2026 STS Workshop on Robotic Cardiac Surgery

Gain extensive hands-on procedural experience in robotic mitral valve procedures and robotic coronary revascularization in a realistic simulation environment. A state-of-the-art training facility fitted with surgical robots allows a true hands-on experience for every attendee. Expert surgeons with extensive experience in robotic surgery will offer guidance during hands-on procedures and deliver complementary didactic lectures.  

The course is designed for new teams interested in starting a robotic cardiac surgery program or early experienced robotic surgeons and teams, including bedside first assistants and nurses. The course consists of one day of hands-on simulation and one day of didactic lectures, case videos, and discussion.

Complete an application for the 2026 STS Workshop on Robotic Cardiac Surgery. As there is a limited number of spots available, the course directors will consider each application before sending an acceptance and registration link.
 

Course Directors   

Arnar Geirsson, MD, New York, NY  
Arman Arghami, MD, Rochester, MN  

Learning Objectives

After completing this workshop, participants will be able to: 

• Understand skills required to perform robotic cardiac surgery including mitral valve repair and coronary revascularization.  
• Identify the essential components of building a robotic team and securing the required hospital resources to develop a safe and effective cardiac robotic program.
• Increase their knowledge base of current evidence and surgical literature related to robotic cardiac surgery.
• Describe different robotic techniques and practice models.  
• Understand different peripheral perfusion techniques and myocardial protection strategies in robotic cardiac surgery.  
• Demonstrate understanding of advanced techniques in robotic cardiac surgery including concomitant operation, aortic valve replacement, and total endoscopic coronary artery bypass (TECAB).  
• Interact with experts in the field and become a member of the robotic cardiac surgery community.

Target Audience

Surgeons, bedside assistants and other team members with prior open cardiac surgery experience looking to start a robotic cardiac surgery program or team with prior robotic cardiac surgery experience looking to advance and/or add to their robotic surgical skill repertoire.
 

Prerequisites

Workshop participants must meet the following requirements:  

1. Be an attending surgeon and or on a surgical team interested in and committed to developing a robotic cardiac program or who have recently started a robotic cardiac program with interest in expanding skills and competency.  
2. Maintain full and unlimited credentials to do cardiac surgery at surgeon’s hospital of employment.
3. Hospital administration has committed support for the robotic cardiac surgery program.  
4. Proposed primary console surgeon for robotic MICAB has performed >250 CABG independently over their career.  
5. Proposed primary console surgeon for robotic mitral valve repair has performed >75 career intracardiac mitral valve procedure with or without surgical ablation and >40 in the past two years.  
6. Hospital with >250 annual open-heart cases.  
7. Maintain access to robotic block time at least two days per month.  
8. Work in a hospital with a dedicated team of cardiac anesthesiologists.
    

Agenda