Book excerpt: This issue of Surgical Clinics of North America focuses on Cardiothoracic Surgery, and is edited by Dr. John H. Braxton. Articles will include: Review of ICU Management of the Cardiac and Thoracic Surgery Patient and the Team Approach; Minimally Invasive and Robotically Assisted Cardiac Surgery; Surgical Treatment of Heart Failure; The Changing Face of the Cardiothoracic Surgical Team; Thoracic Trauma and Management; Minimally Invasive and Robotically Assisted Thoracic Surgery; The Impact on Less Invasive Surgery on Esophageal Diseases; Lung Cancer Screening and its Impact of Surgical Volume; The Surgical Treatment of Coronary Artery Occlusive Disease: Modern Treatment Strategies for an Age Old Problem; Transcutaneous Valve Repair and Update; Robotic Lobectomy and Segmentectomy: Technical Details and Results; Diagnostic Imaging and Newer Modalities for Thoracic Diseases: PET Imaging and EBUS for Staging and its Implication for Lung Cancer; Mitral Valve Repair: French Correction vs. American Correction; Cardiac Screening in the Noncardiac Surgery Patient; and more!