Twenty-third Annual Meeting: The Society of Thoracic Surgeons

Twenty-third Annual Meeting: The Society of Thoracic Surgeons The Twenty-third Annual Meeting of The Society of Thoracic Surgeons was held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, September 21-23, 1987, with an attendance of 2,300 registrants including spouses and exhibitors. The Scientific Sessions were attended by 726 members and 209 guests, including 108 residents. Six hundred and thirty-eight registrants were present at the Twenty-first Annual Postgraduate Course. At the Postgraduate luncheon, Dr. Robert M. Heyssel spoke on "The Impact of a Competitive Health System on the University Hospital." CoChairmen Drs. John A. Burkholder and Gerard A. Kaiser and the members of the Committee on Postgraduate Education are to be commended for putting together an excellent program. Breakfast seminars were held on two mornings. Attendance at each session was limited to ensure informality and encourage member participation. The first breakfast session was devoted to case presentations of difficult problems and the second, to small clinical workshops on selected topics. The success of the seminars was due chiefly to the substantial effort of the Program Committee under the vigorous leadership of Drs. Joseph M. Craver and Ivan K. Crosby. Charles R. Hatcher, Jr.'s Presidential Address was entitled "There Is Life Outside the Operating Room," and will appear in a forthcoming issue of The Annals. The J. Maxwell Chamberlain Memorial Paper, "Palliative Reconstructive Surgery for Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome," was presented by Dr. John D. Pigott. His coauthors were Drs. John D. Murphy, Gerald Barber, and William I. Nonvood. Dr.George A. Trusler chaired the Local Arrangements Committee. Connie Trusler headed the Spouses' Hospitality Committee. They and their committees are to be commended for an outstanding effort to ensure the

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smoothly run program. Mrs. Trusler, and all the spouses serving on the committee, provided an array of excellent tours and a warm and gracious spouses' hospitality area. The Twenty-third Annual Reception was attended by 628 members and guests at Casa Loma, an old castle which was the party site, with entertainment by the 48th Highlander Pipers. The fourth Spouses Postgraduate Program was organized by Betsey Urschel. The attendance at this innovative program, "The Lively Mind," was 82. Dr. Jody Potts, author and Professor of History at Southern Methodist University, was the featured speaker. At the Annual Business Meeting, the following officers were elected: Hermes C. Grillo, President; George G. Lindesmith, Vice President; George C. Kaiser, Secretary; Robert L. Replogle, Treasurer; and Robert G . Ellison, Historian. Richard E. Clark and Hillel Laks were elected Councillors at Large. Thomas B. Ferguson continues as Editor of The Annals of Thoracic Surgery. A complete list of the officers, committee members, and society representatives follows this report. The Society extends its appreciation to retiring committee members for their service. A record 179 members were elected. These new members increased the total membership to 2,662. The Smith Bucklin staff are to be commended for their hard work and diligence which produced an outstanding meeting. The Circulatory Support 1988 meeting will be held February 6-7, 1988, in St. Louis, MO. The Twentyfourth Annual Meeting will be held September 26-28, 1988, in New Orleans, LA.

George C. Kaiser, M.D. Secretary