The Beat With Joel Dunning Ep. 122: The Medical Mission Experience

This week on The Beat, CTSNet Editor-in-Chief Joel Dunning speaks with Adanna Akujuo, a cardiothoracic surgeon and the surgical director of the Structural Heart Program at UVA Health University Medical Center, about the Voom Foundation and its trips to Africa.

Chapters

00:00 Intro

01:39 Dr. Akujuo, Medical Missions

21:57 JANS 1, Ticagrelor and Aspirin Coronary

25:20 JANS 2, Long-Term MVR Durability Model

27:37 JANS 3, Duration of Donor Ventilation

29:18 JANS 4, Min Inv Concomitant Tri VR

31:40 JANS 5, Soft Robotic Artificial Hybrid Heart

33:32 Career Center

34:20 Video 1, RVOT Injury During Dissection

37:05 Video 2, Min Inv ASD Closure

38:31 Video 3, Redo AVR via Partial U Resternotomy

40:08 Upcoming Events

40:54 Closing

They explore the foundation’s goals, including training and educating local medical staff and providing essential care. Additionally, Dr. Akujo offers insights into the upcoming trip, discussing what a typical day entails, transportation logistics, accommodation, and the expenses that surgeons participating in the trip will need to cover, as well as what costs are taken care of by the foundation. The conversation also covers security measures in place, the average number of staff members on these trips, the daily surgical volume, and the most common cases.  

Joel also highlights recent JANS articles on which is best, ticagrelor and aspirin or aspirin alone after coronary surgery for acute coronary syndrome; an artificial intelligence and machine learning model for personalized prediction of long-term mitral valve repair durability; effect of duration of donor ventilation on lung transplant outcomes; surgical decision-making for concomitant tricuspid valve repair in minimally invasive mitral valve surgery; and a soft robotic total artificial hybrid heart. 

In addition, Joel explores right ventricular outflow tract injury during deep dissection in valve-sparing aortic root replacement, a minimally invasive approach for atrial septal defect closure, and redo aortic valve replacement via partial upper resternotomy. Before closing, Joel highlights upcoming events in CT surgery.   

JANS Items Mentioned 

1.) Ticagrelor and Aspirin or Aspirin Alone After Coronary Surgery for Acute Coronary Syndrome 

2.) An Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Model for Personalized Prediction of Long-Term Mitral Valve Repair Durability 

3.) Effect of Duration of Donor Ventilation on Lung Transplant Outcomes 

4.) Surgical Decision-Making for Concomitant Tricuspid Valve Repair in Minimally Invasive Mitral Valve Surgery 

5.) A Soft Robotic Total Artificial Hybrid Heart 

CTSNET Content Mentioned 

1.) Right Ventricular Outflow Tract Injury During Deep Dissection in Valve-Sparing Aortic Root Replacement  

2.) Minimally Invasive Approach for Atrial Septal Defect Closure 

3.) Redo Aortic Valve Replacement Via Partial Upper Resternotomy 

Other Items Mentioned 

1.) Voom Foundation  

2.) Career Center  

3.) CTSNet Events Calendar 

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