During this webcast, learners will evaluate the differences between open and minimally invasive lung lobectomy including effectiveness, complications, oncologic efficacy, quality and financial outcomes as well as the latest techniques for video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) lobectomy. Additionally, they will become familiar with the types of patients who are eligible for minimally invasive surgical interventions and will be able to evaluate the effectiveness of these interventions across the spectrum of stages of lung cancer.

Learning objectives
At the end of this educational activity, participants should be able to:

• Compare and contrast the risk/benefit ratio of minimally invasive surgery versus traditional surgery for lung lobectomy on quality indicators including length of stay, complications, oncologic efficacy and financial outcomes;
• Apply strategies to increase competency and support for minimally invasive surgery;
• Evaluate the effectiveness of minimally invasive surgery across the spectrum of stages of lung cancer;
• Identify barriers encountered by health care professionals in deciding which patients are eligible for minimally invasive lobectomies; and,
• Describe the latest educational techniques for improving outcomes from VATS lobectomy. 

Presenter
Thomas A. D'Amico, MD
Gary Hock Endowed Professor of Surgery
Chief, Section of General Thoracic Surgery
Program Director, Thoracic Surgery
Chief Medical Officer, Duke Cancer Institute
Durham, NC

About the presenter
Dr. Thomas A. D'Amico is a graduate of Harvard University (BA) and the College of Physicians & Surgeons of Columbia University (MD). He received training in General Surgery and Thoracic Surgery at Duke University Medical Center. After completing a Fellowship in Thoracic Surgical Oncology at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Dr. D'Amico joined the faculty at Duke University Medical Center in 1996. He is currently the Gary Hock Endowed Professor, Chief of General Thoracic Surgery, Director of the Training Program in Thoracic Surgery, and Chief Medical Officer and Director of the Thoracic Oncology Program of the Duke Cancer Institute.

As Director of the Thoracic Oncology Program, Dr. D'Amico supervises clinical and research programs in lung cancer and esophageal cancer. He is involved in improving safety and quality in patient care as a member of the Duke Quality and Safety Committee and the Perioperative Executive Committee.

Dr. D'Amico is the Ethics Editor for the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery and serves on several other editorial boards. He holds leadership positions in the Residency Review Committee for Thoracic Surgery, the American Association for Thoracic Surgery, the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, and the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer. Finally, he is active in the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), where he is a member of the NCCN Board of Directors and Guidelines Steering Committee, the Chair of the Quality and Outcomes Committee, a member of the Lung Cancer Guidelines Committee and Co-Chair of the Esophageal Cancer Guidelines Committee.

Activity planners
Sarah Chart, RN
Senior Director
OptumHealth Education
Eden Prairie, MN

Rebecca Gleason, RN, CCM
Activity Manager
OptumHealth Education
Eden Prairie, MN

V. Silverstein, MD
Eagle Creek Medical Communications
Durham, NC

Disclosures of relevant financial relationships
In accordance with the ACCME Standards for Commercial SupportSM, OptumHealth Education requires all those in the control of activity content to disclose their relevant financial relationships. An individual has a relevant financial relationship if such person (or his/her spouse/partner) has a financial relationship in any amount occurring in the last 12 months with a commercial interest whose products or services relate to the activity content.

OptumHealth Education ensures that the content is independent of commercial bias.

Ms. Chart and Ms. Gleason have indicated that they are employees of and own stock in UnitedHealth Group.
Dr. D'Amico has indicated that he is a consultant for Scanlan Instruments.
The remaining activity faculty or planners have no relevant financial relationships to disclose.

Method of participation
There are no fees for participating in or receiving credit for this activity.
For information on applicability and acceptance of continuing education credit for this activity, please consult your professional licensing board.

Participants will receive a certificate upon successful completion of the activity, which includes the following:

• Completing the entire activity
• Completing the Pre- and Post-Activity Assessments, Activity Evaluation, and Application for Certificate of Credit forms

You must be logged into your account to participate in this activity. Get started by clicking "Begin" and viewing the "CE Info"; then follow the prompts at the bottom of the screen. At the end of the activity, you will be able to view, save or print your certificate of participation. The Area of Practice you indicated in your profile corresponds with your certificate type. A complete listing of all of your activities can be found under "My Account", "My Activities."

Method for calculating CE credit
CE credit was calculated based on the complexity of content.

Accreditation Statement
In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by OptumHealth Education and UnitedHealth Group. OptumHealth Education is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

Credit designation statements
Nurses
Participants will be awarded up to 1.00 contact hour of credit for attendance and completion of supplemental materials.

Nurse practitioners
The American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Program (AANPCP) accepts credit from organizations accredited by the ACCME and ANCC.

Physicians
OptumHealth Education designates this enduring activity for a maximum of 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

PAs
The American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) accepts credit from organizations accredited by the ACCME.

Attendance
A certificate of attendance will be provided to learners upon completion of activity requirements, enabling participants to register with licensing boards or associations that have not been pre-approved for credits. To apply for credit types not listed above, participants should use the procedure established by the specific organization with which they wish to obtain credit.

Provided by
This activity is provided by OptumHealth Education and UnitedHealth Group.

Commercial support
There was no commercial support received for this activity.

Hardware/software requirements
To view this activity you will need Internet Explorer 7.0+ or Firefox 3.0+ with Windows Media Player 9+, RealPlayer 12+, or Adobe Flash Player 9+. Be sure to disable any pop-up blocking software prior to beginning this activity.