CVSA Message from the Chair

Elaine Tseng, MD, FAHA

Welcome to all members of the Council on Cardiovascular Surgery and Anesthesia (CVSA), and to those exploring ways to make a lasting impact in the dynamic landscape of cardiovascular care. Whether you are a cardiac or vascular surgeon, cardiac anesthesiologist, scientist, engineer, perfusionist, nurse, technologist, or trainee, you’ll find a vibrant and inclusive home here at the American Heart Association (AHA) within our CVSA council.

Our Council encompasses a multidisciplinary community that works together as a team—and alongside our cardiology partners—to deliver top-notch patient care and advance the frontiers of science and technology in cardiovascular surgery.

It is both an honor and a privilege to serve as your Council Chair for the next two years.

As I begin this term, I’d like to share my vision for our council, guided by two urgent themes facing our profession:

Preserving and Advancing Scientific Discovery

We are in a challenging era, marked by substantial reductions in federal funding for research and ongoing uncertainties in healthcare delivery. Yet, within every challenge lies opportunity—an opportunity to reshape the landscape and reinforce our commitment to innovation.

One of the greatest threats we face is the shrinking pipeline of surgeon–scientists and physician–scientists. Increasing clinical demands and productivity metrics have made it increasingly difficult to sustain research careers, especially for mid-career and senior scientists. The AHA has long been a critical supporter of early-stage investigators, but now more than ever, our council must step up to help ensure robust support for researchers at all levels.

To do that, we need your engagement. We need experienced members and leaders to serve as grant reviewers, mentor the next generation, and participate in scientific statement and guideline development. Without strong representation from our specialties, research funding and thought leadership will drift elsewhere. Let us use this moment to galvanize our community and reaffirm our role in shaping the future of cardiovascular science.

A Seat at the Table: Influence Through Guidelines

The second pillar of my vision centers on our role in shaping clinical guidelines. Recent experiences have shown both the pitfalls of division and the power of unity. While we’ve witnessed controversy in coronary guidelines, we’ve also seen how collaborative, multidisciplinary efforts—like those for aortic disease—can result in widely endorsed, impactful recommendations.

The AHA’s reach in guideline development is broad—spanning from primary to subspecialty care and touching patients worldwide. For our council to have influence, we must grow—both in numbers and in voice. We need active participation from across the spectrum of our disciplines to ensure our patients receive the best, most balanced guidance.

The AHA Scientific Sessions provide an ideal forum for our council to lead, to educate, to innovate, and to advocate for the value of surgical and anesthetic care in cardiovascular disease—hand-in-hand with our cardiology colleagues.

Regardless of your primary specialty, you likely belong to organizations that support your clinical and academic growth. But ask yourself this: do those organizations offer a cardiology platform as AHA does for the Cardiovascular Surgery and Anesthesia Council? AHA has the CVSA Council because our voices are important. We are critical members of the Heart Team. Whether you have been a president in your specialty’s society, a learner just beginning the journey, or at any stage in between, I encourage you to get involved. Volunteer your time and effort to make the greatest impact. The council has opportunities for learners to be mentored by leaders in their field, for members to promote advocacy, fund their science, participate in trials, and advance surgical treatments as key leaders and partners with cardiology in the Heart Team.

This council exists because the voices of surgeons, anesthesiologists, and allied professionals are indispensable to the Heart Team—and to the future of cardiovascular care. Here, your voice is not only heard—it is vital.

Thank you for the honor of serving as your Council Chair. I look forward to working with each of you to strengthen our collective impact for our patients through this essential organization.

Warm regards,

Elaine Tseng, MD, FAHA
Chair, Council on Cardiovascular Surgery and Anesthesia (CVSA)