Ross-Symposium 2025

Dear Colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen,

We would like to cordially invite you to our Lübeck Ross Symposium titled 'The ROSS operation - Lifetime management for all aortic valve pathologies' at the Fraunhofer Institute IMTE, Lübeck on May 12, 2025. The Ross operation has a long tradition at the Department for Cardiac and Thoracic Vascular Surgery at the University Heart Center Lübeck. 

It is a great honor for me to host this event together with Dr. Vladimir Voth (Stuttgart) and Prof. Daniel Zimpfer (Vienna). The aim of this symposium is to take a multidisciplinary look at the topic of ROSS surgery in children and adults from all perspectives and to hold it every two years alternately in Lübeck, Stuttgart and Vienna. 

Since its introduction by Donald Ross in 1967, the surgical method named after him has polarized and consequently interest in this surgical method has in- and decreased in phases. The three main factors for this are a perceived higher surgical risk compared to conventional aortic valve surgery, reports of premature failure of the autograft and technical challenges in complex reoperations. In contrast, recently published long-term results support excellent durability and a very good quality of life for treated patients. 

Nevertheless, the ROSS operation is still not included in national or international guidelines and is still the subject of an intense debate. We would like to address this discussion together with you and all the invited ROSS experts, focusing on what the various disciplines involved can learn from each other. This is why the invitation to this event is also aimed at all medical professional groups.

We would like to kick off the symposium on Sunday evening, May 11, 2025, with a “get together” in the Newport restaurant and give all speakers and participants the opportunity for clinical and scientific exchange.

We look forward to seeing you in May in Lübeck!