Tri-Society Cardiac & Thoracic Symposium 2022 (3SCTS 2022)

Introduction

The Tri-Society Cardiac & Thoracic Symposium 2022 (3SCTS 2022) was an inaugural multidisciplinary cardiothoracic scientific meeting bringing together surgeons, perfusionists, anesthetists, and allied specialists involved in the care of complex cardiac and thoracic patients.

Held from 16–19 November 2022 at the Cairns Convention Centre in Cairns, the symposium was organized collaboratively by:

• Australian and New Zealand Society of Cardiac & Thoracic Surgeons (ANZSCTS)
• Cardiac Thoracic Vascular Perfusion Special Interest Group (CTVP SIG – ACE)
• Australian and New Zealand College of Perfusionists (ANZCP)

The symposium was also conducted in conjunction with the International Society for Minimally Invasive Cardiothoracic Surgery (ISMICS) 2022 Workshop.

Under the theme “Back to the Future: Lessons from the Past, Prospects for the Future”, the meeting focused on multidisciplinary collaboration, minimally invasive cardiothoracic innovation, perfusion science, surgical education, and integrated perioperative cardiovascular care.

Symposium Overview

3SCTS 2022 was designed to unify multiple specialties involved in cardiothoracic patient management through:

• Multidisciplinary scientific lectures
• Panel discussions
• Practical workshops
• Simulation-based education
• Hands-on wetlabs
• Minimally invasive surgery training
• Perfusion-focused education
• Cardiothoracic procedural innovation
• Team-based perioperative care discussions

The scientific program covered the full spectrum of contemporary cardiothoracic surgery, anesthesia, perfusion, and perioperative cardiovascular medicine.

Why This Symposium Was Important

Modern cardiothoracic patients increasingly present with:

• Complex coronary artery disease
• Structural heart disease
• Advanced heart failure
• Thoracic malignancies
• Multisystem perioperative challenges
• High-risk surgical and minimally invasive procedural needs

Managing these patients requires highly coordinated multidisciplinary care involving:

• Cardiothoracic surgeons
• Cardiac anesthesiologists
• Perfusionists
• Intensivists
• Structural heart specialists
• Minimally invasive surgical teams
• Allied cardiovascular professionals

3SCTS 2022 addressed these evolving demands by fostering collaboration across specialties while emphasizing innovation, procedural excellence, scientific education, and integrated patient-centered care.

What Participants Learned

Participants attending 3SCTS 2022 strengthened their expertise in contemporary cardiothoracic and perioperative cardiovascular practice.

Learning objectives included:

• Applying modern cardiothoracic surgical techniques
• Understanding advances in minimally invasive cardiac surgery
• Optimizing perfusion strategies during cardiac surgery
• Improving multidisciplinary perioperative teamwork
• Integrating simulation-based procedural learning
• Managing complex cardiac and thoracic surgical patients
• Evaluating innovative cardiothoracic technologies
• Understanding evolving extracorporeal circulation techniques
• Applying evidence-based perioperative cardiovascular care
• Enhancing patient safety and procedural outcomes

The symposium integrated cardiothoracic surgery, perfusion science, minimally invasive procedures, perioperative medicine, and team-based cardiovascular care into a comprehensive educational platform.

Core Topics & Educational Areas

Cardiothoracic Surgery

Coronary Artery Surgery

Valve Surgery

Aortic Surgery

Thoracic Surgical Procedures

Complex Cardiothoracic Operations

Minimally Invasive Cardiothoracic Surgery

Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery

Thoracoscopic Approaches

Robotic Cardiothoracic Procedures

Hybrid Surgical Techniques

ISMICS Workshop Education

Perfusion Science

Cardiopulmonary Bypass Management

Extracorporeal Circulation

Perfusion Safety Strategies

Mechanical Circulatory Support

Advanced Perfusion Technologies

Cardiac Anesthesia & Perioperative Care

Hemodynamic Monitoring

Intraoperative Echocardiography

Cardiovascular Critical Care

Enhanced Recovery Strategies

Perioperative Patient Optimization

Simulation & Hands-On Education

Wetlab Training

Procedural Simulations

Technical Skill Development

Team-Based Crisis Management

Interactive Procedural Workshops

Multidisciplinary Team Care

Surgeon–Perfusionist Collaboration

Cardiac OR Team Dynamics

Integrated Perioperative Decision-Making

Communication & Patient Safety

Innovation & Emerging Technologies

Structural Heart Interventions

Hybrid Cardiovascular Procedures

New Surgical Devices

Advanced Imaging Integration

Future Directions in Cardiothoracic Care

Scientific Research & Collaboration

Translational Cardiovascular Research

Surgical Outcome Studies

Perfusion Research

International Knowledge Exchange

Educational Experience & Learning Features

3SCTS 2022 combined scientific cardiothoracic education with practical procedural learning and multidisciplinary collaboration.

Educational features included:

• International and regional expert faculty
• Multidisciplinary panel discussions
• Hands-on wetlabs and workshops
• Simulation-based learning
• Minimally invasive surgery training
• Cardiopulmonary bypass education
• Interactive case discussions
• Cross-specialty collaborative learning
• ISMICS partnership sessions
• International networking opportunities

The symposium integrated surgery, perfusion, perioperative medicine, simulation education, and minimally invasive innovation into a highly collaborative learning environment.

Who Should Attend

3SCTS 2022 was designed for healthcare professionals involved in cardiac and thoracic surgical care.

This symposium was especially valuable for:

• Cardiothoracic surgeons
• Cardiac anesthesiologists
• Perfusionists
• Cardiovascular intensivists
• Thoracic surgeons
• Structural heart specialists
• Cardiovascular trainees and fellows
• Operating room teams
• Allied perioperative professionals
• Researchers in cardiothoracic medicine

The curriculum was particularly relevant for clinicians seeking multidisciplinary updates in cardiothoracic surgery, perfusion science, and minimally invasive cardiovascular care.

Clinical Applications & Practice Benefits

3SCTS 2022 provided practical education focused on improving outcomes in complex cardiac and thoracic surgical patients.

Participants gained practical insight into:

• Minimally invasive surgical approaches
• Perfusion optimization strategies
• Cardiopulmonary bypass safety
• Team-based perioperative care
• Advanced hemodynamic management
• Surgical simulation training
• Emerging cardiothoracic technologies
• Multidisciplinary cardiovascular collaboration
• Complex procedural planning
• Evidence-based perioperative patient management

The educational content strengthened both procedural expertise and collaborative cardiothoracic care delivery.

Professional Summary

The Tri-Society Cardiac & Thoracic Symposium 2022 (3SCTS 2022) represented a landmark multidisciplinary scientific meeting uniting cardiothoracic surgeons, perfusionists, anesthetists, and allied cardiovascular professionals in a collaborative educational environment.

Held in Cairns and organized by the Australian and New Zealand Society of Cardiac & Thoracic Surgeons, Cardiac Thoracic Vascular Perfusion Special Interest Group, and Australian and New Zealand College of Perfusionists, the symposium explored modern cardiothoracic surgery, minimally invasive techniques, perfusion science, perioperative care, and integrated cardiovascular teamwork.

Its combination of scientific lectures, practical workshops, wetlabs, simulations, and multidisciplinary collaboration made 3SCTS 2022 a highly valuable educational event for clinicians involved in cardiothoracic and perioperative cardiovascular medicine.