Asian Society for Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery

Asian Society for Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery
Name	Asian Society for Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery
Abbreviation	ASCVTS
Formation	1988
Type	Professional association
Headquarters	Seoul
Region served	Asia-Pacific
Leader title	President

Asian Society for Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery The Asian Society for Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery was established to promote clinical care, research, and education in cardiac, thoracic, and vascular surgery across the Asia-Pacific region. It serves as a professional forum linking cardiothoracic surgeons from countries such as Japan, China, India, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines with international bodies and academic centers. The society emphasizes peer collaboration, guideline development, and training initiatives to harmonize standards among institutions like the National University of Singapore, Osaka University, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, and Peking Union Medical College Hospital.

History

The society originated during a period of expanding specialized surgical services in Asia, with foundational contacts among surgeons affiliated with Osaka University, Seoul National University, University of Tokyo, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, and National Taiwan University. Early meetings featured delegates from China Medical University (Taiwan), Singapore General Hospital, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, and Philippine Heart Center. The formative decade saw exchanges with Royal College of Surgeons of England, American Association for Thoracic Surgery, and European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery to align training and credentialing. Over successive congresses, the society expanded its scope to include cardiopulmonary bypass innovations presented from Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, and Johns Hopkins Hospital visiting faculties, fostering multicenter registries across Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Christian Medical College Vellore, and St. Luke's Medical Center (Philippines).

Organization and Governance

Governance structures mirror those of other professional bodies such as World Health Organization-affiliated networks and regional medical associations. The society's executive committee has included leaders from institutions like Kyoto University, Yonsei University, Tongji University, and University of Malaya. Advisory panels often comprise representatives from the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation, Asian Development Bank-supported health initiatives, and national surgical colleges including the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons and College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan. Statutes define roles for a president, secretary-general, treasurer, and editorial board chairs, with bylaws periodically reviewed at plenary sessions attended by delegations from Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University and Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.

Membership and Regional Chapters

Membership categories reflect active surgeons, trainees, allied professionals, and emeritus members connected to centers like Prince of Wales Hospital (Hong Kong), Queen Mary Hospital (Hong Kong), Hospital Kuala Lumpur, and National Cardiovascular Center (Japan). Regional chapters operate in subregions including East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Central Asia with local coordination from institutions such as Chulabhorn Hospital, University of Indonesia Faculty of Medicine, Bangkok Heart Hospital, and Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital. Collaborative memberships link with national societies including the Japanese Association for Thoracic Surgery, Chinese Society of Thoracic Surgery, Society of Thoracic Surgeons (India), and Korean Society for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery.

Conferences, Meetings, and Education

Annual scientific congresses attract faculty and delegates from major centers such as Stanford University School of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Imperial College London, and regional hospitals like Bumrungrad International Hospital. Meetings typically feature sessions on adult cardiac surgery, pediatric cardiac surgery, lung transplantation, and minimally invasive thoracic techniques led by surgeons from Mount Sinai Hospital (New York), UCLA Medical Center, and Hospital for Sick Children (Toronto). The society organizes hands-on workshops in collaboration with training centers such as Asian Cardiovascular and Thoracic Institute and hosts joint symposia with Society of Thoracic Surgeons and European Society of Cardiology specialists to cover ECMO, VAD implantation, and hybrid interventions. Educational programs include fellowships and visiting professorships supported by partner institutions like Karolinska Institutet, University of Oxford, and Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital.

Research, Guidelines, and Publications

The society facilitates multicenter research networks that have produced registries involving Fuwai Hospital, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, and Apollo Hospitals. Collaborative guideline development has drawn on expertise from panels including members affiliated with National Heart Institute (Malaysia), Taipei Veterans General Hospital, and Christian Medical College Vellore. Peer-reviewed outputs are disseminated through joint supplements, proceedings, and working group statements in collaboration with journals associated with European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery, American College of Cardiology, and specialty journals with contributors from Mayo Clinic Proceedings and The Lancet editorial circles. Priority topics include perioperative myocardial protection, pulmonary resection standards, and transplant immunosuppression protocols influenced by research at University of Lübeck and Hannover Medical School.

Awards and Recognitions

The society honors clinical excellence and research with awards named for prominent regional surgeons and linked to laureates from institutions such as Osaka University Hospital, Severance Hospital, PGIMER Chandigarh, and National University Hospital (Singapore). Prize recipients often include investigators who conducted landmark studies at Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Sun Yat-sen University, and Nanjing Medical University. Lifetime achievement recognitions have been conferred on leaders with prior affiliations to Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, American Board of Thoracic Surgery, and national academies including the Indian National Science Academy.

Collaborations and International Partnerships

Partnerships extend to organizations such as the World Society for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Surgery, World Heart Federation, Asian Development Bank health programs, and university centers including University of Melbourne, University of Sydney, and University of British Columbia. Joint initiatives support capacity building in low-resource settings through exchanges with Médecins Sans Frontières-affiliated surgical training and technology transfer efforts coordinated with ministries of health in countries represented by Ministry of Health Malaysia, Ministry of Health and Welfare (Taiwan), and Ministry of Public Health (Thailand).

Category:Medical societies Category:Cardiothoracic surgery organizations