December 2025
Dear Colleagues,
On behalf of my esteemed Program Committee, it is my pleasure to invite you to join us for the AATS 106th Annual Meeting, May 2–5 in Chicago. I am delighted to share that the scientific program is now available and registration is officially open.
The AATS Annual Meeting remains one of the defining hallmarks of our Association, and interest continues to grow year after year. This year, we received a record-setting number of abstract and case video submissions, more than 2,200 in total, with significant increases across all tracks. The Program Committee has worked tirelessly over recent months, building on the strong foundation of prior meetings, to design a scientific program that reflects the extraordinary depth, breadth, and innovation of contemporary cardiothoracic surgery.
Beyond the science, the Annual Meeting is also a time for reconnection — seeing old friends and mentors, reconnecting with co-residents, sharing ideas, and forging new collaborations. Many of the most impactful professional relationships in our field begin with conversations at the AATS meeting. Chicago was my home for many years, and I am especially excited to welcome you to this iconic and vibrant city.
It is a profound honor to serve as President of the AATS. This Association is my professional home and embodies the core values of our specialty: leadership, innovation, integrity, mentorship, and respect for science. For the 106th Annual Meeting, I chose to emphasize three themes that I believe define who we are as cardiothoracic surgeons: leadership, collaboration, and innovation.
Cardiothoracic surgeons are inherent leaders. You cannot succeed in this field without leading teams, programs, and change. Collaboration is essential, particularly as new technologies and disciplines emerge around us. And innovation is the lifeblood of our specialty; we build on the work of those who came before us while continually discovering better ways to care for our patients. In this spirit, I am particularly excited to highlight several new and distinctive program offerings this year:
- A new symposium on the Norwood procedure, honoring one of the most transformative innovations in congenital heart surgery. Remarkably, some invited speakers were present when Dr. Bill Norwood first conceived his eponymous operation and will share their particular stories.
- A new AATS Congenital Valve Symposium, to be held on Friday, May 1. This is the only symposium in the world dedicated exclusively to congenital heart valve surgery. Leading adult cardiac and congenital surgeons will jointly present and discuss complex cases, with a strong emphasis on video-based techniques and cross-disciplinary learning. This ticketed event may be added to your Annual Meeting registration.
Following the success of last year’s Legends Luncheons, I am pleased to announce this year’s distinguished honorees:
- Craig R. Smith (Adult Cardiac Surgery)
- Richard A. Jonas (Congenital Heart Surgery)
- Douglas Mathisen (Thoracic Surgery)
Each has had a profound influence on our specialty and on my own career. These luncheons are ticketed events, so please be sure to include them when registering. In addition to our scientific programming, I have invited three-time Olympic gold medalist Shaun White to join us as a special invited speaker. Shaun White was born with Tetralogy of Fallot and underwent two open-heart surgeries before his first birthday. His story is a powerful testament to the lifelong impact of the work we do.
For the David J. Sugarbaker Memorial Lecture, I have invited Dr. Mohanbir Sawhney, Director of the Center for Research in Technology & Innovation and Co-founder of the Kellogg Innovation Network at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. Dr. Sawhney is a leading authority on innovation, AI in medicine, and customer-centric systems, and I am confident he will be a compelling and thought-provoking speaker.
This year’s Basic Science Lecture will be delivered by Dr. Azra Raza of Columbia University, a globally recognized physician-scientist, mentor, and advocate for transformative cancer research. Her extraordinary academic contributions, leadership, and commitment to mentorship exemplify the values we celebrate at AATS.
As I reviewed the final program, I was reminded of the excitement I felt as a cardiothoracic surgery trainee, reading the Annual Meeting agenda and anticipating what I would learn, hear, and take back to my practice. I hope you feel that same sense of anticipation and leave Chicago inspired, energized, and optimistic about the future of our specialty. I look forward very much to welcoming you to Chicago for the AATS 106th Annual Meeting.
With warm regards,
Emile A. Bacha
106th AATS President