Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2010; 58(6): 317
DOI: 10.1055/s-0030-1250163
Editorial

© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Letter from the Editor

M. K. Heinemann1
  • 1Klinik für Herz-, Thorax- und Gefäßchirurgie, Universitätsmedizin Mainz, Mainz, Germany
Further Information

Publication History

Publication Date:
07 September 2010 (online)

“… and NOW we are going to look at the originals!”

… said Richard van Praagh down in the basement of the Cardiac Registry at Boston Children's Hospital after the surgical residents had been pondering over descriptions and reports dealing with a particularly rare form of congenital heart disease for more than three hours. This experience characterizes Richard in a nutshell: never tiring, opening a can of diet Coke when pronouncing the word “NOW”, always eager to find the truth, constantly extending the limits of his and everybody else's knowledge. Aldo Castaneda, his surgical counterpart – if one may say so – is surprisingly similar: relentlessly looking for explanations, coming up with curative solutions, setting examples. I am not so sure about the soft drinks, however. It is hard to accept that both these giants of surgery for congenital heart disease did join the league of octogenarians earlier in the year 2010.

A lesser known similarity between the two is the fact that both have been installed as Honorary Members of the German Society for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Aldo in 1996 and Richard, together with his unforgettable wife Stella, in 2003. This was brought to your editor's attention by Rainer de Vivie and, with the help of Gerhard Ziemer, we lured both our dignitaries into writing a eulogy on each other. With one tucked away in the hills of Guatemala and the other one still roaming the streets of Boston, it could be taken for granted that they did not copy from each other – something a true scientist would never even think of anyway. The result were two beautiful short pieces which you find preceding this issue, each one written in the inimitable style of its author and characterizing the inimitable style of its subject. Well done, professors.

With such a cliff-hanger to start with, what could have been more obvious than to dedicate this issue to the treatment of congenital heart disease? Apart from papers reporting on more technical details and results, there are two manuscripts concerned with complexity scores and their possible impact on reimbursement policies in Germany. I would like to thank the group from St. Augustin for having chosen this journal, providing our readers with these highly relevant data. Christian Schreiber, our designated editorial board member for congenital heart disease, added an invited commentary, further emphasizing the growing significance of economics as well as quality control, both of which have become so important for all of us – and our patients.

Surgery for congenital heart disease always hovers on the edge of the exotic. It is not surprising, therefore, that a nice collection of highly individual short communications and case reports did accumulate over the last months which we can now present in a setting where they belong. Thus, with 16 contributions dealing with one major leitmotif, issue 6/2010 has become a true feature issue which should be enjoyed by many, including our two dignitaries, who have seen it all, of course, and taught many of us.

Almost twenty years ago, for instance, your editor was fed Greek delicacies in the maze known as the Cardiac Registry by a motherly Stella, only to be cross-examined by her minutes later on how to cite his co-authors properly. This was a stern and authoritative lesson he did never forget and which he now finds extremely helpful for his daily editorial obligations. May this issue therefore also serve as a remembrance of Stella van Praagh, one of the genuinely great teachers of all time. As for the boys: Aldo and Richard, please keep going strong. It is always reassuring that we can still ask advice from and have a good look at our true originals.

Yours faithfully, Markus K. Heinemann

Markus K. Heinemann, MD, PhD, Editor-in-Chief, The Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeon

Klinik für Herz-, Thorax- und Gefäßchirurgie
Universitätsmedizin Mainz

Langenbeckstraße 1

55131 Mainz

Germany

Phone: +49 61 31 17 70 67

Fax: +49 61 31 17 55 13

Email: editorThCVS@unimedizin-mainz.de

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