OLV Clinic
Adult Cardiac
Member Since: 2007
Biography:
Filip P. Casselman, MD, PhD, FEBCTS, who is also a certified Sommelier, has been trained in General and Cardiac Surgery at the University of Leuven, Belgium (1991-1997). He continued his training with a fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation (1997-1998) and at the St Antonius Hospital in Nieuwegein, The Netherlands (1999-2000). Since 2001 he is working in the department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery at the OLV Clinic in Aalst, Belgium (Founder Dr. Hugo Vanermen) and is currently co-director of the Cardiovascular Center Aalst.
His interests include minimally invasive surgery (robotic and videoscopic), valvular reconstructive surgery, percutaneous valve replacement and arrhythmia surgery. He is actively involved in cardiac clinical research and has participated in multiple multicenter trials (including Syntax trial, Partner and Prevail trial, Fame 3). He is (co)author of more than 150 articles in peer-reviewed journals and has given more than 280 presentations at international meetings.
He is a member of the Belgian Association of CardioThoracic Surgery, the European Association of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery, the International Society of Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery, the Society of Thoracic Surgeons and the American Association of Thoracic Surgery.
He is the current Chair of the Acquired Domain and a member of the Council in EACTS (2022-2025).
What Does the AATS Mean to You:
AATS is a highly scientific organisation with a long history. The organisation in itself runs parallel with the history of cardiac surgery. All surgeons that have had an impact in the development and evolution of cardiac surgery have also played major roles in the AATS. I am truly impressed each time I attend the meeting. You walk among the giants of cardiac surgery, hear their presentations and learn from them. That is truly a unique experience.
My First Experience with AATS:
The first time I attended the annual meeting was in Boston in 1995. I was a fourth year general surgery resident and had just been accepted to start a cardiac surgical training at the Catholic University in Leuven, Belgium later that year. I wanted to start 'prepared' and therefore attended the meeting. Needless to say that I was overwhelmed by the meeting and its content. I probably didn't understand more than 50 % of all presentations as they were too complicated for my level at that time. However, that meeting did mean an enormous stimulus for full engagement in my training and later on as well as understanding the need of staying involved in (clinical) research.
Why I became an AATS member:
Attending an associations' meeting is one thing but becoming a member certainly is another level. As a member you are more involved and aware of what is really going on in the association. Also, the impact on your personal career is more intense and you are pushed forward by the other ambitious members that all aim to be and do the best they can. Being a member of a highly scientific association works contagiously on your own career and goals.
The most impactful presentation I have seen at an AATS meeting:
That is a very difficult question. Over the years I have attended so many meetings and in many of them real earthquaking presentations have been given. It would not be fair to pick out one as this would dishonor many others. However, I do have to admit I was very impressed by the Presidential addresses of Delos Cosgrove and Bruce Lytle, 2 of my mentors during my fellowship at The Cleveland Clinic Foundation.
The first presentation I gave is:
Our centers' first presentation was Endoscopic mitral valve surgery: feasible, reproducible and durable. This was given at the eigthy-second annual meeting in Washington in 2002. The lecture and paper were extremely well received and also had a considerable impact as Aalst was (together with Leipzig) among the early adopters of minimally invasive mitral valve surgery.
The first paper I had published is:
The first paper ever I have published in English was a case report in the Annals of Thoracic Surgery. A left pulmonary artery aneurysm was replaced by an allograft and this was published in 1995 volume 60 pages 1423 to 25. It took me a long time and multiple versions but I was so proud at the time of publication. That feeling stayed with me for a long time and could not be replaced at any cost.
I plan on becoming more involved in the organization through:
As an international member it is not so easy to be heavily involved in the various committees as this requires meeting outside the annual meeting from time to time. I do however try my best in contributing as a reviewer or assume with pleasure an active role at the annual meeting such as moderator, invited discussant, panellist or other.
A significant case/patient interaction that impacted my career is:
Each and every time I talk to patients at the outpatient clinic, I am impressed by many of them when confronted with the fear they live confronting a cardiac operation. These people are living a difficult moment and they are scared for the unknown. It is a wonderful feeling when you can help them, reassuring there is a solution for their problem and that you will do your best to bring everything to a positive end. The view of the relief in their eyes and body language is an extremely rewarding moment and my daily fuel to keep on giving the best of myself to help these people."
My career in CT Surgery was inspired by:
As a medical student I have been attracted to and impressed by the cardiovascular system from the start. It was relatively quickly decided that this would be the field that attracted me most. Being the son of a urologist, I was also attracted quite early to surgery. Hence, cardiovascular surgery was relatively quickly decided. The evolution in both disciplines however resulted in a split in cardiac and vascular surgery. The physiology and enigma around 'the heart' influenced my final choice for cardiac surgery, a decision I have not regretted one second.
A significant case/patient interaction that impacted my career is:
Each and every time I talk to patients at the outpatient clinic, I am impressed by many of them when confronted with the fear they live confronting a cardiac operation. These people are living a difficult moment and they are scared for the unknown. It is a wonderful feeling when you can help them, reassuring there is a solution for their problem and that you will do your best to bring everything to a positive end. The view of the relief in their eyes and body language is an extremely rewarding moment and my daily fuel to keep on giving the best of myself to help these people.
The biggest impact my mentor had on my career is:
Cardiac surgery is a complex procedure in which every detail counts. A well prepared surgeon should have a plan A, a plan B and eventually also a plan C in case 'everything goes wrong'. Starting a surgical case well prepared is very important as 'failure to prepare is preparing to fail'. Applying this scrutinous approach to every case is essential (also in my mind now) and can influence many procedures positively.
The topic most important to advancing the field of CT Surgery is:
I think that the cardiac surgical community has to invest continuously in less agressive/minimally invasive approaches and procedures for the well-being of the patient but without compromising the result of the procedure or 'downsizing' the pathology. This is very important in my mind is you most often get only one chance to solve a patients' problem.
I also think that the application of Artificial Intelligence will impact our profession considerably in the years to come.
The most pressing issues impacting CT surgery are:
The fields of cardiac surgery and interventional cardiology are converging progressively towards a similar goal. Heart team discussions are vital for correct decision making and it is important that both disciplines 'speak the same language'. We should know much better how cardiologists work and what they are capable of. The same applies to them considering our discipline. I am still confronted from time to time with ignorance regarding our surgical options. We as surgeons should embrace transcatheter techniques not only to stay involved in that field but also to allow closing the gap I just described. In that sense I think that many more centers should merge cardiology and cardiac surgery in one 'Heart Center', a decision that was executed about 3 years ago in our institution. Although I was initially sceptical myself, I have to admit this greatly facilitates patient discussions and turns out to be a very good move.
Advice for Trainees:
A training period is a tough period but it creates the basis of what will determine your entire career. It is therefore a crucial time of your life. Work hard, keep your eyes open and steel as much as you can with your eyes. Be loyal for the people that help and train you and stay scientifically involved. But above all, don't forget to pay enough attention to the people who love you. They live a hard time too.