Cardiothoracic Surgery in the COVID Crisis: Stratifying Patients for Cardiac Operations

Moderators
​Gorav Ailawadi, MD, MBA University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA
Tsuyoshi Kaneko, MD Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA ​

​Panelists 
​Ourania A. Preventza, MD, MBA Baylor College of Medicine, St. Luke’s Hospital, and Texas Heart Institute, ISEVS President-Elect
Rakesh C. Arora, MD, PhD, FRCSC St. Boniface Hospital Winnipeg, MB, Canada 
View Dr. Arora's Presentation Slides
Aubrey C. Galloway, MD NYU Langone Medical Center New York, NY
View Dr. Galloway's Presentation Slides
Sylvain Lother, MD, FRCPC St. Boniface Hospital Winnipeg, MB, Canada
Carmelo A. Milano, MD Duke University Medical Center Durham, NCsts.covid.stratification.galloway.pdf

The COVID pandemic is changing cardiothoracic surgery practice and may lead to a prolonged need for procedural deferral. This week’s special COVID webinar, presented by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons, focused on tiered patient triage for cardiac surgery. Moderators Gorav Ailawadi, MD, MBA, and Tsuyoshi Kaneko, MD, and panelists from major cities in the US and Canada:
* Discussed two new triage guidance documents—one prepared by the Canadian Society of Cardiac Surgeons and the other by members of the STS COVID Task Force and the Society’s Workforce on Adult Cardiac and Vascular Surgery
* Shared their COVID experiences in New York, Boston, Houston, Winnipeg, Durham, and Charlottesville
​* Described transitions in the traditional in-person assessment and outpatient follow-up for cardiac surgery patients
*Answered questions from the audience