Well, #EACTS2021 may be over...but I'm not done! π
One of the most important sessions was on Women In Cardiothoracic Surgery
I suppose I should clarify - not writing a π§΅on this for likes or 'virtue signalling' - my wife's journey through her training gave me some insights...
#EACTS2021
Opening talk on why @EACTS needs a womne's committee from @JolandaKluin - this was a great talk to set the tone for the session
#EACTS2021
Prof Kluin discussed the many challenges that can face women in medicine, in academic medicine, in surgery and in cardiac surgery
#EACTS2021
Cannot tell you how much I loved this point. Prof Kluin explained how she could have used either of these title slides - both are true, one more modest than the other, one more likely to be used by women than men. When one takes a step back & thinks about it...so true
#EACTS2021
Prof Kluin also alluded to constant challenges women face in all walks of life - even the President of the EC, Ursula von der Leyen, and the now infamous #sofagate episode - worth watching the video if you missed this
I think unsurprisingly, yet sadly, women much more likely to have considered leaving due to gender bias, or to have felt discriminated against at work on the basis of simply being a woman βΉοΈ
Some important lessons here for those planning and in charge of surgical training. Women don't feel supported at work - don't complain we don't have enough surgeons, yet fail to stop behaviours that can trigger the loss of trainees!
#EACTS2021
Next talk from Dr Jasmine Hanke reporting results of the German survey on Women in Cardiac Surgery
I liked this summary slide of the multiple - really, it's *multiple* - challenges and career-limiting factors for women as a whole, not just in surgery
So...this is what they did...all centres responded. Dr Hanke was pleasantly surprised to learn that 24.7% of trainees were female, much higher than she expected / perceived
Started off by showing % of people in different countries that would be comfortable with a woman as a leader...why is this not 100%? Surely you want the best person, irespective of gender?
And look at Jacinda Ardern! Has there been a better leader in past 2 years?
I am sure this slide was depressing for women - only 74% of women perceive other women as equally suited for leadership roles as men - love the Madeleine A quote!
#EACTS2021
So...why do I feel this resonates so much? Well, apart from the fact that it is an obvious and big inequality - and most of us don't like inequalities - as I said above my wife - an anaesthetist - had a lot of nonsense from men in her training too
#EACTS2021
Decided on a career in anaesthetics, well on the way through training yet the frequent uninvited 'advice':
"Have you not thought above GP?"
"You know it's hard with children and the early starts"
"Do you need to work if your husband is a Dr too?"
etc ad infinitum
#EACTS2021
Tip to my fellow men - even though you may think this 'advice' is helpful, in almost all situations it isn't!
If your advice on a woman's career isn't sought...don't give it! Seriously, learn when to stfu!
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First talk from Prof Takkenberg, who needs no introduction to any of you. A very important talk in which she questioned the primacy of RCTs and spoke up on the importance of 'real world' registry data, often dismissed as poor quality
If someone has already lived far past the average life expectancy in their country and is now into their 90s, can we *promise* the patient that TAVI will make them live longer?
In our centre, we feel that patients >90 need to be very motivated to have a procedure
This is a π§΅all about Transcatheter Mitral Valve Implantation (TMVI). If you don't know a lot about this and want to learn more - read on! This is a summary of a great expert focus session
First talk from Dr Gry Dahle (Oslo), on why TMVI is not the same as TAVI
TAVI has revolutionised treatment of aortic stenosis; TMVI is further behind largely due to anaromical complexity of treating the MV compared to the AV - the AV valves are much more complex than the semilunar valves!
Abstract session on Hot Topics in Transcatheter Therapies
Presentation from Dr Justin Robinson on use of TAVI in patients with very large aortic annuli - Results from the Michigan TAVI Quality Collaborative
#EACTS2021
Methods here: just over 200 patients with aortic annuli in excess of the normal ranges for both the Edwards Sapien and Medtronic Corevalve systems
#EACTS2021
The C TAH is probably the world's most advanced total artificial heart & is designed for patients with severe biventricular failure (i.e. for whom an LVAD would be insufficient).
It gained a CE mark last year and has an FDA approval for early feasibility studies