Published on 19 May 2025 | By Free Malaysia Today

Advancing cardiothoracic surgery in the Asean region

Institut Jantung Negara partnered with associations from Malaysia and the US to organise a three-day workshop on May 11-13.

Group photo with IJN and AATS

Teams from IJN and the American Association for Thoracic Surgery alongside workshop participants. (FMT Lifestyle)

KUALA LUMPUR: Institut Jantung Negara (IJN) recently partnered with the American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) and the Malaysian Association for Thoracic & Cardiovascular Surgery to organise the AATS Foundation Cardiothoracic Workshop.

Held on May 11-13, the event was aimed at facilitating cross-border knowledge exchange in cardiothoracic surgery – a field of medicine focusing on procedures involving the thorax or chest, especially the heart, lung and oesophagus.

It also provided valuable networking opportunities, with participants spending the first two days at IJN and the final day at Serdang Hospital.

“As a healthcare provider, IJN is proud to host this event because it reflects our commitment towards the Asean chairmanship of the country,” IJN CEO Dr Ezani Taib said in his opening speech.

Malaysia assumed the role of Asean chair on Jan 1, following an annual rotation system based on the alphabetical order of the English names of member states.

A total of 52 cardiothoracic doctors participated in the workshop, representing several countries: Indonesia (9), Vietnam (4), Philippines (1), Thailand (3), Myanmar (3), Malaysia (30), Brunei (1) and Bangladesh (1).

Live surgeries at IJN

Four live surgeries – three adult and one paediatric – were performed at IJN. (FMT Lifestyle)

During the session at IJN, four live surgeries were successfully performed – three adult cases and one paediatric.

The procedures, carried out by surgeons from AATS and IJN, included mitral valve repair, coronary artery bypass graft, aortic valve replacement, and the Ross-Konno procedure – a surgical technique used to treat aortic valve disease, especially in children and young adults.

The surgeries were broadcast live to the participants, allowing for real-time observation, interactive discussions, and in-depth knowledge sharing.

Speaking with FMT Lifestyle, Dr Nazeri Nordin, head of cardiothoracic and vascular surgery and senior consultant cardiothoracic surgeon at IJN, explained that the participants had received grants from the AATS Foundation to attend the workshop.

Established in 1917, AATS and its philanthropic arm, the AATS Foundation, are dedicated to advancing the field of cardiothoracic surgery.

“At the AATS Foundation, we’re very dedicated to global education and training. We strongly believe the obligation of those with knowledge is to teach others and, therefore, spread the knowledge for the benefit of patients all around the world,” Dr Joseph Woo, chair of cardiothoracic surgery at Stanford University, told FMT Lifestyle.

Woo is also president-elect of AATS and secretary of the AATS Foundation.

Dr Ezani, Dr Nazeri, Dr Woo