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Witch hunts and hidden agendas
Witch hunt: An intensive effort to discover and expose disloyalty, subversion, dishonesty or the like, usually based on slight, doubtful or irrelevant evidence, and to punish accordingly. – Merriam-Webster Dictionary Over the years, several excellent vascular surgeons have either lost…
‘Medicar’– shared decision making? part III
Recently, my daughter asked my opinion of a salesperson’s suggestion that she spend extra for additional safety features on a new car she was buying. I recommended that the more safety features the better – after all it was her…
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 the Arthurian legend, follow a chivalrous code of honor that guides us in placing a patient’s…
From the Editor: What’s in a name? In the case of SVS it may be everything!
It is apparent from the many letters I have received as medical editor of Vascular Specialist that vascular surgeons are disappointed that our patients, insurance companies, hospital administrators, and the government do not recognize the special skills we provide. I…
Medicare at 50: Physicians brace for transition to value-based payment
As Medicare celebrates its 50th anniversary, federal officials are beginning one of the most significant shifts in the program’s history – paying physicians based on quality and efficiency rather than for the volume of services they provide. The shift to…
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 responses received I have found that most vascular surgeons do indeed attempt to explain their choice…
From the editors
Editor’s Note: The associate editors of Vascular Specialist were asked to provide their perspectives on the stenting controversy. Here is a selection. Dr. Frank J. Veith Dr. Frank J. Veith: The recent lead article in the New York Times on…
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 unblock blood vessels in limbs” and which was the subject of our front page news article…
Private-academic surgeon salary gap raises concerns Lifestyle choice important Not just the money
LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLA. – Academic surgeons earn an average of 10% or $1.3 million less in gross income across their lifetime than surgeons in private practice, an analysis shows. Some surgical specialties fare better than others, with academic neurosurgeons…
Letters to the Editor
Editors note: The following are a selection of responses from the SVS membership sent to Dr. Peter Lawrence based upon his article in a recent issue of Vascular Specialist on the topic of the abuse of peripheral artery disease stenting…