Exploring different approaches in uniportal VATS with Dr. Marcin Zielinski and Dr. Deping Zhao
The 3rd International Uniportal VATS course jointly organized by the University Hospital Charité in Berlin, Germany, the University Hospital in Coruña, Spain and the Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tonji University Shanghai, China, was held successfully in Campus Charité Mitte, Berlin, Germany from March 16th to 18th, 2016. During the course, Dr. Marcin Zielinski, from Pulmonary Hospital, Poland, and Dr. Deping Zhao, from Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, China, respectively gave an impressive presentation on the trans-cervical approach and subxipoid approach in uniportal VATS, earning quite a lot applause. With this special opportunity, the Editorial Office of Journal of Visualized Surgery (JOVS) had the great honor to have an interview together with Dr. Zielinski and Dr. Zhao (Figure 1).
In the interview, given their own experience, Dr. Zielinski and Dr. Zhao shared with us their perspectives on the advantages and challenges of both the trans-cervical and subxiphoid approach in uniportal VATS. When asking about the usual approach in practice, Dr. Zielinski told us it should be flexible based on the different cases and patients’ condition.
At the end of the interview, to Dr. Zhao’s question about the early inspirational experience, Dr. Zielinski gave out an earnest and precious conclusion—not being satisfied to the present condition and learns to be pushed forward by failure (Figure 2)!
Expert introduction
Dr. Marcin Zielinski, MD, PhD is the surgeon of Department of Thoracic Surgery, Pulmonary Hospital, Zakopane, Poland. He graduated from the Medical Academy in Warsaw in 1983 and subsequently specialized in general and thoracic surgery. He gained his doctorate in 1994 from the Medical Academy in Warsaw and in 2006 was awarded his Habilitation by the Jagiellonian University, Cracow, for studies on factors affecting the effectiveness of the operative treatment of myasthenia gravis. Since 1996 he has been Head of the Department of Thoracic Surgery and since 2004, also Director of the Pulmonary Hospital in Zakopane. Dr. Zielinski is a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Cardiovascular Surgery (Torino) and a reviewer of thoracic surgery manuscripts for several leading journals. He is the author of almost 70 original articles in indexed journals. His clinical interests are Esophageal Surgery, Surgery of the Mediastinum, Myasthenia gravis and Broncho-angio-plastic procedures.
Dr. Deping Zhao, MD, PhD, is Vice-Chief surgeon, associate professor in the department of Thoracic surgery, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Shanghai, China.
Specialized in Uniportal and suboxiphoid uniportal VATS lung resection surgery, from August 2013 Dr. Zhao started uniportal VATS lobectomy and became a routine surgery, and finished over 400 cases of lobectomy and segmentectomy. Finished the first case of suboxiphoid uniportal VATS lobectomy in mainland area of China in September 2014 and till now finished nearly 200 suboxiphoid uniportal VATS lung resection cases, Dr. Zhao was awarded the only one “Award of Excellence” in the Third AME Uniportal VATS Lung Resection Video Contest in 2015 in China.
As project leader chaired several projects including the National Science Foundation of China and so on, Dr. Zhao has published over 20 papers and involved in the preparation of 3 monographs with his highest SCI impact factor being 15.387.
Acknowledgements
None.
Footnote
Conflicts of Interest: The author has no conflicts of interest to declare.
References
- Gao S. Interview with Dr. Marcin Zielinski and Dr. Deping Zhao. Asvide 2016;3:199. Available online: http://www.asvide.com/articles/955
(Science Editor: Skylar Gao, JOVS, jovs@amepc.org)
Cite this article as: Gao S. Exploring different approaches in uniportal VATS with Dr. Marcin Zielinski and Dr. Deping Zhao. J Vis Surg 2016;2:80.