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Forward2026 STS Workshop on Robotic Cardiac Surgery
Activity Description
Gain extensive hands-on procedural experience in robotic mitral valve procedures and robotic coronary revascularization in a realistic simulation environment. A state-of-the-art training facility fitted with surgical robots allows a true hands-on experience for every attendee. The course consists of one day of hands-on simulation and one day of didactic lectures, case videos, and discussion.
Continuing medical education is not offered for this workshop.
This activity contains the Overall Evaluation required to claim a certificate of participation for attending the 2026 STS Workshop on Robotic Cardiac Surgery, held in Norcross, GA.
Target Audience
Surgeons, bedside assistants and other team members with prior open cardiac surgery experience looking to start a robotic cardiac surgery program or team with prior robotic cardiac surgery experience looking to advance and/or add to their robotic surgical skill repertoire.
Learning Objectives
After completing this workshop, participants will be able to:
- Understand skills required to perform robotic cardiac surgery including mitral valve repair and coronary revascularization.
- Identify the essential components of building a robotic team and securing the required hospital resources to develop a safe and effective cardiac robotic program.
- Increase their knowledge base of current evidence and surgical literature related to robotic cardiac surgery.
- Describe different robotic techniques and practice models.
- Understand different peripheral perfusion techniques and myocardial protection strategies in robotic cardiac surgery.
- Demonstrate understanding of advanced techniques in robotic cardiac surgery including concomitant operation, aortic valve replacement, and total endoscopic coronary artery bypass (TECAB).
- Interact with experts in the field and become a member of the robotic cardiac surgery community.
Ethical MedTech Compliance
This course has been assessed by Ethical MedTech and is compliant with the MedTech Europe Code of Ethical Business Practice and EFPIA Code of Practice.
Course Directors, Faculty and STS Staff Planners Disclosure Information
Unless otherwise noted, the individuals below have had no commercial relationships with ineligible companies in the past 24 months. All commercial relationships have been mitigated. (current as of May 12, 2026)
Course Directors
- Arnar Geirsson, MD
Columbia University
Commercial Relationships: Edwards Lifesciences, enableCV, Intuitive Surgical – Consultant/Advisory Board - Arman Arghami, MD
Mayo Clinic
Faculty
- Yazan AlJamal, MD
Mayo Clinic - Vinay Badhwar, MD
WVU Medicine - Johannes Bonatti, MD, FETCS
UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute
Commercial Relationships: Intuitive Surgical, enableCV – Speakers Bureau/Honoraria, Consultant/Advisory Board - Chase Brown, MD
University of Pennsylvania
Commercial Relationships: Intuitive Surgical – Speakers Bureau/Honoraria - Dominic Emerson, MD
Cedars-Sinai
Commercial Relationships: Intuitive Surgical – Consultant/Advisory Board, Proctor - Kaitlin Grady, PA-C
University of Chicago - Kelsey Gray, MD
Yale University
Commercial Relationships: Intuitive Surgical – Speakers Bureau/Honoraria - Michael Halkos, MD
Emory University
Commercial Relationships: Intuitive Surgical – Consultant/Advisory Board, Speakers Bureau/Honoraria, Medtronic – Consultant/Advisory Board - Michael Ibrahim, MD
University of Virginia
Commercial Relationships: Corcym – Research Grant, Speakers Bureau/Honoraria/Consultant/Advisory Board, Edwards Lifesciences – Consultant/Advisory Board, Intuitive Surgical – Speakers Bureau/Honoraria, enableCV, Atricure – Consultant/Advisory Board - Amalia Jonsson, MD
Emory University - Michael LaLonde, MHA, PA-C
Columbia University
Commercial Relationships: Edwards Lifesciences – Speakers Bureau/Honoraria - Anthony Lawler, PA-C
Mayo Clinic - Serguei Melnitchouk, MD
Massachusetts General Hospital - Stephanie Mick, MD
New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell
Commercial Relationships: Medtronic, Artivion – Speakers Bureau/Honoraria, Johnson & Johnson – Consultant/Advisory Board - Danny Ramzy, MD, PhD
UT Health
Commercial Relationships: Corcym – Proctor, enableCV – Consultant/Advisory Board - Robert L. Smith, II, MD
The Heart Hospital Baylor Plano
Commercial Relationships: Edwards Lifesciences – Research Grant, Other Research Support, Speakers Bureau/Honoraria, Consultant/Advisory Board, Medtronic – Research Grant, Speakers Bureau/Honoraria, enableCV – Speakers Bureau/Honoraria Brittany Zwischenberger
Duke University
STS Staff
The following staff have NOT had any financial relationships with any ineligible companies in the past 24 months.
- Scott Bradbury, Vice President of Education
- Kasia Chalko, Associate Director of Marketing
- Anne Friedman, Education Manager
- Caitlin Golden, Marketing Manager
- Meredith Herzog, Associate Director of Education
- Melisa Puthenmadom, Senior E-Learning Coordinator
- Elisa Robles-Gnet, Meeting Manager
Available Credit
- 14.75 Participation