[Women pioneers: first female cardiothoracic surgeons in the USA and in Israel].

At the beginning of the 1960's, three female doctors managed to break the glass ceiling and become the first female cardiothoracic surgeons in the USA. Since then, the number of certified female cardiothoracic surgeons has steadily increased. Nevertheless, females stilt only account for a minority of cardiothoracic surgeons in the USA. In Israel, three women have become specialists in cardiothoracic surgery over the last two decades, aLthough these surgeons are working as general thoracic surgery consultants, without any representative females in cardiac surgery.