Welcome Message
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To the esteemed members of the Korean Society for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, International and Domestic Guests, The Heart Valve Disease Forum (valvegforum.org) is a conference that covers the latest insights into the anatomic and physiologic basics, causes, diagnosis, treatment, and future of valve diseases, featuring scholars from various fields in the best of atmospheres. Starting in 1998 with aortic valve diseases at Samsung Medical Center, the Heart Valve Forum has now reached its 26th iteration. It has been hosted as an official event of the Korean Society for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery with the support of Seoul National University Hospital, Severance Hospital, Samsung Medical Center, and Asan Medical Center, taking turns every four years. Since 2019, it has embarked on a new journey as an official conference under the Korean Society for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery. This year, on September 12 and 13, 2025, at the Grand Auditorium of Osstem Implant Company located in the western part of Seoul, we are ambitiously preparing for the event on the theme "The Wonderland of the Tricuspid and Aortic Valve: Unraveling its Secrets" with Professor Kiick Sung as the organizing chair and Professor Dong Seop Jeong from Samsung Medical Center as the vice-chair. The theme and logo are inspired by the well-known tale "Alice in the Wonderland". Over the years, many topics have been discussed, and this year, we aim to create a forum for discussion among experts from various fields, covering everything from the basics to the latest trends in tricuspid valve research, including various surgical and treatment methods. Particularly, we are proud to continue co-hosting with the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) from 2023, preparing the event as a premier international academic conference with the world's leading experts in the field. We deeply appreciate the dedication and effort of the STS. There will be a wet lab to pass on surgical techniques to younger generations, and sessions to hear expert opinions on the hottest areas like transcatheter tricuspid valve, and aortic valve. An in-depth discussion on the challenging topics in valve surgery will also take place. We respectfully invite esteemed professors Byung Chul Chang, Hyuk Ahn, Pyo-Won Park, Jae-Won Lee, Nam Sik Chung and Jae-Kwan Song, who have chaired the Valve Forum in the past, to this year's conference as well. Going forward, the Heart Valve Disease Forum will continue to rotate the organizing chair among the main four hospitals, with me overseeing the financial and academic support as the president. This year's conference will be conducted mainly in English over two days onsite (offline), We kindly ask for the interest and support of all members so that the Heart Valve Disease Forum can establish itself as a global conference that sets the standard and envisions a healthy future for the diagnosis and treatment of valve diseases. Lastly, I bow my head in respect to all members who are enduring hard times at the forefront of essential medical services during these difficult times in Korea. I hope that the good days that everyone is waiting for will come soon. Thank you.
Kyung Hwan Kim, MD, PhD |
