The European Society of CardioVascular Surgery (ESCVS) is the oldest society in Europe in the cardiac and vascular surgical field and was founded by R. Leriche and R. Dos Santos in 1950 with the first congress held in Strasbourg, France.

It has a strong tradition of merging specialties to provide better care for patients. The Society is actively engaged in projects involving its young members, to train them and give them the experience and knowledge of new techniques and materials.

Then thanks to contacts between Leriche and Haimovici, the ESCVS was also adopted as the European Chapter of the International Society of Angiology in 1952 and a first Joint Congress was organised in Lisboa 1953; thereafter a biennial Congress of the ESCVS was held.

 In 1957 the International Society of Angiology changed its name into International Cardiovascular Society (ICVS) and finally into International Society for Cardiovascular Surgery (ISCVS) in 1981.

The Society is actively engaged in projects involving its young members, to train them and provide them with the experience and knowledge of new techniques and materials.