IACTS Milestones & Evolution
The Indian Association of Cardiovascular-Thoracic Surgeons (IACTS) has a rich history marked by significant milestones and landmark resolutions that have shaped the field of cardiothoracic surgery in India.
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1954
Formation and Early Conferences
During the Annual Conference of the Association of Surgeons of India (ASI) in Nagpur, cardiovascular-thoracic surgeons convened and resolved to establish the Thoracic Surgery Section within the ASI.
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1955
The inaugural annual meeting of this section was held alongside the ASI conference, with Dr. Reeve H. Betts serving as President and Dr. A.K. Basu as Secretary.
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1970
Independent Scientific Meetings
Under the leadership of Dr. Meherji Mehta and Dr. B.L. Gupta, Indian thoracic surgeons organized their first independent scientific meeting, termed the Mid-term Conference, in Bombay (now Mumbai).
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1972
Collaboration with Cardiologists
Recognizing the interdependence between surgeons and physicians, Dr. Sujay B. Roy and Dr. N. Gopinath facilitated the first joint conference of cardiologists and cardiothoracic surgeons at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi.
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1982
Establishment of ATCVSI and Its Evolution
The Thoracic Surgery Section of ASI was formally registered as the Association of Thoracic & Cardiovascular Surgeons of India (ATCVSI). In the same year, the first issue of the Indian Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery (IJTCVS) was published, with Dr. Solomon Victor as the Editor.
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1985
During the annual meeting in Bangalore, under the presidency of Dr. J.S. Gujral, members unanimously resolved to hold independent annual scientific meetings for thoracic and cardiovascular surgeons every February.
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1988
The first independent annual conference of ATCVSI was successfully convened in Madras (now Chennai).
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1990
Formation of IACTS
At a meeting in Pune, the drafts for the Memorandum of Association, Rules and Regulations, and By-laws for a new autonomous society were adopted.
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1991
The Indian Association of Cardiovascular-Thoracic Surgeons (IACTS) was officially registered in Bombay. Subsequently, ATCVSI was dissolved, and its membership, funds, and assets were transferred to IACTS. The first Executive Committee, with Dr. Sharad Panday as President and Dr. P. Shatapathy as Secretary, assumed office.
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2025
Recent Developments
The 71st Annual Conference of IACTS is scheduled to be held in New Delhi from February 20th to 23rd, reflecting the association’s ongoing commitment to advancing the field of cardiothoracic surgery.
These landmark resolutions and events have been pivotal in shaping the trajectory of cardiothoracic surgery in India, fostering collaboration, and promoting continuous professional development within the specialty.