In 1921, Cleveland Clinic began as a multi-specialty group practice and was at the forefront of modern medicine. Over the last 100 years, it has grown from a small outpatient clinic to become the world’s first integrated international health system. With more than 65,000 caregivers worldwide, Cleveland Clinic has almost six million patient visits per year, at more than 200 locations. Within its first century, Cleveland Clinic introduced many medical firsts, opened facilities around the world, and is proud to be ranked among the top hospitals in the country.
This week, 33 fellows from 19 countries gathered in Schloss Arenberg for the Salzburg Cleveland Clinic Seminar in Cardiac Surgery, which took place for the 13th time. Dr. Edward G. Soltesz, the Donna and Ken Lewis Endowed Chair in Cardiothoracic Surgery and the Surgical Director of the Kaufman Center for Heart Failure and Recovery at Cleveland Clinic, led the course, marking his 13th participation. The seminar was co-led by Dr. Nikolaos J. Skubas, Chair of the Department of Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology at Cleveland Clinic, and Dr. Guenther Laufer, Director of the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the Medical University of Vienna. The expert faculty comprised of Dr. Marek P. Ehrlich, Dr. Alfred Kocher, Dr. Vincent Tobin, Dr. Michael Zhen-Yu Tong, and Dr. Dominik Wiedemann.
The faculty created an engaging and impressive schedule which comprised of 19 didactic lectures, two afternoons for fellows’ case presentations, and an afternoon dedicated to a heart dissection wet lab. Lecture topics included Pathophysiology and Indications for MV Surgery, Principles of Myocardial Preservation, Endovascular Aortic Interventions, Foundations of CV Physiology, Guidelines for Aortic Valve Procedures, and more! During the fellows’ case presentations, fellows had the unique chance to present a case from their personal work experience, learn about country specific cases and diseases, and receive valuable feedback from the faculty. This week, eight cases were chosen by the faculty as excellent case presentations and will therefore be published on the OMI online case library.
The Monday afternoon wet lab focused on heart dissection with TEE correlation and was led by Dr. Nikolaos J. Skubas, Dr. Edward G. Soltesz, and Dr. Michael Zhen-Yu Tong. The lab was organized in cooperation with Medtronic, led by Elias Saliba, who we owe a special thank you to for providing materials, organizing the workshop in advance, and ensuring a smooth experience!
Wednesday afternoon allowed for faculty and fellows to take a breather and decompress from all the academic meetings. Most used their free afternoon to explore the city of Salzburg and soak up a bit of the Austrian culture. Thursday evening offered a private chamber music concert, right here in Schloss Arenberg! To finish off the seminar week, fellows and faculty gathered for the graduation ceremony, in which fellows received their certificates and enjoyed an excellent meal together!
