Register Now for the 2020 STS Annual Meeting

Don’t miss out on the practice-changing science, hands-on education, and inspiring lectures that will be offered at The Society of Thoracic Surgeons 56th Annual Meeting, January 25-28, 2020, in New Orleans, Louisiana. Registration is now open, with early bird rates available through November 19, 2019.

The Annual Meeting program has been designed to keep surgeons relevant in a rapidly changing practice environment. Noteworthy sessions will address transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) in low-risk patients, building a thoracic robotics program, lymphatic intervention after congenital heart surgery, artificial intelligence/machine learning approaches for risk prediction, and how to get out of tough surgical situations.

Plenary Sessions Showcase Invited Lecturers, Important Science

In addition to the numerous parallel sessions addressing nearly every facet of the specialty, four plenary sessions will feature keynote lecturers, top-rated scientific abstracts, and the Presidential Address by Robert S.D. Higgins, MD, MSHA, surgeon-in-chief of The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland.

The opening plenary session on Sunday will introduce a new keynote lecture honoring Vivien T. Thomas, the surgical technician who worked with Alfred Blalock, MD, and pioneered the anastomosis of the subclavian artery to the pulmonary artery. The inaugural Vivien T. Thomas Lecture—focusing on the importance of diversity in medicine—will be given by Clyde W. Yancy, MD, vice dean for diversity and inclusion and chief of the Division of Cardiology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, Illinois.

The Monday morning plenary session will showcase an exciting presentation on the next generation STS National Database, followed by the J. Maxwell Chamberlain Memorial Papers, which will highlight the role of failure to rescue on mortality after cardiac surgery, intraoperative molecular imaging of non-small cell lung cancer, and TAVR in young and middle-aged adults. Dr. Higgins will then take the stage for his Presidential Address. Another plenary session that afternoon will include the Thomas B. Ferguson Lecture.

Tuesday’s plenary session will feature the C. Walton Lillehei Lecture by Bartley P. Griffith, MD, the Thomas E. and Alice Marie Hales Distinguished Professor in Transplant Surgery at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Griffith will speak about the journey toward a wearable pump lung.

International Sessions Highlight Global Perspectives

STS also has collaborated with medical societies from around the world to produce several unique sessions. On Sunday, STS and the Canadian Association of Thoracic Surgeons have developed a session looking at how approaches to surgery for advanced stage cancer differ between Canada and the United States.

The Society partnered with two European societies to create programming for Monday. The STS/European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery session will focus on bicuspid aortic valve repair with aortic root aneurysm, while “Getting Out of Trouble—Rescue Surgery after Common Nightmare Situations” will be offered from STS and the European Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Also on Monday, STS and the Canadian Society of Cardiac Surgeons will outline how coronary surgery can evolve to improve patient outcomes.

International attendees who need a personalized letter of invitation for visa purposes can complete the Visa Invitation Letter Request Form.

Ticketed Events Enhance the Meeting Experience

While your Annual Meeting registration fee includes all of the sessions mentioned above—and much more—you can take advantage of additional educational and networking opportunities by purchasing tickets to STS University, Tech-Con, and the President’s Reception.

Choose from among 10 STS University courses that will allow you to gain hands-on experience with different procedures, including a new session on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation cannulation. Tech-Con—which now offers the option to claim CME credit—will focus on innovative techniques and novel approaches to treating difficult clinical problems. The exclusive President’s Reception, held at Mardi Gras World in honor of Dr. Higgins, will provide the chance to network and get a behind-the-scenes look at how parade floats are built. Authentic New Orleans cuisine also is on the menu.

For pricing, housing information, and additional program details, check out the Registration and Housing brochure. The Society looks forward to seeing you in “The Big Easy"!