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A band of brothers and sisters
In this online issue of Vascular Specialist, we mourn the passing of five pioneer vascular surgeons. One of these, Dr. James DeWeese, worked with Dr. George Johnson to complete a book after the death of another renowned father of vascular…
Percutaneous closure
Editor’s Note: I urge readers unfamiliar with the Perclose Proglide® device to pay special attention to the instructions for use and to follow them carefully. The device is relatively simple to use but it is a complex piece of equipment…
Yes, give more patients statins
The question of whether or not to give more healthy patients statin drugs is one of considerable interest to the public and much debate in both the medical community and the lay press. In Nov. 12, 2013, the American College…
Challenges in Training: Open repair in 2020
Since FDA approval of endovascular aneurysm repair in 1999, the management of abdominal aortic aneurysms has transformed. Only 5.2% of AAAs were repaired by EVAR in 2000 compared to 74% in 2010. While the volume of AAA cases has remained…
‘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 find some ordinary words and phrases obnoxious? But consider the following excerpt from an Oct. 30…
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 them. It’s a little bit like the old adage that if a tree falls in the…
How to maximize a minimal incision
Mini-incision carotid surgery was first reported (not necessarily performed) by Ascher et al in 2005. In light of this report and an ever-growing patient demand for minimally invasive procedures, it is surprising that this procedure has not been widely adopted…
Welcome Our New Resident Editor
We are pleased to have Dr. Sapan S. Desai come on board as our Resident/Fellow Editor for the next year. Dr. Desai was selected from an excellent candidate pool who submitted their credentials as well as samples of their writings.…
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, SCVS, etc. However, I am proposing a new one, the SOS (Save Our Saphenous) devoted to…
Veith’s Views: The Blacksnake Phenomenon
Two young men went camping in the wilderness. One of them went off to gather firewood. He returned an hour later, staggering, badly battered, very bloody and with his clothes in tatters. His friend asked what happened. “I ran into…