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Summer 2015, Vol. 01, No. 1 UPMC.com/ELSI ctsurgery.pitt.edu

Chairman’s Message Upcoming CME-Accredited Conference: Welcome to the Inaugural Issue of the Departmental Newsletter Minimally Invasive Approaches to the Management of Esophageal It is a great privilege and Our aortic center is the fastest growing In this Issue DATE: Ryan M. Levy, MD clinical and molecular risk stratification, and honor to be the founding center in our department and oversees all December, 2015 Assistant Professor of the importance of lymph node dissection. Chairman of the Department aspects of aortic diseases. In addition, our Chief, Thoracic Surgery, UPMC Passavant Experts on the subject will present technical of Cardiothoracic Surgery. Pediatric Cardiac group oversees all aspects PAGE 2 COURSE DIRECTORS: aspects of various esophageal procedures, Previously functioning as the of cardiac and other disorders of the in Katie S. Nason, MD, MPH, FACS Robotic-Assisted General Thoracic James D. Luketich, MD, FACS along with risks, benefits, and outcomes. , and Esophageal Surgery Institute children. Our transplant group has been a Assistant Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery Surgery at UPMC Henry T. Bahnson Professor of Because of our expertise in minimally (HLESI), the UPMC Esophageal and Lung leader in both heart and . Cardiothoracic Surgery Associate Director, Cardiothoracic invasive , we will be Surgery Institute (ELSI) became an academic Today, only a few dozen medical centers in PAGE 3 Chairman, Department of Research Program highlighting the indications, outcomes, department in the the offer a complex array of A New Era in Cardiothoracic Cardiothoracic Surgery and technical aspects of that operation. School of in 2010. Our current faculty minimally invasive surgical procedures for Transplantation at UPMC Chief, Division of Thoracic and Foregut Surgery COURSE DETAILS: includes 38 cardiothoracic (CT) staff , The two day program will consist of a series of This course is designed for general and the heart, lung, and . Many of the eight CT residents, six CT integrated residents, PAGE 4 Inderpal Sarkaria, MD, FACS lectures, as well as live case demonstrations, thoracic surgeons, gastroenterologists, surgeons who perform these procedures at 10 fellows, a strong research group, and more UPMC Division of Vice Chairman, Clinical Affairs highlighting the surgical management of minimally invasive team members (MD, DO, other centers received their training throughout than 170 staff members. Centers of Excellence Director, Thoracic Robotic Surgery esophageal cancer, including the role RN, PA, NP), allied health professionals, and our department and at UPMC’s Mark Co-Director, Esophageal and Lung of esophageal surgeons in the use of any interested medical, radiation, or surgical We are dedicated to using advanced diagnostic Ravitch/Leon C. Hirsch Center for Minimally PAGE 6 Surgery Institute specialists. endoscopic and robotic . With and surgical techniques to care for patients Invasive Surgery. Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery: world-renowned guest speakers and our own Jonathan D’Cunha, MD, PhD, FACS For more information, contact with diseases and disorders of the heart, lung, Our mission is to strive for excellence in Unparalleled Outcomes experts, we will cover the full spectrum of Associate Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery Victoria Willman at 412-648-6342, and esophagus. Our experts are leading the patient care, to train the next generation of topics, including surgery, induction , Associate Director, Lung Transplantation or email [email protected]. way in treating diseases like congestive heart cardiothoracic surgical leaders, and to advance targeted chemotherapy, endoscopic therapy, Associate Program Director, Thoracic Surgery failure, congenital heart disorders, heartburn our field through innovation and research. I and related problems, esophageal cancer, am extremely proud of our department, and and lung diseases. Our affiliations with the I look forward to keeping you up-to-date on University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine future progress and developments, starting and UPMC CancerCenters bring together all with this inaugural issue of our departmental Contact the UPMC Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at: of the necessary components of a successful newsletter. We invite you to explore our research and patient care program: , website (ctsurgery.pitt.edu) and consult Division of Cardiac Surgery Division of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Division of Cardiothoracic Division of Thoracic and Foregut surgeons, and scientists, and patients who us for any patient needs you may encounter. 412-648-6200 412-692-5218 Transplantation Surgery agree to participate in clinical trials. UPMC Presbyterian Children’s of Pittsburgh 412-648-6202 412-647-7555 James D. Luketich, MD, FACS Suite C-700, 200 Lothrop St. of UPMC UPMC Presbyterian UPMC Presbyterian Our combination of resources and experience Pittsburgh, PA 15213 4401 Penn Ave. Suite C-900, 200 Lothrop St. Suite C-800, 200 Lothrop St. has enabled us to lead the way to better patient Henry T. Bahnson Professor and Chair, 5th Floor, Faculty Pavilion Pittsburgh, PA 15213 Pittsburgh, PA 15213 Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery care. For example, the UPMC Artificial Heart Pittsburgh, PA 15224 Chief, Division of Thoracic and Foregut Surgery Program was one of the first in the country Director, UPMC Lung and Esophageal Visit UPMC.com/ELSI or email [email protected] for more information. and continues to lead in the development of Surgery Institute artificial heart-assist devices. UPMC was also Director, Thoracic one of the first medical centers to perform minimally invasive surgery for esophageal and lung , lung transplantation, and many other related procedures.

TRANS415054 JAB/CS 05/15 ©2015 UPMC Robotic-Assisted General Thoracic A New Era in Cardiothoracic Surgery at UPMC Transplantation at UPMC By Inderpal Sarkaria, MD, FACS By Jonathan D’Cunha, MD, PhD, FACS and Robert Kormos MD, FAHA, FRCS

The use of surgical robotics was first conceived and developed by procedures to these operations, greatly decreasing the pain and after discharge, we strive to maintain a Several aspects of our surgical care set us the U.S. military for remote battlefield surgery. Its use has increased morbidity associated with large, muscle splitting incisions. More team-based, patient-centric approach to apart from other programs. Our physicians tremendously over the past decade, with a wider range of procedures recently, the use of surgical robotics has allowed far greater patients with end-stage heart disease. are pioneers in the use of extracorporeal performed every year. The technology is essentially an extension sophistication in performing these procedures and may have Surgeons at UPMC were the second in the membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and of standard minimally invasive surgery techniques, which allow advantages in improving lymph node removal (a vital part of nation to implant the Jarvik™ Artificial Heart novel strategies to deliver oxygen to the for major operations to be accomplished through small incisions, surgery for ), allowing for minimally invasive in 1985 as a bridge to transplant. Since then, blood of patients in desperate need of lung but with far greater enhancements in visualization, instrumentation, parenchymal-sparing resections (segmentectomy), and we have implanted more than 800 ventricular transplantation. Our surgeons, pulmonologists, and control over the surgical field than ever before. In short, it further decreasing intercostal nerve trauma and pain. assist devices (VADs) and continue to critical care physicians, and allows the far greater control over the conduct of the Surgery remains a mainstay of therapy for benign and malignant participate in nearly every major trial of new have performed pioneering work in this operation over standard techniques and represents the most diseases of the esophagus, such as esophageal cancer, VADs. Through our extensive clinical and area, which has recently received national sophisticated minimally invasive technology currently available. paraesophageal hernia, achalasia, and recalcitrant gastroesophageal research experience, our VAD Program recognition through research publications With a robust program and world-class faculty across several reflux. UPMC is a recognized pioneer in the development of continues to be recognized internationally and presentations at major surgical meetings. surgical specialties, UPMC has been at the forefront of this minimally invasive approaches to many of these complex in large part because of the world-renowned Ex vivo lung (EVLP) is a technology development, with more than 7,000 robotic-assisted operations operations of the esophagus, which in many centers are still work of Dr. Kormos. Whether these devices that has gained much momentum and performed in recent years. performed through large abdominal and chest incisions. In a are being used as a bridge to transplant, or excitement in the lung transplant community. While much of this expansion has been seen in specialties such as landmark report reviewing the results of more than 1,000 patients as destination therapy, our surgeons and Our program performed the first EVLP on and gynecology, its use has developed at a more tempered undergoing minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE), 30-day cardiologists are striving through both the east coast and continues to work with pace in cardiothoracic surgery, where the breadth and complexity mortality was an exceptional 1.68 percent, with a median ICU stay clinical and research initiatives to give rise other leading centers in defining the future of the operations require significant training and expertise to obtain of two days, a median hospital stay of only eight days, and a more Dr. Jonathan D’Cunha in surgery at UPMC. to new and improved treatments to better of this exciting technology that allows us to excellent outcomes. The Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at rapid return to pre-operative quality of life than traditionally seen the lives of people with heart failure. The evaluate and use many that previously UPMC was one of the first involved in evaluating and developing with open surgery. Surgeons at UPMC have now adopted robotic As we enter a new era in cardiothoracic University of Pittsburgh is one of the top 10 would have been deemed unsuitable for these techniques for complex general thoracic operations of the techniques to this highly complex operation and have performed transplantation at UPMC, we cannot forget institutions in the United States funded by transplant, thereby easing the organ shortage (middle chest), lungs, and esophagus. This article more than 100 robotic-assisted MIE operations with zero percent our 30-year history in adult heart and lung the American Heart Association, and UPMC for recipients with end-stage lung disease. will provide an overview of some of these approaches, with more 30-day mortality and excellent surgical outcomes. transplantation that places us among the receives millions of dollars each year to conduct cardiovascular research in the area These are very exciting times for the teams focused experiences forthcoming in future issues of the newsletter. While promising advances in robotic-assisted approaches largest and most experienced in the world. of heart failure. Because of these extensive led by Dr. Kormos and Dr. D’Cunha as Thoracic operations of the mediastinum may be performed for continue to improve the field of minimally invasive surgery, it is Our surgical group has performed more than initiatives, our program offers treatments they seek to shape and mold the future malignant or benign conditions and often involve removing masses important to remember that it is simply one of many tools in the 3,000 heart, lung, and combined heart-lung that other programs may not. of delivery both nationally of the middle chest. One of the most common operations performed surgeon’s armamentarium, and that the foundation of excellent transplants since the program’s inception. and internationally for those afflicted is thymectomy, or removal of the , an operation most often surgery remains the expertise, experience, and judgment of the Our new departmental model for care The lung transplant team takes a true team with end-stage cardiopulmonary disease. performed for mediastinal tumors (such as ) or for surgeons themselves, which cannot be replaced by technology. delivery rolls out this spring with the Heart approach to patient care. With a dedicated myasthenia gravis, a neuromuscular disorder in which complete Also, in the development of this and any new technology, it is of Transplant/Heart Failure Program being team of transplant surgeons, pulmonologists, About the Author removal of the thymus may be therapeutic. The operation paramount importance that patient safety and excellent surgical directed by Robert Kormos, MD, and Lung transplant nurse coordinators, social Dr. Jonathan D’Cunha is the traditionally requires that the surgeon perform a median sternotomy outcomes remain the top priority. It is this fundamental combination Transplant Program being directed by workers, and other specialists, our Surgical Director of Lung (splitting of the breast bone), the same as in patients undergoing of surgical expertise, uncompromising focus on patient safety, and Jonathan D’Cunha, MD, PhD. Working multidisciplinary group of experts strives Transplantation and Associate open heart surgery. At UPMC, the use of surgical robotics in commitment to the best possible surgical outcomes that maintains together, they will lead these service lines to provide the best care possible to patients Professor of Surgery in the appropriately selected patients has greatly improved the ability UPMC as a leader in advancing the field of cardiothoracic surgery. into the next generation of care delivery for from around the world with complex Department of Cardiothoracic of surgeons to perform these procedures with advanced minimally the patient with end-stage heart or lung cases that have made them unsuitable Surgery, as well as Associate Program Director invasive thoracoscopic techniques, utilizing small incisions and About the Author disease. Their vision will also drive a renewed cardiothoracic transplant candidates at of Thoracic Surgery and Vice-Chair of Academic Dr. Inderpal Sarkaria serves as the Director of Robotic avoiding a median sternotomy. These approaches have been commitment in training the next generation other centers. Our short wait times and Affairs/Education. He has clinical and research Thoracic Surgery, Vice Chairman for Clinical Affairs, and shown to decrease the complications, length of stay, pain, and of cardiothoracic transplant surgeons. carefully developed clinical pathways, interests in lung transplantation, thoracic overall recovery of patients undergoing these operations, while Co-Director of the Esophageal and Lung Surgery Institute. from pre- to post-transplant and long-term oncology, and surgical education. With a rich history that includes more than maintaining excellent outcomes. Dr. Sarkaria, an expert in surgery for benign and malignant follow-up, make us an attractive option for diseases of the lungs, esophagus, and mediastinum, was 1,400 transplants over 30 years, the Heart many patients. Our team is dedicated to Lung resection for lung cancer is one of the most common instrumental in building the Robotic Thoracic Program at Memorial Sloan Transplant Program at UPMC is one of the delivering the best possible care to the more operations performed by thoracic surgeons. Traditionally requiring Kettering Cancer Center, and now brings his experience and expertise to most experienced heart transplant centers than 1,700 patients who have received a , or large chest incision, to perform, UPMC was a UPMC’s world-class program. in the world. From evaluation to recovery transplants through the years. pioneer in the development of minimally invasive thoracic

2 CARDIOTHORACIC SURGERY SUMMER 2015 3 UPMC DIVISION OF CARDIAC SURGERY CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE By Thomas Gleason, MD

Over the course of the last decade, the Division of Cardiac Surgery, in that are among the best in the nation. The center’s national expertise Furthermore, the center leads and participates in regional and collaboration with UPMC’s Heart and Vascular Institute, developed six has been recognized by the American Association for Thoracic Surgery national research studies, providing patients with access to cutting- centers of excellence devoted to multidisciplinary care management as one of 12 sites for the James L. Cox in Atrial Fibrillation, edge diagnostic and therapeutic advances. and delivery with a disease-oriented focus: the Center for Aortic Valve enabling surgeons from around the world to visit and learn from their The Center for Thoracic Aortic Disease (CTAD) was established in Disease, the Center for Disease, the Center for Atrial experience. The leadership of the center is involved in several important January of 2006 and has since grown to be one of the busiest Fibrillation, the Advanced Heart Failure Center, the Hypertrophic initiatives that are geared to advance the field, including writing the multidisciplinary programs of its type in the world. The group includes Cardiomyopathy Center, and the Center for Thoracic Aortic Disease. 2015 Society of Thoracic Surgeons Guidelines for Surgical Ablation, renowned experts in aortic imaging, surgical aortic reconstruction, Each center is staffed by experts from the cardiac surgery and examining root causes of AFib through tissue bank endothelial mRNA endovascular techniques, neurophysiologic monitoring for complex divisions who have careers focused on the diseases analysis of left and right atria, and the creation of a novel aortic arch, and thoracoabdominal aortic reconstructions, managed by each center. Medical evaluations are carefully orchestrated construct for minimally-invasive, single-application, left-atrial ablation. for aortic reconstruction, and neurovascular intervention for acute to streamline diagnosis and develop a comprehensive plan of care. The primary mission of the Advanced Heart Failure Center is to relieve embolic events. The center recently presented its consecutive The overarching mission of the Center for Aortic Valve Disease is to patient suffering and to use therapies and technologies that promote experience with acute type-A at the Society of offer the most state-of-the-art therapies for patients with aortic valve recovery and repair of the heart as cost-effective alternatives to death Thoracic Surgeons 51st Annual Meeting in 2015 and demonstrated disease and to facilitate research and development of newer, better from end-stage congestive heart failure. This is accomplished through the lowest periprocedural rates in the world for a series of this therapies. Two important platforms of the center are the development a multidisciplinary relationship with Heart Failure Cardiology. With magnitude with the use of the center’s comprehensive neurocerebral of novel techniques and the facilitation of less more than 30 years of experience, we act as a regional and national protection strategy. The group has also demonstrated, for the first invasive transcatheter aortic (TAVR) options for resource in the field of cardiac recovery and replacement, and have time, a direct correlation between blood conservation and the patients. The center’s experts designed a new, complex aortic valve developed a unified program of evaluation and therapy provided by avoidance of blood transfusion, and improved outcomes for aortic repair technique for bicuspid aortic valve patients with significant a team of leading experts from cardiology, surgery, , and dissection repair. Our center is among the top three enrollers of valvular regurgitation that has proven to have superb long-term engineering. We also assist in the development of satellite programs patients into the International Registry for Aortic Dissection, which durability. TAVR is now utilized by the center in a majority of patients through educational initiatives, thereby establishing a network of is a consortium of 38 leading aortic centers of excellence around the with severe aortic who are at high or extreme predicted community and regional liaisons. Our research programs collaborate in world that collectively studies the aspects and shapes the guidelines mortality risk for conventional surgical (AVR), multidisciplinary projects with basic scientists in the fields of molecular for managing aortic dissection worldwide. The CTAD’s Thoracic Aortic offering a less-invasive treatment option with equal or better results cardiology, , genetics, and engineering to develop Disease Research Lab has a primary focus of studying the aortopathy compared to surgical AVR. The center is one of the few programs in the innovative new technologies and therapies, guiding our steps toward associated with congenital bicuspid aortic valve and has one of the United States that has such robust experience with the ever-expanding fulfilling a large part of our overall mission. We investigate the safety, largest thoracic aortic tissue and aortic smooth muscle cell banks in number of TAVR technologies, including both commercially available efficacy, and clinical utility of new therapies and technologies for the world used to study aortic disease. Numerous discoveries have devices (the Edwards Sapien XT® and the Medtronic CoreValve®) end-stage congestive heart failure through participation and leadership been made leveraging this valuable tissue bank. and three devices currently on clinical trial, including the CoreValve of multicenter trials. We are able to provide a rapid assessment and Collectively, the Division of Cardiac Surgery’s centers of excellence TM TM TM Evolut , and the Portico and Lotus valve. The center has been a triage of patients in cardiogenic through our Shock Team continue to expand and extend our mission to deliver state-of-the- leading national site for the Medtronic CoreValve U.S. Pivotal Trial and Dr. Thomas Gleason in surgery at UPMC. concept and, thus, deploy extracorporeal membrane oxygenation art, disease-oriented diagnosis and management to offer the most the SURTAVI Trial. The center boasts TAVR mortality rates, pacemaker (ECMO) when indicated. Results in the Cardiac Transplant Program efficient and effective medical care to western Pennsylvania and its rates, and overall complication rates that are among the nation’s Rheumatic Mitral Repair Program developed a sophisticated technique meet SRTR-predicted outcomes, and the results from bridge to surrounding areas. best. The center has developed a very specific expertise in the use of of anterior leaflet augmentation, enabling patients from around the world transplantation, destination therapy, and ventricular assist devices the subclavian artery approach for TAVR, and has one of the largest to be durably repaired. The center has developed several advances in meet the expected rates of survival as predicted by the Interagency About the Author experiences with this technique nationally. robotic complex leaflet repair techniques that will be presented at the Registry for Mechanically Assisted Circulatory Support (INTERMACS). Dr. Thomas G. Gleason is the Ronald V. Pellegrini Endowed The Center for Mitral Valve Disease includes expertise in imaging, American Association for Thoracic Surgery 2015 Mitral Conclave The Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Center provides a multidisciplinary Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery and Chief of the Division intervention, and advanced mitral reconstruction to provide evidence- meeting. Leveraging its robust multidisciplinary clinical experience team of experts dedicated to providing state-of-the-art, personalized of Cardiac Surgery in the Department of Cardiothoracic based pathoanatomic solutions for mitral valve disease. The center is a with ties to bioengineering, the center’s active translational research care to patients and their families from western Pennsylvania and Surgery at UPMC. He also serves as the Director of the national site for the MitraClip® device for commercial application in initiatives have led to two patents and national collaborations centered surrounding areas. One of approximately 30 Centers of Excellence Center for Thoracic Aortic Disease and Co-Director of the degenerative patients who are at prohibitive surgical risk, as well as for on advancing interventional technology for mitral valve disease. recognized by the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Association, the Center for Aortic Valve Disease. Dr. Gleason is a cardiac surgeon specializing those with restrictive disease as part of the COAPT Trial. The center’s team is comprised of physicians and staff from cardiovascular imaging, in complex aortic valve repairs, surgery, and endovascular therapies for The Center for Atrial Fibrillation provides a multidisciplinary team thoracic aortic diseases, including aneurysms, dissections, traumatic injuries, high volume complex mitral repair experience in open, videoscopic, approach to the management of atrial fibrillation (AFib) through cardiac surgery, cardiac , interventional cardiology, minimally invasive, and robotic techniques has enabled repair rates for heart failure and transplantation, pediatric cardiology, , and genetic disorders such as bicuspid aortic valve and the Marfan syndrome, in-depth collaboration between national experts in electrophysiology and transcatheter valvular therapies (e.g., TAVR). degenerative disease to remain consistently at 99 to 100 percent, and surgery. The center’s robust volume for concomitant and stand- cardiac nursing, and . The Center currently follows placing it among a handful of elite programs in the nation. The center’s alone Cox-MAZE IV procedures has resulted in longitudinal outcomes nearly 300 patients and their families who have access to the entire range of diagnostic and management options for this unique disease.

4 CARDIOTHORACIC SURGERY SUMMER 2015 5 Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery: Department News

CONGRATULATIONS • The first Thursday of every month in • Prospective, International, Multi-Center, Outstanding Outcomes • Dr. Robert Kormos was appointed to the Bethel Park, located at 1300 Oxford Dr., Randomized Clinical Investigation of By Victor Morell, MD Brack Hattler Chair in Cardiothoracic Suite 1D, Bethel Park, PA 15102. TransMedics® Organ Care System™ Transplantation. • The fourth Tuesday of every month in (OCS™ LUNG) for Lung Preservation • Dr. Peter Wearden was promoted to Butler, located at 104 Technology Dr., and Transplantation The Pediatric Cardiac Program at UPMC was first established in the The independent state agency studied the 6,313 pediatric and Associate Professor with Tenure. Butler, PA 16001, inside the Benbrook • Inter-agency Registry of Mechanically- late 1950s, when surgeons at the now Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh congenital heart performed at five children’s • Dr. Matthew Schuchert was promoted Associates suite. Assisted Circulatory Support of UPMC participated in the early development of medical and (four in Pennsylvania and one in Delaware) from 2009 to 2012. In (INTERMACS) surgical treatments for the management of simple congenital heart this report, UPMC’s excellent outcomes were clearly documented to Associate Professor with Tenure. For more information on any of our , lesions, including coarctation of the and . especially when operating on newborn infants (first 30 days of life), • Dr. Arjun Pennathur was promoted to contact 412-647-7555. • UPMC Lung and Heart-Lung Transplant In 1958, the first open heart repair using a pump was where our mortality rate was noted to be “significantly lower” than Associate Professor with Tenure and Evaluation and Lung and Heart-Lung MEETINGS & CONFERENCES was appointed to the Sampson Family Transplant Recipient Research Registry performed by Robert Pontius, MD, who utilized this technique to the Society of Thoracic Surgeons average. These unparalleled results • The Department was well-represented at Endowed Chair in Thoracic Surgery successfully treat a number of complex congenital cardiac anomalies. have been instrumental in the growth of our clinical program, which the 51st Annual Meeting of the Society of • Data Collection of Heart Transplant Oncology. The program continued to flourish during the 1960s and 1970s now attracts national and international patients. In 2014, our surgical Thoracic Surgeons. Our doctors contributed Evaluation and Heart Transplant leading to the creation of one of the first pediatric cardiopulmonary volume surpassed 600 total cases for the first time ever. • Dr. Thomas Gleason was promoted to to 11 research presentations, nine lectures, • Development of Tests to Assess Immune transplant programs in the country in the early 1980s. The Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery Division provides cardiothoracic Professor with Tenure and has been and seven moderated sessions. Modulation Following Organ named the inaugural recipient of the Transplantation surgical intervention for infants, children, and adults with congenital • Our doctors contributed significantly at Ronald Pellegrini Endowed Chair in cardiac and vascular diseases, congenital abnormalities of the the 35th Annual Meeting and Scientific • CORID-Assessment of Lung Injury in CARDIOTHORACIC SURGERY DATA Cardiac Surgery. Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC tracheobronchial tree, and abnormalities of the chest wall. We have Sessions of The International Society for Nonacceptable Human Donor Lungs become a national and international referral site for patients who • Dr. Victor Morell was promoted to Heart & Lung Transplantation, including with Lung Perfusion Techniques The Heart Institute at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC require repair of complex transposition of the great arteries and Professor with Tenure and has been 24 research presentations and two ranks as the top pediatric cardiovascular surgery program in the placement of ventricular assist devices. Patients from all over the named the Eugene S. Wiener Endowed symposiums. Division of Thoracic and country with the lowest overall four-year surgical mortality rate Chair in Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery. Foregut Surgery among all medium- and high-volume programs, according to United States, Latin America, and the Middle East come to Children’s • During AATS Week 2015, our doctors • Quantitative Analysis of Barriers to Early data compiled by the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (2008-2012). Hospital for surgical treatment of their heart illness. • Dr. Vinay Badhwar was appointed by the participated in five presentations at the Detection of Esophageal Adenocarcinoma For more than a decade, the division has been headed by Victor Society of Thoracic Surgeons as the new AATS Mitral Conclave 2015, as well as one Genetic Testing in Screening Patients CT Surgery Cases Case Mortality (2008-2012) Morell, MD, the Eugene S. Weiner Chair in Pediatric Cardiothoracic Chair of the Public Reporting Task Force. course at the 95th Annual Meeting of the • With Stage IB-IIIA Non-small Cell Lung Surgery, and Peter Wearden, MD, PhD, director of the pediatric • Seven members of the Department of American Association for Thoracic Surgery. 2006 542 3.5% Cancer That Has Been or Will Be 3.0% mechanical cardiopulmonary support program. Because of the Cardiothoracic Surgery were named to 2007 521 CLINICAL TRIALS Removed by Surgery 2.5% increasing clinical volume in the past year, and our new venture Pittsburgh Magazine’s 2015 “Best 2008 525 2.0% These are just a few of the clinical trials 3.5% Doctors”: Drs. James D. Luketich and • A Phase III Randomized Trial of 2009 556 1.5% with St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital of Tampa, in Tampa, Fla., three currently underway in the Department of Matthew Schuchert from Thoracic versus Sublobar Resection 2010 534 1.0% outstanding surgeons have been added to our staff — Dr. Steven Cardiothoracic Surgery: 0.5% 1.1% for Small (less than or equal to 2 cm) 2011 510 Langley, Dr. Mahesh Sharma, and Dr. Melita Viegas. We are proud Surgery; Drs. Thomas G. Gleason, V.R. 0.0% Peripheral Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer 2012 493 Children's Hospital National to continue the long tradition of surgical excellence and innovation Machiraju, and Lawrence M. Wei from Division of Adult Cardiac Surgery of Pittsburgh Adult Cardiac Surgery; and Drs. Victor 2013 557 of UPMC in the field of congenital heart disease. • Surgical Replacement and Transcatheter • Detection of Genetic Markers of Lung Morell and Peter Wearden from Pediatric Cancer Initiation and Progression STS: Society of Thoracic Surgeons Aortic Valve Implantation (SURTAVI) About the Author Cardiac Surgery. National Database The Medtronic CoreValve™ Evolut™ R • Esophageal Cancer Risk Registry Dr. Victor Morell is Vice Chair of the UPMC Department • U.S. Clinical Study Source: Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC of Cardiothoracic Surgery and Co-Director of the UPMC NEW ATTENDING SURGEONS • Outcomes after Esophagectomy Heart and Vascular Institute. Dr. Morell also serves as The Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery • Surgical Treatment of Aortic Stenosis with a Focus on a Minimally Invasive With more than 50 years of experience, the Division of Pediatric Chief of the prestigious Division of Pediatric Cardiothoracic welcomes eight new attending surgeons: With a Next Generation, Rapid Esophagectomy and Quality of Life Drs. John Anastasis, Michael Butler, Leo Cardiac Surgery continues its mission of providing the highest level of Surgery and the Co-Director of the Heart Center at Deployment Surgical Aortic Valve • Outcomes After Medical and Surgical Fitzgibbon, and Louis Russo in Adult Cardiac surgical care in the country for patients with congenital heart disease. Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, and is the recent recipient of (TRANSFORM™) Treatment of Gastroesophageal Reflux Surgery; Drs. Mahesh Sharma and Melita the Eugene S. Wiener Chair in Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery. Dr. Morell In February 2015, the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Viegas in Pediatric Cardiac Surgery; and • Clinical Trial to Evaluate the HeartWare® • Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) is recognized worldwide as an expert in the surgical management of Council released its first-ever report on pediatric and congenital heart Drs. Rajeev Dhupar and Inderpal Sarkaria in Ventricular Assist System Oncology Registry surgery outcomes (this report is available online at www.phc4.org). complex congenital heart defects in children. Thoracic and Foregut Surgery. Division of Cardiothoracic For more information on these and other Transplantation clinical trials, visit www.ctsurgery.pitt.edu/ NEW CLINICS research/clinical-trial. Doctors from the Division of Thoracic • Normothermic Ex Vivo Lung Perfusion Surgery are now seeing patients at the (EVLP) as an Assessment of Extended/ following new outpatient sites: Marginal Donor Lungs • Monday mornings in Monroeville, located at 400 Oxford Dr., Monroeville, PA 15146.

6 CARDIOTHORACIC SURGERY SUMMER 2015 7