Comments on "Innovation and Excellence: Changing to prevail the Brazilian Cardiovascular Surgery"

About Technique for Planning Interventional Treatments

Early coronary artery disease as a complication of radiotherapy for Hodgkin's disease

Dear editor,

I have read the "Innovation and Excellence: Changing to prevail the Brazilian Cardiovascular Surgery" editorial written by Professor Walter J. Gomes ^{[ 1 ]}, and found it to be at the same time lucid and honest, as the story is told by its protagonist.

I want to congratulate the author on his tenure at the Brazilian Society of Cardiovascular Surgery (SBCCV), on his actions, and on his dedication to the causes involving cardiovascular surgeries, which are known to all, but are worth mentioning.

I reflect on an important topic discussed in the editorial: ever since I had the honor of being President of the Brazilian Association of Cardiovascular Surgery Residents (ABRECCV) in 2010, I have raised what I consider a critical issue in the cardiovascular surgery chain: doctors entering this specialty. That year, at one of the meetings of the Society of Cardiovascular Surgery of the State of São Paulo (SCICVESP), I had the opportunity to present an article entitled "Shortage of cardiothoracic surgeons is likely by 2020" ^{[ 2 ]}, which had been recently published in the Circulation and subsequently well-reviewed on the Heartwire Medscape Cardiology website ^{[ 3 ]}. The article predicted a lack of cardiovascular surgeons in the USA in 2020. However, we can say that this is already a reality in Brazil.

One of the great difficulties on the path to creating new services in cardiovascular surgery is finding other surgeons with the profile and willingness to implement those services. It seems clear that this happens because there are few of us. Therefore, it is essential that the next management team stand firm on the demands to waive the general surgery prerequisite and to improve the quality of training in residencies, which I believe would make our specialty viable in the future.

After talking with both young and older surgeons, it seems that we could consider creating a department within SBCCV that would provide guidance to surgeons (human beings raised behind closed doors, with little incentive to interact with the world around them) on how to develop and implement a viable project for service in cardiovascular surgery. The project would cover the basic needs required of the public manager, whether philanthropic or private, who wishes to invest in this idea, including: structure; human resources; protocols; trade negotiations with hospitals, health insurances, and cooperatives; guidance on legislation (decrees, laws, SUS); and assistance in adapting models to local needs.

Such department could go a long way in helping even to restructure existing services that have had their quality, spirits, and motivation diminish over time.

Congratulations to the Editor and the author on the services rendered to our cause. I wish them good health and Peace in 2014.

REFERÊNCIAS

• ¹
  Gomes WJ. Inovação e excelência: transformando para prevalecer a cirurgia cardiovascular brasileira. Rev Bras Cir Cardiovasc. 2013;28(4):III-IV.
• ²
  Grover A, Gorman K, Dall TM, Jonas R, Lytle B, Shemin R, et al. Shortage of cardiothoracic surgeons is likely by 2020. Circulation. 2009;120(6):488-94.
• ³
  Busko M. Cardiothoracic surgeon shortage likely by 2020, study predicts. Heartwire; 2009. Disponível em: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/706571.
  » http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/706571

Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  Jan-Mar 2014