Anton N. Sidawy, MD, MPH, FACS, is the 2025–2026 ACS President. The theme for Dr. Sidawy’s presidential year is “The House of Surgery: A Home for All Surgeons.” This theme reflects a longstanding vision of the ACS as a unifier of surgeons in all disciplines, career stages, practice types, and geographical locations. Dr. Sidawy has emphasized the importance of surgeon unity in ensuring surgery that is high in quality, equitably delivered, and safe.
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, DC, 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 completed his medical degree at Aleppo University School of Medicine. He then moved to the United States and completed a general surgery residency, including a year as administrative chief resident, at Washington Hospital Center, in Washington, DC, and a fellowship in vascular surgery at Boston University Hospital in Massachusetts. He later earned a master’s degree in public health at George Washington University.
Dr. Sidawy has spent his career at George Washington University, where he has served in roles from special lecturer in surgery to tenured professor of surgery. He also has served on the Executive Committee of the university’s Faculty Senate. In addition, he has worked at Georgetown University in Washington, DC, where he directed the vascular residency program; Howard University in Washington, DC, where he served as clinical professor of surgery; and the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland, as a clinical assistant professor of surgery.
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 a former editor-in-chief of the Journal of Vascular Surgery 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 several influential textbooks, including the 9th, 10th, and forthcoming editions of Rutherford’s Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapy.
His previous leadership roles include president of the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS), Society for Clinical Vascular Surgery, and 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 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 ACS Metropolitan Washington DC Chapter, 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.
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.”
