Surgical Hot Topics

In this episode, Dr. Michael Maddaus talks with Haytham Kaafarani, MD, MPH, associate professor of trauma and critical care at Massachusetts General Hospital and chief patient safety officer and medical director for The Joint Commission. They discuss Second Victim Syndrome, the often-dramatic psychological impact of an adverse event on the physician—typically operative and one for which the surgeon often feels directly responsible....

In this episode, Dr. Michael Maddaus talks with Steve Magness about a reimagined idea of toughness and how to help others be tough through compassion, connection, and humanity. Magness is a world-renowned expert on performance and author of the book Do Hard Things: Why We Get Resilience Wrong and the Surprising Science of Real Toughness. His work breaks down the myth of what real toughness is and identifies four pillars of becoming...

In this episode, Dr. Michael Maddaus speaks with Christine Porath, an associate professor at Georgetown University McDonough School of Business. Porath has dedicated her career to understanding the business and personal impacts of how people treat one another in the workplace, and how the influence of leaders plays a huge role in happiness and engagement at work. The need for human connection is part of our genes. But Porath identi...

In this episode, Dr. Michael Maddaus talks with Marcus Buckingham, global researcher and New York Times bestselling author. Buckingham’s work focuses on unlocking people’s strengths, increasing their performance, and defining a better future for how people work. During this podcast episode, the two discuss finding and untapping one’s “wyrd,” which is described in detail in Buckingham’s latest book, Love+Work. Each person’s “wyr...

In this episode, Dr. Michael Maddaus interviews Commander Rich Diviney, a retired US Navy Seal officer and author of The Attributes, 25 Hidden Drivers of Optimal Performance. Drawing from his 20-plus years of experience in the Navy, Diviney came to understand that even individuals at the highest levels of physical and mental capabilities can sometimes fail to perform in specific situations. He determined that an individual’s abilit...

In this episode, Dr. Michael Maddaus talks with Dr. Brian Little, a world-renowned psychologist and an expert on personalities. Dr. Little has written three bestselling books on personality, has a TED Talk called “Who Are You, Really?” that has been viewed more than 20 million times, and was voted a favorite professor at Harvard University for 3 consecutive years. Together, they discuss the importance of self-awareness and how unde...

In this episode, Dr. Michael Maddaus interviews Dr. Amy Edmondson—a scholar of leadership, teaming, and organizational learning. Best known for her groundbreaking work on psychological safety in the workplace, Dr. Edmondson is the author of seven books and is ranked as one of the most influential management thinkers. What is psychological safety? According to Dr. Edmondson, it is a belief that one will not be punished or humiliated...

In this episode, Dr. Michael Maddaus has an insightful, don’t-miss conversation with Dr. Paul Conti, a psychiatrist and expert in trauma. Dr. Conti discusses psychological trauma: what it is and its far-reaching, profound effects on the mind and body. Listeners will learn that trauma changes the functioning of the brain and alters the lens in which we see ourselves and the world around us. Trauma also spreads like a virus and affec...

In this episode, Dr. Michael Maddaus interviews Brad Stulberg—an internationally known expert on human performance, wellbeing, and sustainable success. He also authored the bestselling book, The Practice of Groundedness: A Transformative Path to Success That Feeds—Not Crushes—Your Soul. In this provocative and practical conversation, Brad shares a healthier, more sustainable model for success. He explains that at the heart of this ...

In this final episode of Season 2, Dr. David Tom Cooke interviews Dr. Ed Chen from Duke University in North Carolina. Described as an experienced leader with “exceptional maturity” and a reputation for “respectful and thoughtful engagement,” Dr. Chen generously shares his personal experiences and insight. While he is Taiwanese, Dr. Chen was born in Tokyo (where his parents were attending university), moved to Taiwan, and eventually...

In this episode of Season 2, Dr. David Tom Cooke interviews Dr. Cherie Erkmen, from Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. Dr. Erkmen grew up in Colorado with devoted parents who encouraged and inspired her to consider a career in medicine. Interestingly, her mom was unofficially a “storm chaser;” officially, she was an atmospheric researcher for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration who studied how pollution impacts stor...

In this episode, Dr. Tom Varghese interviews Dr. Allan Pickens, a leading thoracic surgeon from Emory University in Atlanta. Listeners will discover interesting personal details such as Dr. Pickens, along with his five siblings, grew up on a farm in a rural Alabama town. That farm is where he began shaping his extraordinary work ethic. With parents who strongly encouraged good grades and required college after high school, Dr. Pick...

In this episode of the STS Webinar Series, a panel comprising several coauthors of the STS/AATS Clinical Practice Guideline on the Management of Type B Aortic Dissection discuss the key takeaways from this comprehensive, up-to-date summary of the state of the evidence. Discussion topics include: optimal medical therapy as the recommended treatment for patients with uncomplicated TBAD, thoracic endovascular aortic repair for patient...

In this episode, Dr. David Tom Cooke interviews Dr. Sharon Ben-Or—the first female President of the Eastern Cardiothoracic Surgical Society. This inspirational leader shares remarkable, thought-provoking details about her journey into medicine. She credits her uncle with opening her eyes to the possibility of medical school. Listeners will learn that while on a family trip, Dr. Ben-Or skipped the skiing and spent the day with her u...

In this episode of the STS Webinar Series, a multidisciplinary panel shares their expertise in establishing and maintaining an effective mobile ECMO unit. In addition to optimal staffing, logistical details, and contingency plans for transport, the panel discusses findings from research on ECMO-facilitated resuscitation and contraindications for deploying the mobile ECMO unit. Participants include Cory Alwardt, PhD, Anna L. Ciullo,...

In this episode, Dr. Tom Varghese interviews Dr. Jenna Romano, from C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital at the University of Michigan Health. Listeners will discover fascinating personal details about this surgeon leader, including that she considers herself a “lifer Midwesterner;” while in college, her plan was to become a veterinarian (thanks to Dr. Bob Bartlett, that plan changed); and she was the first in her family to “dip” her toe ...

In this episode of the STS Webinar Series, senior leaders from STS and the American Association for Thoracic Surgery discuss the concerns that informed the decision not to endorse the 2021 Guideline for Coronary Artery Revascularization published in December by the American College of Cardiology, American Heart Association, and Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions. Concerns discussed include: the devaluation of ...

In this episode, Dr. David Tom Cooke interviews Dr. Raja Flores, from Mount Sinai in New York City (NYC). With generous detail, Dr. Flores describes his “jagged line” to cardiothoracic surgery, while crediting luck and his supportive mom for much of his success. He shares how he “grew up poor” in NYC with neighborhood friends who turned to drugs and often ended up in jail. For Dr. Flores, though, personal experiences during repeate...

In this episode of the STS Webinar Series, an international panel of surgeons shares their experiences with electromagnetic and robotic approaches to bronchoscopy, as well as ablation of lung cancers. Topics include: a comparison of two robotic platforms currently available for bronchoscopy, electromagnetic navigation for nodule localization, and the use of bronchoscopic microwave ablation for patients ineligible for stereotactic b...