Blogs

The 2025 Society of Thoracic Surgeon Annual Meeting was an incredible experience.  Los Angeles was a beautiful host city and it was great to see the resilience of the community after the tragic wildfires that caused unfathomable loss of life and property.  

The 2025 STS Annual Meeting was my first, and it was a fantastic experience. It was incredible to connect with so many members and hear firsthand about the challenges and opportunities facing cardiothoracic surgeons. I truly appreciate everyone who stopped by the STS-PAC booth to show their support.

In December, lawmakers passed a short-term funding bill to keep the government running through March 14, 2025. However, last-minute chaos drastically reduced the size and scope of the year-end package, which resulted in many critical healthcare priorities being left out.

STS is proud to share key advocacy achievements from 2024 that have advanced the field of cardiothoracic surgery and improved patient care. These successes reflect the dedication and collaboration of our members, leaders, and staff in influencing critical policy decisions and advocating for the profession.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently finalized a new policy impacting the coding and reimbursements for 90-day surgical global periods. This change may impact reimbursement so surgeons and their staff should learn about the details of this policy going into effect on January 1, 2025.

Access to early cancer detection is crucial for saving lives. Unfortunately, many Americans living in rural or underserved areas struggle to access screenings.

The STS Annual Meeting is only a few short weeks away. Currently, we are preparing to gather for the 61st Annual Meeting of our Society, with the first being held in January of 1965 in St. Louis.

All medication strips and packages carry the date of manufacture and the date of expiration. As physicians, we know our date of birth and date of retirement. It is known as soon as you enter employment and maybe a few years different in various regions. Not preparing for a relaxed stress-free post-retirement life is inviting stress. 

As the government funding Dec. 20 deadline approaches, Congress is working to finalize plans for either a continuing resolution (CR) or an omnibus spending package. House Republicans are advocating for a CR that would extend funding through March, allowing the new GOP trifecta (President, House, and Senate) to have greater leverage in the upcoming year.

International medical graduates (IMG) are physicians who obtained their medical degree from a medical school outside the US. Moreover, US citizens who graduated from non-US medical schools are still considered international medical graduates.

As Lung Cancer Awareness Month begins, it’s important to reflect on the significant efforts made by STS over the past year to advocate for improved lung cancer outcomes and raise awareness. Key initiatives have included:  

It is time to reconsider the management of Aortic valve Disease (AVD) across the world. In South Asian and Sub-Saharan African nations, in low-income countries, AVD is treated with surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR). Patients receive mechanical valves. The population is younger than in high-income countries and the disease is different, mostly of rheumatic origin.