Doctor Susan Vosloo is the first female to qualify as a cardiothoracic surgeon in South Africa. She obtained her medical degree at the University of the Freestate in 1980, which is where her love for surgery began. After graduation, she completed her internship in Pretoria, after which she moved to the Universitas Hospital in Bloemfontein. There she spent the year in Critical care medicine, before moving to Johannesburg for her surgical internship. Dr. Vosloo’s father, who was a surgeon himself, had a great influence on her career. He specialized in Orthopedic Surgery. Growing up, Dr. Vosloo visited her father at the hospital on weekends, which is where she witnessed the good he was doing for his patients. She recalls the love and admiration she saw from nurses, colleagues, and patients alike. She believed this is one of the reasons she delved into the field of medicine.
Selected publications from PubMed
Female cardiothoracic surgeons are grossly underrepresented even today.
Vosloo SM
Indian J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2026 Jan;42(1):22-30 doi: 10.1007/s12055-025-02149-6.
Current Status of Training and Certification for Congenital Heart Surgery Around the World: Proceedings of the Meetings of the Global Council on Education for Congenital Heart Surgery of the World Society for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Surgery.
Tchervenkov CI, Herbst C, Jacobs JP, Al-Halees Z, Edwin F, Dearani JA, Finucane K, Sandoval N, Sarris GE, Fragata J, Abdulgani HB, Arboleda M, Bacha EA, Barron DJ, Becker P, Boumzebra D, Cervantes J, Elgamal A, Helvind MH, Iyer KS, Jatene MB, Jun TG, Kirklin JK, Kreutzer C, Lee C, Lotto AA, Manuel V, Maruszewski B, Najm H, Overman D, Rahmat B, Reddy D, Sakamoto K, Samankatiwat P, Sivalingam S, St Louis JD, Stellin G, Stephens EH, Tretter JT, Truong NLT, Tweddell JS, Vida V, Vosloo S, Zhang H, Zheleva B, Jonas RA
World J Pediatr Congenit Heart Surg. 2021 May;12(3):394-405 doi: 10.1177/21501351211003520.
Realities and challenges for female cardiothoracic surgeons: an African perspective.
Vosloo SM
J Thorac Dis. 2021 Jan;13(1):448-455 doi: 10.21037/jtd-2020-wts-03.
Challenges of Caring for Functionally Single Ventricle Patients in Africa.
Edwin F, Elgamal MA, Dorra A, Reddy D, Entsua-Mensah K, Adzamli I, Yao NA, Tettey M, Tamatey M, Vosloo S, Kinsley R
World J Pediatr Congenit Heart Surg. 2019 May;10(3):338-342 doi: 10.1177/2150135118817769.
Donor heart coronary sinus ostium atresia in a successful cardiac transplant.
Buckels NJ, Vosloo S, Rose AG, Odell JA
Ann Thorac Surg. 1992 Jun;53(6):1096-7.
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