Asian Society For Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery 23rd Annual Meeting 2015

It is a privilege for us, on behalf of the cardiothoracic surgical community in Hong Kong to host the 23rd annual meeting of the Asian Society for Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery (ASCVTS). We are further privileged that this is the first time in the history of ASCVTS that such an event comes to our modern, vibrant city – the Oriental Pearl.

The theme of ASCVTS 2015 is "Shaping the Future through Innovation and Collaboration". This is to remind us that our future requires we adopt increasingly innovative approaches to address cardiovascular and thoracic disease and as "multidisciplinary team" working becomes the "gold standard" of medical care, we, as a profession, should instigate and shape the collaborations which will ensure the best outcomes for our patients.

ASCVTS 2015 will be a superb platform for us to reflect the latest scientific progress and to show the way forward. We again collaborate with the American Association for Thoracic Surgery in organizing our Postgraduate Course and the overall conference theme will ensure all aspects of cardiovascular and thoracic care are covered in plenary and interactive symposiums. We recognize the valued input of our associated professionals and there will be devoted sessions for our nursing and perfusion colleagues to share their current experiences and explore future challenges. Our future also relies on technological advances and would not be possible without the healthcare industry so we will have a technical exhibition and industry sponsored sessions which will keep us updated with innovation and hopefully stimulate collaboration.