Welcome

President, the 30th Annual Meeting of ASCVTS Yutaka Okita (Kobe University, Takatsuki General Hospital, Japan)

Dear colleagues and friends,
On behalf of the organizing committee, we are pleased to invite you to attend the 30th Annual Meeting of the Asian Society for Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery (ASCVTS 2022) from March 24 (Thursday) to 27(Sunday), 2022. As the Covid-19 pandemic overwhelmed medical society, the in-person meeting of the ASCVTS 2021 has been postponed by one year. Unfortunately, the ASCVTS 2022 meeting is forced to be a complete virtual meeting.
In the Opening Ceremony, your highness Princess Akiko, Mikasanomiya will give opening words and invited lecture by Mr. Robert Campbell will follow on March 25 (Friday).
The ASCVTS 2022 promises to be a great opportunity to present advanced and sophisticated techniques in cardiovascular and thoracic surgery, exchanging knowledge and sharing valuable academic researches. The Asian Travelling Grant will not be provided this year because of travel restrictions. Eminent speakers from all over the world will share their expertise and remarkable achievements. A wide-ranging scientific program consisting of lectures, symposia, hot debates, and presentation on the most critical issues will be covered.
The patient safety lecture by Dr. Paul Barasch will be delivered in the morning of March 26 (Saturday). The postgraduate course in conjunction with the American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) focusing on the cutting-edge technology and innovation in cardiovascular surgery will be held on whole day March 24 (Thursday). The plenary session will be on March 25 (Friday). First joint session with the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) focusing the clinical database will be in the mornings of March 26 and 27 (Saturday and Sunday). First joint session regarding achieving academic careers with the European Cardiothoracic Surgery (EACTS) will be on March 27 (Sunday) afternoon. The 19th Roland Hezter International Cardiac Symposium will be on March 25 (Friday). The debate session by the 21st Century group is planned on March 27 morning (Sunday).
The Furuse award of cardiac papers and the AATS award of thoracic papers will be selected in each category on March 26 (Saturday) afternoon. The honorarium form the ASCVTS and AATS will be given to the awardees after submitting full papers to the Asian Cardiovascular and Thoracic Annals (AAN).    
We look forward to welcoming you to the ASCVTS 2022
Sincerely yours,

Yutaka Okita
President, the 30th Annual Meeting of ASCVTS
Kobe University, Takatsuki General Hospital, Japan