What cardiology trainees should know about coronary artery surgery - and coronary artery surgeons

This short article has tried to pick out some of the points that obsess cardiac surgeons but often perplex cardiology trainees. There has been no real attempt to address the technical and technological issues that make cardiac surgery so challenging. (An enthusiastic cardiology trainee who pitches up in a cardiac surgical operating theatre in order to advance his knowledge of this side of the specialty would no doubt be welcomed with open arms.) The real aim has been to demonstrate that cardiac surgeons are not simply "plumbers". Not only have they been at the forefront of technical surgery and the application of advanced technology, but they have also led the way in terms of evidence based medicine, professional accountability and quality improvement.