ISHLT 46th Annual Meeting & Scientific Sessions

Wednesday, 22 April – Saturday, 25 April, 2026
Metro Toronto Convention Centre
Toronto, ON Canada

Late-Breaking Clinical Science

Deadline for submission in all areas is Tuesday, 14 October at 11:59 p.m. ET / Wednesday, 15 October at 3:59 UTC.
Submitted abstracts can be edited until the deadline.

Abstract submission for ISHLT2026 is now closed.


Late-Breaking Clinical Science submissions offer an exciting opportunity to share high-impact research—whether from multi-center studies or especially compelling single-center investigations. These submissions typically feature prospective, randomized trials exploring innovative approaches to diagnosing or treating cardiothoracic diseases. The goal is to highlight work that has the potential to meaningfully shift current clinical practice and advance the field.

All late-breaking abstracts must be submitted by the 14 October deadline and will serve as a placeholder for the final abstract.

PLEASE NOTE:

  • If your study has final results and conclusions available by the 14 October deadline, it is not considered late-breaking and should be submitted as a standard research abstract.
  • Most accepted late-breaking abstracts will be presented as posters. A limited number of oral presentation slots will be reserved for the highest-scoring submissions.
  • Preliminary acceptance or rejection notifications will be sent to Presenting Authors on 19 December.
  • All accepted late-breaking abstracts will be subject to a final review of the study results and conclusions by the Executive Program Committee. These results must be submitted by Monday, 16 March, 2026, and will remain confidential until time of presentation.
  • Final decisions regarding presentation format and session placement will be made after the results are reviewed.

Late-Breaking abstract content should include:

  • Purpose: Clearly states the main objective of the study, highlighting the research question or hypothesis being addressed.
  • Methods: Outlines the study design, population or sample, procedures used to collect and analyze data, and any statistical techniques applied.
  • Endpoints: Details the primary and secondary outcomes measured in the study, specifying the main variables of interest, how they were measured, and the time points at which measurements were taken.

Late-Breaking Abstract Size Limits

  • 2,140 characters (spaces are ignored)
  • Includes characters in the Title, Abstract Body, Table(s), and Image(s).
  • Includes characters in the late-breaking abstract default headings Introduction, Methods, and Endpoints.
  • A Table or Image removes 320 characters from the limit. The amount of data in the table does not impact the character count.
  • Author names and institutions are not counted in the character limit.

A late-breaking abstract submission is divided into the following steps:

1. Title

Your late-breaking abstract title should clearly indicate the main focus and reflect the scope of your research. Include key terms, keep it concise, and avoid jargon. Remember, characters in your title are included in the size limit.

2. Author

Author information does not count towards the character limit.

The Submitting Author is automatically listed as first and presenting author. You may change this after adding authors. Submitting authors should ensure that any co-authors included are aware they are being listed on the abstract.

The Presenting Author will serve as the primary contact for the abstract and will receive all communication, including notification of acceptance or rejection on 19 December. It is their responsibility to inform all co-authors of the submission’s outcome. If the abstract is accepted, the presenter will receive a presentation invitation on 5 January, 2026 and will have until 30 January to confirm or withdraw the abstract, or change the presenter to another co-author if needed. The presenter (if not also the submitter) will be required to disclose any financial relationships with ACCME-defined ineligible companies. The presenter is required to register for and attend the Annual Meeting in person. Registration fees are not waived for presenters.

Co-Authors included should be those who contribute significantly to the intellectual content of the abstract (maximum 50 authors). You can use the ISHLT database search tool on the submission site to find and add your authors. Authors will be listed in the author block in the order they are added but can be rearranged after adding.

3. Category

Late-Breaking Submission Categories are organized into four core therapy categories to help guide your category selection:

  • HEART (Advanced Heart Failure & Transplantation)
  • LUNG (Advanced Lung Failure & Transplantation)
  • MCS (Mechanical Circulatory Support)
  • PVD (Pulmonary Vascular Disease (PAH & CTEPH)

Your abstract can be submitted only once. Submitting the same abstract to different categories or splitting one study into multiple abstracts is not allowed. If the abstracts are too similar to be considered separate studies or if the same abstract is submitted to multiple categories, all versions may be rejected. You will choose only one category.

4. Practice Areas

You will be asked to select the Primary Practice Area most relevant to your abstract even if it is different from your own primary area of practice, and additional relevant practice areas, from the following list:

  • Anesthesiology and Critical Care
  • Cardiology
  • Cardiothoracic Surgery
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Nursing and Allied Health
  • Pathology
  • Pediatrics
  • Pharmacy
  • Pulmonology
  • Research and Immunology
5. Funding

To ensure transparency and maintain the integrity of our scientific program in accordance with ACCME accreditation standards, several questions will be asked regarding funding sources and affiliations. This information allows us to implement appropriate mitigation strategies, meet reporting requirements, and accurately acknowledge the support behind the research—whether from industry, ISHLT, or ISHLT-managed registries.

  • Is the presenting author an employee or owner of a company whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients? (Yes/No). If yes, identify the company.
  • Is this abstract being funded (in part or in whole) by a industry? (Yes/No). If yes, identify the company.
6. Abstract

In this step, the body of the late-breaking abstract (Purpose, Methods, and Endpoints) and any tables or images are entered. Follow the links on the site to enter each element.

7. Payment

A $25 (USD) processing fee must accompany each abstract. ISHLT accepts payment only in the form of MasterCard, Visa and American Express. Purchase orders, checks, and electronic bank transfers will not be accepted. This fee is non-refundable and used to cover the cost of submission and processing.

9. Review My Work

Once you've finished all steps, this page will indicate the submission is COMPLETE and no further action is required. However, we strongly encourage you to review your Submission carefully, including the list of authors and all content, to ensure everything is accurate. You can make corrections to any portion, including authors, by the deadline of Tuesday, 14 October, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. ET / Wednesday, 15 October, 2025 at 3:59 UTC.

Abstract Submission

Thank you to everyone who submitted an abstract! Submission is now closed. You may still login to using the button below to view or print your submitted abstract(s) and author block.

Help and Support

For Technical Support please contact:
cOASIS Technical Support Team
+1 217-398-1792
ishlt@support.ctimeetingtech.com
The support desk is staffed from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Central Time, Monday-Friday (excluding holidays)

For general submission questions please contact:
Susie Newton, ISHLT Scientific Programs Manager
+1 312-224-1341
susie.newton@ishlt.org