Cold Steel: Canadian Journal of Surgery Podcast

Podcast transcript: https://www.canjsurg.ca/content/e141-journal-club-morad-hameed-cardiac-injuries

In this “journal club” edition of the podcast, we are joined by the thoughtful trauma guru Dr. Hameed to talk about his paper in the Canadian Journal of Surgery (CJS). This paper, authored by Drs. Ball, Lee, Kaminsky and Hameed gets at the “heart” of both the decision-making and technical aspects of treating penetrating cardiac injuries. 

YouTube version: https://youtu.be/_g6Nu66Q3AM

YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@coldsteelsurgery

Links:

1. Technical considerations in the management of penetrating cardiac injury: https://www.canjsurg.ca/content/65/5/E580
2. Sternotomy or drainage for a hemopericardium after penetrating trauma: a randomized controlled trial. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23604058/
3. A caveat to the Performance of Pericardial Ultrasound in Patients with penetrating Cardiac Wounds. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19901678/

Morad Hameed Bio:

Dr. Morad Hameed is a trauma surgeon and intensivist at the Vancouver General Hospital (VGH) and an Assistant Professor of Surgery at the University of British Columbia (UBC).
He completed medical school and surgical residency at the University of Alberta, graduate studies in public health at Harvard University, and fellowships in Trauma Surgery and Surgical Critical Care at the University of Miami. He spent 3 years on the surgical faculty at the University of Calgary, before moving to Vancouver.
He is the Head of the UBC and VGH Division of General Surgery and is a Service Chief for Acute Care Surgery at VGH. He also chairs the Research Committee of the Trauma Association of Canada, and is the immediate past chair of the Canadian Association of General Surgeons Committee on Acute Care Surgery.
His research focuses on systems of trauma care and acute care surgery. Dr. Hameed’s research teams have received grants from the Canadian Institutes for Health Research, the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research, and other funding agencies for their work on disparities in injury risk and access to trauma systems in Canada.
The development of promising partnerships with trauma investigators at the University of Cape Town has recently extended this work to South Africa.

Podcast transcript: https://www.canjsurg.ca/content/e138-heather-patterson-her-new-book-shadows-and-light-documenting-covid-19-and-burnout

Sometimes it’s hard to process what we’ve all been through collectively over the last 2 years since the start of COVID-19. Canada's health care system is facing tremendous strain, and it’s likely fair to say that many health care workers are facing burnout.

Our guest for this week’s episode had an inspiring response to her own feelings of burnout and frustration. Dr. Heather Patterson is an adult and pediatric emergency physician in Calgary. She just released her book, Shadows and Light, a book of photographs that document the experience of dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. We caught up with her to ask her about her motivation for the book and what’s she’s learned along the way. 

Check out some pictures from her book at the links below!

Buy Dr. Patterson's book here: https://gooselane.com/products/shadows-and-light

1. Dr. Patterson's website: https://www.heatherpattersonphotography.com/

2. Dr. Patterson's instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heather.l.patterson/?hl=en

3. Pictures of Sam and Jim: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1LhFPORGlkhUdqjgExu8XrP4NxETG08V6?usp=sharing

Bio: (from https://www.heatherpattersonphotography.com/about)

I am an emergency physician, photographer and mom of 2 who specializes in lifestyle and medical photography.  My images capture the raw emotions and realities of daily life and celebrate the unique personalities and stories of our lives.  

My current project shares the authentic story of patient experiences and the healthcare team collaboration in Calgary, Alberta during the COVID-19 pandemic.  I hope that this celebration of our shared humanity generates empathy and inspires others to see what we can accomplish when we work together.

Podcast transcript: https://www.canjsurg.ca/content/e137-elijah-dixon-mindfulness-meditation-and-being-past-president-cags-and-ahpba

This week we caught up with Dr. Elijah Dixon, a liver and pancreas surgeon at the University of Calgary, to talk about mindfulness and meditation. Dr. Dixon really opened our eyes to how those practices might help us both inside and outside the operating room. We also asked Dr. Dixon about what it was like to be the president of the Americas Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association as well as the Canadian Association of General Surgeons.

Links:

1. Eckhart Tolle: https://eckharttolle.com/

2. Waking Up app: https://www.wakingup.com/

3. One Blade of Grass: Finding the Old Road of the Heart, a Zen Memoir by Henry Shukman. https://www.amazon.ca/One-Blade-Grass-Finding-Memoir/dp/1640092625

4. Jillian Horton interview: https://soundcloud.com/cjs-podcast/e83-jillian-horton-on-writing-burnout-and-the-quest-for-a-better-culture-in-medicine

5. Stroke of Insight TED talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/jill_bolte_taylor_my_stroke_of_insight?language=en

Bio (taken from https://cumming.ucalgary.ca/sites/default/files/teams/236/april-2016-newsletter.pdf):

Dr. Dixon is a Professor of Surgery, Oncology and Community Health
Sciences with the University of Calgary. He is a practicing General Surgeon at Foothills Hospital with a focus in Hepatobiliary/Pancreatic Surgery. Dr. Dixon completed his Undergrad in General Science and Medical School at the University of Manitoba, and then Surgical Residency at the University of Calgary. From there he went to the University of Toronto and did a Fellowship in Hepatobiliary/Pancreatic Surgery and GI Transplantation at the Toronto General Hospital. He then proceeded to the Harvard School ofPublic Health and did a Masters in Epidemiology.

Dr. Dixon’s research interests include the development of quality indicators of care for patients undergoing hepatic resection for metastatic colorectal cancer. He conducts clinical research, particularly in the area of hepato-pancreatico-biliary surgery.

Podcast transcript: https://www.canjsurg.ca/content/e136-corrie-white-medical-office-assistants-setting-office-emrs-and-billing

This week on the podcast we invited Corrie White, an absolutely fabulous and experienced Medical Office Assistant, to talk about what it takes to set up a well-functioning office. Corrie breaks down how to find a good assistant and what goes into setting up an efficient system. We’d love to hear from listeners: What do you wish you had known when you were first setting up your practice? Email us a [email protected] or tweet at us @CanJSurg. 

We’d like to make a plug for the upcoming Canadian Surgical Forum or CSF. This year the conference is happening in Toronto from September 15th to the 17th. There is a fantastic program this year, so be sure to register and attend. At the very least, follow the session highlights on Twitter with the hashtag #CSF2022.   

Links:

1. Canadian Surgery Forum: https://www.canadiansurgeryforum.com/

2. https://www.lx.com/social-justice/a-gynecologist-asked-women-how-to-design-his-new-office-the-answers-are-so-on-point/45960/#:~:text=Ryan%20Stewart%2C%20has%20gone%20viral,in%20Indianapolis%20in%20early%202022.&text=I%20have%20the%20opportunity%20to%20design%20my%20office%20from%20scratch.

3. Corrie's farm and campground! Washtockfamilyfarm.ca 

Bio: 

Corrie White has been a Medical Office Assistant (MOA) for over 12 years, with experience in helping physicians start and develop their practice. She can be reached at: [email protected]. She can also be found on Instagram at corriewhite99.

Podcast transcript: https://www.canjsurg.ca/content/e135-how-publish-papers-wendy-carroll

This week we got to peek behind the curtains of academic publishing with Wendy Carroll. Wendy is the Managing Editor of the Canadian Medical Association Journal Group. Wendy had some amazing insights into what goes on during the submission process, as well as the overall landscape for journals in 2022. Perhaps our favourite part of our conversation with Wendy was her tips about what makes for good writing!

Links:

1. Eight Step editing: https://www.editors.ca/eight-step-editing-jim-taylor-0

2. Predatory publishing solicitation: a review of a single surgeon's inbox and implications for information technology resources at an organizational level.  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34105930/

Podcast transcript: https://www.canjsurg.ca/content/e134-masterclass-charles-vollmer-cystic-neoplasms-pancreas-part-2

Dr. Charles Vollmer is the Chief of GI surgery at the University of Pennsylvania and is a passionate pancreatic surgeon. This is the second part of our masterclass series with Dr. Vollmer on cystic lesions of the pancreas. In part II, Dr. Vollmer dives deep specifically on IPMNs, giving us an in-depth discussion of types of IPMNs, the various guidelines for IPMN management, as well as an overview of operative principles for resecting IPMNs.

Podcast transcript: https://www.canjsurg.ca/content/e133-masterclass-charles-vollmer-types-and-workup-cystic-neoplasms-pancreas

Dr. Charles Vollmer is the Chief of GI Surgery and Director of Pancreatic Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania. He is a repeat guest of the show. We were lucky enough to have him do another masterclass for Cold Steel, this time on cystic neoplasms of the pancreas. In part 1 of this masterclass, Dr. Vollmer gives us an overview of cystic lesions of the pancreas, as well as their diagnosis and management. Make sure to check out part 2 as well, where Dr. Vollmer specifically focuses on IPMNs. 

Links:

1. https://soundcloud.com/cjs-podcast/e33-chuck-vollmer-on-peer-review-and-productivity

2. https://soundcloud.com/cjs-podcast/e82-charles-vollmer-on-pancreatic-fistulas

Bio:

Dr. Charles Vollmer is the Chief of GI Surgery and Director of Pancreatic Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania where he holds the rank of Professor of Surgery. Dr. Vollmer began his career at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston where he served as an Assistant Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School before moving to Penn in 2011. He specializes in Pancreaticobiliary and other complex gastrointestinal surgery with a clinical research focus in outcomes assessment of high-acuity surgery. He has authored over 100 manuscripts and numerous book chapters. He is active in multiple national and international surgical societies where he has served in various leadership positions, including being a past President of the AHPBA. He is the current Scientific Program Chair for the IHPBA, and sits on their Executive Committee and Council. He is currently a reviewer for over 20 medical specialty journals and is on the Editorial Boards of Annals of Surgery, Surgery, HPB, JOGS, and the Journal of Surgical Oncology.

Podcast transcript: https://www.canjsurg.ca/content/e132-donna-kimmaliardjuk-breaking-down-barriers-and-caring-indigenous-patients

On this episode, we had the privilege of speaking with Dr. Donna Kimmaliardjuk (@DKimmaliardjuk on Twitter). Dr. Kimmaliardjuk is the first Inuk cardiac surgeon in Canada and has won numerous awards for her trailblazing work. We were lucky enough to catch up with her to ask her about her career and get her thoughts on how we can both make surgery a more inclusive profession and how we can better serve our Indigenous patients.

Links:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DKimmaliardjuk?s=20&t=DnmhGW0RRouo2ojP9oPEDQ

1. I had to open his chest to save his life. That’s the day I felt, this is badass. https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2020/03/08/i-had-to-open-his-chest-to-save-his-life-thats-the-day-i-felt-this-is-badass.html

2. Postoperative outcomes for Nunavut Inuit at a Canadian quaternary care centre: a retrospective cohort study. https://www.cmajopen.ca/content/10/2/E304

3. Canada's first Inuk heart surgeon returns from U.S. to take job in St. John's. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/donna-may-kimmaliardjuk-cardiac-surgeon-1.6166828

4. Canada’s first Inuk cardiac surgeon gets to the heart of the matter. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/adv/article-canadas-first-inuk-cardiac-surgeon-gets-to-the-heart-of-the-matter/

5. If Joyce Echaquan were white, she would still be alive, Quebec coroner says. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/echaquan-coroner-report-health-care-system-racism-1.6199964

Bio:

Dr. Donna May Kimmaliardjuk is Canada's first Inuk cardiac surgeon. She attended medical school at the University of Calgary and then was matched to the University of Ottawa for her cardiac surgery residency. She went on to train at the prestigious Cleveland Clinic for her fellowship. She has won numerous awards, including the 2018 Indspire award. She is currently a staff cardiac surgeon at Eastern Health in St. John's, Newfoundland.

Podcast transcript: https://www.canjsurg.ca/content/e131-jeff-way-spirituality-surgery-managing-busy-practice-and-advocacy

We touched some “taboo” subjects today on the podcast – money and religion! Dr. Jeff Way is a trauma and general surgeon in Calgary. Today we asked Dr. Way about his interest in spirituality and how that has affected his career, inside and outside the operating room. We got his thoughts on managing a busy practice as well as his work on a provincial and national level with the government on healthcare and billing. 

Links:

1. Establishment and cost analysis of an office surgical suite. https://www.nlc-bnc.ca/eppp-archive/100/201/300/cdn_medical_association/cjs/vol-39/issue-5/0379.htm

Podcast transcript: https://www.canjsurg.ca/content/e130-homer-tien-ornge-emergency-transport-covid19-vaccine-distribution-leadership

Dr. Homer Tien is a trauma surgeon at Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto. We were so excited to have him on the show because of the incredible work that he has done in multiple leadership roles, more recently as the president and CEO of ornge, Ontario’s air ambulance and transport service. Largely because of the amazing work he had done with ornge, Dr. Tien was also made in charge of the COVID19 vaccine distribution task force back in April 2021. This was a conversation about trauma care, paramedic services, and air ambulances, but even more importantly, we got to hear Dr. Tien’s insights on leadership. 

Links:

1. Preventable Deaths From Hemorrhage at a Level I Canadian
Trauma Center. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Fernando-Spencer-Netto/publication/6585292_Preventable_Death_From_Hemorrhage_at_a_Level_I_Canadian_Trauma_Center/links/5a1d4cd50f7e9b2a5317123c/Preventable-Death-From-Hemorrhage-at-a-Level-I-Canadian-Trauma-Center.pdf

2. Ornge. https://www.ornge.ca/home

3. Amid third wave, U of T’s Homer Tien takes over province’s COVID-19 vaccine task force: CBC. https://www.utoronto.ca/news/amid-third-wave-u-t-s-homer-tien-takes-over-province-s-covid-19-vaccine-task-force-cbc

4. Clinical handover from emergency medical services to the trauma team: A gap analysis. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33084560/

5. Operation Remote Immunity 3.0 wraps up after coordinating nearly 200 vaccine clinics in 29 remote and isolated communities. https://www.canada.ca/en/indigenous-services-canada/news/2022/02/operation-remote-immunity-30-wraps-up-after-coordinating-nearly-200-vaccine-clinics-in-29-remote-and-isolated-communities.html

Bio:

Tien earned a bachelor's degree in biochemistry from Queen's University in 1989.In 1992, he graduated with a Doctor of Medicine from McMaster University. He then pursued residency training in family medicine before obtaining his Independent Practice Certificate in 1993. His training was sponsored by the Canadian Forces. After training, he was then posted with the Field Ambulance at CFB Petawawa, and served as the unit medical officer for the 1st Battalion of the Royal Canadian Regiment. While at RCR, he deployed to Croatia on Operation Harmony. He then deployed to Bosnia with IFOR on Operation Alliance. He then served with Canadian special forces at Dwyer Hill Training Centre as their first unit medical officer. He has also deployed to the Golan Heights, and has worked with Veterans Affairs in the recovery of RCAF airmen missing from World War II, in the Burma recovery mission.

He later underwent four years of further residency training in general surgery via the Canadian Forces and the University of Toronto from 1998 to 2002.

As a Canadian Forces surgeon, he also deployed to the NATO-led multinational stabilization force in Bosnia in 2003, to Kabul with ISAF in 2004, and multiple times to the Role 3 Multinational Medical Unit in Kandahar.

In 2007, he earned a Master of Science in clinical epidemiology from the University of Toronto.

He is currently the president and CEO of Ornge, an air ambulance non-profit based on Ontario. He also holds the rank of colonel in the Canadian Forces Health Services, associate professorship at the University of Toronto,and was the former director of Trauma Services at Sunnybrook's Tory Regional Trauma Centre. He is the first to hold the Canadian Forces Major Sir Frederick Banting Term Chair in Military Trauma Research.

In April 2021, Tien was appointed to head Ontario's COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Task Force for Phase 2 of the rollout