Named Lectures
Clinical Congress featured eight Named Lectures, which provided attendees with opportunities to hear internationally renowned surgeons and healthcare experts share their insights on medicine and surgery.
Cardiothoracic surgeon Jessica S. Donington, MD, MSCR, FACS, delivered the John H. Gibbon Jr. Lecture, “Lung Cancer Revolution.” In her talk, Dr. Donington discussed changes in lung cancer care that have occurred in the last decade, including expanded screening efforts, more effective treatment, and a personalized therapeutic approach—all of which have had a notable impact on lung cancer mortality.
In addition to talking about the intersection of lung cancer, smoking cessation, and stigma, she detailed many of the evolving treatment techniques and noted that surgeons are playing a more important role than ever in curing the disease.
“We’re seeing dramatic changes in treatment strategies for all stages of disease, and in the last 3 years, it has all been centered in our world—resectable lung cancer,” Dr. Donington said.
In the Herand Abcarian Lecture, “We Have Come a Long Way…Where Do We Go from Here?,” colorectal surgeon Ann C. Lowry, MD, FACS, spoke on the generation of surgeons that she has observed in her 40-year career and made observations on the past, present, and future of surgery.
She described the positive changes in gender and racial demographics of surgeons, but also looked at the ongoing challenges with attrition and burnout for modern practitioners. Recruitment, wellness, and mentoring programs are being implemented, but even still, “we need to do better,” Dr. Lowry said, especially in changing surgical culture.
“Organizations can establish well-meaning policies, but if the culture is not consistent with those policies, then change doesn’t happen,” she said.
Otolaryngologist—head and neck surgeon Mark C. Weissler, MD, FACS, delivered the John J. Conley Ethics and Philosophy Lecture, “Surgical Professionalism and Autonomy in the 21st Century.” In his talk, he discussed the longstanding moral contract that surgeons enter into when joining the profession, which in the 20th century was focused on trust between surgeons and patients, which implied autonomy and self-regulation for surgeons.
However, Dr. Weissler noted, the 21st century has seen external stressors begin to erode those two cornerstones of modern surgery, including the corporatization of medicine, burdensome or ill-advised policy, and ever-growing expectations for successful treatment of surgical disease.
Addressing these stressors will take a comprehensive effort from physicians and health leaders, he said and suggested that professional organizations also have a role to play.
“Large organizations such as the ACS can and should focus on moral advocacy that is truly directed at what is best for patients. Adopting an attitude of professional altruism can have a beneficial impact that carries over into regulatory power and surgeon well-being,” Dr. Weissler said.
Noteworthy Academic Programming
As ever, Clinical Congress was anchored by expansive academic, scientific, and educational programming.
New in 2024 were Opening Day Thematic Sessions that focused on specialty content such as artificial intelligence, cardiothoracic surgery, education, neurosurgery, quality, and vascular surgery, as well as multidisciplinary content that spanned the duration of the conference.
In addition to Didactic and Skills Postgraduate Courses, Clinical Congress 2024 provided attendees with access to 108 expert-led Panel Sessions, including:
- The returning, popular “10 Hot Topics in General Surgery” session, hosted by ACS Past-President E. Christopher Ellison, MD, FACS and ACS Regent Kenneth W. Sharp, MD, FACS, which this year covered ultrasound in inguinal hernia, clinical approaches to transgender patients with breast mass, and more
- Collegiate and interesting Great Debates, expanded this year to include two sessions where experts on opposing sides discussed the use of whole blood in pediatric patients and angioembolization, as well as rib fracture fixation and whether general surgeons should cover bariatric and colorectal emergencies
- An update on artificial intelligence (AI) in “Generative AI Tools for Surgery: Will AI Change My Practice?,” which examined surgical risk assessment calculator, how effective use of AI requires high-quality data, and regulatory concerns
Three Special Sessions were offered, providing attendees with an in-depth look at important topics in surgery:
- The ACS Academy of Master Surgeon Educators Special Session: “Value of the ACS Academy of Master Surgeon Educators across the Surgical Specialties” highlighted the importance of the Academy in recognizing surgeon educators and engaging them in advancing surgical education in all discipline
- “Behind the Curtain of Trauma Activation Fees—Impact, Potential, and Peril for Modern Trauma” explored the nature of trauma activation fees, their place in the trauma system, best practices for appropriate utilization of trauma activation fees, and how surgeons can engage to shape the issue
- “Complying with New CMS Age Friendly Measure” detailed how the ACS Geriatric Surgery Verification Program can help hospitals meet the regulatory requirements of the eponymous and mandatory measure while also improving patient outcomes, reducing costs, and increasing surgical capacity
The Named Lectures, Panel Sessions, and Special Sessions are available to view via the on-demand platform.
Hands-On Events
Two hands-on, simulation-based learning stations returned this year in the Exhibit Hall—the Surgical Ergonomics Clinic and Surgical Metrics Project.
The third ACS Surgical Ergonomics Hands-On Clinic for practicing surgeons and surgery residents generated significant interest and had approximately 100 participants, emphasizing the importance of health and well-being in the physically demanding field.
Ergonomic coaches helped participating surgeons learn about the ACS Surgical Ergonomics Recommendations, while applying them in a simulated environment at three stations with open, laparoscopic, and robotic surgery equipment. In addition, a certified physical therapist will share different stretching exercise protocols that can be implemented in the OR, between cases, or at home.
This year’s iteration of the Surgical Metrics Project, the fourth since it was initiated in 2019, offered an opportunity for individual surgeons to learn more about the future of digital healthcare and optimizing their practice. Participants had the opportunity to become research participants themselves by completing short but challenging operative tasks while wearing motion sensors on their fingers and EEG sensors forehead to record motions and thought processes.
