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Francis Fontan Fund - Robotic Cardiac Surgery Fellowship in Partnership with Medtronic

European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EACTS)

This Fellowship includes a four – six weeks placement at a high-volume robotic centre in Europe, where the successful applicant will receive in-depth exposure and experience in basic and complex procedures.

Participants will be able to master basic techniques and train in simulation environment (Level 1 and 2) and will be introduced to Level 3. Contact with proctors will ensure continuous learning and implementation of techniques on completion of the Fellowship.

Training includes didactic lectures, videos, surgery observation and hands-on animal laboratory sessions; exposing the successful Fellow to a virtual training simulation programme in addition to the various aspects of the evaluation, multi-disciplinary treatment, surgical techniques and post-operative care of patients with cardiac diseases.

Learning Objectives

EACTS plays an important role by promoting the educational opportunities for the training surgeons in the field of high-technology such as robotic systems. The fellows have the opportunity to access different levels of training depending on their previous experience and with as general aims:

To select the best patients
To use and apply the robot in the OR
To interact with a robotic team
To know and rapidly identify and resolve pitfalls
To create hybrid thinking and simulate procedures upfront

These features make part of both the basic and advanced level in cardiac care.

Specific Learning Objectives

Buttonology
Simulation of robotic handling
Patient selection, preparation, installation and management (GCP)
Hybrid approach and team interaction
Safety steps and emergency management, bedside assistance

Syllabus

Buttonology, draping and startup, installation and docking
Instrument changes
Emergency undocking
How to use training instruments and virtual training

Funding

To help with living and travel costs associated with this Fellowship, we offer a grant of €12,000. EACTS will also provide a bursary towards the cost of your attendance at the 2027 EACTS Annual Meeting.

AI Based Application Success Predictor

Based on EACTS programs and funded research trends:

🥇 1. Strong Cardiothoracic Relevance (Top Predictor)

Must focus on:
- Cardiac surgery
- Thoracic surgery
- Cardiovascular disease

✔ Direct impact on surgical outcomes is essential

🥈 2. Clinical & Surgical Impact

Preference for:
- Studies improving:
  - Surgical techniques
  - Patient outcomes
  - Postoperative care

✔ High success:

Procedure optimization studies

🥉 3. Innovation in Surgical Techniques or Technology

Competitive proposals include:
- Minimally invasive surgery
- Robotic surgery
- Advanced imaging integration

4. Feasibility & Practical Application

Many grants are:
- Pilot or short-term

✔ Winning proposals:

Achievable within clinical settings

5. Early Career Surgeon Support

Many opportunities target:
- Trainees
- Junior surgeons

✔ Predictor:

Strong mentorship and institutional backing

6. Use of Clinical Data / Registries

Preferred:
- Patient cohorts
- Surgical registries

✔ Real-world evidence strengthens proposals

7. Collaboration & Multicenter Studies

Strong proposals often involve:
- Multiple centers

✔ Improves generalizability and impact

8. Clear Outcomes & Measurable Endpoints

Must include:
- Mortality/morbidity
- Complication rates
- Functional outcomes

🧪 Common Funded Research Areas

Valve surgery
Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG)
Aortic surgery
Lung cancer surgery
Minimally invasive and robotic surgery
Postoperative outcomes and recovery

⚠️ Common Reasons for Rejection

Weak surgical relevance
Lack of clinical impact
Poor study design
Overly ambitious scope
No measurable outcomes

🧠 Bottom Line (Key Predictors Ranked)

Direct relevance to cardiothoracic surgery
Clinical/surgical impact
Innovation in surgical techniques
Feasible and practical design
Use of clinical data
Strong mentorship (early-career grants)

Specialties

Cardiothoracic Surgery

Technology Development

Eligibility Requirements

In order to apply for this fellowship there are some essential criteria you must meet:

Have access to a da Vinci system or will have in the short term future
Be a senior resident/fellow in cardiac surgical training or a young junior surgeon working at a hospital which performs robotic surgery
Be an EACTS member with up-to-date membership payment
Be fluent in English

Applicants who possess the following desirable criteria would be of particular interest:

Robotic surgery experience which includes cases as primary surgeon and/or patient side surgeon (cardiac participants should have some OPCAB background and must have performed 25 cases in OPCAB)
Some general surgeon experience in laparoscopy and thoracoscopy
Possibility of applying the knowledge and abilities acquired during the fellowship in home practice

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

Sponsor Details

Sponsor Institute/Organizations: European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EACTS)

Sponsor Type: Corporate/Non-Profit

Address: EACTS House Madeira Walk Windsor SL4 1EU

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