Abstract Submission

• Use these required section headings in every abstract:
  • Purpose - Briefly explain the goal of the study, the current state of research, and the quality gap, limitation, or clinical problem the work addresses. (50-word maximum)
  • Methods - Clearly summarize the study design, methods, or experimental approach. (150-word maximum)
  • Results - Present the key findings with enough detail to support your conclusions. One brief table with up to five columns may be included. (200-word maximum)
  • Conclusions - Explain why the work matters and how it may inform future research, strategy, or clinical practice. (50-word maximum)
• Tables - One table may be included. Accepted file formats are .jpg, .tif, and .png. PowerPoint, Excel, and Word files are not permitted.
• Images - One image may be included. Images must be 300 to 600 dpi at 3"x5". Accepted file formats are .jpg, .tif, and .png. PowerPoint, Excel, and Word files are not permitted.
• Use generic terms rather than product names.
• When reporting percentages, include the absolute numbers they are based on.
• Include at least two bibliographic references related to the abstract.
   

Eligible scientific abstract submissions may also be considered for award recognition during the submission process.

President's Award

This award honors outstanding abstracts from residents and early career investigators who completed cardiothoracic surgery training within the past five years. Submissions are evaluated for quality and potential impact on the specialty. The recipient will receive a $1,000 monetary award and recognition during a plenary session at the Annual Meeting.

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

This award recognizes original work by a cardiothoracic surgery resident or fellow enrolled in a US-based, ACGME-accredited cardiothoracic surgery residency program or congenital cardiac fellowship program at the time the research was conducted, including independent, integrated, 4/3, and congenital pathways. Previous TSDA Wilcox Award recipients are not eligible. The resident must be both first author and presenter. Poster abstracts and surgical video submissions are not eligible. Accepted Wilcox Award abstracts may be presented in the General Session or a parallel session. The winner will receive a plaque, a $500 monetary award, and recognition at the TSDA General Session, with possible recognition at the STS Awards Presentation held in conjunction with the Annual Meeting.
 

All submissions are reviewed in a blinded process to promote fairness and objectivity. The STS Annual Meeting scientific program includes oral presentations, scientific posters, and surgical videos. Peer reviewers evaluate each submission for scientific merit, originality, and the practice gaps identified. Reviewers for the 63rd STS Annual Meeting are STS members selected by the Workforce on Annual Meeting.

Conflict-of-interest and FDA disclosures are required before an abstract can be considered. If a potential conflict exists, include the name of the organization or company and describe the nature of the relationship.

• Each author must complete an individual disclosure as part of the abstract submission process. The submitting author is responsible for identifying all coauthors, and each coauthor will receive an email to complete their disclosure.
• If the presenter has a relevant conflict or potential conflict, they may not make recommendations about related products or services during the session.
• If commercial relationship information and FDA disclosures are not received from all coauthors by the submission deadline, the abstract will not be considered for review.
• For live presentations, all financial relationships with ineligible companies and all FDA disclosures, as defined in the STS Education Disclosure Policy, must be stated orally at the beginning of the presentation. A disclosure slide also must appear at the start of the PowerPoint. Speakers must explicitly state when they have nothing to disclose.
• For scientific poster presentations, all financial relationships with ineligible companies, as defined in the STS Education Disclosure Policy, along with any FDA disclosures, must appear on the poster and will also be provided in the STS mobile app.