CATS Vision

Enabling Canadian Thoracic Surgeons to provide the highest level of care to every patient, every time.

CATS Mission 

A collaborative network that promotes excellence in patient centered care, fosters innovation, and enhances quality through education, research and advocacy.

Upcoming Events and Due Dates

CATS Journal Clubs: Check your email for the meeting link:

  • Wednesday, November 15, 2023 at 7 pm Eastern
  • Wednesday, February 7, 2024 at 7 pm Eastern
  • Wednesday, April 17, 2024 at 7 pm Eastern

STS Meeting Award Due Date: Funding for residents/fellows to attend the STS meeting in Texas. More info. December 1, 2023

STS Traveling Fellowship Due Date: Funding for staff surgeons and residents/fellow. March 1, 2024

CATS Mission Project Due Date: March 1, 2024

CATS Research Project Grant Due Date:  April 1, 2024

CATS Distinguished Service Award Nomination Due Date: April 30, 2024

Evolution of Thoracic Surgery in Canada

  • Authors: Jean Deslaurier, Bill Nelems, and F. Griffith Pearson
  • All 447 pages – now available in PDF (412 Mb)

cww trust seal

Canadian Surgical Forum 2023

Thank you to the organizers and local contacts for such a successful meeting! For some photos, click here.

Congratulations to our Award Winners!

  • Dr. Richard Inculet: Distinguished Service Award
  • Dr. Robert Zeldin: Lifetime Achievement Award
  • Dr. Anna McGuire: CATS Research Grant: A pilot study on the effect of high ambient air pollution exposure on lung age and EGFR mutation in never smokers with lung cancer
  • Dr. Adom Bondzi-Simpson (presentation by Tiago Ribeiro) : Ginsberg Resident Research Award: Stage II/III Esophageal Cancer Patients With Complete Clinical Response Post Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy: A Markov Decision Analysis
  • Dr. Uzair Jogiat: Duranceau Resident Research Award: Changes in Sarcopenia Status Predict Survival Among Patients with Resectable Esophageal Cancer
  • Ge Shi, Andrew Kokavec, Edward Ho, Ryan Waterman, Edward Wang, Kiera Harnden, Rahul Nayak, Richard Malthaner, Mehdi Qiabi: CATS Mission Project Award: Mixed Reality Thoracic Surgery Atlas
  • Drs Colin Schieman and Sean Brophy: CATS Traveling Fellowships 2023
  • CATS West: 2023 CATS Cup Champions

Future Canadian Surgical Forums​

  • September 25-28, 2024, RBC Convention Centre & Delta Hotel, Winnipeg, MB
  • September 13-22, 2025, The Fairmont Queen Elizabeth, Montreal, QC

CATS Best Practice Recommendations

Recommandations sur l'achalasie
Achalasia Recommendations
Safety of Air Travel Post Pneumothorax and Post Lung Resection
Prophlactic Antibiotic Use in Elective Thoracic Surgery
Utilisation d'antibioprophylaxie en chirurgie thoracique élective
Prevention of Esophageal Anastomotic Leaks
Prolonged Airleak After Lobectomy
MIS vs Open Resection for Thymic Neoplasms
Optimizing LOS After Lobectomy
Lung Cancer Screening
Invasive Mediastinal Staging for Potentially Resectable NSCLC
Operative Management of Pericardial Effusion
Post lung resection ERAS
ERATS- Esophagectomy
Brain Imaging in Lung Cancer Staging
E-cigarettes
Opioids After Elective Ambulatory Thoracic Surgery
Malignant Pleural Effusions Management
Follow-up and Surveillance for Lung Cancer Patients Treated Curatively
Guidelines for Preop Risk Management / Work-up for Lung Resection
Empyema: Management
Post Esophagectomy Follow-up (Frequency and Imaging)
ILD: Indication for Surgical Lung Biopsy & Preop Risk Stratification
Subsolid Lung Nodule, Invasive Lung Cancer, and Metastatetomy
Post-operative Atrial Fibrillation after Non-cardiac Thoracic Surgery
Surgical Wait Times for Resectable Lung Cancer
Thoracic Surgery Perioperative VTE Prophylaxis