ABTS Thoracic Surgery study guide
ABTS Thoracic Surgery · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The American Board of Thoracic Surgery (ABTS) is an independent nonprofit organization founded in 1948 to provide board certification to surgeons who have met a defined standard of education, training, technical skills, and knowledge in the field of thoracic surgery. Initial certification is intended for surgeons who have finished thoracic surgery training and are pursuing primary certification across the specialty's practice areas, including adult cardiac, general thoracic, and congenital cardiac surgery; ABTS also runs a separate congenital initial certification pathway and a continuing certification process for practicing diplomates. The credential is earned in two stages. Part I is a written examination; the most recently listed administration was December 8–12, 2025, with December 7–11, 2026 published as the next sitting. Topics on this exam: Adult Cardiac Surgery, General Thoracic Surgery, and Congenital Cardiac Surgery. The ABTS Thoracic Surgery study guide has 3 sections and about 806 words.
01Adult Cardiac Surgery: Decision Logic and Perioperative Traps
Focus on the decision logic that drives operative planning. For coronary disease, know the indications for CABG versus PCI (left main, three-vessel disease with diabetes or reduced ejection fraction, high SYNTAX score), conduit selection (left internal mammary artery to LAD is the benchmark; bilateral IMA increases sternal wound risk in obese diabetics), and antiplatelet timing around surgery.
279 words, about 1 min02General Thoracic Surgery: Staging, Resection, and Chest Tubes
The exam rewards systematic staging and complication management. For non-small cell lung cancer, know TNM principles: tumor size and invasion determine T, ipsilateral hilar nodes are N1, ipsilateral mediastinal or subcarinal nodes are N2, and contralateral or supraclavicular nodes are N3.
268 words, about 1 min03Congenital Cardiac Surgery: Shunts, Ducts, and Timing
Organize congenital lesions by physiology rather than by name. Cyanotic lesions with decreased pulmonary blood flow (tetralogy of Fallot, pulmonary atresia) require ductal patency; ductal-dependent lesions improve with prostaglandin E1.
259 words, about 1 min