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Latest meta-analysis on paclitaxel in peripheral arterial disease provokes mixed reception
“There appears to be heightened risk of major amputation after use of paclitaxel-coated balloons [PCBs] in the peripheral arteries,” findings from a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published in the European Journal of Vascular and Endovascular…
VESS session: ‘Concerted effort’ made to feature science, discussion from widest possible swath of US
At its very essence, says Vascular & Endovascular Surgery Society (VESS) President Jason T. Lee, MD, vascular surgery is a “social sport.” The specialty is built on the backs of not just the “alpha point guard,” or the surgeon, but…
Study shows increase in risk of renal failure following lytic therapy for acute DVT
A large, single-centre retrospective study has revealed the risk of acute kidney injury (AKI) following pharmacomechanical thrombolysis (PMT) for lower-extremity deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is as high as 22%. This findings add “significant knowledge” to understanding the risks of lytic…
‘COVID-19 sparks diabetic macrophage inflammation’—award-winning paper
When patients with diabetes are infected with coronavirus, specialized macrophage cells—already primed to develop excessive inflammation in this population—are further transformed into a pathologically inflammatory state by a decrease in the enzyme histone methyltransferase, or SETDB2, this year’s SVS Foundation…
Oversized balloon angioplasty technique ‘safe and effective’ for AV fistula maturation
A retrospective analysis published in the Journal of Vascular Access (JVA) has shown that the oversized balloon angioplasty technique to assist arteriovenous (AV) fistula maturation is safe and effective—and allows cannulation of the fistula within hours or days of the procedure, decreasing…
Introducing patient-reported outcomes into the VQI
Vascular specialists have long recognized that there is more to the treatment of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) than the immediate procedural success and early outcomes. The patient experience should not only be measured in clinical outcomes such as patency or…
Patient-reported outcomes: What are they and why should I care about them?
SVS Performance Committee members Mounir Haurani, MD, and Jose Almeida, MD, weigh up the importance of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and how they can be effectively deployed in practice. MH: Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) are direct reports from the patient of their…
With Foundation help, more vascular care headed to Oklahoma
There are new vistas in Oklahoma for those in need of vascular care. That’s “vista” as in Vascular Volunteers In Service To All, or VISTA, a new initiative of the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Foundation whose mission is “to…
The role of PACs in political influence
Let’s be clear here: Political action committees (PACs) are a good thing. Whether or not you like the concept, they create an opportunity for more people to be involved in the political process. Contributions by PACs have increased dramatically over the…
Endologix receives FDA Breakthrough Device designation for ChEVAS system
Endologix announced the company’s ChEVAS (chimney endovascular aneurysm sealing) system has been granted a Breakthrough Device designation from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The ChEVAS system is an investigational endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) sealing therapy designed to combine the Nellix 3.5 endograft…