Dear colleagues and friends,

It is my great pleasure and honor to invite you to the next annual meeting of ASCVTS. ASCVTS 2023 is scheduled to be held from 31^st of May to 3^rd of June in Busan, Korea. As we are seeing the prospect of getting out of the overwhelming darkness of the COVID-19 pandemic, I am looking forward to holding the 2023 annual meeting as an in-person event which we couldn’t have for such a long time.

What we went through during the past two and half years showed that we cardiothoracic surgeons cannot be free from the crises and challenges wherever they occur. So, the catch phrase of ASCVTS 2023, “Beyond the Crisis, Above the Challenge, Together Again”, reflects our resolution that the pursuit of high standards of patient care and academic excellence should be continued with stronger solidarity.

On behalf of the organizing committee of ASCVTS 2023, I promise that our best efforts will be made to make the meeting a highly scientific and educational one. In continuity with the previous annual meetings, there will be the postgraduate course sponsored by the American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS). We are also planning to organize symposia and sessions joined by other societies such as the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) and the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EACTS), 21 Century Cardiothoracic Surgery Society (21CCSS). More than all, while the gate is widely open to participants from every corner of the World, we will try to provide more Asian surgeons with a larger platform for sharing their experiences and innovative ideas.

I have no doubt that Busan is a perfect place as the host city of ASCVTS 2023, not only because it is the second largest city and the maritime hub of Korea. The coexistence of tradition and modernity alongside the seaside scenic beauties symbolizes the industrial dynamicity and cultural diversity of South Korea. With the unsparing auspices of the Korean Society of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, the organizing committee is going to arrange for social events which will leave an unforgettable memory on the participants for sure.

Please make a note in your calendar to join us in Busan on the last day of May, next year. I sincerely hope that ASCVTS 2023 will be a festival in which we sit face-to-face again to celebrate the exit from the COVID crisis and stand hand-in-hand to leap over the next coming challenges.

Sincerely yours,