Starting your first job, or making your first move, as a cardiothoracic surgeon is a big step. The right decision can shape your professional and personal life for years to come. You would prefer not to be that person who makes the wrong choice and who bounces from wrong job to wrong job for the next 10 years.
STS submitted a response to the proposed Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services (CMS) hospital inpatient rule.
Key highlights included:
Recommendations for improving the Transforming Episode Accountability Model, which will impact all coronary artery bypass grafting procedures at select hospitals starting in January 2026.
Suggestions for programs like the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System, global surgical post-operative data reporting, and the appropriate use criteria program for deregulation.
Examples of ways CMS can enhance data quality through standardized collection of unique device identifiers and improved imaging interoperability. Additionally, we continue to advocate for access to federal claims data to support long-term clinical outcomes research.
The 2025 STS Coronary Conference was held from June 12–14 in Chicago, bringing together more than 200 healthcare specialists from around the world. This three-day event was delivered groundbreaking insights and hands-on training for professionals involved in coronary surgery. “More and more, the concept of a coronary surgery specialist is emerging, and this conference supported that development by providing the education needed to acquire and validate the relevant skills and knowledge at each surgeon’s institution,” said co-course director Marc Ruel, MD, of the University of Ottawa Heart Institute.
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New for 2025, the Training Village offered attendees hands-on opportunities to build their skill set.
The conference featured a comprehensive program that focused on advanced surgical techniques, minimally invasive methods, and the latest technological innovations in the field. Attendees engaged with leaders in cardiothoracic surgery through lectures, panel discussions, and collaborative learning activities.
Each day included expert-led sessions covering a wide range of topics, including radial artery and BITA grafting, evidence-based practices, and technical pearls in coronary surgery. Participants also attended sessions on academic career development and minimally invasive, hybrid, and robotic CABG techniques. Highlights of the conference included keynote lectures, interactive case discussions, and surgical video presentations that allowed attendees to explore complex intraoperative and postoperative decision-making strategies in greater depth.
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Between sessions, attendees explored poster presentations and visited industry exhibits.
A key feature of the event was the introduction of the Training Village, a non-CME, hands-on learning space that featured cutting-edge surgical simulations and demonstrations and allowed attendees to gain practical experience under expert guidance.
The Training VIllage was organized into three stations:
Anastomosis Masterclass, which focused on advanced anastomotic techniques
Flow Measurement & Quality Control, where attendees practiced using intraoperative assessment tools to improve graft outcomes; and
Atrial Fibrillation Treatment, which provided instruction on left atrial appendage clipping and intraoperative Maze procedures.
“The Training Village was a great example of the conference’s practical component—emphasizing ‘know-how’ and ‘how-to’ over abstract concepts or theory, if you will,” said Dr. Ruel.
Throughout the conference, attendees participated in a wide array of engaging sessions, such as "Mastering Coronary Surgery: Expert Techniques," "Making the Most of Your Conduits," and "Which Kind of Academic Surgeon Do You Want to Be?" These sessions focused on developing both technical skills and strategic thinking.
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Dr. Brittany Zwischenberger (left) and her father, Dr. Joseph Zwischenberger (right), both presented at the conference.
By the end of the conference, participants had expanded their clinical knowledge, honed their skills, and networked with peers and leaders in coronary surgery. “As both a moderator and presenter, I left feeling inspired by the exchange of ideas and the shared commitment to advancing progress in coronary surgery,” said Brittany Zwischenberger, MD, of Duke University.
Chicago, IL – June 12, 2025 – The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) has launched a new mobile app that offers surgeons and multidisciplinary medical providers real-time access to its suite of adult cardiac surgery and thoracic surgery risk calculators. Designed to enhance physician-patient decision-making and improve patient outcomes, the STS Risk Calculator App is now available for both iOS and Android devices.
Host Dr. Sara Pereira sits down with Dr. Brittany Zwischenberger, a cardiothoracic surgeon at Duke University, to explore her remarkable career journey. Dr. Zwischenberger shares how she briefly considered majoring in Italian Studies before deciding to follow in the footsteps of her surgeon father and mentor. She also opens up about personal challenges—including divorce and single motherhood—and how support from her surgical partners helped her become a respected clinician, accomplished researcher, and the first female associate professor of cardiac surgery at Duke.
What were the most practice-changing thoracic surgery papers of 2024? In this episode of Thinking Thoracic, Dr. Linda Martin, UVA Health, and Dr. Jeff Yang, Thinking Thoracic co-host, spotlight top studies shaping the field, from groundbreaking lung cancer and esophageal cancer findings to surgical profession papers that impact how surgeons work and lead. Dr. Martin’s curated list is a go-to resource for surgeons looking to stay at the forefront of evidence-based care.
CHICAGO (June 4, 2025) — A new study published in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery, a journal from The Society of Thoracic Surgeons, finds that Medicare patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) who undergo surgical ablation during isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) live longer than those who do not, offering compelling support for clinical guidelines that recommend this procedure but are too often not followed in practice.
In late May, House Republicans narrowly passed a sweeping bill aimed at advancing President Trump’s domestic agenda with a vote of 215 to 214. The bill now heads to the Senate, where additional changes are expected. STS is actively engaging with congressional offices to raise several areas of concern and improve the bill:
Host Dr. Sara Pereira welcomes Dr. Ian Bostock, thoracic surgeon at Baptist Health Miami Cancer Institute and associate professor of surgery at Florida International University. Their conversation explores his journey from childhood in Mexico and his early passion for both biology and art, to an initial interest in transplant surgery—and how a serendipitous meeting at Starbucks helped shape his career path. Dr. Bostock also reflects on the importance of supporting trainees and early-career surgeons as they embark on their professional journeys.
In December, on the eve of our last winter break, medical students swarm the library like anxious ants, eager to hear advice from those who had survived the crucible of clerkships. Having nurtured an inclination for cardiothoracic surgery, I waited until the session was over to approach one of the panelists and get the insider information.
In the years since I traded the operating room for the classroom and microphone, one truth has become increasingly clear to me: leadership is not about command and control — it’s about connection and belonging.
Laurie Baedke, executive coach, founder and CEO of Growth Edge Holdings, and best-selling author, talks with Dr. Michael Maddaus about “stepping outside your comfort zone” to grow professionally and personally in this episode of The Resilient Surgeon. They address the challenges of promoting high performers into leadership roles without equipping them with critical skills like communication, accountability, and influence. Listen today.
