title: Vascular Operations Performed by Cardiothoracic Surgeons: The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Survey.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Many cardiothoracic surgeons supplement their case volume through the performance of vascular surgical procedures. Information regarding this practice is not well defined.
  
  
  METHODS
  In January of 2013, a survey was conducted of The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) membership to assess the performance of vascular operations by cardiothoracic surgeons.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall response rate was 8.7%. Of the surgeons practicing vascular surgery, 60% were aged 45 to 64 years and 92% were male. Eleven percent of surgeons are board certified in vascular surgery, and 61% have been practicing 16 or more years, with 33% practicing in the southern United States. Twenty-two percent of surgeons stated that at least 30% of their practice was devoted to vascular surgery. Eighty-one percent of respondents would like to see vascular surgery training become part of the formal curriculum for cardiothoracic surgery education, and 90% said that cardiothoracic surgery education should offer a cardiovascular track with emphasis on thoracic and vascular surgery, including endovascular surgery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This survey provides expanded data on the performance and breadth of practice of vascular surgery by the STS membership.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina. Electronic address: ikonomij@musc.edu.
authors.forename: John S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Ikonomidis
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, Fairfax Hospital, Falls Church, Virginia.
authors.forename: Niv
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ad
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington.
authors.forename: Gabriel S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Aldea
authors.affiliation: Section of Adult Cardiac Surgery, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Argenziano
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, New York University, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Aubrey C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Galloway
authors.affiliation: Adult Cardiac Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Robert C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Hagberg
authors.affiliation: Adult Cardiac Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Robert L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Kormos
authors.affiliation: Adult Cardiac Surgery, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri.
authors.forename: Jennifer S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Lawton
authors.affiliation: Adult Cardiac Surgery, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
authors.forename: Tomislav
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mihaljevic
authors.affiliation: Cardiothoracic Surgery, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado.
authors.forename: T Brett
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Reece
authors.affiliation: Adult Cardiac Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California.
authors.forename: Elaine E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Tseng
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D004503:Education, Medical, Graduate / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012955:Societies, Medical; D066231:Surgeons / Q000193:education*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013903:Thoracic Surgery / Q000193:education*; D014481:United States; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures / Q000193:education*