russell samson md
Why you need a new SVS tie or scarf
Congratulations! You noticed that Vascular Specialist has a new look. And with your well-honed powers of observation you also noticed the inauguration of the...
From the Editor: The elephant in the operating room
Once again hospital administrators in their never-ending quest to reduce expenditures have placed vascular surgeons at a disadvantage. First they reduce the inventory of...
From the Editor: Knights of the Rectangular Table
In my past editorials I have made it abundantly clear that I believe that vascular surgeons, like the Knights of the Round Table in...
From the Editor: What’s in a name? In the case of...
It is apparent from the many letters I have received as medical editor of Vascular Specialist that vascular surgeons are disappointed that our patients,...
Shared decision making? Part two
In a previous editorial I outlined the problem with performance measures that demand that we incorporate the patient into our decision-making process. From the...
More on the PAD stenting issue
I suspect that most members of the SVS are aware of the recent New York Times article entitled “Medicare payments surge for stents to...
From the editor: New column launches
This month we are introducing a new feature in Vascular Specialist – a column on medicolegal matters. After all there are few issues that...
Shared decision making?
Recently I read a blog by Dr. Ira Nash at the blog site, KevinMD, where Dr. Nash suggests that it behooves physicians to fully...
TLR – Target lesion recurrence
In November I attended the VEITHsymposium in New York. Almost 600 experts from around the world gave lectures on every aspect of vascular surgery....
Last night I had a nightmare
In the dream I had an asymptomatic 5.7-cm juxtarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm. Like most of my patients I also had a 70% left internal...
The ‘I’s have it: Ethics and the vascular community
Who in their right mind would organize the main event of a surgeons’ convention around the topic of unnecessary procedures? Surely this would almost...
IIb or not IIb?
I must admit that Shakespeare was not one of my favorite subjects at school. However, his words have relevance to some of my thoughts...
What happened to 5-year outcomes?
I recently returned from Professor Roger Greenhalgh's excellent Charing Cross meeting in London. A plethora of exciting new developments was presented to almost 4,000...
‘Anti-Semantic’
I am ashamed to admit this, but I think I am becoming an "anti-semantic!" Surely it is scandalous that an editor is beginning to...
Invisible ink
Sometimes I feel like I am writing in invisible ink. I write these editorials but I have a feeling no one is actually reading...
Calling SOS — Save Our Saphenous!
For a specialty with less than 5,000 members in the United States, vascular surgery certainly has an abundance of societies – SVS, SAVS, ISVS,...
‘That 5% Thing’
On a recent flight back from Europe I had a most unsettling but thought provoking experience when I watched the Oscar-winning foreign movie "Amour."
You...
From the Editor: Let the ‘Sunset Act?’
The Physician Payment Sunshine Act is now in place, and I’m concerned that it may become the "Sunset Act" since it may be another...
Keep RUC in mind
In July, the Society for Vascular Surgery sent requests to its members to complete surveys regarding the work involved with creation, revision, and thrombectomy...
Stopping the ooze
Many of us will do anything or use any product available to stop oozing from suture needle holes. After all, waiting for bleeding to...
Forecast from your new editor
I am extremely thrilled to be named the new editor of Vascular Specialist. Uniquely unblemished by commercialism, Vascular Specialist has provided updated information with...