, to compete in the Jeopardy competition at EACTS in October 2017. The Annual Competition is based on the famous Jeopardy Competition Live at EACTS 2017
American TV Quiz Show, replacing general knowledge questions with Cardiothoracic questions taken from the American Board Exam Curriculum. Over two days, the team of Priyad and Josh answered questions ranging from the history of lung transplantation to the physiology of the heart; from the management of congenital cardiac lesions to the anatomy of the mediastinum. They won their semi-final against two other teams on the Sunday and qualified to meet the Madras Medical Mission Hospital from
India on the final day. They used excellent tactics and their knowledge to win the final and become the first UK winners of the competition. Their prize is an all-expenses paid trip to the STS Annual Meeting in Fort Lauderdale in the USA in January 2018 to compete Priyad receiving the award against the from the EACTS SecretaryAmerican General, Professor Domenico Pagano at EACTS Honorary Resident Lecture in Vienna Champions. We wish them the best of luck and hope they come back from America having beaten the Americans. n
Winners Podium (Priyad and Josh 3rd and 4th from left respectively)