This special series on “Management of Airway and Vascular Invasion in the Mediastinum” is edited by Dr. Roberto F. Casal and Dr. Bruce Sabath. This series covers various management strategies for airway and vascular invasion in the Mediastinum and includes the perspectives of experts from different subspecialties (interventional pulmonologist, gastroenterologist, bronchoscopist, and anesthesiologist).
Dr. Roberto F. Casal is a graduate from the University of Buenos Aires Medical School in Argentina. Following his training in Interventional Pulmonology at MDACC, he became Director of Interventional Pulmonology at Baylor College of Medicine (Houston) from 2009-2016. He is currently a Professor of Medicine, Director of Clinical Research and Director of Advanced Bornchoscopy at the Department of Pulmonary Medicine of The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC), in Houston.
Dr. Casal’s research interest is focused in advanced diagnostic bronchoscopy as well as therapeutic bronchoscopy, lung cancer, mediastinal and pleural disease. Based on his multiple contributions to this medical field, he has been recognized with the “Geoffrey McLennan Memorial Award for Advances in Interventional Pulmonology” from the American Association for Bronchology and Interventional Pulmonology (AABIP) in 2015. He has also served in the Board of Directors of the AABIP from 2013-2017. Dr. Casal is currently a reviewer for all major journals in his field of expertise.
Dr. Sabath completed his medical school at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and internal medicine residency at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. He completed his clinical fellowship in pulmonary and critical care medicine in Washington, D.C. at the Washington Hospital Center/Georgetown University followed by a fellowship in interventional pulmonology at MD Anderson Cancer Center where he is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pulmonary Medicine.
Dr. Sabath specializes in the evaluation, diagnosis, and management of lung nodules and masses, malignant central airway obstruction, thoracic lymphadenopathy, pleural effusions, pleural nodules, and pneumothorax. He also has extensive experience in minimally invasive lung cancer staging. To those ends, he performs bronchoscopy (including robotic) with biopsy of undiagnosed lung lesions and adenopathy using endobronchial ultrasound, therapeutic bronchoscopy for tumor debulking and airway stent placement, as well as indwelling pleural catheter placement, thoracentesis, and medical thoracoscopy for management of pleural effusions and pleural lesions.
Dr. Sabath holds board certifications from the American Association for Bronchology and Interventional Pulmonology and from the American Board of Internal Medicine in three specialties (critical care medicine, pulmonary medicine, and internal medicine). He is a member of the American College of Chest Physicians, the American Thoracic Society, and the American Association for Bronchology and Interventional Pulmonology.
Series outline:
- Overview of Central Airway Obstruction
- Airway Stenting for Central Airway Obstruction
- Clinical Outcomes of Therapeutic Bronchoscopy for Central Airways Obstruction
- Management of Aero-Digestive Fistulas, the Gastroenterologist Perspective
- Management of Aero-Digestive Fistulas, the Bronchoscopist Perspective
- Anesthesia Considerations in Patients with Large Mediastinal Masses Compressing Airways or Vasculature
- Endovascular Interventions in Patients with Vascular Compression in the Mediastinum
Disclosure:
The series “Management of Airway and Vascular Invasion in the Mediastinum” was commissioned by the editorial office, Mediastinum without any sponsorship or funding. Dr. Casal and Dr. Sabath are serving as the unpaid Guest Editors for the series. Dr. Casal serves as an unpaid editorial board member of Mediastinum from April 2022 to March 2024.