Pulmonary Thromboendarterectomy Fellowship
Summary
-
Application dates:
1st March – 1st May 2025
- Grant:
€4,000
- Location:
A CTEPH centre
Possible centres: Papworth, Leuven, Hannover or Paris- Duration:
One month
- Start Date:
From January 2026
Fellowship Overview
This Fellowship offers a one month stay in a European chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) centre. Possible centres: Papworth, Leuven, Hannover, Paris.
Learning Objectives
- Indications for surgery (only 60 – 70% of CTEPH patients have surgical indication)
- Surgical technique
- Perioperative protocols (including ICU management)
Specific Learning Objectives
- Which patients benefit from surgery, balloon angioplasty or medical treatment
- Different strategies of repetitive circulatory arrest and reperfusion
- Management of complications, including indications for v-v and v-a ECMO in this setting
- Perioperative management (VD threapy, ICU management, etc…)
Syllabus
- Deep circulatory arrest
- Pulmonary Hypertension
- Surgery
- ECMO
Funding
To help with living and travel costs associated with this Fellowship, we offer a grant of €4,000. EACTS will also provide a bursary towards the cost of your attendance at the 2026 EACTS Annual Meeting.
Application and Selection
This fellowship is designed for early-career surgeons who have already gained significant experience, and is not intended for residents or those who have only recently completed their residency. Of valuable interest is the likelihood of a CTEPH multidisciplinary Unit being built in the hospital of the potential fellow.
In order to apply for this fellowship there are some essential criteria you must meet:
- Be experienced in standard cardio-thoracic surgery and extracorporeal circulation
- High possibility of creating a CTEPH Unit in the centre
- Be an EACTS member with up-to-date membership payment
- Be fluent in English
In order to complete your application, you must submit the following documents*:
- Letter of support from current Head of Department/Training director (if in last year of training)
- Letter of interest (detailing the way in which you meet the application criteria, your career aspirations along with how you are in a position to apply the skills and knowledge obtained during the Fellowship in your own centre)
- CV detailing publications
- Operative experience
*Please ensure that all documents submitted are written in English, and that they are submitted either as word documents or PDF. We do not accept images or handwritten applications. We are unable to provide advice or guidance about visa applications, so please ensure that you understand the visa requirements before applying for this Fellowship.
Evaluation and Feedback
An interview with the fellow addressing his/her acquisition of knowledge in:
- Surgical technique, including circulatory arrest strategies
- Indications for surgery vs. balloon angioplasty or medical treatment
- Capability of reading CT scan and MRI
- ICU management
Terms and Conditions
- You cannot apply for more than one fellowship in a single year.
- You cannot apply for a fellowship if you have been awarded one in the last two years.
- If you do not submit all requested documents your application will not be reviewed.
- If you do not follow the application guidelines (document format, essential criteria etc) your application will not be reviewed.
- If you submit any false information your application will be immediately void (regardless of application stage).
- Once your fellowship start date is confirmed, 80% of the fellowship grant will be transferred to you.
- On completion of the fellowship and receipt of your final report, the remaining 20% of the fellowship grant will be transferred to you.
- Should your fellowship include third party fees, EACTS will pay this directly from your initial 80% grant payment, with the remaining balance being transferred to you.
- If for any reason you find you are unable to complete or attend training, you should notify EACTS at your earliest convenience. If the grant payment has already been made, you will be asked to repay the monies received based on incurred costs to date. Proof of expenses will be required.
The Francis Fontan Fellowship programme fosters the continued growth and development of cardiothoracic surgeons by providing opportunities to learn from the highest standards of cardiothoracic care and gain knowledge of novel techniques and innovative technologies used by other institutes around the world. Successful applicants will use the valuable learnings and collaborative relationships developed through their Fellowship to further the progress of cardiothoracic surgery at their home institution and support the delivery of the highest quality patient care.
- The fellowship needs to be completed within the year that it was awarded.
- Awardees need to be in full time employment throughout the fellowship.
NB. The Francis Fontan Fund Committee will consider any fellow who falls outside of this condition on a case-by-case basis. All decisions are final, and the Committee are not obliged to share the reasoning behind any decision made.
- Grant: