1st. Pan African Cardiothoracic Surgery PACaTS Summit

First Pan-African Cardiothoracic Surgery Summit (PACaTS)

Venue: Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons

Address: Jomo Kenyatta Road, Ridge, Accra, Ghana, West Africa, GA-052-3865

The  Pan-African Cardiothoracic Surgery PACaTS Summit is an interactive  multi-disciplinary forum which aims to develop a network for a mutual  exchange of knowledge and cooperation between medical centres and  industries, clinicians and paramedical colleagues, civil society,  academia and politics. It is working in partnership with European  Association for Cardiothoracic Surgery (EACTS), Society of Thoracic  Surgeons of America (STS) and German Heart Centre Charité (DHZC) Berlin  and in collaboration with professional cardiothoracic societal of Africa, Asia, Latin America, India and North America.

The  summit will address the increasing burden of global polyvascular  disease: coronary, cerebral and peripheral artery disease (NCDs) and  cardiovascular injuries which is life threatening and requiring   strengthening capacity that will enable more access to catheter  cardiovascular intervention and surgery.

The  summit will unite  communities of African and global cardiothoracic and  vascular professionals, experts, and researchers, offering an  opportunity to share with you a comprehensive in-person  cutting-edge  therapies for complex congenital heart surgery in neonates, children and  adults, congenital cardiovascular emergencies, cardiac valve repair  versus replacement, on- and off pump CABG, chest trauma, infective  aortic root and mitral valve surgery, aortic, therapeutic bronchoscopy,  lung, pleural and esophageal surgery.

The  global experts will share with you the current challenges in  strengthening capacity in cardiovascular medicine and surgery,  anesthesiology and critical care and the future of cardiac surgery in  Africa and global cardiovascular health. Beyond the learning, it’s a  chance to connect and to develop a network in a amicable atmosphere.

Learning Objectives

To  learn and familiarize with strategies and approaches for managing  cardiovascular emergencies from the neonate to the adolescent: and adult age.

To  learn techniques of thoracic aortic and cardiac valve repair and  replacement for congenital and acquire cardiovascular pathologies. To learn techniques for endoscopic thoracic surgery mediastinal and pulmonary diseases.

To  learn and experience interventional cardiac surgery procedures: valve  repair and replacement for congenital heart disease, coronary  revascularization strategies: coronary artery bypass grafting or  percutaneous coronary interventions.

To learn how to manage chest traumas and associated cardiovascular injuries.

To learn about microvascular approach for managing acute and chronic cerebral and peripheral malperfusion.

To  learn imaging techniques and surgical approaches for cardio-pulmonary  and mediastinal diseases (oncology) and standard therapies.

To apply advanced imaging in guiding surgical decision-making.

To  applying risk prediction models for clinical decisions, treatment  strategies in congenital and acquired heart surgery for better outcomes.

To learn the basics in generative artificial intelligence and its application in cardiovascular healthcare for better outcomes.

Aims

Provide  a platform for networking and sharing knowledge. Empowering young  generation clinical and academic cardiothoracic and vascular physicians  to unfold their potential for innovation to improve healthcare in their  fields.

Practice evidence-based cardiothoracic and vascular surgery.

Apply current standard techniques and procedures for better outcomes of patients.

Charting  for competence, sustainability and resilience in the practice of  cardiothoracic and vascular medicine and surgery in the global south  esp. in Africa.

Objectives

1.  Promote leadership agility and management in cardiovascular clinical  practices in cardiology, cardiac surgery, cardiovascular nursing,  perfusion and capacity building.

2.  Shape strategic plans for strengthening the needed capacity building  programs in clinical surgery and interventional procedures of congenital  and acquired cardiothoracic and vascular diseases (NCD) , research and  science to  enhance the healthcare systems.

3.  Promote surgical skill simulation training in the curriculum of  clinical cardiothoracic and vascular surgery training programs

4.  Promote digital documentation in healthcare/cardiovascular healthcare  for efficient patient care and services: Enhancing diagnostics,  treatment and recovery (intensive care).

5.  Develop network of leading health care personnel, heads of  cardiothoracic and vascular departments and professional organizations  across academia, industry, politics and civil society with the alliance  of cardiothoracic centres,

6.  Promote heart team model to enable concensus in decision making process  to establish strategies for medical and surgical therapies for better  outcomes of patients

7. Promote health information systems (HIS): Generation of databases, Artificial intelligence (AI).

8.  Develop digital health projects: tele-medicine programs to enhance  health systems (regular affordable transfer of knowledge) and to  strengthen institutional networking and partnership..

9.  Develop and enforce a culture of maintenance to sustain the healthcare  support technologies to ensure patient safety and efficient healthcare  delivery

10. Empower and promote women in cardiothoracic surgery.

Future Perspectives

The  forum serves as a wake-up call to the healthcare authorities in the  LMICs.  Sub-regional centres of excellence as a collective investment  for individual national development in the context of north-south and  south-south triangular development cooperation would be a great  achievement of the century.

The  following points are incentives for promoting high-level cardiovascular  health political reforms in Africa and global south.

1.  Achieve the unmet goal of 15% health expenditure in order to develop  community-based and national health insurance systems that will allow  universal healthcare and access to cardiovascular healthcare,

2.  Promote regular seminars on leadership and governance in collaboration  with professional organizations and institutions to strengthen  healthcare efficiency in non-communicable diseases (NCD),

3.  To upskill the capacity of the existing regional medical/surgical  centres to  provide high-quality and comprehensive cardiovascular health  services to enhance the health systems in the context of south-south  triangular cooperation.

4.  To incentivize the concept of cost saving supply chains such as  consortium of joint purchasing to enable low-cost high-volume  interventional and open cardiothoracic and vascular surgery that will be  affordable to many patients.

5. Promote the private sector to invest more in the healthcare delivery system and develop commercial health insurance schemes.

6.  Provide a platform for learning the basics in generative artificial  intelligence in healthcare in particular cardiovascular medicine.

7.  The global experts will share values of AI in health systems and  innovative cardiovascular medicine that will systematically balance  digital divide and improve outcomes in healthcare.

Why Attend the  PACaTS Summit?

1.  Meet legends in cardiac surgery and cardiothoracic and vascular experts  discussing cutting-edge techniques and standards of care in four-day  debate sessions.

2.  Master class scientific presentations on the management of patients  with congenital and acquired cardiothoracic and vascular diseases.

3.  Learn strategies and approaches for managing cardiothoracic and  vascular emergencies from the neonate to the adolescent and adult age.

4.  Learn the frontiers of minimally invasive interventional vs open  procedures for congenital and acquired cardiothoracic and  vascular  diseases.

5.  To learn the indications for repair vs replacement of rheumatic mitral  valve disease and concomitant tricuspid annuloplasty in children and  adolescents.

6.To learn management of chest trauma, the standard approaches to mediastinal and pulmonary oncology.

7.To learn microvascular surgery for salvaging acute and chronic limb ischemia.

8.To explore the complimentary benefits of off-pump vs. on-pump CABG surgery.

9.To learn from the cardio-cerebral and cardio-renal-metabolic expert round table discussion.

10. To participate in the specialized breakout session for hands-on surgical simulation training.

11. To participate in the breakout sessions for echocardiography, advanced cardiac imaging,

12.  To participate in the break out session for cardiac anesthesiology on  intraopereative cardio-respiratory and cerebral monitoring during  cardiac surgery.

13. To learn strategies for managing postcardiotomy heart failure.

14.To participate in the breakout sessions for perfusion techniques, intensive care nursing.

15. To meet colleagues and the faculty during networking breaks, lunches, and the saturday Accra night social event.-

16. To earn West African College of Surgeons (WACS) Category Credits.

17. To participate in abstract competition for young investigators.

18. To cease the opportunity to experience the Ghanaian culture and hospitality, Accra night and historic sites around Accra.

By attending, you will be able to:

Analyze current challenges in the treatment and lifelong management of congenital and acquired cardiothoracic diseases.

Learn strategies for long-term management of congenital and rheumatic/acquired valvular heart disease.

Critically appraise advanced imaging techniques to guide surgical decision-making for congenital and cardiothoracic diseases.

Describe  surgical options for the management of intermediate and high risk  critical aortic stenosis SAVR vs. TAVR and long-term outcomes.

Critically asses the quality of life of patients with mechanical heart valve prosthesis vs biological/repaired native valves.

Assess  strategies, best practices and surgical approaches for neo-aortic valve  reconstruction (Ozaki) vs Ross procedure in children and adolescents:

Identify  surgical solutions for complex common AV valve defects, TOF, DORV,  Ebstein anomaly, TGA, Endomyocardial fibrosis (EMF) and critically  appraise the related data and outcomes.

Describe  strategies for surgical management of rheumatic mitral valve disease  associated with mild to moderate tricuspid regurge.

Assess the complimentary benefits of on-pump vs off-pump CABG surgery

To  identify the challenges in the lifelong management of cardiac surgical  patient with cardio-cerebral and cardio-renal and metabolic disease

To manage chest trauma and utilize standard approaches for treating mediastinal and pulmonary tumors (oncology)

To learn more about microvascular surgical techniques to salvage acute and chronic limb ischemia

Who Should Attend?

The  Summit is targeted to cardiothoracic surgeons, pediatric cardiologists,  pediatricians, anesthesiologists, critical care physicians, and other  healthcare professionals interested in congenital heart disease from  Africa, Asia, Caribbean, Latin America, Canada, Europe and USA

Education Travel Grant to  Boost Your Career

We  are thrilled to announce an Education Travel Grant, which aims to  support cardiothoracic and vascular professionals in the early stages of  their careers, encouraging equitable representation and inclusivity in  the field. This prestigious grant offers the opportunity to enhance your  professional skills, build valuable connections, and gain insights from  experts. Don't miss out on this exciting chance to take your career to  the next level. Apply now and join us for a truly enriching experience  at the upcoming Pan-African Cardiothoracic Surgery summit in March 8-11,  2025 in Accra, Ghana.

We Invite You to Join the Emerging Young Leaders

Register  to join a growing community of young generation career cardiothoracic  and vascular professionals focused on approaches to cutting edge  cardiothoracic and vascular Diagnostics, Treatment and Recovery and  charting the courses of artificial intelligence in this field to improve  patients outcomes.

CME Credits

The  West African College of Surgeons (WACPS) designates the live sessions  of the Pan-African Cardiothoracic Surgery Summit (PACaTS) for a maximum  of 30 CME Category 1 Credits Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in sessions.