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2026 STS Advocacy Conference - Highlights from the Hill

Fifty STS delegates gathered in Washington DC, March 23-24, to help influence healthcare policy and champion causes important to CT surgeons and their patients. Learn how you can get involved with STS advocacy.

1 min. 57 sec.

Redo Surgical Mitral Valve Replacement Shows Long-Term Survival Advantage Over Transcatheter Valve-in-Valve

CHICAGO, IL — April 21, 2026 — A new multicenter study published in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery finds that reoperative surgical mitral valve replacement (rSMVR) is associated with significantly better long-term survival compared to transcatheter mitral valve-in-valve (mViV) procedures in patients with failing bioprosthetic mitral valves. While both approaches demonstrated similar safety and procedural success at 30 days, key differences emerged over time, particularly beyond the first year.

Apr 21, 2026

Thinking Thoracic with Dr. Rene Petersen

#20, S2 Advancing ERAS and the Evolution of Minimally Invasive Thoracic Surgery

In this episode of Thinking Thoracic, podcast hosts Hari Keshava, MD, and Erin Gillaspie, MD, talk with René Petersen, MD, of Copenhagen University Hospital, about the latest developments in Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols.

As a longtime leader and pioneer in the field, Dr. Petersen shares insights from his extensive experience advancing recovery practices. The conversation covers the broader evolution of minimally invasive thoracic surgery, including video-assisted approaches, and how these developments inform patient selection for tubeless procedures.

35 min

From the Operating Room to Capitol Hill: Why Cardiothoracic Surgeons Must Lead in Health Policy

As a surgical resident, I am trained to focus on what is immediately in front of me, the patient, the operation, the outcome. But stepping into a congressional office as part of STS's advocacy efforts offered a stark reminder: many of the factors that shape our patients’ outcomes are determined far beyond the walls of the operating room.

Apr 21, 2026

4 min read

Ahmad M. Hider, MD, MPhil

Susan Moffatt-Bruce, MD, and Elliot Servais, MD, from the 2026 STS Advocacy Conference

Susan Moffatt-Bruce, MD, PhD, MBA, Chair, STS Council on Health Policy and Relationships, shares how STS advocacy delivers real impact for members and patients alike – and how you can get involved. Elliot Servais, MD, discusses mobile lung cancer screening and how STS is influencing key policy decisions.

4 min., 26 sec.

2027 Inpatient Payment Proposed Rule: Key Changes and Implications for Cardiothoracic Surgeons

Last week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published the Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) proposed rule. STS has compiled a summary of the rule’s key provisions affecting cardiothoracic surgery.

Apr 17, 2026

2 min read

Molly Peltzman, STS Advocacy

#175; S6: Same Surgeon, Different Light w/ Dr. Stephanie Chang

This episode’s guest is Dr. Stephanie Chang, Surgical Director of Lung Transplant at NYU Langone Transplant Institute. Listen as co-hosts Dr. Sara Pereira and Dr. Cherie Erkmen explore how Dr. Chang’s childhood dream of teaching evolved into a career in surgical precision and innovation. She reflects on the moment a college biology class sparked her fascination with CABG, the mentorship that shaped her during training at Washington University in St.

45 min

Maximizing Your Team's Performance: Communication & Investment

All surgeons lead teams, and our ability to do this helps ensure effective and safe care for our patients. Maximizing team performance can be one of the more challenging aspects of our specialty, and yet it's something most of us have little or no formal training in. I think of two key aspects to helping your team function smoothly: effective communication, and investment in each member.

Apr 14, 2026

4 min read

J. Trent Magruder, MD

3 Essentials of CT Surgeon Resilience and Well-Being

Success as a cardiothoracic surgeon requires more than technical excellence. Sustained performance depends on intentional care of mental, physical, and emotional well-being—especially in a specialty defined by high-stakes decisions, long hours, and constant pressure.

The STS Wellness Institute is designed to support surgeons as whole people, offering practical, evidence based strategies that can be applied immediately and shared within institutions to strengthen teams and culture.

The final session in this five-part series—taking place Tuesday, April 28, 2026, from 8 to 9 p.m. ET—focuses on resilience and surgeon well being, addressing the realities of burnout while emphasizing sustainable paths forward. The session will be presented by Mike Klaybor, PhD.

Here’s a quick preview of what you’ll learn:

Burnout Is a Systemic Risk—Not a Personal Failure
Burnout affects many surgeons, impacting patient safety, decision-making, and career longevity. Chronic stress, emotional exhaustion, and depersonalization are predictable responses to relentless demands.
Cardiothoracic surgeons face intense stressors, from life-or-death stakes and demanding schedules to administrative burdens and emotional strain. This session reframes well-being as both a clinical and organizational priority, showing how addressing burnout strengthens surgeons, teams, and patient care.
Mindset and Daily Practices Shape Long Term Resilience How surgeons interpret stress, mistakes, and feedback directly impacts resilience. A fixed mindset can deepen burnout and isolation, while a growth mindset supports learning, adaptability, and recovery.
This session offers evidence-based strategies you can use immediately, including stress-regulation tools, techniques to move beyond perfectionism, structured reflection and peer debriefing, and setting boundaries that protect energy. Resilience isn’t about enduring—it’s about building habits that sustain performance while preserving purpose and identity.
Well Being Requires Both Personal and Institutional Support
Resilience doesn’t exist in isolation. While individual tools are essential, institutional culture plays a decisive role in whether surgeons feel supported or overwhelmed. Leadership modeling, psychological safety, humane scheduling, and access to confidential support resources all shape that environment.
This session highlights how coordinated wellness initiatives can drive meaningful change. For surgeons, this means permission to speak openly, set limits, and seek support. For institutions, it means recognizing well-being as foundational to excellence—not secondary to it.

Apr 13, 2026

2 min read

#175, S5 Choosing a Life That Fits

Season 5 starts here! Join Dr. Melanie Edwards, new host of The Resilient Surgeon, for the kick-off of season five with a “Live from #STS2026” episode. Hear from Drs. Jamie and Ross Ungerleider about work-life integration, and making choices that contribute to more fulfillment, joy, and authenticity in life. Listen today.

40 min.

#19, S2 Breathing New Life into Emphysema Care

In this episode of Thinking Thoracic, podcast hosts Hari Keshava, MD, and Erin Gillaspie, MD, talk with J. W.

40 min.

#174; S6: Same Surgeon, Different Light w/ Dr. Gianluigi Bisleri

In this episode, hosts Dr. Sara Pereira and Dr. Cherie Erkmen talk with guest Dr. Gianluigi Bisleri to reflect on his early training in Italy, a once-imagined path in music, and his fellowship at Columbia University. He shares insights from leadership roles across Europe and Canada, discussing his work advancing minimally invasive valve and atrial fibrillation surgery, training as a left-handed surgeon, and building programs from the ground up.

42 min

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