Podcasts

Dr. Sade mentions the application of ethical principles and ethical concerns with regard to limited resource allocation.

They discuss the effects of the pandemic on research infrastructure, impediments to patient follow-ups and data collection, potential shifts in collaborative trial development guided by the FDA, and new techniques in post-market surveillance.

At a time when cardiothoracic surgeons face 7%-8% cuts in Medicare reimbursement, they talked about the financial strain that COVID has had on staffing and salaries, how cardiothoracic surgeons quickly adapted to their roles on the front lines, the potential need for surgeons to begin rebuilding their referral networks, and the positive accelerated development of telemedicine opportunities.

They talk about how they got started in robotic surgery, the importance of institutional support for building and training a team, and the efficacy of robotic surgery as an instructional tool for residents and fellows.

In the latest episode, Francis D. Pagani, MD, PhD, joins Dr. Varghese to discuss the findings of the Intermacs 2019 Annual Report.

They also discuss the expanding role of telemedicine and silver linings from the COVID pandemic.

Mandatory cognitive testing, increasing the number of women in the workforce, and job satisfaction are a few of the topics that are addressed.

The death rate from cancer has steadily declined over the past 25 years; however, worldwide there were 9.6 million deaths in 2018, with lung cancer still number one among all cancer types.

Dr. Brown explains why it is important to learn more about predictors of chronic pain and the impact on health-related quality of life, known as pain interference.

What does the future hold for mitral valve repair and replacement?

They discuss the learning curve for robotic surgery, the complexity of procedures that can be performed robotically, a team approach to robotic surgery, getting hands-on experience, and future improvements to robotic technology.

Dr. Daniel J. Boffa joins Dr. Thomas K. Varghese to talk about the guidance provided by representatives from multiple cancer, surgical, and research organizations for triaging patients with thoracic malignancies.