title: European guidelines on structure and qualification of general thoracic surgery.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To update the recommendations for the structural characteristics of general thoracic surgery (GTS) in Europe in order to provide a document that can be used as a guide for harmonizing the general thoracic surgical practice in Europe.
  
  
  METHODS
  A task force was created to set the structural, procedural and qualification characteristics of a European GTS unit. These criteria were endorsed by the Executive Committee of the European Society of Thoracic Surgeons and by the Thoracic Domain of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery and were validated by the European Board of Thoracic Surgery at European Union of Medical Specialists.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Criteria regarding definition and scope of GTS, structure and qualification of GTS unit, training and education and recommendations for subjects of particular interest (lung transplant, oesophageal surgery, minimally invasive thoracic surgery, quality surveillance) were developed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This document will hopefully represent the first step of a process of revision of the modern thoracic surgeons' curricula, which need to be qualitatively rethought in the setting of the qualification process. The structural criteria highlighted in the present document are meant to help and tackle the challenge of cultural and language barriers as well as of widely varying national training programmes.
authors.affiliation: St James's University Hospital, Leeds, UK.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brunelli
authors.forename: Pierre Emmanuel
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Falcoz
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: D'Amico
authors.forename: Henrik
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Gilbert
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Massard
authors.forename: Thomas W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Rice
authors.forename: Gaetano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rocco
authors.forename: Pascal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Van Raemdonck
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Congregado
authors.forename: Herbert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Decaluwe
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Grodzki
authors.forename: Toni
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lerut
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Molnar
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salati
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scarci
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Van Schil
authors.forename: Gonzalo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Varela
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Venuta
authors.forename: Franca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Melfi
authors.forename: Cengiz
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gebitekin
authors.forename: Jaroslaw
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kuzdzal
authors.forename: Gunda
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Leschber
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Opitz
authors.forename: Kostas
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Papagiannopoulos
authors.forename: Alec
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Patterson
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ruffini
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Klepetko
authors.forename: Alper
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Toker
mesh_terms: D005060:Europe; D006801:Humans; D009873:Operating Rooms; D012955:Societies, Medical; D013903:Thoracic Surgery / Q000193:education / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards; D019616:Thoracic Surgical Procedures / Q000193:education / Q000592:standards
keywords: Accreditation; Education; General thoracic surgery; Procedures; Professional affairs; Qualification; Structure