Swan Song

It is said that Kyknos lamented the death of his dear friend, Phaeton, by singing in an exceptionally beautiful but sad voice, pitying the gods so much that they transformed him into a swan made of glittering stars. This is probably the most charming explanation of the expression “swan song.”

It was in issue 4/2010 that I published my first editorial, then still called “Letter from the Editor,” under the title “The Baton is Passed.”[1] These irreverent little pieces have been a regular journal feature ever since. This “Swan Song” is, you will have guessed it by now, my last. My leadership ends after exactly 15 years, a considerable time span which in German criminal law equals the maximum time of imprisonment. Even a “life sentence” is supposed to end after 15 years unless there is a special severity of guilt—which I cannot detect in my case.

The Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeon and I have gone a very long way together. Basic statistics show that we received approximately 6,000 manuscripts during that time, with an overall rejection rate of 70%. They came from 76 (!) countries, making it a truly international journal. The much-hated but still overused Journal Impact Factor started at 0.7, reached an all-time high of 1.8 in 2020 (like everybody else's), and has now followed the general adjustment with slightly different calculation methods at 1.3.

As early as 2012, we “outsourced” our popular case reports to a new sister journal, The Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeon Reports, with founding editor Andreas Boening. This has received another 500 manuscripts since. In 2017, it went fully Open Access/electronic only and is currently managed by Bernd Niemann. It has also gained a Journal Impact Factor at 0.3—which is very respectable for a small case report journal.

In 2019, we partnered with the German Society for Pediatric Cardiology and Congenital Heart Disease (DGPK) and added another Open-Access adjunct, the PCC Supplement, edited by Sven Dittrich.

Initially managed and produced at the Thieme headquarters in Stuttgart by Regine Wenzel and Lioba Elli-Meier, the publisher reorganized itself, and production of the English language journals moved to Noida (outside of Delhi), India. For many years, Sangeeta Gaur was in control, now succeeded by Anant Arora. Marketing went to the New York City office with David Stewart and Björn Teuscher, spreading the relevant news.

Back home in Stuttgart, management was transferred to Graham Brumfield with Daniel Schiff in the background—involuntarily (?) strengthening my Anglo-Saxon penchants. Meanwhile, Jessica Bogensberger is at the helm, coping with crazy cardiothoracic surgeons, overstrained academics, and lost authors, holding everything together and steering the journal on a straightforward course in her suave and friendly way.

The latest organizational change concerned the Editorial Office, which in 2025 changed from my eternal support, Beate Zehmer, to Sweta Bharti at the Noida office.

This incredible team introduced the innovations outlined above and many more: The Swiss and Luxemburg societies joined the journal, and the Austrian one affiliated. eFirst publishing facilitated our theme-related issues and accommodated the authors. The Hybrid Open Access model for the main journal followed the international trend.

Down in the engine room, a new review model, Select Crowd Review, was gradually introduced and is currently managed by Mateo Marin-Cuartas (cardiac) and Masatsugu Hamaji (thoracic). The social media accounts, stimulated by Peter Matt, are now run by Martin Beyer and Tulio Caldonazo.

So much about the past, now what about the future? The passing Editor-in-Chief (E-i-C) still had a very traditional and formal training, including a full course of general surgery and an additional specialization, then called “Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery.” Sounds familiar? Over time, this very comprehensive education model vanished, and the emphasis is now put on early specialization. With approximately 40% of all contributions having a thoracic surgical content, a modern cardiac surgeon will probably feel overwhelmed and uncomfortable, lacking the necessary expertise for objective decisions. We have, therefore, decided to split editorships. From issue 4/2025 onward, The Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeon will have two Editors-in-Chief, a model the publisher has some (good) experience with.

For the E-i-C cardiovascular, the publisher and society were able to recruit Andreas Boening from Giessen University Hospital, who already knows the journal from the inside (see above). For the E-i-C thoracic, we finally settled on Kazunori Okabe, head of Thoracic Surgery at Bell Land General Hospital, Sakai, Osaka, Japan. Kazu has been an avid and thorough member of the Editorial Board for many years. It is hoped that he can use his worldwide connections to further advance The Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeon in Japan and beyond.

The transition period has actually been going on for a while, and should you not have noticed it, this is exactly what was intended. The current issue was already compiled exclusively by the new Editors, the old one only needed for polishing the edges. From issue 4/2025 onward, they will be pretty much on their own. Good luck, fellows! You have my number.

Regarding yours truly, I will always be willing to consult and advise in publishing matters, but only on serious demand and should the need arise. Having no fixed commitments or obligations anymore will allow me to intensify my travels to the corners of the earth I have not been to. Our three children and seven grandchildren will see more of me—as long as they can endure me (and my cooking). Suffice it to say that my wife for more than 40 years assures me that she is ready to cope with the new situation and will tackle me should I misbehave. What other stronghold do I need?

So here, at last, comes my swan song, lyrics provided by another expert on longevity and a constant source of inspiration: Keith Richards.[2]

And after all is said and done

I gotta move while it's still fun.

I gotta walk

Before they make me run!

Thank you, everybody! It was an honour!

Publication History

Article published online:
01 April 2025

• References

• 1 Heinemann MK. The Baton is Passed. Letter from the Editor. Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2010; 58: 195-196
• 2 Richards K.. Before they make me run. On: Some Girls, Rolling Stones Records, Amsterdam, NL, 1978