Abstract Submission

All session proposals must be structured using a provided template document and feature:

• 60-minute duration
• Full agenda with presentation titles and a diverse faculty (include speaker names)

NOTE: If presentations/moderators/speakers are duplicated across proposals, a session may be altered at the discretion of the Workforce on Annual Meeting. 

• All abstracts must be structured using the following section headings:
  • Purpose - Include a brief statement on the intent of the study and the current state of research in the field. Specifically, describe the quality gap (limitation or problem) within the practice of cardiothoracic surgery that this research addresses. (50-word maximum)
  • Methods - The methods of the study or experimental approach should be clearly and briefly defined. (150-word maximum)
  • Results - Provide a summary of the study findings, including sufficient details to support those conclusions. These may be presented in a brief table (no more than five columns of data). (200-word maximum)
  • Conclusions - Include a statement concerning the significance of the work and its implications for further research. In what way might the results of this project supplement or inform clinical or research knowledge or strategies? (50-word maximum)
• Tables: Up to one (1) table allowed. Files should be in one of the following formats: .jpg, .tif, or .png. (PowerPoint, Excel, and Word documents are not permitted.)
• Images: Up to one (1) image allowed. Images should be between 300 and 600 dpi at 3"x5". Files should be in one of the following formats: .jpg, .tif, or .png. (PowerPoint, Excel, and Word documents are not permitted.)
• Abstracts cannot contain product names; generic terms must be used when describing a single product.
• When percentages are used, the absolute numbers of derivation must be stated.
• Each submission requires a minimum of two bibliographic references related to the abstract.

Scientific abstract submissions are eligible to apply for one of the following awards: 

President's Award

This award will be selected from abstracts submitted by residents or young investigators who have completed their cardiothoracic surgery training in the past five years. These abstracts will be assessed based on quality and potential impact on the field of cardiothoracic surgery. The President’s Award recipient will be recognized during a plenary session at the Annual Meeting. If you meet the eligibility criteria, opt in during the submission process to have your abstract considered for this award. 

Thoracic Surgery Directors Association (TSDA) Benson R. Wilcox Resident Award

Potential award abstracts must represent original work by a cardiothoracic surgery resident enrolled in a US-based, ACGME-accredited cardiothoracic surgery residency program at the time the research was conducted. General surgery residents and previous TSDA Wilcox Award recipients are not eligible. Residents enrolled in their first four years of a 4/3 track are not eligible to apply; residents enrolled in their last three years of a 4/3 track are eligible to apply. The resident must be the first author and abstract presenter. Those who wish to be considered for this award should check the designated box when applying through the online abstract submission system. Poster abstracts and surgical video submissions are not eligible for the Wilcox Award. Wilcox Award abstracts may be accepted for presentation in the STS Annual Meeting General Session or in a parallel session. The Wilcox Award recipient will be recognized at the TSDA General Session and during a plenary session at the Annual Meeting. If you meet the eligibility criteria, opt in during the submission process to have your abstract considered for this award. 

To ensure fairness, submissions are read and graded in a blinded fashion with no references to authors or institutions. The STS Annual Meeting scientific program will include oral presentations, scientific posters, and surgical videos. Submissions are reviewed by peer reviewers based on scientific merit, originality, and practice gaps identified. STS members have been selected by the Workforce on Annual Meeting to serve as reviewers for the 62nd STS Annual Meeting.

Conflict of interest and FDA disclosure are required before an abstract will be accepted for consideration. If a potential conflict of interest exists, be sure to include the name of the organization/company and the nature of the potential conflict.

• Each author must submit their individual disclosure when completing the abstract submission.
  It is the responsibility of the submitting author to identify each coauthor on the abstract.  Upon submission of the abstract, an email will be sent to each coauthor, who will then be responsible for submitting their individual disclosure.
• If the presenter has any relationship posing a conflict or potential conflict relevant to their session, they may not make any recommendations regarding relevant products or services as part of that session.
• If commercial relationships information and FDA disclosures are not received from all coauthors by the abstract submission deadline, the abstract will not be considered for review.
• For live presentations, all relationships with commercial interests and FDA disclosures, as defined in the STS Education Disclosure Policy, must be stated orally to the audience at the beginning of each presentation. In addition, a slide at the beginning of the PowerPoint presentation must be used to reveal the nature of the disclosure(s). This commercial relationship and FDA disclosure information will be noted in published materials. Speakers are required to communicate that they have nothing to disclose, if that is the case.
• For scientific poster presentations, all financial relationships with ineligible companies, as defined in the STS Education Disclosure Policy, must be displayed on each scientific poster along with any FDA disclosures. This disclosure information also will be provided in the STS mobile app.