Newswise — CHICAGO — Anton N. Sidawy, MD, MPH, FACS, DFSVS, MAMSE, a distinguished vascular surgeon, was installed as the 106th President of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) during the ACS Clinical Congress 2025 in Chicago. Dr. Sidawy succeeds general surgeon Beth Sutton, MD, FACS, who served as president of the ACS from 2024-2025.
A professor of surgery and the Lewis B. Saltz Chair of the Department of Surgery at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences in Washington, D.C., Dr. Sidawy has stated that his election to the ACS Presidency “fills me with pride and the satisfaction that my peers see me as a passionate servant leader and consensus builder.”
Background and Career Highlights
A native of Syria, Dr. Sidawy moved to the United States at age 25. He completed his general surgery residency at the Washington Hospital Center in Washington, D.C. and a fellowship in vascular surgery at Boston University Hospital, later earning a Master of Public Health (MPH) in healthcare management from George Washington University.
Dr. Sidawy’s career is marked by prolific contributions to surgical literature, including 200 peer-reviewed articles and numerous abstracts and book chapters. He is the former editor-in-chief of the Journal of Vascular Surgery, the premier journal in the specialty, and served as the founding editor-in-chief of two subsequent journals: Journal of Vascular Surgery-Venous and Lymphatic Disorders and Journal of Vascular Surgery-Cases. He is also the editor of three influential textbooks, including the 9th and 10th editions of Rutherford’s Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapy.
His previous leadership roles include president of the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS), the Society for Clinical Vascular Surgery, and the Eastern Vascular Society. He also led the effort in creating the ACS Vascular Verification Program (VVP), a national quality improvement program from the ACS and SVS focused on improving vascular surgical and interventional care. He has just concluded a 6-year term as Chair of the VVP Steering Committee. He received the SVS Lifetime Achievement Award in June 2025.
ACS Leadership
An ACS Fellow since 1987, Dr. Sidawy’s deep commitment to the College is evidenced by his extensive service. He is a past president of the Washington Metropolitan Chapter of the ACS, a former member of the Board of Governors (2001–2007), and recently completed three terms on the Board of Regents (2015–2024), where he served as Chair from 2021–2022. He also serves on the Steering Committee of the ACS Academy of Master Surgeon Educators.
A firm proponent of the ACS mission, Dr. Sidawy has stated he will dedicate his presidency to “working to the benefit of our Fellows and their patients and to improve the practice environment and the quality of surgical care for all.”
“Dr. Sidawy brings tremendous expertise, passion, and knowledge to the role of ACS President. He is exceptionally skilled at building consensus and encouraging everyone to focus on advancing our mission as the House of Surgery,” said Patricia L. Turner, MD, MBA, FACS, Executive Director & CEO of the ACS. “I look forward to working with him during his term as President to do all we can to improve the care of surgical patients.”
Vice-Presidents
Alongside Dr. Sidawy, Anne C. Mosenthal, MD, FACS, and Edward Barksdale Jr., MD, FAAP, FACS, will become first vice-president and second vice-president, respectively.
Dr. Mosenthal, a trauma surgeon who is the chief academic officer at Beth Israel Lahey Health—Lahey Hospital & Medical Center in Burlington, Massachusetts, is the First Vice-President. Dr. Mosenthal has done pioneering work to advance palliative care into surgical practice and is a founding member, past Vice-Chair, and current Chair of the ACS Committee on Surgical Palliative Care. She also has held leadership roles in the ACS Trauma Quality Improvement Program, through which she has developed best practice guidelines for palliative care in trauma settings.
Dr. Barksdale, chief surgical officer at the Chicagoland Children’s Health Alliance and a professor of surgery at The University of Chicago, both in Chicago, Illinois, is the Second Vice-President. He has contributed to many ACS committees for more than two decades, including most recently as a consultant to the Committee on Interprofessional Education and Practice. An expert in childhood cancer and chronic intestinal disease, Dr. Barksdale also worked closely with the mayor, chief of police, and other officials in Cleveland and throughout Ohio on successful antiviolence initiatives while serving as surgeon-in-chief at Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital/University Hospitals in Cleveland, Ohio.
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About the American College of Surgeons
The American College of Surgeons is a scientific and educational organization of surgeons that was founded in 1913 to raise the standards of surgical practice and improve the quality of care for all surgical patients. The College is dedicated to the ethical and competent practice of surgery. Its achievements have significantly influenced the course of scientific surgery in America and have established it as an important advocate for all surgical patients. The College has approximately 90,000 members and is the largest organization of surgeons in the world. “FACS” designates that a surgeon is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.
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