Conferences

The Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery engages in weekly conferences focused on resident education, quality of care and evidence-based review of selected cases.

In addition, a section of the Division's website has been developed to focus on Residency issues. The site includes a conference schedule and a variety of resources, including educational films of procedures and PowerPoint presentations on important topics.

Cardiothoracic Surgery Grand Rounds

Grand Rounds are held every Thursday, with the exception of the last Thursday of the month, when Cardiothoracic faculty and residents are required to attend Department of Surgery Grand Rounds or MASS Conference. Regularly scheduled topics include Morbidity & Mortality, Journal Club, and Case Conference. Guest lecturers speak periodically on a variety of topics. Recent speakers have included major contemporary figures in Cardiothoracic Surgery and other significant contributors to the advancement of surgical education and science. Cardiothoracic Rounds are attended by Cardiothoracic Faculty, Residents, Fellows, Physicians Assistants, Nurse Practitioners, Unit Managers, Research Fellows, General Surgery House Staff rotating on our service, and representatives from Cardiology, Perfusion, and Anesthesia.

Case Conference (1st Thursday of each month)

Interesting cases of educational value are presented by the Residents, including detailed medical history, presentation of all pertinent studies and films, and a brief review of relevant literature. The goal is in-depth discussion of workup, operative management, and post-operative care in a variety of clinical scenarios.

Journal Club (2nd Thursday of each month)

The Residents present recent, interesting, and relevant articles from important journals. Most articles are selected from JTCVS, Annals of Thoracic Surgery, Circulation, and NEJM. Subject matter is distributed evenly across adult cardiac, congenital, and general thoracic topics. Major goals include exposure to new information, and teaching critical review of primary sources. All articles are selected one week in advance, and copies distributed to all residents and faculty prior to the conference.

Morbidity & Mortality Conference (3rd Thursday of the month)

A PowerPoint presentation with handouts describes case volume and distribution by case category for the previous month, compared to prior months and years. The presentation includes tables summarizing all mortalities and complications for the month, compared to previous experience and accepted benchmarks. All mortalities, and selected complications of particular importance, are presented formally by the resident most involved with the case, including medical history, pertinent studies and films, and a focused review of relevant literature. Uncompromising self-analysis and detailed discussion by residents and faculty characteristically follows. The list of cases discussed at this conference is distributed one week in advance and to the entire.

Department of Surgery Grand Rounds

On the last Thursday of the month, Cardiothoracic residents and faculty attend General Surgery Grand Rounds. Guest lecturers speak on a variety of topics, including cardiothoracic.

MASS

Each quarter, the entire Department convenes for a presentation by each division's chief resident. Major case numbers are listed along with complication rates. Complications are presented with accompanying national benchmark rates and the internal cumulative rates. Cardiothoracic M & M was used as the model in developing the structure of the MASS Conference for the Department, which serves as an important tool in quality control. The MASS data are also presented alongside a prospective ongoing clinical quality control trial.

Curriculum Lecture Series

A weekly one hour lecture devoted to the TSDA Comprehensive Requisite Thoracic Surgery Curriculum for Adult Cardiac Surgery, Pediatric Cardiac Surgery, and General Thoracic Surgery. Lectures are given by Cardiothoracic Surgeons and specialists from Cardiology, Pulmonology, Perfusion, Anesthesia, Infectious Disease, and Nephrology.

Curriculum Review Conference

The TSDA Comprehensive Requisite Thoracic Surgery Curriculum for Adult Cardiac Surgery, Pediatric Cardiac Surgery, and General Thoracic Surgery is reviewed under the direction of the Chief Resident. Available on the TSDA website, the residents can select multimedia presentations, approximately 20 minutes in length. Over the course of the year, the entire curriculum is reviewed.

Advanced Resident Education Course

Coordinated by the Department of Surgery, the Advanced Resident Education Course focuses on issues addressing the core competencies as defined by the ACGME. The course meets once a week. Previous topics have included sessions on teaching, medical financial concerns, and legal topics in medical practice.

Combined Morning Report

This is an important interdisciplinary conference at which patients with cardiovascular disease who are being managed by the General Cardiology Resident Service are presented. All cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery residents are in attendance, along with representative attending faculty from both cardiac surgery and cardiology. Diagnostic and therapeutic issues are discussed in depth with faculty guidance, often combined with critique of the pertinent literature. The residents actively participate in the formulation of treatment plans, including postoperative progress and treatment issues.

Adult Cath Conference

This weekly conference is held in the cardiac catheterization laboratory conference room, and includes attending cardiac surgeons and cardiologists, as well as residents and fellows in cardiology, interventional cardiology and echocardiography, and cardiothoracic surgery. Each week, interesting or complex angiograms and echocardiograms are presented with patient histories. Discussion centers on treatment options.

Pediatric Cath Conference

This weekly conference is held in the pediatric cardiovascular services conference room, and includes attending faculty pediatric cardiac surgeons and pediatric cardiologists, as well as residents and fellows in neonatology, pediatrics, pediatric cardiology, interventional cardiology and echocardiography, and cardiothoracic surgery. Each week, interesting or complex angiograms and echocardiograms are presented, with patient histories. Discussion centers on treatment options.

Heart Transplant Rounds

Held every Friday morning, the Heart and Transplant rounds is a review of the cardiac transplant waiting list as well as new transplant evaluations and selected patient follow-up.

Lung Transplant Conference

Held every Friday morning, there is a review of the lung transplant waiting list as well as new transplant evaluations and selected patient follow-up.

Tumor Board

This biweekly, multidisciplinary conference includes senior representation from Pulmonary Medicine, Diagnostic Radiology, Surgical Pathology, Medical Oncology, Radiation Oncology, and Thoracic Surgery. The format of the conference is predominantly case presentations brought by both attendings and trainees. Cases reviewed include non-small cell and small cell lung cancer, other lung tumors (metastases, carcinoid, sarcoma, etc.), and mesothelioma. Diagnostic and treatment options are discussed in an open forum format. Additionally, material from new trials and national meetings is discussed, and ongoing trials and recruitment are updated. Thoracic Surgery participation is active and includes 2-4 faculty members, CT resident, and PGY-3 general surgery rotator.