La cirugía cardiovascular del futuro: nuevos retos

Cardiovascular surgery has an uncertain future ahead. There is a major concern with regards to this in the US and Europe. This feeling of uncertainty is even stronger in Spain due to the delay and differences accumulated in our country by our specialty in comparison to other countries of Western Europe. With the aim of looking for possible solutions to avoid a further deterioration of our profession, the factors that may influence on this currently deteriorated situation are analyzed. The results lead to a strategy that includes the development of new technologies, education, changes in the patient referral pattern, new applications of extracorporeal circulation, the integration of surgeons in endovascular techniques and the development of innovative departments.