Establishing a Sustainable Pediatric Cardiac Surgical Program in Guyana: An Interview With Rebekah Boyd

This interview focuses on establishing a sustainable pediatric cardiac surgical program in Georgetown, Guyana. At the 2026 American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) Annual Meeting, CTSNet JANS Editor Ali Mashadi, a medical student at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland—Bahrain, spoke with Rebekah Boyd, an I6 resident at Duke University, North Carolina, USA, to discuss this critical topic.

During their conversation, they explored Dr. Boyd’s interest in global surgery and Duke University’s contributions to the field. Additionally, they discussed her paper, “Establishing a Sustainable Pediatric Cardiac Surgical Program in Georgetown, Guyana: Early Outcomes Compared to the STS Congenital Heart Surgery Database.” They examined the program’s peer-to-peer model, its evolution, and the factors that contributed to its success. They also analyzed the differences in results compared to the Society of Thoracic (STS) database and the reasons behind those discrepancies. Finally, Dr. Boyd offers advice for establishing similar programs, shared key takeaways from this initiative, and provided guidance for trainees and early-career surgeons interested in global health.

At the 106th American Association for Thoracic Surgery Annual Meeting, surgeons gathered from around the word to discuss essential topics in cardiothoracic surgery. Interviews with leading surgeons addressing these critical issues were captured, and more interviews from the meeting will be available in the coming weeks.

At the 106th American Association for Thoracic Surgery Annual Meeting, surgeons gathered from around the word to discuss essential topics in cardiothoracic surgery. Interviews with leading surgeons addressing these critical issues were captured, and more interviews from the meeting will be available in the coming weeks.

Related Resources

1. Establishing a Sustainable Pediatric Cardiac Surgical Program in Georgetown, Guyana: Early Outcomes Compared to the STS Congenital Heart Surgery Database

Disclaimer

The information and views presented on CTSNet.org represent the views of the authors and contributors of the material and not of CTSNet. Please review our full disclaimer page here.