Thomas E. MacGillivray, MD, Elected President of The Society of Thoracic Surgeons

WASHINGTON –– Renowned cardiothoracic surgeon Thomas E. MacGillivray, MD, has been elected president of The Society of Thoracic Surgeons at the organization’s annual meeting on January 22, 2023.

Dr. MacGillivray is the physician executive director of Cardiac Surgery at MedStar Health and chairman of Cardiac Surgery at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. With more than 30 years of experience in the field, he specializes in the surgical treatment of adult congenital heart disease, acquired heart disease, thoracic aortic disease, and end-stage cardiopulmonary failure.

“I am honored and humbled to serve as the next president of the STS, the largest and most inclusive professional society in our specialty, as we continue to support our members and our patients through collaboration, education, research, and patient care,” said Dr. MacGillivray in the announcement released by the STS.

As president, Dr. MacGillivray will focus on enhancing the analytical power of the STS National Databases to demonstrate the superior long-term outcomes and value of surgery for patients compared with other competing therapies.

The STS National Database was established in 1989. It is the largest clinical database for cardiothoracic surgery in the world. More than 90% of all U.S. cardiac surgery centers voluntarily report their data to the database, with the goal of improving patient outcomes and improving patient safety. Currently, the database contains data of more than six million cardiac surgery procedures.

Dr. MacGillivray has been an STS member since 2003 and has held various leadership roles, including serving as first vice president in 2021-2022, STS Treasurer, and chair of the Council on Education and Member Services. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Thoracic Surgery Foundation and an editorial board member and previous deputy editor with The Annals of Thoracic Surgery.