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ICD-10 Vascular Surgery Webinar
According to a recent survey by the Medical Group Management Association, less than 10 percent of physician practices are prepared for the upcoming ICD-10 implementation. This new method of coding diagnoses and hospital procedures mandated by CMS is slated to…
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…
Sex disparity in thoracic aneurysm repair linked to device size
A study published in Journal of Vascular Surgery is a “call to action” for device companies. Women are more likely than men to suffer complications, including death, from thoracic endovascular aortic repair. The reason: surgical devices too large for women’s…
Coding success key to reimbursement
Proper coding of insurance claims is important to reimbursement. Sean Roddy, MD, Chair of the SVS Health Policy Committee, has long had an interest in this subject and recently presented top coding tips for proper reimbursement at the Northwestern Vascular…
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…
Future challenges for vascular surgeons
How does one talk about the future? We start with a look at our recent past. We looked at our recent work in five areas, carotid disease, aortic disease, peripheral vascular disease, basic science research, and outcomes research published in…
Charting the legal maze of off-label device use
Off-label use of a medical device can potentially result in medical malpractice litigation. To help physicians become familiar with the conditions under which the off-label use of a medical device is legally permissible and acceptable, O. William Brown, MD, JD,…
Positive Changes in Physician Fee Schedule
There are two positive changes for vascular surgeons regarding AAA screening and the proposed non-facility cap in the 2014 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule. After SVS met with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on barriers to…