Download - Society for Cardiothoracic Surgery

9 theBulletin
July 2012
Valve Repair Fellowship continued
Every year in January, the Mitral Congress is also held which
generates interest similar to the Brussels Valve Symposium.
Here, I was given the opportunity to give 2 lectures on various
techniques of mitral valve repair. For Fellows interested in
presenting and writing papers, there is always ample
opportunity to generate new hypotheses and retrieve data from
the in-house database which is robust and up-to-date. Also, the
majority of operations are recorded on video and all Fellows are
encouraged to edit the videos for learning and presenting
purposes. During my stay there, two in-house wetlabs on
porcine hearts (aortic and mitral) were also organised where
Fellows were taught the more complex techniques of repair by
Professor ElKhoury himself.
The ambience
The city of Brussels itself is known for its fine food and cafe
culture. ‘Gaufre de Liège-Luikse wafel’ (Belgian waffle with
caramelized sugar) is certainly something that I will remember.
The establishment as the Cultural Capital of Europe since in
2000 has paved the way for renewed life to historic buildings.
Landmarks like Grand Place-Grote Markt, Parc du
Cinquantenaire-Jubelpark, Atomium and the Palais de Justice are
relaxing after a day in the operating theatre.
Overall, this was an amazing Fellowship for all those interested
in Valve Reconstruction. It may seem to be an onerous task for
those reaching the end of their training as it requires a bit of
organising and working in a completely new environment but
leaves one with a legacy for an entire lifetime. The experience
can inspire and revolutionise one’s approach to valve
reconstruction in day-to-day practice. Additionally, it paves the
way for broader avenues of future collaboration for innovation in
this ever-changing speciality.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank SCTS and Ethicon
for the grant of the Scholarship and Professor ElKhoury and his
team for the privilege of the Fellowship. If anyone would like
more info, please do not hesitate to contact me on
hunaidvohra@yahoo.co.uk
Getting to know the robot