Dear Sir or Madam,
Dear Colleagues,

    I would like to extend my warmest invitation to participate in the 12th Congress of the Polish Society of Cardio-Thoracic Surgeons, which will take place in Kraków from 26th to 28th of May 2025. Our hospitable city will welcome all participants with respect and joy, promising an abundance of unforgettable experiences. Before and after the Congress, aside from the attractive scientific program tailored for each of our esteemed guests, we will also offer a variety of interesting activities. Kraków is a city of kings, but also the kingdom of scholars, where the oldest Polish university has for centuries been the nurturing mother, a mecca for poets, bards, and philosophers, and a haven for the great artists of painting, music, opera, and theater.

    We expect that the carefully selected agenda of the Congress, prepared by the Scientific Committee, will meet the expectations of even the most demanding participants. Focusing on the innovative trends in contemporary medicine, our sessions promise to be as inspiring as those held at international gatherings of specialists in cardio- and thoracic surgery worldwide. We will not shy away from controversial topics that stimulate intellectual debate, nor will we avoid unresolved issues, with a multitude of innovative techniques in diagnostics and therapy.

    The invited speakers, who are luminaries in their fields, will share their knowledge and the latest scientific achievements, which will undoubtedly pique the curiosity of every participant. A provocative question will be whether the current collaboration between cardiac surgery and interventional cardiology is disrupting the inter-specialty balance, or if the role of cardiac surgery is becoming marginalized. What is the progress in aortic surgery, and in the left ventricular outflow tract? We will discuss innovations in techniques and the use of mechanical circulatory support, as well as the future of transplantation, new approaches to minimally invasive surgery, and robotics in cardio- and thoracic surgery. An essential part of our discussions will focus on the current state of oncology of the chest organs. We will address the most crucial issues in the treatment of lung cancer, with a focus on neoadjuvant and peri-adjuvant combination therapies alongside surgical treatment, as well as lung-sparing and minimally invasive approaches to lung cancer, the use of navigational techniques in diagnosing and treating diseases of the chest. Common topics for our surgical specialties will bring together colleagues, without forgetting the specific aspects of pediatric medicine. In this section, we will emphasize new solutions for complex congenital heart defects, particularly the repair of rare forms of transposition of the great arteries and left ventricular outflow tract issues, as well as challenging clinical problems in patients with a single-ventricle heart, both in adolescents and adults.

    The proceedings will therefore be fascinating, and no one will doubt that. But that’s not all that participants can enjoy if they extend their stay in our city. They will have the perfect opportunity to explore another, mystical side of Kraków. For Kraków is a city with a soul. It boasts a rich tourist offer with its magnificent monuments, museums, and the vibrant cultural scene with its theaters, cabarets, and concert halls. Here, one can sense the atmosphere of Wyspiański’s Wedding, Mrożek and Boy’s writings, the visionary works of Wit Stwosz, Matejko, the Kossaks, and Wajda, admire the imagination of Lem, Malczewski, and Witkacy, listen to the music of Turnau and Sikorowski, and again marvel at the ingenuity of Joseph Conrad, Szymborska, and Gałczyński, along with their poetic enchanted carriage, which can be easily found here.  All of this awaits you in Kraków. Those who decide not to come will surely regret it...

 

Prof. zw. dr hab. med. Janusz H. Skalski
President of the Polish Society of Cardio-Thoracic Surgeons