He succeeds Franca Melfi, Professor of Thoracic Surgery at the University of Pisa and Head of the Robotic Multidisciplinary Centre for Surgery at the University Hospital of Pisa.
Founded in 1986, the EACTS now has almost 4,000 members worldwide and is one of the most important global forums for scientific innovation and technological advances in cardiac, thoracic and vascular surgery.
Before his election as President, Volkmar Falk already held various central functions within the EACTS, including the chairmanship of the Task Force for New Technologies.
‘In the course of my clinical and scientific career, I have owed a great deal to the support of the EACTS,’ says Volkmar Falk. ‘The office of President is a great honour for me and at the same time an obligation to be able to give something back to the society through my commitment.’
According to Falk, it is crucial to rekindle the interest of the next generation in cardiac surgery and at the same time to intensify interdisciplinary collaboration, particularly with the European Society of Cardiology (ESC): "Heart disease is still the most common cause of death. Cardiovascular medicine is currently facing considerable challenges across Europe, which we must tackle together and across borders - for the benefit of our patients."
Source: press release DHZC (in German only)
