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The Beat With Joel Dunning Ep. 145: Thoracic Surgery in the UAE

Thursday, February 19, 2026

This week on The Beat, CTSNet Editor-in-Chief Joel Dunning spoke with Dr. Puja Khaitan, thoracic consultant at Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City, Abu Dhabi, UAE, and Founder and Congress Chair of the Emirates International Thoracic Surgery Congress, about thoracic surgery in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). They discussed her professional background and training, as well as the differences in cases between the UAE and United States. They also delved into research in the UAE, the state of thoracic hospitals, general surgical residency programs, and the future of fellowships in the country.  

Joel also highlights recent JANS articles on a large retrospective propensity-weighted cohort study on antifibrotic therapy and lung cancer risk in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, sample size considerations to assess sex-related treatment effects, endoscopic or open radial artery harvest in coronary artery bypass surgery, and results from the Netherlands Heart Registration on mitral valve surgery. 

In addition, Joel explores a safe and reproducible redo aortic surgery approach on AMDS to frozen elephant trunk conversion, an approach to constrictive pericarditis and pericardiectomy from diagnosis to definitive surgical, and right axillary thoracotomy. Before closing, Joel highlights upcoming events in CT surgery.   

JANS Items Mentioned 

1.) Antifibrotic Therapy and Lung Cancer Risk in Patients With Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis: A Large Retrospective Propensity-Weighted Cohort Study 

2.) Sample Size Considerations to Assess Sex-Related Treatment Effects 

3.) Endoscopic or Open Radial Artery Harvest in Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery 

4.) Textbook Outcome in Mitral Valve Surgery—Results from the Netherlands Heart Registration 

CTSNet Content Mentioned 

1.) AMDS to Frozen Elephant Trunk Conversion: A Safe and Reproducible Redo Aortic Surgery Approach   

2.) From Diagnosis to Definitive Surgical Therapy: An Approach to Constrictive Pericarditis and Pericardiectomy 

3.) Right Axillary Thoracotomy: A Minimally Invasive Gateway to Multiple Defects 

Other Items Mentioned 

1.) Emirates International Thoracic Surgery Congress 

2.) Instructional Video Competition  

3.) Career Center  

4.) CTSNet Events Calendar 


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