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At the 2026 Society for Cardiothoracic Surgery in Great Britain and Ireland Annual Meeting, leading surgeons presented on various cardiac topics, including the Ross procedure, aortic infections, and the branch-first technique.
Dr. Emile Bacha, Chair of the Department of Surgery and Surgeon-in-Chief at Columbia University Medical Center and Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital NewYork-Presbyterian, NY, USA, delivered a presentation titled “Surgical Management of Aortic Valve Disease in Young Patients.” He explored essential aspects of aortic valve repair techniques, tricuspidization of the aortic valve, the use of mechanical protheses in young adults, and quality of life. Dr. Bacha also examined the Ozaki procedure, allogenic heart valve transplantation, and the technical steps involved in the Ross procedure.
Next, Dr. Conal B. Austin, a consultant cardiothoracic surgeon at Evelina Children’s Hospital and St. Thomas’ Hospital, London, UK, spoke about the “Ross Procedure in Middle-Aged Adults.” His discussion centered on the EACTS guidelines for the Ross procedure (October 2025), the development of personalized external aortic root support (PEARS), the evolution of PEARS graft size over time, the advantages of PEARS, and the use of mechanical valves.
Dr. Morad Sallam, clinical lead and head of service at Guy’s and St. Thomas’ NHS Trust, London, UK, and an honorary senior lecturer at King’s College of London, London, UK, presented on “Aortic Infections Lessons Learned from 100 AGI.” He covered topics such as open or endograft aortic infections, infective aortitis (mycotic aneurysms/ pseudoaneurysms), the pathways for mycotic aneurysm and graft infections, and multiple case studies.
Finally, Dr. Wald Elmahdy, a consultant cardiac and aortic surgeon at Leeds Aortic Center LTHT, Leeds, UK, concluded the session with his presentation titled “Branch-First Technique in Complex Arch Surgery.” He shared insights on aortic arch replacement without circulatory arrest or deep hypothermia, the advantages of the branch-first technique, his personal experiences using the method, and additional case examples.
All presentations concluded with a Q&A session.
In March 2026, the Society for Cardiothoracic Surgery in Great Britain and Ireland held its annual conference, uniting experts in cardiothoracic surgery to explore the newest innovations in technology and surgical methods. Watch for more SCTS 2026 videos in the coming weeks.
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