Difficult Decisions in Thoracic Surgery

1. Introduction.- Part 1. Evaluations and Decisions.- 2. Evidence based medicine: quality of evidence and evaluation systems.- 3. Decision analytic techniques and other decision processes.- 4. Decision making: the surgeon's perspective.- 5. Decision making: the patient's perspective.- Part 2. Lung.- 6. Indications for pretreatment pathologic mediastinal staging in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC).- 7. Preoperative Smoking Cessation for Lung Resection Patients.- 8. High tech exercise testing in assessing candidates for lung resection.- 9. Management of perioperative anticoagulation during lung resection.- 10. Perioperative arrhythmia prophylaxis for major lung resection.- 11. VATS vs open lobectomy for stage I or II NSCLC.- 12. Robotic-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (RATS) versus video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) lobectomy for Stage I or II non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).- 13. Lobectomy after induction therapy for non-small cell lung cancer  in the presence of persistent N2 disease.- 14. Pneumonectomy after induction therapy for non-small cell lung cancer .- 15. Resection vs SBRT for stage I NSCLC in patients with good pulmonary function.- 16. Digital drainage systems after major lung resection.- 17. Management of Persistent Post-operative Alveolar Air Leak.- 18. Surveillance after resection of stage I non small cell lung cancer.- 19. Support therapy for lung failure: The utility of device therapy.- 20. Extracorporeal support for lung grafts prior to transplantation.- 21. Pulmonary Metastasectomy.- Part 3. Esophagus.- 22. Optimal therapy for Barrett High Grade Dysplasia.- 23. Preoperative chemo versus chemoradiotherapy for regionally advanced esophageal adenocarcinoma.- 24. The role of surgery in the management of regionally advanced esophageal squamous cell cancer.- 25. Optimal surgical approach to esophagectomy for distal esophageal adenocarcinoma.- 26. Regional extent of lymphadenectomy for esophageal cancer.- 27. Optimal number of lymphnodes to resect for esophageal cancer.- 28. Salvage esophagectomy for persistent disease after definitive chemoradiotherapy.- 29. Gastric emptying procedure after esophagectomy.- 30. Postoperative adjuvant therapy after resection of regionally advanced esophageal cancer.- 31. Prophylactic antireflux surgery in lung transplantation.- 32. Surgical versus Endoscopic Management for esophageal perforations.- 33. Stent for esophageal anastomotic leak.- 34. Management of small esophageal GIST tumors.- 35. Surgery for minimally symptomatic pulsion diverticula of the thoracic esophagus.- 36. Partial versus total fundoplication for GERD in patients with normal esophageal motility.- Part 4. Diaphragm.- 37. Diaphragm pacing for paralysis.- 38. Minimally invasive versus open repair of giant paraesophageal hernia.- 39. Synthetic reinforcement of diaphragm closure for large hiatal hernia repair.- 40. Diaphragmatic plication for eventration.- 41. Management of recurrent minimally symptomatic paraesophageal hernia.- Part 5. Airway.- 42. Stenting for benign airway obstruction.- 43. Bioengineered tissues for tracheal reconstruction.- 44. Percutaneous versus standard tracheostomy in the critically ill adult.- 45. Carinal resection for Non Small Cell Lung Cancer.- Part 6. Pleura and Pleural Spaces.- 46. Management of Persistent Postoperative Air Leaks.- 47. Fibrinolytics for managing pleural empyema.- 48. VATS versus open management of pleural empyema.- 49. Optimal management of symptomatic malignant pleural effusion.- 50. Pleurectomy versus radical pleuropneumonectomy for malignant pleural mesothelioma.- 51. Surgery and medical therapy for malignant pleural mesothelioma.- Part 7. Mediastinum.- 52. Extended versus standard thymectomy for myasthenia gravis.- 53. Optimal approach for resection of encapsulated thymoma: open versus VATS.- 54. Robotic versus VATS thymectomy for encapsulated thymoma.- 55. Video mediastinoscopy versus standard mediastinoscopy.- 56. Debulking for extensivethymoma.- 57. Surgery for palmar hyperhidrosis: patient selection and extent of surgery.- Part 8. Chest Wall.- 58. Synthetic versus biologic reconstruction of bony chest wall defects.- 59. Management of flail chest.- 60. Management of pectus deformities in adults.