Surgical Hot Topics

Afleveringen

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  #26, S2 The ABTS Playbook: Your Questions Answered 13.08.2026 44min

  In this episode of the STS Thinking Thoracic podcast, host Dr. Jane Yanagawa is joined by Dr. John Mitchell—Chief of Thoracic Surgery at the University of Colorado and incoming Chair of the American Board of Thoracic Surgery (ABTS)—to unpack critical updates from the board. Their discussion provides an inside look at how the ABTS operates, how surgeons can get involved, and key changes to initial and continuing certification pathways, including the recent transition from a 10-year to a 5-year certification cycle. Together, these updates are designed to help diplomates keep pace with modern clinical practice.
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  Cardiothoracic Surgery at a Crossroads: Trust, Stability, and the Future of the Workforce 11.08.2026 5min

  An STS Member blog by Dr. Jeffrey Shuhaiber, “Cardiothoracic Surgery at a Crossroads: Trust, Stability, and the Future of the Workforce,” explores the significant workforce challenges facing cardiothoracic surgery, from projected shortages and practice consolidation to evolving career pathways. Dr. Schuhaiber examines how systemic factors—not individual resilience alone—shape surgeon success and emphasizes the importance of psychological safety in supporting workforce well-being and patient care. He also considers the role of leadership in creating healthier practice environments and highlights the need to support, retain, and develop surgeons throughout their careers to build a stronger future for the specialty.
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  #177, S5 Running, Recovery, and the Surgical Mind: Lessons in Endurance 06.08.2026 43min

  Host Dr. Melanie Edwards is joined by guest Dr. Andrea Wolf, director of the New York Mesothelioma Program, professor of thoracic surgery at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, chair of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery Wellness Committee, and an accomplished marathoner. Dr. Wolf explores how the mindset and discipline of distance running can strengthen resilience, performance, and career longevity in surgery. Drawing from her own experiences with running and injury, Dr. Wolf discusses the value of focusing on process over outcomes, prioritizing recovery and strength training, and building sustainable habits that support both surgeon well-being and patient care. She also shares insights on workplace ergonomics, mentorship, and challenging the culture of pushing through physical limitations.
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  #25, S2 Redefining Lymph Node Evaluation in Lung Cancer Surgery 30.07.2026 54min

  In this episode of the STS Thinking Thoracic podcast, host Dr. Jeff Yang is joined by thoracic surgeons Dr. Seth Krantz and Dr. Christopher Seder, along with Harvard medical student Alexandra Potter, to discuss three landmark studies using the STS General Thoracic Surgery Database that are reshaping how lymph node evaluation is performed in lung cancer surgery. The panel explores current guidelines, quality standards, and how more comprehensive nodal evaluation can improve staging accuracy while maintaining patient safety. The discussion highlights national trends in surgical quality, the importance of surgeon-pathologist collaboration, and the future of personalized lymph node evaluation, including the potential role of emerging technologies such as radiomics, genomic markers, and AI.
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  Preparing for the Future's Past: Building Relationships to Lead Diverse Teams 23.07.2026 2min

  Effective leadership requires the ability to bring together individuals with different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. In this blog post, Evan Alicuben, MD, of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, reflects on a recent STS Leadership Institute session on leading diverse teams and implicit bias, where case-based discussions with peers explored practical approaches to fostering inclusion and navigating challenging workplace situations. Dr. Alicuben writes, "Only by purposefully leading will we bring success to a diverse team." 
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  Best of Lung Cancer Science 2026 - American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 16.07.2026 39min

  Jonathan Villena-Vargas, MD, sits down with Erin Gillaspie, MD, to examine key findings from the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, including advances in targeted therapy, dual-pathway immunotherapy, artificial intelligence, and adaptive treatment strategies that are reshaping thoracic oncology.
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  #24, S2 High Stakes in the Malignant Airway 09.07.2026 45min

  In this special joint episode of the STS Thinking Thoracic podcast and the American Association for Bronchology and Interventional Pulmonology (AABIP), Dr. Erin Gillaspie is joined by interventional pulmonologist Dr. Sameer Avasarala, of University Hospitals, and head and neck surgeon Dr. Britney Scott, of the CHI Health Clinic, to discuss the multidisciplinary management of malignant airway obstruction. The conversation emphasizes multidisciplinary collaboration among specialists, noting that treatment decisions depend not only on anatomy but also on patient-specific factors such as frailty, pulmonary function, and overall cardiopulmonary status. Using a top-to-bottom anatomic approach, the discussion explores management of tumors involving the upper trachea, mid-trachea, and carina, covering bronchoscopy, tumor debulking, stenting, tracheostomy, and surgical resection. They also discuss preoperative planning, postoperative airway care, and the value of multidisciplinary tumor boards and real-time collaboration.
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  #179; S6: Same Surgeon, Different Light w/ ‘Looking to the Future’ Scholarship Recipients 02.07.2026 52min

  In this episode, co-hosts Dr. Sara Pereira and Dr. Ian Bostock celebrate the 20th anniversary and impact of the STS Looking to the Future (LTTF) Scholarship Program by speaking with three rising stars pursuing careers in cardiothoracic surgery: Tyler Wilson, MD, a general surgery resident at the University of Chicago; Molly Shields, MD, a general surgery resident at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center; and Tyrone Hill, a medical student at Meharry Medical College. Reflecting on their unique journeys into medicine, the LTTF scholars share how attending the STS Annual Meeting and participating in the scholarship program provided invaluable access to mentors, expanded their professional networks, and reinforced their confidence in pursuing a highly competitive specialty. The guests share their perspectives on wellness, family planning, and maintaining outside interests like running, cooking, and camping. They emphasize that success in cardiothoracic surgery isn't a single path, but is built on resilience, community, and mentorship—illustrating how programs like Looking to the Future make the specialty more inclusive and supportive for aspiring surgeons. 
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  The STS Compensation Survey: What it Means for Early Career Surgeons 01.07.2026 7min

  In this STS Career Development Blog, Dr. Melanie Subramanian explores key takeaways from the most recent STS Compensation Survey through the lens of early-career surgeons. She discusses rising compensation, why job satisfaction extends beyond salary, the persistence of the gender pay gap despite improvement, and how the survey empowers surgeons to negotiate and advocate for themselves.
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  #23, S2 The Year's Most Important Thoracic Oncology Papers, Part 2 18.06.2026 23min

  In Part 2 of Thinking Thoracic's annual review of the year's most influential thoracic oncology research, Drs. Jeff Yang and Linda Martin examine practice-changing studies in perioperative care, lung cancer treatment, and multidisciplinary cancer management. The discussion covers emerging evidence on cryoanalgesia, preoperative fasting, targeted therapies for EGFR-mutated lung cancer, and other key clinical trials and consensus recommendations that are influencing patient care today.
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  #22, S2 The Year's Most Important Thoracic Oncology Papers, Part 1 18.06.2026 47min

  In Part 1 of this special Thinking Thoracic episode, Dr. Jeff Yang welcomes Dr. Linda Martin for a discussion of groundbreaking research spanning immunotherapy, lung cancer epidemiology, and screening. Together, they explore emerging organ-preserving strategies for mismatch repair-deficient cancers, the growing population of patients with lung cancer who have never smoked, and new data highlighting opportunities to improve screening eligibility and uptake. Hear expert analysis of the studies shaping the future of thoracic oncology and what these findings mean for surgeons and patients alike.
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  #178; S6: Same Surgeon, Different Light w/ Dr. J.W. Awori Hayanga 11.06.2026 47min

  Cohosts Dr. Sara Pereira and Dr. Fatima Wilder are joined by guest Dr. J.W. Awori Hayanga—professor of cardiothoracic surgery at West Virginia University, director of the WVU Heart and Vascular Institute ECMO Program, and a nationally recognized leader in transplantation, health policy, and artificial intelligence in medicine—for a wide-ranging conversation about mentorship, resilience, and purpose. Born and raised in Nairobi, Kenya, Dr. Hayanga reflects on the profound influence of his lawyer parents, especially his mother, whose pioneering work in microfinance and women’s empowerment shaped his worldview and commitment to service. He shares the challenges of immigrating to the United States for medical training, navigating the uncertainty of visa status as an international medical graduate, and learning how relationships, mentorship, and persistence can open doors throughout a surgical career. The conversation also explores the growing role of artificial intelligence and robotics in cardiothoracic surgery, along with candid insights on leadership, emotional intelligence, failure, and staying grounded through the demands of academic medicine.
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  Best of Lung Cancer Science 2026 - European Lung Cancer Congress (ELCC) 10.06.2026 38min

  Host Dr. Erin Gillaspie is back with a new season of the popular Best of Lung Cancer Science video podcast series. In this episode, featuring Dr. Jonathan Spicer, they break down key takeaways from the European Lung Cancer Congress, including evolving surgical approaches and how biology, AI, and real-world data are reshaping lung cancer care.
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  Onboarding a New Cardiothoracic Surgery Partner: Setting the Stage for Success 10.06.2026 4min

  As part of the STS Career Development Blog series, Dr. Olugbenga Okusanya examines the art of onboarding a new partner. Although cardiothoracic surgeons develop many skills during training, some of the most valuable lessons—including how to successfully integrate a new colleague into a practice—are learned only after entering practice.
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  #21, S2 Breaking the Stigma: Closing Gaps in Lung Cancer Care for Women 26.05.2026 46min

  In recognition of National Women’s Health Month, this episode of Thinking Thoracic analyzes the evolving landscape of female-specific lung cancer care. Co-hosts Dr. Erin Gillaspie and Dr. Jane Yanagawa sit down with guest Dr. Leah Backhus to discuss a critical disparity: lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among women, yet screening practices remain inequitable.    This timely episode moves beyond smoking history to examine the rise of lung cancer in never-smokers and Asian women. From the "stigma" of a diagnosis to innovative solutions like co-scheduling screenings with mammograms, providing a powerful call to action for more inclusive, biomarker-driven care. 
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  #177; S6: Same Surgeon, Different Light w/ Dr. Ara Vaporciyan 14.05.2026 58min

  In this episode of Same Surgeon, Different Light, cohosts Dr. Cherie Erkmen and Dr. Sara Pereira sit down with guest Dr. Ara Vaporciyan, professor of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, to explore a career dedicated to advancing surgical education and leadership.  Dr. Vaporciyan reflects on his path from an early fascination with heart transplantation to becoming a nationally recognized educator and institutional leader. He discusses the evolution of thoracic surgery, the demands of academic medicine, and his belief that expert surgeons must become “consciously competent” to effectively teach trainees.  Grounded in mentorship, negotiation, and “teaching to the gap,” he offers thoughtful insights on curriculum design, leadership, and preparing the next generation of surgeons.
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  #176, S5 The Multitasking Myth: Attention, Errors, and the Surgeon’s Mind 06.05.2026 49min

  In a new episode of The Resilient Surgeon, host Melanie Edwards, MD, sits down with cognitive neuroscientist Daniel Smilek of the University of Waterloo’s Vision & Attention Lab to explore how attention and perception shape performance. Their conversation dives into the realities of everyday multitasking, examining how it contributes to lapses in attention, cognitive errors, and mind wandering. Smilek connects this research directly to surgical practice and surgeon well-being. Listen today. Resources referenced in the discussion:Bidelman, G. M., & Feng, S. (2025). Familiar music reduces mind wandering and boosts behavioral performance during lexical semantic processing. Brain Sciences, 15(5), 482. Killingsworth, M. A., & Gilbert, D. T. (2010). A wandering mind is an unhappy mind. Science, 330(6006), 932-932. Kiss, L., & Linnell, K. J. (2021). The effect of preferred background music on task-focus in sustained attention. Psychological research, 85(6), 2313-2325. Seli, P., Risko, E. F., Smilek, D., & Schacter, D. L. (2016). Mind-wandering with and without intention. Trends in cognitive sciences, 20(8), 605-617. Watson, J. M., & Strayer, D. L. (2010). Supertaskers: Profiles in extraordinary multitasking ability. Psychonomic bulletin & review, 17(4), 479-485.
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  #176; S6: Same Surgeon, Different Light w/ Dr. Kazuhiro Yasufuku 30.04.2026 49min

  In this episode of Same Surgeon, Different Light, Dr. Cherie Erkmen and Dr. Sara Pereira sit down with Dr. Kazuhiro Yasufuku of the University of Toronto, a global leader in minimally invasive thoracic oncology, to explore a career shaped by discipline, innovation, and cross-cultural experience. He reflects on his surgical training in Japan’s rigorous, hierarchical system and his academic journey in North America, sharing how these environments informed his approach to patient care and research. Dr. Yasufuku discusses the development of endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS), from early prototypes to worldwide adoption, transforming lung cancer staging. He also offers insights on perseverance, leadership, mentorship, and the future of increasingly minimally invasive, patient-centered care.
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  #20, S2 Advancing ERAS and the Evolution of Minimally Invasive Thoracic Surgery 21.04.2026 35min

  In this episode of Thinking Thoracic, podcast hosts Hari Keshava, MD, and Erin Gillaspie, MD, talk with René Petersen, MD, of Copenhagen University Hospital, about the latest developments in Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols. As a longtime leader and pioneer in the field, Dr. Petersen shares insights from his extensive experience advancing recovery practices. The conversation covers the broader evolution of minimally invasive thoracic surgery, including video-assisted approaches, and how these developments inform patient selection for tubeless procedures.
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  Maximizing Your Team Performance: Communication and Investment 15.04.2026 3min

  All surgeons lead teams, and our ability to do this helps ensure effective and safe care for our patients. Maximizing team performance can be one of the more challenging aspects of our specialty, and yet it's something most of us have little or no formal training in. In this STS blog article, Dr. Trent Magruder shares two key aspects to helping teams function smoothly: effective communication, and investment in each member.