2026 STS CABG Academy Agenda | STS

Click each day below to view the detailed agenda and faculty listing. All times Central. Schedule and faculty subject to change.

Day 1 - Thursday, Sept. 17

Time	Session	Faculty	Moderator(s)
12:30 – 12:35 p.m.	Welcome & Setting the Stage: Technical Mastery in Coronary Surgery	Mario Gaudino, MD, PhD New York, NY David Glineur, MD, PhD St. Johns, NF, Canada Sigrid Sandner, MD Vienna, Austria
12:35 – 2 p.m.	Session I – Coronary Anastomosis Masterclass: How We Teach It The heart of the matter - Principles of the distal coronary anastomosis End-to-side coronary anastomosis step-by-step Sequential anastomosis: side-to-side and diamond-shape anastomoses – step-by-step Don’t forget the proximal anastomosis Proximal anastomosis techniques: The “Classic” on the aorta Y- and T-anastomoses Proximal anastomosis techniques in off-pump CABG Common technical mistakes and bailout maneuvers Faculty technical pearls and operative videos Intraoperative quality control: Is your anastomosis good enough? Practical TTFM interpretation – identifying technical errors in real time When to revise an anastomosis: An algorithm for intra-operative decision-making High-frequency ultrasound imaging for coronary surgery Interactive troubleshooting cases	David Glineur, MD, PhD Joseph F. Sabik III, MD Cleveland, OH Michael Halkos, MD Atlanta, GA	Irbaz Hameed, MD, PhD New Haven, CT Bobby Yanagawa, MD, PhD Toronto, ON, Canada
2 – 3 p.m.	Session II – Conduit Choice & Grafting Strategy: Planning the Operation Which conduit for which patient and which target? How many conduits are actually needed? Do all angiographic lesions need to be grafted? Anatomic versus functional assessment in surgical decision-making Case-based operative planning discussions	Mario Gaudino, MD, PhD Jennifer Lawton, MD Baltimore, MD	Sigrid Sandner, MD Alexandra Kharazi, MD San Diego, CA
3 – 3:30 p.m.	Break/Visit Exhibits & Faculty Meet-and-Greet
3:30 – 5:30 p.m.	Hands-On Training
5:30 – 6 p.m.	Poster Competition	Faculty
5:30 – 6:30 p.m.	Welcome Reception & Networking with Faculty

Day 2 - Friday, Sept. 18

Time	Session	Faculty	Moderator(s)
8 – 9 a.m.	Session III – Advanced Grafting Strategies Radial artery integration into multi-arterial CABG Bilateral ITA grafting strategies Competitive flow and its implications for conduit selection When to use single grafts Sequential grafting: when it helps — and when it should be avoided Technical planning for arterial revascularization Operative videos: How expert surgeons build graft configurations	Mario Gaudino, MD, PhD David Glineur, MD, PhD Sigrid Sandner, MD	Joseph F. Sabik III, MD Bobby Yanagawa, MD, PhD
9 – 10 a.m.	Session IV– Surgical Management of Concomitant Atrial Fibrillation in Coronary Surgery Lesion sets and ablation strategies during sternotomy CABG Left atrial appendage management and exclusion techniques Energy sources, technical pitfalls, and procedural planning AF treatment during minimally invasive and robotic coronary surgery	Ralph J. Damiano, Jr., MD St. Louis, MO Armin Kiankhooy, MD Pasadena, CA	Robert B. Hawkins, MD, MSc Ann Arbor, MI
10 – 10:30 a.m.	Break/Visit Exhibits
10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.	Hands-On Training
12:30 – 1:30 p.m.	Lunch / Industry Symposium: Paradigm Shifts in Treating Afib for Coronary Patients (Sponsored by AtriCure)
1:30 – 3 p.m.	Session V – Getting Started In Minimally Invasive and Robotic Coronary Surgery Part 1: Who Should Be Your First Patients? MIDCAB Fundamentals: Patient Selection and Procedure Planning Case selection during the learning curve Part 2: Which Skills Do You Need Before You Start? Required technical skill set before starting a program Training pathways and proctorship Team development Part 3: How do you perform the operation? OR setup and positioning Port placement Robotic ITA harvesting: technical fundamentals Exposure and stabilization LITA-LAD anastomosis Key technical steps and pearls Part 4: Avoiding the Mistakes We All Made Early On Common beginner mistakes Managing intraoperative challenges Conversion strategies Building a successful minimally invasive and robotic coronary program	Nirav Patel, MD New York, NY Michael Halkos, MD Marc Ruel, MD, MPH Ottawa, ON, Canada	Chase Brown, MD, MSHP Moorestown, NJ
3 – 3:30 p.m.	Session VI – Hybrid Revascularization Which patients benefit from hybrid revascularization? LIMA-to-LAD Plus PCI: How I plan timing and procedural sequence Physiology and imaging-guided hybrid revascularization Hybrid OR logistics, heart team coordination Antithrombotic strategies after hybrid revascularization	Michael Halkos, MD Marc Ruel, MD, MPH	Nirav Patel, MD
3:30 – 4 p.m.	Break/Visit Exhibits
4 – 5 p.m.	Session VII – Building a Career in Academic Coronary Surgery How to build an academic niche early in your career Research, trials, and collaborative networks The role of professional societies in mentorship and advancement Leadership, visibility, and career development Maintaining balance and avoiding burnout How training programs can better support young surgeons	Mario Gaudino, MD, PhD Joseph F. Sabik III, MD Patrick Myers, MD Lausanne, Switzerland Jennifer Lawton, MD	Irbaz Hameed, MD, PhD Alexandra Kharazi, MD San Diego, CA

Day 3 - Saturday, Sept. 19

Time	Session	Faculty	Moderator(s)
8 – 9 a.m.	Abstract Session 1
9 – 10 a.m.	Abstract Session 2
10 – 10:30 a.m.	Break/Visit Exhibits
10:30 – 11:30 a.m.	Session VIII - Managing the High-Risk CABG Patient Who is the high-risk CABG patient? (LV dysfunction, left main disease, porcelain aorta, shock, redo surgery) Protected CABG: The role of mechanical circulatory support (Impella, IABP, ECMO, patient selection, and timing of support) Impella-supported off-pump CABG in severe LV dysfunction: How I do it Technical strategies to reduce operative risk (anaortic techniques, off-pump strategies, minimizing myocardial ischemia, and graft planning)	Joseph F. Sabik III, MD Vivek Rao, MD, PhD Toronto, Ontario, Canada	TBD
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.	Session IX – Five Papers Every Coronary Surgeon Should Know Interactive evidence-based review of landmark trials and contemporary studies that changed coronary surgery practice.	Mario Gaudino, MD, PhD	Sigrid Sandner, MD
12:30 – 1:30 p.m.	Lunch / Industry Symposium: Beyond the Bypass: Redefining Success in Combined CAD and Valve Disease (Sponsored by Medtronic)
1:30 – 3 p.m.	Session X – Challenging Cases in Coronary Surgery: How Would You Do It? Faculty-led case discussions integrating operative planning, conduit strategy, graft configuration, minimally invasive approaches, and intraoperative decision-making.	Nirav Patel, MD Christopher Lau, MD Chase Brown, MD, MSHP Giuseppe Tavilla, MD Marc Ruel, MD, MPH	Irbaz Hameed, MD, PhD Alexandra Kharazi, MD
3 – 4 p.m.	CABG Academy Finalists Showdown	Finalists & Faculty Panel
4 p.m.	Awards Ceremony & Adjourn	Course Directors

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