About WSCTS

The World Society of Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgeons is a charity (Association WSCTS registered in Switzerland) and was established in 1990, and the inaugural Meeting was held in Chiang Mai (Thailand) in 1991.  The founding Chancellor was the late Dr Juro Wada of Japan, and Honorary Founding Members Christian Cabrol (France), Denton Cooley (USA), Charles Hahn (Switzerland), and Norman Shumway (USA).

​The founding concept of the Society was the need to have a truly international forum for the exchange of ideas and progress in clinical care and research, without geographical bias. Serving that concept, subsequent Meetings were held in different parts of the globe.

In 2007, Juro Wada conferred the Chancellorship of the Society upon Professor Stuart Jamieson (San Diego, USA).

Founder J. Wada, holding a world globe in his office in Tokyo 1989, talking about creating a big society worldwide. (Photo by Dr F. Benetti)

In 2020, Professor Stuart Jamieson conferred the Chancellorship of the Society to Professor Hermann Reichenspurner (Hamburg Germany). Additional leadership of the Society includes Dr Sotirios Prapas, Vice-Chancellor, Professor Vipin Zamvar, Secretary-General, and Professor Afksendiyos Kalangos, Treasurer.

Each year the Executive Board select a venue for the Annual Meeting, three years in advance. Consideration in this selection is given to the geographical area, with as yet unrepresented countries favored, and essential to the selection is a local Chairman who carries an international reputation and who is capable of organizing a Congress worthy of the Society. The Chairman of the last years Congress assumes the role of President for the ensuing year, and is President for the subsequent Meeting. At the beginning of the Annual Meeting the Chancellor of the Society confers upon the Chairman of the Meeting the next years Presidency.