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7:55AM - 10:00AM EDT Hynes Convention Center, Room 210
Congenital Course Part I: Questions for Which We Need Answers
Glen Van Arsdell, UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center
Professor and Chief of Congenital Heart Surgery, UCLA
Former Head of Cardiovascular Surgery, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto
Form Professor and Chair the Division of Cardiac Surgery, University of Toronto
Christopher Caldarone, Baylor College of Medicine
Dr Caldarone is fully dedicated to improving quality of care for patients with congenital heart disease through working with Heart Centers and individuals to optimize Mission. Structure, Process, and Culture. In the past, he served as a member of the Board of Directors for the AATS, and as the Chief of Cardiac Surgery (Texas Children's Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine). Other prior appointments include Surgeon-in-Chief at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Chair of the Division of Cardiac Surgery (University of Toronto), and Director of Congenital Heart Surgery at the Children's Hospital of Iowa. His surgical training for cardiothoracic surgery was at the Deaconess Hospital with a one-year clinical fellowship at the Hospital for Sick Childrenand a research fellowship under the mentorship of Dr Sidney Levitsky. He served as a member of the JTCVS Editorial Board from 2007 to 2014 and then as an Associate Editor from 2014 to 2021. He also served as the Managing Director of the CHSS Data Center and currently serves on the CHSS Execfutive Committee as the Chair of the Quality and Outcomes Committee..
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8:00AM - 9:55AM EDT Hynes Convention Center, Room 312
International Thoracic Surgical Oncology Summit at the AATS: Novel Diagnostic and Therapeutic Options in Operable NSCLC
David Jones, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Biography: David R. Jones, MD
Dr. Jones graduated Phi Beta Kappa from West Virginia University and received his medical degree from West Virginia University School of Medicine where he was AOA. He completed his Thoracic Surgery Residency at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC. In 1999, Dr. Jones joined the faculty at the University of Virginia where he became Professor and Vice-Chairman of the Department. In 2013 Dr. Jones was recruited to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center as Chief of Thoracic Surgery.
Dr. Jones is Professor & Chief of Thoracic Surgery and Executive Vice-chair of the Department of Surgery at MSKCC. He is also the Co-Director of the Fiona and Stanly Druckenmiller Center for Lung Cancer Research. He is the current Secretary of the AATS and Chair of the AATS-MSKCC Thoracic Surgery Oncology Group (TSOG) for clinical trials. Dr. Jones is Associate Editor for the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery. He is recent past Chair of the NIH/NCI Tumor Progression and Metastasis (TPM) study section and currently serves on the NCI Board of Scientific Advisors. He serves on numerous national and international committees related to thoracic surgical research and clinical care.
Dr. Jones’s research focuses on mechanisms and drivers of metastases in lung cancer. His research has been funded by the NIH/NCI, Department of Defense, and the AACR. He has been the Principal Investigator or Co-PI on over 35 funded grants and currently holds 2 R01 awards from the NCI. He has published over 380 papers and has written over 35 book chapters. He was an early adopter of VATS anatomic resections and minimally-invasive esophagectomies and performs the majority of his operations using these minimally-invasive approaches.
Isabelle Opitz, University Hospital Zurich
Professor Isabelle Opitz is Director of the Department of Thoracic Surgery, University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland, and Chair of the Lung Cancer Center of the University Hospital Zurich. She is past president of the European Society of Thoracic Surgery and International Director of AATS, where she serves on the AATS International Thoracic Surgical Oncology Summit Program Committee.
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8:00AM - 12:00PM EDT Hynes Convention Center, Room 312
International Thoracic Surgical Oncology Summit at the AATS: Posters
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8:30AM - 12:00PM EDT Hynes Convention Center, Room 206
AATS ERAS® Cardiac Summit: Rapid Fire Basics and Advanced Concepts
Daniel Engelman, University of Massachusetts Medical School - Baystate
Dr. Daniel Engelman is a cardiac surgeon and Medical Director of the Heart, Vascular and Critical Care Unit and inpatient surgical services at Baystate Medical Center. He is a Professor of Surgery and a Professor of Population Science & Healthcare Delivery at The University of Massachusetts Chan-Baystate, School of Medicine. He started the Enhanced Recovery After Cardiac Surgery (ERAS® Cardiac) Collaborative to internationally standardize perioperative best practices and publish the first consensus guidelines.
He has organized perioperative symposium at every major international surgical meeting. He is the Senior Editor for Perioperative Care for the Annals of Thoracic Surgery and serves on the Editorial Board of the Journal Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery. He is also the President of the Massachusetts Society of Thoracic Surgeons and serves on multiple Statewide Oversight committees. Dr. Engelman participates on five workforces for the Society of Thoracic Surgeons and the American Association of Thoracic Surgery. He has published over 100 peer-reviewed publications and participates on two international taskforces (ADQI and KDIGO) standardizing approaches for the prevention of postoperative acute kidney injury. He travels extensively lecturing on advances in critical care medicine, healthcare informatics and finance, multimodal analgesia, and enhanced recovery after cardiac surgery.
In 2016 Dr. Engelman was named the National ACS/STS Health Policy Scholar. He is a graduate of the Executive Leadership Program in Health Policy and Management at The Heller School of Brandeis University. He was a Research Fellow at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine. Dr. Engelman received his clinical training in cardiothoracic surgery at Harvard’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Boston Children’s Hospital. He received his B.A. with honors from the University of Pennsylvania and M.D. from the New York University School of Medicine.
Kevin Lobdell, Atrium Health
Dr. Lobdell is board certified by the American Board of Thoracic Surgery and has special qualifications in surgical critical care by the American Board of Surgery. His clinical and leadership efforts include adult and pediatric cardiac surgery, cardiac critical care, quality, safety, value, innovation and transformation, while his research interests include risk modeling and mitigation strategies, digital health, acute kidney injury and goal-directed therapy, etc. He has more than 100 publications and 190 presentations associated with these efforts.
He is a member of the AATS, the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, and European Association of Cardiothoracic Surgery. He's served on the STS's Council on Quality, Research, and Patient Safety and as the Chair of WF on Research Development, and continues to serve on the WF on Quality and WF on Health Policy, Advocacy, and Reform. Dr. Lobdell is a member of the research committee for the Thoracic Surgery Foundation and a Section Editor of SESATS for the American Board of Thoracic Surgery. Other affiliations include the Southern Thoracic Surgical Association and ERAS Cardiac (Executive Board and Treasurer).
Dr. Lobdell is a Lieutenant Colonel by the US Army Reserves, is an active board member, independent quality consultant for industry, editor, reviewer and serves in various other societal leadership positions.
Dr. Lobdell is the recipient and leader of a $1,110,000 “Perfect Care” grant - to transform the peri-procedural home with remote monitoring and develop a learning collaborative in the Carolinas - as well as co-recipient of a $465,000 “LEAD Health” grant aimed at prioritizing and leading health improvement opportunities in rural communities within in the Carolinas.
Dirk Varelmann, Brigham and Women's Hospital
After graduating from Medical School at the University of Bonn, Dr. Varelmann started as an anesthesia resident in 2002 at the University of Bonn, Germany. He was awarded his doctorate degree in medicine (Dr. Med.) in 2004 for his dissertation on cardiopulmonary effects of augmented spontaneous ventilation in critically ill patients with ARDS
After completion of his anesthesia residency in 2007 at the University of Bonn, he stayed on staff until I joined the Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) in Boston, first as an obstetric anesthesia fellow in 2008. In 2009 Dr. Varelmann pursued fellowship training in critical care medicine.
Since 2010 he is employed as a staff anesthesiologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. While being on staff at BWH, he was able to complete a fellowship in cardiac anesthesia. Since 2015, his interest is focused on cardiac anesthesia and cardiac critical care. As an Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School, Dr. Varelmann has mentored multiple students, anesthesia residents, and anesthesia fellows. Mentoring residents and fellows resulted in several abstracts that were presented at national and international meetings.
In the collaboration with the cardiac surgery department, a pathway for Enhanced Recovery after Cardiac Surgery for patients that require heart surgery was developed. The changes made in the intraoperative management, as well as in the ICU and on the regular ward resulted in reduced length of stay, reduced cost of care, and improvement in outcomes.
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Moderators:
Daniel Engelman, University of Massachusetts Medical School - Baystate
Kevin Lobdell, Atrium Health
Dirk Varelmann, Brigham and Women's Hospital
Perioperative Care -
Moderators:
Daniel Engelman, University of Massachusetts Medical School - Baystate
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9:00AM - 12:00PM EDT Hynes Convention Center, Room 304-306
Cardiac Surgery Video Session: How I Teach it
Gorav Ailawadi, University of Michigan Frankel Cardiovascular Center
Dr. Gorav Ailawadi joined the University of Michigan as the Chair of Cardiac Surgery in September of 2020. Previously, he served as the Chief of Cardiac Surgery, Co-Director of the Cardiac Valve Center, and Director of the Medical Device Innovation Center at the University of Virginia.
While completing a surgery residency at the University of Michigan, Dr. Ailawadi spent two research years investigating and understanding the development of aortic aneurysms. His work was recognized by the NIH/Lifeline Association and was chosen as the top research project in 2003. While at Michigan, he received the Top Resident and Young Investigator Awards. He then completed his training and joined the faculty at the University of Virginia in thoracic and cardiovascular surgery.
Dr. Ailawadi has internationally-recognized expertise in mitral and aortic valve disease with vast experience in minimally invasive cardiac surgery, and percutaneous/transcatheter valve therapies having performed over 600 minimally invasive procedures and roughly 3000 heart operations. He has been invited to national and international conferences to share his expertise with novel minimally invasive approaches, valve disease, reoperative and AF surgery.
At Virginia, Dr. Ailawadi was the first surgeon in the U.S. to perform hybrid AF ablation, the first U.S. Surgeon to perform the MitraClip procedure, and the world’s first transcaval TEVAR procedure. He has been the principal investigator for a novel left atrial appendage clip to prevent strokes in patients with atrial fibrillation.
Dr. Ailawadi has been funded by the NIH, AHA, among other grants. His research lab studies novel mechanisms and new treatments for aortic aneurysms. He has published over 400 peer-reviewed manuscripts in journals, including the New England Journal of Medicine, Circulation, and JACC.
Irving Kron, University of Virginia
Dr. Irving Kron graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and the Medical College of Wisconsin. He completed his Thoracic Surgery Residency at the University of Virginia and began on the faculty there in 1982. He developed a busy clinical practice there and was appointed Chair of the Department of Surgery and served in that capacity for 16 years. He the moved to the University of Arizona and was appointed interim Dean of the College of Medicine and Senior Associate Vice President for Health Sciences. At Arizona he focused on opportunities for underrepresented students and populations. He recently moved back to UVA as Professor of Surgery. He is a past president of the AATS.
His basic research interests relate to lung injury. This research has been continuously funded by the NIH for over 30 years. In addition, his NHLBI T32 grant has been continuously funded for 25 years. His clinical interests include mitral valve surgery and he is one of the principal investigators for the Cardiothoracic Surgical Network. He has published more than 500 peer reviewed papers over a variety of topics in cardio thoracic and vascular surgery.
Ourania Preventza, University of Virginia
Ourania Preventza is the George Minor Professor of Surgery at the Department of Surgery, and Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the University of Virginia. She is also adjunct Professor of Surgery at Baylor College of Medicine, in Houston where she spent 15 years of her career , and an associate professional staff at The Texas Heart Institute, in Houston. Dr. Preventza is triple-boarded; American Board of Surgery, American Board of Surgery (Surgical Critical Care), and American Board of Thoracic Surgery. She is the immediate Past President of the International Society of Endovascular Specialists 2021-2023( ISEVS). Prior leader of Adult Cardiac Surgery within the Women in Thoracic Surgery, immediate Past Program Committee Chair of the Southern Thoracic Surgical Association, and immediate past co chair of the adult cardiac surgery program of the AATS Annual Meeting and a holder of a management and business administration degree on Health Care leadership from Brandeis University in Boston. She is the Co –chair of the 2022 ACC/AHA guidelines on aortic disease and co –authored of more than 200 articles in peer review journals. Her interest includes education, health outcomes research, aortic surgery, heart valve surgery, new technologies and cardiovascular disease and women.
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9:00AM - 12:00PM EDT Hynes Convention Center, Room 302
Global Surgery Forum*
Ralph Bolman, University of Minnesota
tDr. Bolman is a fourth generation physician in his family. Following training in general surgery under David Sabiston at Duke, he completed a residency in thoracic surgery at the University of Minnesota with Robert Anderson. He remained on staff as director of the heart transplant program. In 1984, Bolman was recruited to Washington University St. Louis to start a heart transplant program at that institution. He returned to the University of Minnesota in 1989 as the Richard C. and C. Walton Lillehei Professor and Chief of the Division of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery. In 2005, he was recruited to Brigham and Women's Hospital where he was appointed Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School and Chief of the Division of Cardiac Surgery. In Boston, he was introduced to Paul Farmer, co-founder of Partners in Health (PIH). Farmer issued an invitation to travel to Rwanda to perform humanitarian cardiac surgery procedures on young Rwandan patients afflicted with rheumatic heart disease. In 2006, Team Heart was created by Bolman and his wife, Ceeya Patton. The team has traveled to Rwanda each year since to perform operations on patients who have no other options. Having identified and supported a Rwandan surgeon, Maurice Musoni, MD, for training in cardiac surgery in South Africa, Team Heart transitioned to a mentoring role upon his return in 2019. As an acknowledgement of his contributions to global surgery, in 2018, Bolman was appointed as the first AATS Representative to the Cardiac Surgery Intersociety Alliance (CSIA), an international effort among cardiac surgery societies and the World Heart Federation to increase access to cardiac surgery in the developing world. In January, 2021, he was elected Chair of the CSIA.
Joseph Dearani, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science
Dr. Joseph Dearani was Chair of the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery at the Mayo Clinic and Professor of Surgery in the Mayo College of Medicine from January 2011-January 2020. He grew up in Norwalk, Connecticut and completed his undergraduate education at Fordham University in New York City (BA Biology and Spanish). He attended Medical School at Georgetown University (graduated AOA) and then did his General Surgery residency at Georgetown University Medical Center. During that interval, he spent two years as a surgical research fellow at Harvard Medical School and the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. He completed his Thoracic Surgery residency at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota followed by a Congenital Cardiac Surgery fellowship at Loma Linda University. He returned to the Mayo Clinic to join the staff in 1997 where he is currently Professor of Surgery and the Sheikh Zayed Professor of Cardiovascular Diseases.
His primary clinical interest includes pediatric and adult congenital heart surgery. He has specific expertise with Ebstein’s anomaly, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, robotic heart surgery and multi-redo cardiac surgery. He is the author or co-author of approximately 567 peer-reviewed manuscripts and 40 book chapters. His research interests include innovative valve repair techniques, heart failure and regenerative medicine (stem cell) therapies in congenital heart disease.
In addition to his busy clinical practice he has been devoted to humanitarian outreach activities in pediatric cardiovascular surgery since 1996. He was co-medical director of Children’s Heartlink until January 2020, a prominent Non-Government Organization devoted to charitable outreach activities in pediatric cardiovascular disease. He has helped develop programs in India, China, Brazil, and Colombia.
Past President, Congenital Heart Surgeons’ Society
Immediate Past President, Society of Thoracic Surgeons
Vice Chair, American Board of Thoracic Surgery
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9:55AM - 12:00PM EDT Hynes Convention Center, Room 312
International Thoracic Surgical Oncology Summit at the AATS: Esophageal Cancer, Patient Reported Outcomes, and Immuno-oncology
Thomas D'Amico, Duke University Medical Center
Dr. Thomas A. D’Amico is a graduate of Harvard University (BA) and the College of Physicians & Surgeons of Columbia University (MD). He received training in General Surgery and Thoracic Surgery at Duke University Medical Center. After completing a Fellowship in Thoracic Surgical Oncology at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Dr. D’Amico joined the faculty at Duke University Medical Center in 1996. He is currently the Gary Hock Endowed Professor, Chief of General Thoracic Surgery, and Director of the Thoracic Oncology Program of the Duke Cancer Institute
Dr. D’Amico is in leadership positions in the American Association for Thoracic Surgery, including the Board of Directors, the Membership Committee, and the Ethics Committee. He is an Associate Editor for the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery and serves on the editorial board of the Annals of Surgery and the Journal of the American College of Surgeons. Finally, he is the active in the NCCN, as a member of NCCN Board of Directors and Guidelines Steering Committee, the Chair of the Quality and Outcomes Committee, as well as a member of the Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer and Small Cell Lung Cancer Guidelines Committees and co-chair of the Esophageal Cancer Guidelines Committee.
Daniela Molena, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Dr. Daniela Molena is an Associate Professor of Surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine and Associate Attending and Director of the Esophageal Program at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC). She is the Chair of the Thoracic Education Committee with the AATS, a Member of the AATS Thoracic Quality Committee and a Member of the Board of Directors of the AATS Foundation. She is also the Vice President of the Women in Thoracic Surgery and a Councilor of the Southern Thoracic Surgical Association. Dr Molena is a Deputy Editor for the Annals of Thoracic Surgery and associate Editors for Disease of the Esophagus. She serves in numerous national and international committees related to esophageal and thoracic surgery.
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10:00AM - 12:00PM EDT Hynes Convention Center, Room 311
Cardiothoracic Careers College
Amy Fiedler, UW Health Hospital and Clinics
Amy G. Fiedler is an Assistant Professor of Cardiac Surgery at The University of Wisconsin, Madison. She serves as the Chief of Cardiac Surgery at the W. Middelton VA Hospital, Associate Director of Mechanical Circulatory Support, and Associate Program Director of the Cardiothoracic Surgery Residency program at The University of Wisconsin.
Thomas Varghese MD, MS, MBA, Huntsman Cancer Institute
Dr. Thomas Varghese Jr. is the Chief - Section of General Thoracic Surgery at the University of Utah, Chief Value Officer at the Huntsman Cancer Institute, and Associate Chief Medical Quality Officer at Huntsman Cancer Hospital. He is also Professor (Tenure Track) in the Department of Surgery, University of Utah School of Medicine. An NIH RO1 funded surgeon scientist that studies the optimization of patient health, surgeon performance and health systems, he helped create the American College of Surgeons Strong for Surgery quality program, and holds leadership positions in the American College of Surgeons, Society of Thoracic Surgeons, Society of University Surgeons and Thoracic Surgery Directors Association. In February 2023, Tom was named the President-Elect of the Society of University Surgeons.
Dominic Emerson, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Dominic Emerson is an Assistant Professor of Surgery at Cedars-Sinai medical Center, where he focuses primiarily on the surgical management of heart failure and valvular heart disease, and serves as the Associate Surgical Director for the Heart Transplant and Mechanical Circulatory Support programs. He additionally serves as the Associate Program Director for the ACGME training program.
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Moderators:
Amy Fiedler, UW Health Hospital and Clinics
Thomas Varghese MD, MS, MBA, Huntsman Cancer Institute
Dominic Emerson, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Adult Cardiac Congenital Thoracic Perioperative Care Multi-Specialty -
Moderators:
Amy Fiedler, UW Health Hospital and Clinics
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10:00AM - 12:00PM EDT Hynes Convention Center, Room 313
Wellness Session
Ross Bremner, St Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center
Thoracic Surgeon at the Norton Thoracic Institute. Research interests in thoracic oncology and lung transplantation but significant interest in wellness in Cardiothoracic Surgery.
Adult Cardiac Congenital Thoracic Perioperative Care Multi-Specialty -
10:25AM - 12:00PM EDT Hynes Convention Center, Room 210
Congenital Course Part II: When Neonatal Success Leads to Further Need For Intervention
Emile Bacha, Columbia University Pediatric Research Fund
Dr. Emile Bacha is a US board-certified cardiothoracic surgeon with a subspecialization in pediatric cardiac surgery. Dr. Bacha is a tenured Professor of Surgery at Columbia University and currently the Chief of the Division of Cardiac, Thoracic, and Vascular Surgery at New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center, and Director of Congenital Heart Surgery at NYP/Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital and Komansky-Weill-Cornell Children’s. Prior to that, he was Senior Associate in Cardiac Surgery at the Children's Hospital Boston and Associate Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Bacha received his medical degree at Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich, Germany. He completed his surgical residency at MGH and Emory, followed by a research fellowship at the Hopital Marie-Lannelongue of Paris-Sud University. He then completed a fellowship in cardiothoracic surgery at MGH in 1989. He has been supported by grants from the NIH, AATS, and TSFRE. Dr. Bacha is one of the early developers of the "hybrid stage I" procedure for hypoplastic left heart syndrome. He is also the principal developer of a widely accepted technical competency metric for pediatric heart surgeons. Dr. Bacha has published more than 250 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters. He is a past-Associate Editor of the Journal for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, and a member of the AATS, STS, the Congenital Heart Surgeons' Society (CHSS), the ACC and ACS. He currently serves as the Treasurer for the AATS and as Secretary of the CHSS.
Christopher Baird, Boston Children's Hospital
TBD
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12:00PM - 12:30PM EDT Hynes Convention Center
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12:30PM - 1:30PM EDT Hynes Convention Center
Lunch Symposia
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12:30PM - 1:30PM EDT Hynes Convention Center, Room 313
AstraZeneca Lunch Symposium: Management of Patients with Resectable NSCLC*
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12:30PM - 1:30PM EDT Hynes Convention Center, Room 312
AtriCure Lunch Symposium: Cryo Nerve Block as an Opioid-Sparing Pain Management Therapy in Minimally Invasive Thoracic Surgery
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12:30PM - 1:30PM EDT Hynes Convention Center, Room 302
Edwards Lunch Symposium: Introducing the new MITRIS RESILIA Mitral Valve*
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12:30PM - 1:30PM EDT Hynes Convention Center, Room 309
PeerView Institute for Medical Education Lunch Symposium: How to Integrate Perioperative Immunotherapy Into Multimodal Treatment Plans to Improve Outcomes in Resectable NSCLC
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12:30PM - 1:30PM EDT Hynes Convention Center, Room 210
Genentech Lunch Symposium: TECENTRIQ: First FDA-Approved Adjuvant Cancer Immunotherapy In NSCLC
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1:30PM - 3:50PM EDT Hynes Convention Center, Ballroom ABC
Plenary Session
David Jones, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Biography: David R. Jones, MD
Dr. Jones graduated Phi Beta Kappa from West Virginia University and received his medical degree from West Virginia University School of Medicine where he was AOA. He completed his Thoracic Surgery Residency at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC. In 1999, Dr. Jones joined the faculty at the University of Virginia where he became Professor and Vice-Chairman of the Department. In 2013 Dr. Jones was recruited to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center as Chief of Thoracic Surgery.
Dr. Jones is Professor & Chief of Thoracic Surgery and Executive Vice-chair of the Department of Surgery at MSKCC. He is also the Co-Director of the Fiona and Stanly Druckenmiller Center for Lung Cancer Research. He is the current Secretary of the AATS and Chair of the AATS-MSKCC Thoracic Surgery Oncology Group (TSOG) for clinical trials. Dr. Jones is Associate Editor for the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery. He is recent past Chair of the NIH/NCI Tumor Progression and Metastasis (TPM) study section and currently serves on the NCI Board of Scientific Advisors. He serves on numerous national and international committees related to thoracic surgical research and clinical care.
Dr. Jones’s research focuses on mechanisms and drivers of metastases in lung cancer. His research has been funded by the NIH/NCI, Department of Defense, and the AACR. He has been the Principal Investigator or Co-PI on over 35 funded grants and currently holds 2 R01 awards from the NCI. He has published over 380 papers and has written over 35 book chapters. He was an early adopter of VATS anatomic resections and minimally-invasive esophagectomies and performs the majority of his operations using these minimally-invasive approaches.
Shaf Keshavjee, University Health Network
Dr. Shaf Keshavjee completed his medical training at the University of Toronto in 1985, and subsequently trained in General Surgery, Cardiac Surgery and Thoracic Surgery at the University of Toronto followed by fellowship training at Harvard University and the University of London for airway surgery and heart-lung transplantation, respectively. He leads a team whose studies in transplantation have had a significant impact on treatment outcomes for patients with lung disease around the world. Dr. Keshavjee is currently Chief of Innovation at University Health Network, University of Toronto.
An integral part of the Division of Thoracic Surgery at UHN, Dr. Keshavjee has taken on leadership roles in all facets of this specialized area of care: as a skilled surgeon and Director of the Toronto Lung Transplant Program; and as a researcher and Director of the Latner Thoracic Research Laboratories. To improve lung function after transplantation, he developed a lung preservation solution to preserve donor lungs for transplant. This solution has become the standard technique used by transplantation programs around the world. Dr.Keshavjee has further attracted worldwide attention for his pioneering research to recondition and repair injured human donor lungs using gene and cell therapies and the Toronto Ex Vivo Lung Perfusion System, making them suitable for transplantation into patients and enhancing the number of donor lungs available.
Dr. Keshavjee has served on the Board of Directors of the ISHLT and the Canadian Society of Transplantation. He has served as a Member of the Board, Treasurer and then the 102nd President of the AATS. He has received numerous awards and honorary fellowships for his continuing contributions to his field, including several lifetime achievement awards. Dr. Keshavjee has recieved several honorary doctoral degrees, the Order of Ontario, and Canada's highest civilian honor as Officer of the Order of Canada for his contributions to medicine.
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Moderators:
David Jones, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Shaf Keshavjee, University Health Network
Adult Cardiac Congenital Thoracic Perioperative Care -
Moderators:
David Jones, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
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3:50PM - 4:15PM EDT Hynes Convention Center
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4:00PM - 6:00PM EDT Sheraton Boston, Republic Ballroom
Member for a Day
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4:15PM - 6:00PM EDT Hynes Convention Center, Room 302
Aortic Valves for Young Adults: Essentials
Michael Borger, University of Leipzig
Dr. Michael Borger is the Director of the University Clinic for Cardiac Surgery at the Leipzig Heart Center, one of the largest cardiac surgery centers in Europe. He took over the position in 2017 from his friend and mentor, Dr. Fred Mohr. He finished his cardiac surgery training and PhD in 2001 in Toronto, Canada, under the mentorship of Dr. Tirone David. Dr. Borger's clinical and research interests include aortic surgery, minimal invasive and percutaneous valve procedures, aortic and mitral valve repair surgery, and ischemic mitral regurgitation. He is an author on over 500 peer-reviewed publications.
Elaine Tseng, University of California San Francisco
Dr. Tseng is Professor of Surgery at the University of California San Francisco and Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the San Francisco VA. Her academic research interests over the past 19 years have involved biomechanics, fluid dynamics, and computational simulations of aortic root surgery, including aortic stenosis, transcatheter aortic valves, Ross operation, ascending thoracic aortic aneurysm (aTAA) and dissection. She has been an NIH R01 funded surgeon-scientist investigating the biomechanics of ascending thoracic aortic aneurysms to determine better predictors of type A dissection than maximum diameter. Through the VA, she will investigate the impact of aTAA biomechanics on dissection, rupture, and death. Her clinical expertise is in structural heart disease and aortic surgery, including transcatheter aortic valve replacement, mitraclip, minimally invasive surgical valve repair and replacement, and ascending thoracic aneurysm repair. She has published >100 scientific papers and book chapters. Dr. Tseng serves on the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) Workforce for New Technology and Workforce on Health Policy, Advocacy, & Reform, American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) Research Foundation, and American Heart Association (AHA) Cardiovascular Surgery and Anesthesia Council. She is completing her tenure as the Chair of the Thoracic Surgery Foundation Research Committee.
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Moderators:
Michael Borger, University of Leipzig
Elaine Tseng, University of California San Francisco
Adult Cardiac Congenital -
Moderators:
Michael Borger, University of Leipzig
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4:15PM - 6:00PM EDT Hynes Convention Center, Room 309
Atrial Fibrillation Essentials*
Rosemary Kelly, University of Minnesota
Rosemary Kelly, MD currently serves as the Secretary of the AATS. She is the C. Walton and Richard C. Lillehei Professor and Executive Vice-Chair of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery at the University of Minnesota. She completed medical school at the University of Chicago, Pritzker School of Medicine and General surgery training at Los Angeles County/University of Southern California Medical Center. She completed Thoracic surgery residency at the University of Minnesota and joined the faculty of the Cardiothoracic Surgery Division. She is Program Director of the Thoracic Surgery Residency and Vice-Chair of Clinical Faculty Development for the Department of Surgery at the University of Minnesota. In addition, she is Chief of the Heart and Vascular Service Line for M Health Fairview.
Dr. Kelly is actively involved in basic and translational research. Her basic science work uses in vitro and in vivo models of chronically ischemic myocardium to study molecular and physiologic recovery following revascularization as well as in response to cell based reparative therapies. Clinically, she has been involved in numerous trials in coronary revascularization and lung transplantation. She participated in the CARP, RAVE, REGROUP, and VALOR trials, serving on the Executive Committees for RAVE and REGROUP. She also participated in ex vivo lung organ preservation INSPIRE and EXPAND trials. For the AATS, Dr. Kelly has served on the Membership Committee for 6 years and as Chair for two years. She is a current member of the AATS Foundation Board, the Leadership Academy Board, Publications Committee and Cardiothoracic Residents Committee. In these roles, she strives to improve educational experiences and professional opportunities for the next generations of cardiothoracic surgeons.
Patrick McCarthy, Northwestern Memorial Hospital
Patrick M. McCarthy, M.D., is Vice President of Northwestern Medical Group, and Executive Director of the Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute (BCVI) which employs approximately 1600 physicians and staff at 11 Northwestern hospitals. He trained at the Mayo Clinic and Stanford University and practiced at the Cleveland Clinic from 1990 until 2004 as Surgical Director of Heart Transplantation and the Kaufman Center for Heart Failure. The Northwestern heart and heart surgery program rapidly ascended in the U.S. News & World Report rankings from unranked in 2004 to a top 10 U.S. program, and the highest ranked in Illinois and surrounding states. Dr. McCarthy also has a joint appointment with the Department of Biomedical Engineering of Northwestern University, is a member of AOA, and has invented several medical products. Applying a philanthropic gift from Neil Bluhm, Dr. McCarthy founded the unique Center for Artificial Intelligence in Cardiovascular Disease in 2018 to advance the use of AI in CV disease and launch a Master of Science in AI degree granting program for CV trainees. His primary focus is on clinical integration of Northwestern Medicine programs across the health system.
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4:15PM - 6:00PM EDT Hynes Convention Center, Room 210
Improving Through Innovation and Quality*
Pedro J. del Nido, Boston Children's Hospital
Dr. Pedro J. del Nido, is Chief of the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery at Boston Children’s Hospital, and the William E. Ladd Professor of Child Surgery at Harvard Medical School. His clinical focus is on surgical techniques for achieving bi-ventricular circulation in children with complex heart disease, and repair of congenital heart valve defects. He is Past-President of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery, a leading international organization of academic Cardiothoracic Surgeons. He has received continuous NIH funding for his laboratory research work for over 20 years. His current research work aims to design and develop novel medical devices and procedures that address the specific needs of pediatric patients. He has over 500 peer reviewed publications, and 29 issued and pending patents, including for “del Nido Cardioplegia”.
S. Adil Husain, University of Utah Hospital
Dr. Husain obtained his Medical Degree from the University of North Dakota as an Ray Duggan Scholar and completed general surgical training at the University of Iowa where he was an Administrative Chief. He then completed and Adult Cardiothoracic Fellowship at the University of North Carolina which included time at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children in London, England. He subsequently completed his Congenital Heart Surgical training at Riley Children's Hospital - Indiana University School of Medicine. Dr. Husain joined UT Health San Antonio in 2008 and became Chief of Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery in 2009. At UT Health San Antonio, he held the title of Surgeon-In-Chief for the Children’s Hospital and was the William Randolph Hearst Chair in Congenital Heart Disease. He was honored by his undergraduate alma-matter, Carleton College in 2016 with the Alumni Association Distinguished Achievement AwardDr. Husain joined the University of Utah as a Professor in the Departments of Surgery and Pediatrics as well as Section Chief of Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery at the University of Utah School of Medicine. He is also the Co-Director for the Heart Center at Primary Children's Hospital. He has undergone formal leadership training at both The Wharton School of Business where he was an Aresty Scholar as well as with the Intermountain Healthcare Leadership Institute. As a result, his professional focus is upon a surgical as well as multidisciplinary approach towards enhancing Heart Center culture and obtaining excellent clinical outcomes. His current research interests are in the areas of single ventricle physiology and the use of steroids in the perioperative time period. His primary clinical focus is with neonatal cardiac surgery and the patient and family experience within the in-patient setting. He also has a strong interest and degree of experience with international humanitarian surgical mission work with multiple trips over the past 15 years.
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4:15PM - 6:00PM EDT Hynes Convention Center, Room 304-306
Presidents' Masterclass: Coronary Complications
Fred Crawford, Medical University of SC
Fred A. Crawford, Jr., M.D. is currently Distinguished University Professor of Surgery at the Medical University of South Carolina where he also served as Chairman of the Department of Surgery (1988-2007), Chief of the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery (1979-2009) and as Associate Dean for Finance. Dr.Crawford received his M.D. degree from Duke University (1967) where he was a member of Alpha Omega Alpha. His surgical residency was interrupted two years by service in the US Army as a Major including a one-year assignment at the 24th Evacuation Hospital in Vietnam. Following this, he returned to Duke to complete his general and cardiothoracic surgery residency, and in 1976 moved to Jackson, Mississippi as Chief of the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the University of Mississippi School of Medicine. He was recruited to SouthCarolina in 1979 as Professor of Surgery and Chief of the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at MUSC, and was subsequently appointed Chairman of the Department of Surgery there in 1988. He was the first recipient of the HoraceG. Smithy Chair of Cardiothoracic Surgery at that institution in 1997. Under his leadership the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery has become nationally recognized. He has served three terms as President of University Medical Associates, the University’s faculty practice plan. Dr. Crawford has served as Chair of the American Board of Thoracic Surgery, on the ACGME Residency Review Committee for Thoracic Surgery, on the Board of Governors of the American College of Surgeons and the American College of Cardiology, and was the first chair of the Joint Council of Thoracic Surgery Education. Dr. Crawford served as President of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) in 2003.
Thoralf Sundt, Harvard University
Thoralf M. Sundt, III, M.D.
Thor Sundt, MD, is the Churchill Professor of Surgery, Harvard Medical School and Chief of the Division of Cardiac Surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital. He co-directs the Corrigan Minehan Heart Center at MGH, and has been appointed the Director of the Cardiac Surgery Clinical Service for Mass General Brigham.
Dr. Sundt's clinical focus has been on surgery for the correction of acquired cardiovascular conditions in adults. He is an internationally recognized thought-leader on thoracic aortic diseases, having written and lectured extensively on the subject. He is also widely recognized as an expert in reparative procedures for valvular heart disease as well as the use of arterial conduits to improve the long term durability of coronary bypass procedures.
His research interests have ranged from organ transplantation to the genetics and genomics of bicuspid aortic valve disease. He has received funding by the National Institutes of Health, the American Association for Thoracic Surgery and The Mayo Foundation for this work. Most recently, he collaborated with investigators in the disciplines of human factors and systems engineering to improve the safety and efficiency of healthcare delivery. On a national level, he was the first chair of the Workforce on Patient Safety for the Society of Thoracic Surgeons.
He has served in numerous executive roles, including surgical director for cardiac transplantation at Washington University in St. Louis, surgical director of the Thoracic Aortic and Marfan Clinic at the Mayo Clinic and vice-chair of the Department of Surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester. Dr. Sundt is a Past-President of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery. -
4:15PM - 6:00PM EDT Hynes Convention Center, Room 312
Screening, Staging, Treating Early Stage Lung Cancer
Jessica Donington, University of Chicago Medicine
Jessica S. Donington, MD, MSCR, is a thoracic surgeon with focus on the comprehensive and multidisciplinary care of benign and malignant chest diseases. Dr. Donington specializes in non-small cell lung cancer and treats people at all stages, providing a personalized approach to diagnosis and treatment using the latest technology and innovations.
In addition to her clinical practice, Dr. Donington is an avid researcher and respected leader in her field. Her research focus is on novel biomarkers for early detection and treatment of lung cancer and clinical trials that incorporate surgery into multi-modality lung cancer care.Dr. Donington is a past president of Women in Thoracic Surgery, New York Society for Thoracic Surgery and Western Thoracic Surgical Association. She is a member of the American Board of Thoracic Surgery and serves on the editorial boards for the Annals of Thoracic Surgery, Journal of Thoracic Oncology and CHEST.
Betty Tong, Duke University
Betty C. Tong, MD, MHS is an Associate Professor of Surgery at the Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina, USA. Her clinical interests are in lung cancer screening, surgical management of thoracic malignancies such as lung cancer and soft tissue sarcoma of the chest, and video assisted thoracic surgery. Her research interests are centered in the area of health services research, and include the study of disparities in thoracic surgical patients, and patient preferences and decision making in the management of thoracic disease.
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4:15PM - 6:00PM EDT Hynes Convention Center, Room 311
Thymic and Germ Cell Tumors in 2022
DuyKhanh Ceppa, Indiana University/Indiana University Health
Dr. DuyKhanh Pham Ceppa is a thoracic surgeon and associate professor of surgery at IUSM. She received her medical degree from the Duke University School of Medicine and, thereafter, completed General Surgery and Cardiothoracic Surgery training. Dr. Ceppa joined the faculty at Indiana University with a clinical focus on General Thoracic Surgery, Thoracic Surgical Oncology, and Minimally-Invasive Surgery. She also serves as the Medical Director of the IU Health lung screening program, Associate Vice Chair of Professional Development, Diversity and Wellness and the Deputy Chief of Surgery at the Roudebush VA Medical Center.
Joshua Sonett, Columbia University Medical Center
Dr. Sonett received his undergraduate training at Duke University, graduating suma cum laude with a B.A. in Chemistry. His medical training began at East Carolina University Medical Center, where after two years he received scholarship support for his studies, and graduated with highest honors as a member of the Alpha Omego Alpha Honorary Medical Society. Pursing a career in surgery, he trained in General Surgery at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center, where his clinical course and training were accelerated by one year, allowing him to pursue research interests in Cardiothoracic Surgery. His formal training was then completed in Cardiothoracic Surgery and Thoracic Transplantation at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Additional training was as well attained in Thoracic Oncology and Surgery at the Sloan Kettering Memorial Cancer Center.
Dr. Sonett was recruited and joined the faculty at Columbia University NewYork-Presbyterian University Hospital in July of 2001 as Program and Surgical Director of the New-York Presbyterian Lung Transplant Program and became Chief of General Thoracic Surgery in July of 2006. Additionally, he is a Professor of Surgery and holds the Weiskopf chair in surgical oncology and leads the Price Center for Comprehensive Chest Care. Dr. Sonett is well published in peer reviewed journals and book chapters with extended interest in minimally invasive thoracic surgery of the lung, esophagus and mediastinum. He has a particular interest in thymic disease as related to Myasthenia Gravis and malignancy.
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4:15PM - 6:00PM EDT Hynes Convention Center, Room 206
Transfusion Revolution in Blood Utilization
Thomas Schwann, Baystate Medical Center
Chief of Cardiac Surgery
University of Massachusetts
Springfield, MA 01109
Scott McClure, Foothills Medical center
Dr. McClure is a cardiac surgeon with a focus in open surgical and endovascular therapies for complex aortic disease. He is a Co-Director of the Calgary Aortic Program within the Libin Cardiovascular Institute and an Associate Professor at the University of Calgary in Calgary, Alberta Canada. Dr. McClure holds a Master of Science in Epidemiology from the Harvard School of Public Health. Clinical interests include health policy initiatives as they pertain to aortic disease in addition to health outcomes data. Dr. McClure received his medical degree from the University of Calgary in Calgary, Alberta (2004) and his cardiac surgery training from Western University in London, Ontario (2011). He then pursued Fellowship training in complex valvular disease at the Harvard affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital (2012) and thoracic aortic surgery at the University of Pennsylvania (2013).
Perioperative Care -
6:00PM - 8:00PM EDT Hynes Convention Center, Exhibit Hall
Cardiothoracic Resident Poster Competition*
Multi-Specialty -
6:00PM - 8:00PM EDT Hynes Convention Center, Exhibit Hall
Perioperative/Team-Based Care Poster Competition*
Marijana Zubrinic, Toronto General Hospital
Marijana Zubrinic is a nurse practitioner that specializes in thoracic surgery at Toronto General Hospital (TGH) in Toronto, Canada. She completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Ryerson University and earned her Master of Science degree and nurse practitioner qualifications at McMaster University. She has 18 years of clinical experience working in various roles within surgery both in Canada and the USA. She has published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at both the national and international level on methods to improve patient safety and operational efficiency. Her passion lies in innovation within the healthcare field. She has won multiple local awards and grants for her innovation, including the Local Impact Award and Mary Ferguson-Pare Award for Innovation in Nursing. In addition to her role at TGH, Marijana also provides outreach primary care home visits to elderly and palliative care patients in the community.
Marci Damiano, Barnes Jewish Hospital
Marci Damiano is the manager of the clinical research and data management group in the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Washington University (WU) in St. Louis at Barnes Jewish Hospital (BJH). She completed her Master of Science in Nursing degree at St. Louis University. She has 30 years of clinical experience working in various roles within cardiothoracic surgery and cardiology, including coordinating the multidisciplinary transcatheter valve program. She has published in peer-reviewed journals in clinical outcomes following cardiac surgery, thoracic oncology surgery, and surgery for peripheral nerve injury. Her professional interests are in study design and clinical outcomes research investigations.
Perioperative Care -
6:00PM - 8:00PM EDT Hynes Convention Center, Exhibit Hall
Resident Case Report Poster Viewing
Multi-Specialty -
6:00PM - 8:00PM EDT Hynes Convention Center, Exhibit Hall
Welcome Reception
Multi-Specialty -
6:30PM - 7:30PM EDT Hynes Convention Center, Tech Theater 3, Exhibit Hall
Resident Case Report Competition
Anelechi Anyanwu, Mount Sinai Icahn School of Medicine
Dr. Anyanwu is Professor and Vice-Chairman of the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery in the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. His clinical interests include mitral valve surgery, reoperative surgery, and surgery for heart-failure. Dr. Anyanwu has served the AATS in various roles, including serving on the Program Committee for prior Mitral Conclave and Annual Meetings. He currently serves on the AATS Board.
Craig Baker, Keck Hospital of USC
Craig J. Baker, MD, received his medical degree from Georgetown University, followed by seven years of general surgery training at the University of Southern California. While at USC, Dr. Baker spent two years in the cardiothoracic research laboratory, where he co-authored numerous papers on reperfusion injury, lung transplantation, beating heart surgery, living lobar lung transplantation and pediatric cardiac surgery.
After a three-year cardiothoracic residency at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, Dr. Baker accepted a fellowship in pediatric cardiac surgery at the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles. While at Children’s Hospital, Dr. Baker had the privilege of working under the direction of renowned cardiothoracic surgeon Vaughn Starnes, MD. The following year, Dr. Baker accepted a position in the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the Keck School of Medicine.
Dr. Baker is currently the chief of the division of cardiac surgery at the Keck School of Medicine. He also serves as vice chair of surgical education and directs the cardiothoracic surgery training program. Dr. Baker has achieved national recognition for his involvement in cardiothoracic education. He has developed a comprehensive educational curriculum, including a highly structured simulation training program. In 2017, after 20 years at USC, Dr. Baker was appointed as chief of the division of cardiac surgery.
Shari Meyerson, University of Kentucky
Dr Meyerson is a Professor of Surgery in the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery and Chief of the Section of General Thoracic Surgery at the University of Kentucky. She is the Program Director for both the Thoracic Surgery Fellowship and the Integrated Thoracic Surgery Residency Programs. Dr Meyerson has extensive experience teaching curriculum development, technical skills, and decision-making at the medical school, graduate, and post-graduate levels. To enhance her skills as an educator, she completed a Master’s of Education degree at the University of Cincinnati in 2015. She has published multiple peer-reviewed papers ranging from simulator development and assessment of operative skills to the effects of gender on resident training experiences. Her current research interests include creation of resident autonomy in the OR, technical skills feedback for residents, and preventing long-term musculoskeletal injuries among surgeons over the course of their career.
Christopher Seder, Rush University Medical Center
Dr. Seder is the Arthur E. Diggs, MD and L. Penfield Faber, MD Chair of Surgical Sciences and Chief of Thoracic Surgey at Rush University Medical Center. His academic interests include investigating blood-based tumor markers to identify lung cancers at the earliest stage, outcomes research, and resident education. Dr. Seder is also the cardiothoracic surgery residency program director and has been awarded the L. Penfield Faber Teaching Award for excellence in education multiple times.
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Moderators:
Anelechi Anyanwu, Mount Sinai Icahn School of Medicine
Craig Baker, Keck Hospital of USC
Shari Meyerson, University of Kentucky
Christopher Seder, Rush University Medical Center
Multi-Specialty -
Moderators:
Anelechi Anyanwu, Mount Sinai Icahn School of Medicine
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7:00PM - 8:00PM EDT Hynes Convention Center, Room 312
General Thoracic Biology Club*
Daniel Kreisel, Barnes Jewish Hospital
Daniel Kreisel MD PhD is a tenured Professor of Surgery, Pathology & Immunology at Washington University in St. Louis. He holds the G. Alexander Patterson MD / Mid-America Transplant Endowed Chair in Lung Transplantation, serves as the Surgical Director of the Lung Transplant program and the Scientific Director of the Transplant Center. He obtained his MD from Mount Sinai School of Medicine and a PhD in Immunology from The University of Pennsylvania. He completed his training in Surgery at The Hospital of The University of Pennsylvania and his training in Cardiothoracic Surgery at Washington University in St. Louis. His research laboratory at Washington University in St. Louis studies transplantation immunology with a particular focus on mechanisms that mediate ischemia reperfusion injury after heart and lung transplantation as well as mechanisms that regulate rejection and tolerance after lung transplantation. His research program has been supported by grants from The National Institutes of Health (National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases & National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute), The Department of Veterans Affairs, The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and The Foundation for Barnes-Jewish Hospital. Dr. Kreisel has published over 280 peer reviewed manuscripts and is currently a Deputy Editor for The American Journal of Transplantation. He is an elected member of The American Society for Clinical Investigation, The American Surgical Association and The Association of American Physicians.
Mark Onaitis, University of California San Diego
Mark Onaitis is Professor of Surgery and the Sheri Kelts Chair in Cardiothoracic Surgery at the University of California, San Diego.
*non-CME