The Year in Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia: Selected Highlights From 2025

Abstract

This special article is the 18th in an annual series for the Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia. The authors thank the editor-in-chief, Dr. Kaplan, Dr. Augoustides, and the editorial board for the opportunity to continue this series, namely, the research highlights of the past year in the specialty of cardiothoracic and vascular anesthesiology. The major themes selected for 2025 are outlined in this introduction, and each highlight is reviewed in detail in the main article. The literature highlights in the specialty for 2025 begin with an update on perioperative rehabilitation and enhanced recovery in cardiothoracic surgery, with a focus on prehabilitation and the impact of implementing enhanced recovery care models on outcomes. The second major theme is focused on cardiac surgery, with the authors discussing new insights into blood conservation methods and updates on coronary artery bypass grafting. The third theme is focused on cardiothoracic transplantation, with discussions focusing on techniques related to lung transplantation including extracorporeal life support. The fourth theme is focused on mechanical circulatory support, with discussions exploring advancements in left ventricular assist devices, highlighting the evolving landscape of mechanical circulatory support in cardiogenic shock and discussing anticoagulation practices. The fifth and final theme is an update on medical cardiology, with a focus on outcomes of transcatheter management of aortic valve pathology, tricuspid valve regurgitation, and surgical versus transcatheter management of mitral valve disease. The themes selected for this article are only a few of the diverse advances in the specialty during 2025. These highlights will inform the reader of key updates on a variety of topics, leading to the improvement of perioperative outcomes for patients with cardiothoracic and vascular disease.