Simon Kendall reports from Bournemouth where the Society for Cardiothoracic Surgery of Great Britain and Ireland held their 2009 annual meeting from 22-25 March

The Society returned to the Bournemouth International Conference Centre for their annual meeting, and the nice weather helped everyone relax and enjoy the occasion. A record-breaking 490 delegates participated in a varied educational programme.

The Association of Cardiothoracic Surgical Care Practitioners held their annual meeting, and the Society of Clinical Perfusion Scientists held their committee meeting and inspection workshop during the meeting. The Database Managers also held their fourth annual meeting here. The Nurses Forum was more popular than ever and the Society was privileged to welcome Maura Buchanan, President RCN, to make the keynote address.

The Society’s first patient representative on the Executive Committee, David Geldard OBE, invited twelve local men and women who had undergone cardiacthoracic surgery, and were active in their respective patient support groups, to come and participate in the meeting. Their views were welcomed and the Society plans to continue with patient involvement next year.

Over 100 papers were presented in sessions that were well-chaired and well attended. The invited guests also made outstanding contributions. These included Sir Bruce Keogh, Medical Director for the NHS, who captured the complete attention of the conference with an address on the quality agenda for the NHS. Dr David Adams, New York, gave the Heart Research UK lecture on mitral valve repair. Dr Tom DeMeester, California, lectured on the history of en bloc oesophagectomy. Dr Alessandro Brunelli, Ancona, debated risk stratifi cation in thoracic surgery. Dr Friedrich Mohr, Leipzig, presented the current status of percutaneous aortic valve implantation. There were also presentations by Professor Alain Carpentier and Dr James Cox.

The annual dinner in the Royal Bath Hotel was sold out, and the fitting climax of the meeting was the presentation of a Lifetime Achievement Award to Sir Terence English, in recognition of his outstanding career in surgery and performing the first heart transplant in the UK.

Next year the Society will meet in Liverpool from 7-9 March 2010, details are available on the society website www.scts.org

Simon Kendall, Meeting Secretary
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