General thoracic surgery and the Southern Thoracic Surgical Association: the second 25 years

Abstract

When one reviews the most recent 25 years of general thoracic history several subjects predominate: video-assisted thoracoscopy (VATS), lung transplantation, lung volume reduction surgery, and the use of new tools in the staging of thoracic malignancies such as positron emission tomography (PET), endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS), and molecular staging. Members of the Southern Thoracic Surgical Association (STSA) as well as invited speakers at the annual meetings have contributed greatly to these subject areas. However a perusal of the program books reveals another important STSA contribution: the appreciation and value of collected reviews and series that highlight the wisdom and experience gained by individuals and institutions. It is this balance that the STSA has and will continue to foster. One remembers when it was claimed that all thoracic surgery would be done by VATS. We have watched the pendulum swing far and in fact it is still swinging but in a less erratic manner. Southern thoracic surgeons have usually heeded the caution of “not throwing out the baby with the bath water.” Embracing new concepts and techniques, pushing the limits of known surgical premises but heeding the lessons of past history have brought balance to the annual meetings, to the literature, and to the field of general thoracic surgery. Although thoracoscopy was first performed by Jacobaeus in 1910, video technology in the late 1980s and early 1990s expanded the operative possibilities for thoracoscopy. “Minimally invasive surgery” has certainly been the buzz word of the past decade. Although controversy remains over its ultimate role in certain procedures, VATS has become a standard component of the general thoracic surgeon’s repertoire. Members of the STSA were very early contributors to the role thoracoscopy could play in the diagnosis and treatment of thoracic disease [1–3]. Special mention should be made of