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Prof Christopher Cao

Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon at RPA hospital, Concord Hospital, Chris O’Brien Lifehouse, Macquarie University Hospital and Sydney Adventist Hospital, Sydney, Australia

Professor Christopher Cao is a Cardiothoracic Surgeon based in Sydney, Australia. He graduated with First Class Honours from the University of New South Wales and completed a pre-internship at Yale University. His cardiothoracic training was in Sydney, followed by specialist Fellowships at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre and New York University Medical Centre.

Prof Cao specialises in da Vinci robotic thoracic surgery. He was the first Australian surgeon to complete a robotic thoracic fellowship and has performed the most robotic thoracic operations in Australasia. He has authored over 100 articles in international journals and holds a PhD from the University of Sydney focused on lung and pleural cancers. Prof Cao is a Clinical Professor at the University of Sydney and serves as a Consultant Surgeon at several major hospitals, including Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.

Prof Yin-Kai Chao

Chief of Department of Thoracic Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, Taiwan

Professor Yin-Kai Chao is a professor and chief of the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, Taiwan. Prof Chao is known for pioneering minimally invasive esophagectomy and is highly regarded for his expertise in thoracic oncology, thoracoscopic surgery for lung cancer, and da Vinci robotic surgery.

Prof Chao has received numerous awards for his work, including the Young Investigator Award and the President Award from the Taiwan Association of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery for multiple years. He has authored over 180 papers in peer-reviewed international journals and is recognised worldwide for his innovative surgical methods and techniques in thoracic surgery.

Convenor	Prof Chris Cao
International Speaker	Prof Yin-Kai Chao
11:00am – 1:30pm	THOR Breakout Session 1: Current Trends in Lung Cancer Management
Moderator: Prof Sean Galvin
A/Prof Tajalli Saghaie	Current bronchoscopy
Dr Jazmin Eckhaus	Lung cancer screening in Australia – how to prepare
A/Prof Phillip Antippa	Managing GGOs – my clinical approach
Dr Malinda Itchins	Current evidence on perioperative immunotherapy and targeted therapy
Prof Yin-Kai Chao	Robotic single port thymectomy and lung resection – how I do it
Mr Stephen Barnett	Neoadjuvent immunotherapy: surgical tips, tricks and pitfalls
Dr Farzad Bashirzadeh	Ion Robotic Bronchoscopy
Dr Jamie Santibanez	Robotic surgical assistant – how to get the most out of your team
Panel discussion: Challenges in the surgical management of early-stage and locally advanced NSCLC in Australasia
2:15pm – 4:30pm	THOR Breakout Session 2: Robotic Thoracic Surgery
Moderator: Prof Bruce French
Mr Fabiano Viana	How I started robotic thoracic surgery in South Australia
Mr Pragnesh Joshi	Robotic mediastinal resection – how I do it
A/Prof Cheng-Hon Yap	Robotic diaphragm plication – tips, tricks and pitfalls
Prof Yin-Kai Chao	Complex segmentectomies
Mr Stephen Barnett	Perioperative outcomes of RATS vs VATS segmentectomy
Prof Yin-Kai Chao	Intraoperative catastrophes – prevention and management
Panel discussion: Single-port RATS vs multi-port RATS vs VATS

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