Clinical evaluation of robotic-assisted peripheral artery intervention in human completed

Aopeng Medical’s Allvas endovascular intervention surgical robot has successfully carried out a first-in-human clinical evaluation of a robot-assisted peripheral artery intervention of an iliac...

Open repair: In good hands?

The twin issues of center volumes for open AAA repair as well as training implications came under the spotlight at two recent regional vascular...

‘Female sex predicts reintervention after elective EVAR for AAA’

Females were found to be at greater risk of reintervention following elective endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) for abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) at both the...

We need voices as well as opinions

I have a message for my colleagues on behalf of Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Political Action Committee (PAC), quoting the famous lines from...

Journey of a trainee surgeon-scientist: Mentorship, passion and the importance of parallel projects

In August, University of Michigan general surgery resident W. James Melvin, MD, picked up the coveted Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Foundation Resident Research...

Endologix announces completion of enrollment in TORUS 2 study for PAD in SFA

Endologix has completed enrollment in the TORUS 2 investigational device exemption (IDE) clinical study in the U.S., a press release reports. The TORUS 2 study...

Prediabetes screening: ‘Target of reducing disparities should be geared towards advocacy’

On Aug. 24, the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) published the newly updated recommendations regarding screening for prediabetes and type-2 diabetes mellitus.1,2...

First patient enrolled in Disrupt BTK II study for long, calcified, below-the-knee lesions

Shockwave Medical has announced the start of the Disrupt BTK II postmarket study to assess the safety, effectiveness and optimal clinical use of the Shockwave...

Research reveals improved outcomes, decreased mortality in management of aortic dissections with multidisciplinary care...

The Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation (MHIF) has announced the publication of research showing improved patient outcomes and significantly decreased 30-day mortality in aortic dissection patients...

Intraoperative vascular consults have risen 529% in last 15 years, single-center analysis finds

According to researchers from the University of Washington level 1 trauma center, the number of intraoperative vascular surgeon consultations has increased enormously over the...

Study: Early thrombosis after iliac stenting for venous outflow occlusion is related to disease...

Fewer than 10 days of low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) after stenting for extensive iliofemoral venous occlusion prior to transition to oral anticoagulation reduces early thrombosis,...

VEITH 2021: Researchers present ex vivo demonstration of fluoroscopy-free complex AAA stent placement

“I think this represents the beginning of the end of an era where we have to use lead to perform these procedures.” Those were...

VEITH 2021: Two-year follow-up data from EVAS2 IDE study delivered

The confirmatory EVAS2 clinical study to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of Endologix's Nellix endovascular aneurysm sealing system (EVAS) for the treatment of infrarenal...

Viz.ai reveals launch of new AI-powered modules for pulmonary embolism, aortic disease

Viz.ai—a company focused on artificial intelligence (AI)-driven intelligent care coordination—today announced the U.S. commercial launch of its AI-powered modules for pulmonary embolism (PE) and...

Interview: The value and utility of surgical sketches

W. Michael Park, MD, was first turned onto the utility and wonder of anatomical sketching during medical school. Back then, he developed an affinity...

Vascular Specialist–November 2021

In this issue: "In good hands?" The twin issues of center volumes for open AAA repair as well as training implications came under the...

IN.PACT Admiral DCB performs well across wide range of clinical, anatomical scenarios in pooled...

In a pooled analysis of the predictors of drug-coated balloon (DCB) effectiveness, the IN.PACT Admiral DCB (Medtronic) performed well across a broad range of clinical, anatomical...

Take advantage of SVS diabetes resources

November is National Diabetes Month. The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) has many resources to help its members educate their patients and families and...
PAD

Hispanic adults with PAD access inpatient care most often via the emergency room

Hispanic adults hospitalized for treatment of symptoms of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) were more likely to access this care by going to the emergency...
ellipsys five-year data

Benefits of percutaneous fistula creation further bolstered by five-year Ellipsys data

The Ellipsys vascular access system (Avenu Medical/Medtronic) can be used to easily and safely create durable percutaneous arteriovenous fistulas (pAVFs) for haemodialysis—with new, long-term...

Philips announces large-scale study outcomes on use of IVUS in peripheral interventions

Royal Philips has announced the results of a new large-scale real-world analysis of Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) data on the health...

VQI launches fellowship in training program, announces scholarship

The Society for Vascular Surgery’s Vascular Quality Initiative (SVS VQI) is launching a new SVS Patient Safety Organization VQI Fellowship in Training (SVS PSO...

Trainee wellness: ‘No one really prepared me for the failures’

Communication and an awareness of how often vascular surgery fails emerged as key talking points during a Vascular Surgery Interest Group (VSIG) Lunch Symposium...

SVS: Impact of Medicare Physician Fee Schedule final rule remains threat to patient care

The Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) final rule released Nov. 2 by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) doubles down on the...

Researchers develop ‘world’s first’ smart bandage that detects multiple biomarkers for chronic wound monitoring

A research team led by Lim Chwee Teck, PhD, from the National University of Singapore’s (NUS) Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Health...

Learn best-, worst-case and likely scenarios of upcoming planned cuts to Medicare

The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) will hold a Town Hall Nov. 10 to help members understand the upcoming planned federal cuts that would...

Six top tips to help navigate interview season

Ahh October… The air is a bit cooler; pumpkin spice is in everything; and leaf colors are more dazzling. It’s interview season! If you’re...

Ontario registry risk model provides ‘reliable’ predictions of stroke, death following carotid endarterectomy

The Ontario carotid endarterectomy registry (OCER) model was found to be the most reliable predictor of stroke or death after carotid endarterectomy (CEA) among...

Julie A. Freischlag becomes president of American College of Surgeons

Newly installed American College of Surgeons (ACS) President Julie A. Freischlag, MD, called for her fellow surgeons to apply the principles that underpin enhanced...

Re-visit VAM: Watch sessions you missed

Registrants for the 2021 Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM) can now catch sessions they may have missed in San Diego—or otherwise review a critical presentation...
SVS Foundation Gala

SVS Foundation seeks auction items for VAM 2022 Gala

The SVS Foundation is planning what promises to be 2022’s party of the year—and needs the help of Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) members....

Envveno Medical reports successful completion of first VenoValve surgery in US pivotal trial

Envveno Medical—formerly Hancock Jaffe Laboratories—recently announced that the first VenoValve surgery in the company’s SAVVE US pivotal trial for the VenoValve has been successfully...

WIfI system helps predict revascularization benefit for diabetic patients with CLTI, study finds

A retrospective study supports the use of the Wound, ischemia, and foot infection (WIfI) classification system to predict the revascularization benefit for diabetic patients with chronic limb-threatening ischemia...

Our broken system: Medical liability in vascular practice

My last editorial, “How to succeed in vascular surgery: A guide for the aspiring outlier,” was more controversial than I expected. I naively believed...

Sanford invents Breakthrough Device for TAAA

An investigational device invented at Sanford Health in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, that helps high-risk vascular disease patients has been granted a Breakthrough Device...

Julie A. Freischlag to be installed as ACS president

Former Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) President Julie A. Freischlag, MD, will be installed as the 2021-22 president of the American College of Surgeons...

WVS 2021: Western Vascular Society names new president-elect

University of Southern California (USC) vascular chief Vincent Rowe, MD, took over as the new president of the Western Vascular Society (WVS)—with University of...

WVS 2021: Community surgeons report improved rAAA survival after adoption of EVAR-first approach

Overall survival improved from 71% to 80% after a group of community practice surgeons started using an endovascular-first approach to ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm...

The top 10 most popular Vascular Specialist stories in September

Five-year data from the ACST-2 trial comparing carotid endarterectomy and carotid artery stenting, a report from the Crawford Forum at the 2021 Vascular Annual...

Three-year VIVO results back ‘continued safety and effectiveness’ of Zilver Vena venous stent

Three-year results of the VIVO clinical study support the continued safety and effectiveness of the Zilver Vena venous stent (Cook Medical) in the treatment of symptomatic...

Vascular Specialist–October 2021

In this issue: "Not all cuts disappear": We take a look at the threat posed to vascular surgery—and the office-based lab (OBL) setting in...

SVS task force continues fight to stop cuts

The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Medicare Cuts Task Force is continuing its work to stop the proposed cuts in physician reimbursement from going...

Registry data show greater clot chronicity on post-procedure inspection than initially predicted

Nearly half of patients deemed pre-procedurally to be suffering an acute case of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) turned out to have a “much more”...

PROMISE I 24-month results ‘validate the benefits of the LimFlow system’

LimFlow has announced 24-month results from the PROMISE I study of the LimFlow percutaneous deep vein arterialization system, confirming “excellent and sustained outcomes” for...

‘TCAR yields high technical success with an extraordinarily low stroke and death rate at...

Outcomes in a cohort of patients who consented to one year of follow-up after transcarotid revascularization (TCAR) treatment for carotid stenosis in the ROADSTER...

Physicians, industry urged to tackle multifactorial stroke risk following thoracic endovascular procedures

As evidence builds on the importance of reducing the risk of stroke by removing residual air prior to thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) procedures,...

One-year results show ‘superior’ primary patency rate for Eluvia DES compared to bare metal...

One-year results presented at Vascular Interventional Advances (VIVA) 2021 in Las Vegas (Oct. 5–7) from the EMINENT trial demonstrated the superiority of the Eluvia...

IN.PACT AV DCB sustained ‘superior’ effectiveness in subgroups with high reintervention rates out to...

Several subgroups of patients treated with the IN.PACT AV drug-coated balloon (DCB) for arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs) demonstrated a “statistically significant” higher rate of target...

VIVA 2021: IVL ‘consistently’ treats real-world calcium in multiple peripheral vessel beds 

An interim analysis from the DISRUPT PAD III observational study showed that intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) performs “consistently well” across challenging peripheral vessels, lesions and...

Vascular surgeons found to ask twice as many closed- versus open-ended questions in patient...

Patients reported they mostly felt their provider was adequate in terms of engaging in shared decision-making during asymptomatic vascular consults, according to a qualitative...

Study detects no difference in adverse outcomes from balloon dilatation strategy used during TCAR

Avoiding a strategy of post-stent balloon dilation during transcarotid artery revascularization (TCAR) may be unnecessary—a “contradistinction” to results shown in conventional transfemoral carotid artery...

Two-year Ranger DCB data demonstrate ‘sustained, high rate’ of device efficacy

Patients treated with Boston Scientific’s Ranger drug-coated balloon (DCB) sustained “improved primary patency” with fewer reinterventions than those treated with uncoated devices, two-year results...

VIVA 2021: IN.PACT Admiral DCB found to provide ‘high five-year freedom from clinically driven...

Real-world data drawn from the IN.PACT Global study looking at five-year freedom from clinically driven target lesion revascularization (TLR) among prespecified chronic total occlusion...

VIVA 2021: Consensus established for appropriate use of IVUS in peripheral interventions

A worldwide committee of 40 cross-specialty medical experts achieved what was hailed as the first-ever consensus for the appropriate use of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)...

Cuts to Medicare: ‘As vascular disease complexity increases, reimbursement for complex care decreases’

Outgoing Midwestern Vascular Surgical Society (MVSS) President Kellie Brown, MD, has seen fundamental changes to the way vascular surgery is practiced during her 20...

AI and transforming vascular surgery

The 2021 Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM) Roy Greenberg Distinguished Lecture saw delegates hear about the potential for artificial intelligence (AI) to transform vascular surgery....

Surgeons relate patient-reported outcomes experiences

Ashley K. Vavra, MD, and Christopher J. Smolock, MD, talk to Vascular Specialist about why they decided to collect patient-reported outcomes (PROs), how they...

VQI partners with Symmetric Health Solutions to improve device identification accuracy

The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI) has announced a partnership with Symmetric Health Solutions aimed at elevating the consistency and...

Spotlight: Vascular surgeons in the news

Daniel Clair, MD, has been named the inaugural chair of the newly formed Department of Vascular Surgery in the Section of Surgical Sciences at...

UCLA-SVS review course starts Oct. 1

There’s less than a month left to register for the Sixth Annual UCLA-SVS Symposium set to take place Oct. 1 to 3 at the...

Save the date for new PAD skills workshop

September is National PAD Awareness Month, and the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) will spend the month not only calling attention to causes and...

Endologix launches randomized study of Alto EVAR device

Endologix today announced that the first patient has been enrolled in the company’s JAGUAR study to compare outcomes for the company’s Alto abdominal stent...

What is taxonomy and how does it affect vascular surgeons?

Have you ever had a bill denied for services of your assistants and not known why? Have you received cryptic messages on an explanation...

SVS: A lesson in unity through diverse talent

Today’s emphasis on diversity is nearly inescapable, while examples of true unity seem scarcer. Is there really a way the two can co-exist or...

First patient enrolled in BIONETIC-I study of iliac artery treatment

Biotronik has announced the first patient enrollment in the BIONETIC-I study of the safety and efficacy of the Dynetic-35 cobalt chromium balloon-expandable stent system...

VAM 2021 structural changes prove hit with attendees

It was an epic return: nearly 700 abstracts presented in six plenaries and several other forums; six concurrent sessions; six SVS breakfast sessions; three...

EVS 2021: Vascular surgery as ‘an enabling service’ for the wider healthcare system

Vascular surgery is as important as anesthesia in providing a safe operating room (OR), Richard Powell, MD, the vascular section chief at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical...

‘Proceed cautiously in use of DCBs in CLTI patients with advanced WIfI stage’

The last several years have seen ongoing controversy and debate about the risks and benefits of paclitaxel-coated devices (PCDs) for patients with peripheral arterial...

PCBs: Panel of vascular surgeons review latest findings on paclitaxel-coated balloons

A recent meta-analysis by Konstantinos Katsanos, MD, of Patras University Hospital, Rion, Greece, and colleagues—“Risk of major amputation following application of paclitaxel-coated balloons ...

Survey on radiation safety in vascular trainees demonstrates a quarter received no feedback on...

A collaborative effort is needed to establish and adhere to best practice guidelines for radiation safety and exposure, Jasmine Bhinder, MD, a general surgery...

Key players behind first SVS AUC on claudication unpack details of development process

Vascular surgeons have a history of going the extra mile to do the right thing for their patients. So went the theme of one...

Corner Stitch: The art of surgery in the present moment

As a young surgeon-in-training, and a millennial, the concept of mindfulness and wellbeing perfuses my day-to-day life. Reminders of the importance of “being present”...

First-in-human study of Wrapsody endoprosthesis yields ‘very promising’ results

Merit Medical Systems has announced positive results from a prospective, observational, first-in-human study to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of Wrapsody—a self-expanding, cell-impermeable endoprosthesis...

CMS creates new billing code for central venous vascular access system

Bluegrass Vascular Technologies announced today that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has finalized a new Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS)...

TCAR may be associated with favorable outcomes in restenotic carotid lesions, study suggests

Transcarotid artery revascularization (TCAR) may be associated with favorable in-hospital outcomes for the treatment of restenotic carotid lesions after carotid endarterectomy (CEA), suggests a...

Terumo Aortic announces first commercial implants of RelayPro in US

Terumo Aortic today announced the first commercial implants in the U.S. of its RelayPro thoracic stent-graft system. This follows the recent approval by the...

Vascular Connections–September 2021 (Review Edition)

In this VAM review issue: Outgoing President Ronald L. Dalman, MD, deals with the challenges of COVID-19 and the future direction of the Society...

Vascular Specialist–September 2021

In this issue: We hear from five vascular surgeons on the latest signal around paclitaxel-coated balloon (PCB) use in patients with peripheral arterial disease...

SVS branding campaign wins communications award

The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) branding campaign has received a “Profiles of Excellence Award” from the American Association of Medical Society Executives for...

Significant reintervention after F-BEVAR ‘does not negatively impact survival’

Patients who underwent reinterventions after fenestrated and branched endovascular aneurysm repair (F-BEVAR) had improved long-term survival over those who did not undergo a secondary...

‘Do we need to do a better job of making devices that fit female...

It was a burning question posed from the conference floor, and it led to some approving social media nods in its aftermath: Does the...

The top 10 most popular Vascular Specialist stories in August

Our recent editorial on the status of the interview, one of the Presidential Addresses from the Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM), a slew of new...

New imaging technique has potential to identify patients at high risk of aortic degeneration,...

Four-dimensional (4D) flow magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has the potential to identify patients with a higher risk of severe complications from aortic degeneration, according...

MVSS 2021: Midwestern Vascular unveils 2021–22 leadership changes

The Midwestern Vascular Surgical Society (MVSS) announced a new slate of officers at its 2021 annual meeting held in Chicago from Sept. 9–11. Raghu...

European launch: Medtronic receives CE mark for 200mm and 250mm IN.PACT Admiral DCBs

Medtronic has announced the European launch of the 200mm and 250mm IN.PACT Admiral drug-coated balloons (DCBs) following CE mark approval. The product is intended to treat long...

PAD: R3 Vascular reports ‘successful initiation’ of first-in-human study of bioresorbable sirolimus-eluting scaffold

Medical device developer R3 Vascular has reported the "successful initiation" of a first-in-human clinical study evaluating the technical and clinical performance of its Magnitude...

Thirty-year experience indicates SMA aneurysms are ‘relatively stable’

Based on 30 years of experience, researchers have concluded that aneurysms of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) are “relatively stable” and that those <20mm...

Physicians draw attention to Medicare cuts as PAD Awareness Month kicks off

A coalition of physicians and other interested parties focused on peripheral arterial disease (PAD) has called on Congress and the Centers for Medicare and...

‘Tremendous advances in imaging possibilities’ signal further innovation, says leading vascular chief

It was a complex repair in the thoracoabdominal region of the aorta around 10 years ago, and Matthew Eagleton, MD, and his surgical team...

Five-year ACST-2 results: Carotid artery surgery and stenting have similar long-term effects on stroke

Carotid artery surgery and stenting have comparable long-term effects on fatal or disabling stroke in asymptomatic patients with severe carotid artery stenosis. That is the finding of...

Spotlight: Melina Kibbe, James Black and Firas Mussa

Melina Kibbe, MD, has been named the 17th dean of the University of Virginia School of Medicine and chief of the Health Affairs Office...

SVS Foundation Board, Development Committee approved

The SVS Executive Board has approved the 2021–22 SVS Foundation Board appointments, as recommended by the Foundation Board. Continuing for an additional one-year term...

Females were 30% less likely to undergo surgery for PAD, national database study finds

A review of more than 1 million patients receiving vascular surgery over a 16-year period identified significant sex-related disparities in the treatment of abdominal...

USPSTF expands screening recommendation for prediabetes, type-2 diabetes to adults aged 35-plus

The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has issued an updated recommendation statement suggesting clinicians screen for prediabetes and type-2 diabetes in overweight...

SVS billing and coding workshop to take place Dec. 5 and 6

While a surgeon’s expertise is key to patient outcomes, coding and documenting the procedures are key to the surgeon’s payment and reimbursement. And, when...

SVS membership, CME-MOC deadlines fall in September

The third deadline of 2021 to apply for Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) membership is Sept. 1. Be a part of the premiere organization...

VAM discussion on latest paclitaxel meta-analysis yields mix of caution, skepticism

A Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM) sponsored session on paclitaxel safety drew a mix of skeptical and cautious responses to the latest meta-analysis from interventional...
x-ray image below knee amputation or BKA amputation

Amputation rates higher for people with PAD who are poor or Black

Poverty and Black race were associated with higher rates of lower-leg amputation among people with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) who live in metropolitan areas, according to new...

Registration for UCLA-SVS vascular review course open

The Sixth Annual University of California Los Angeles (UCLA)-Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Symposium returns as a live course for 2021 from Oct. 1...

First patient enrolled in AAA-SHAPE Netherlands study

Shape Memory Medical has announced the initiation of AAA-SHAPE Netherlands, the company’s prospective, multicenter early feasibility study of the Impede-FX RapidFill device when used...

Vascular Quality Initiative launches ‘My PAD’ pilot

The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI) has created “My PAD,” a pilot program for collecting patient-reported outcomes (PROs) from patients...

SVS publishes diversity, equity and inclusion supplement—exploring route forward

On the heels of a worldwide pandemic that has helped expose deep disparities in healthcare, the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) published a response—and...

FDA approves expanded PAD indication for rivaroxaban plus aspirin

The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson today announced that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved an expanded peripheral arterial disease...

Caring for the veteran, training the surgeon: The role of the VA in vascular...

In May 1945, President Harry Truman appointed Gen. Omar Bradley to lead what is now the United States Department of Veteran Affairs, with Paul...

Veterans with claudication who undergo revascularization ‘significantly more likely to have major amputation than...

Patients within the Veterans Affairs Administration healthcare system who underwent an intervention for intermittent claudication (IC) were consistently at three-to-four times greater risk of...

Gore Excluder IBE ‘effectively prevented common iliac artery aneurysm enlargement’

Five-year results from the U.S. prospective, multicenter study evaluating endovascular repair of iliac aneurysms using the Gore Excluder iliac branch endoprosthesis (IBE) were presented...

Dalman: Meeting challenges of COVID-19, SVS future direction head-on

In his introduction to the second of two Presidential Addresses on the 2021 Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM) slate, new Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS)...

Medical therapy linked with low early mortality in type B aortic intramural hematoma patients

Medical management of type B aortic intramural hematomas is associated with low early mortality but a 19% risk of aortic-related intervention—primarily for proximal descending...

Save the date for June 17, 2022, for Gala celebration

It’s our party and, unlike in the Lesley Gore classic song, there will be no crying. And there also will be far more than...

Spotlight on Saturday’s sessions

It’s VAM’s final day and it’s a full one, with educational offerings presented from 6:30 a.m. to the meeting’s final moments at 5 p.m. Here...

‘Let’s move on to solutions,’ keynote speaker tells diversity, equity and inclusion focus session

Lee Kirksey, MD, issued an unapologetic apology of sorts at the outset of his discussion of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) issues. “If I...

Annual Business Meeting—for members only

Attend Saturday’s Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Annual Business Meeting to participate in important Society business. This is SVS’ second Annual Business Meeting for...

Analysis shows TCAR is more cost effective than CAS for carotid stenosis

Transcarotid artery revascularization (TCAR) produces similar outcomes to the gold standard treatment for carotid stenosis—carotid endarterectomy (CEA)—but comes at a greater cost. This was...

Colombian researchers report positive 24-month results for VenoValve

Promising two-year results for an emerging potential prosthetic venous valve replacement—which is about to commence a U.S. pivotal trial—were announced at the Vascular Annual...

Insights from the VAM 2021 floor: The future of vascular surgery

The Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM) presents great opportunities for medical students and residents who aspire to be vascular surgeons to network with, engage with...

SVS honors community practitioners

The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) honored six members Thursday with the Excellence in Community Service award. This award, in only its third year, honors...

VAM: Spotlight on Friday’s sessions

Two days down, two to go. What a Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM) it’s been so far! Here are some of the sessions happening today...

Doubling down on quality: Hodgson lays out path to tackle inappropriateness in care

It was supposed to occur at the canceled 2020 Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM), but finally given his time at the podium, 2019–2020 Society for...

SVS announces future launch of vascular verification program, aiming to enhance quality improvement

The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS), in partnership with the American College of Surgeons (ACS), today (Thursday, Aug. 19) announced the future launch of...

TCAR has ‘statistically equivalent’ stroke and death outcomes to CEA, new study finds

Silk Road Medical has announced positive results from an independent analysis of standard surgical risk patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy (CEA) and transcarotid artery revascularization (TCAR) for atherosclerotic carotid...

SVS honors Robert B. Smith III with Lifetime Achievement Award

Among his many professional achievements in a career of a “golden age of vascular surgery” that overlapped with the growth and maturation of vascular...

Five-year STABLE II results show Zenith system makes the cut for acute complicated TBAD...

Joseph V. Lombardi, MD, reported long-term outcomes favoring the continued safety and effectiveness of a composite device (proximal covered stent graft plus distal bare...

Fist Assist device achieves significant perforator vein dilation for improved endoAVF placement, p-FACT cohort...

Fist Assist Devices has announced that data associated with the p-FACT cohort, a subset of the recently completed, non-significant risk Fist Assist clinical trial (FACT...

Crawford Forum on multispecialty vascular care: ‘We can work together’

New Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) President Ali AbuRahma, MD, put on an E. Stanley Crawford Critical Issues Forum at this year’s Vascular Annual...

Vascular surgeons as community leaders in vascular disease

Value to the healthcare system, branding and success in competing in competitive environments and ensuring optimal patient care all play a role in defining...

Pandemic affected surgeons financially and emotionally, COVID-19 session hears

Besides the stunning death toll and the disruption of life around the world, COVID-19 hit vascular surgeons financially and emotionally. Two presenters at the...

VAM set to feature special breakfast sessions for medical students

A pair of breakfast sessions aimed at medical students—and potential future vascular surgeons—will form part of the Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM) Aug. 19. The...

Calling all sleuths! Participate in VAM Scavenger Hunt to win prizes

The popular SVS Scavenger Hunt returns to the Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM), so prepare to emulate your favorite fictional detective to try to win...

Corner Stitch: If you want to go far, go together

The COVID-19 pandemic left many of us missing social interaction and hungry for a change of scenery. As someone who had never been to...

‘The future is very bright for venous valve replacement’

The progress of two “promising” new devices in the venous valve replacement space were outlined during a Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM) special session co-hosted...

Tell your SVS Branding Toolkit story—and win!

The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Branding Toolkit represents a commitment to the branding of the vascular surgery profession and serves as a huge...

Learn nuts and bolts of setting up outpatient facilities

With interest in and creation of outpatient-based labs and facilities—frequently called simply “OBLs”—the Society for Vascular Surgery and its Section on Outpatient and Office...

VAM: Spotlight on Thursday

It’s Thursday and the Vascular Annual Meeting is in full swing. Here are some sessions today for you to consider, including the first Presidential...

Research letter highlights low adoption of supervised exercise therapy for PAD

A research letter published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes highlights a “very low” utilization of supervised exercise therapy (SET) in symptomatic peripheral arterial disease (PAD) patients...

VOYAGER PAD: Rivaroxaban plus aspirin should be considered after lower-extremity bypass regardless of conduit...

“A strategy of adding rivaroxaban 2.5mg twice daily to aspirin should be considered after lower extremity bypass regardless of conduit type,” concluded Nicholas Govsyeyev,...

Past presidents Hodgson, Dalman open VAM 2021

The Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM) officially made its in-person comeback this morning (Wednesday, Aug. 18) in San Diego. Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Immediate...

Who will you see in the Exhibit Hall this year?

Be sure to schedule plenty of time to visit the Exhibit Hall during this year’s live and in-person Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM). The Exhibit...

Summit to discuss aortic arch: The ‘next new frontier’

This year’s Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM) Aortic Summit will focus on the “next new frontier” in vascular surgery—endovascular treatment of the aortic arch. “We want...

VRIC trainee award winners announced

The SVS Foundation has announced the four recipients for the Vascular Research Initiatives Conference (VRIC) Trainee Award. The SVS Basic and Translational Research Committee...

SVN conference set to provide valuable information for all in vascular nursing practice

The Society for Vascular Nursing (SVN) annual meeting this year will cover the gamut of information for all vascular nursing career stages—from novice to...

VQI@VAM: Celebrating science, quality and VQI’s 10th anniversary

The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI) will host a day and a half of sessions aimed at quality improvement at...

Are you up to the challenge?

The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) is kicking off its first-ever Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM) Social Media Challenge for both in-person and virtual attendees....

PRISTINE registry with Selution SLR sirolimus drug-eluting balloon completes enrollment

MedAlliance has announced completion of patient enrollment in the PRISTINE clinical trial with the Selution SLR 018 drug-eluting balloon (DEB) for the treatment of patients with below-the-knee...

Postgraduate courses stacked with key content

Selecting topics for postgraduate courses, concurrent and breakfast sessions, and “Ask the Experts” presentations at the Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM) is a careful, considered...

What’s going on around San Diego this August: Making the most out of your...

San Diego is the perfect place to bring your long-delayed travel dreams to life this August. Whether you are traveling on your own or...

Learn about the JVS journals: Past, present and future

Learn how the SVS' peer-reviewed journals, including the flagship Journal of Vascular Surgery (JVS), have evolved over the years at "Evolution and transformation of...

It’s nearly here!

The 2021 Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM) starts in just two days, and the excitement is building. Remember that Wednesday is the new Thursday. The Society...

Indianapolis vascular surgeon selected for National Academy of Medicine fellowship  

Vascular surgeon Andrew Gonzalez, MD, has been selected as the 2021–2023 National Academy of Medicine (NAM) Omenn Fellow. NAM fellowships enable talented, early-career scholars combining...

VAM: Spotlight on Tuesday and Wednesday

It’s nearly opening day for the Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM) and our schedule is jammed with sessions of interest. Here are presentations to consider...

VAM double header: Presidential Addresses to feature nod to SVS past, roadmap to specialty’s...

Following a year like no other comes a Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM) like no other—sort of. This year, the key date on the vascular...

VAM: Industry-sponsored symposia

Industry-sponsored symposia at the Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM) will be presented Wednesday and Thursday evenings and at three breakfast sessions taking place Thursday morning....

Map out your VAM experience with the Online Planner

Get a jump start on planning your way through the Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM) with the SVS Online Planner. It includes the entire VAM...

The top 10 most popular Vascular Specialist stories in July

The digital version of our July 2021 print issue, an argument in favor of a multidisciplinary approach to limb salvage and look back at...

Carotid endarterectomy shows ‘improved long-term durability’ over transfemoral carotid artery stenting

An increased postoperative stroke rate associated with transfemoral carotid artery stenting “seems to extend up to five years’ follow-up” compared to carotid endarterectomy. This...

UPMC study probing stress-reduction interventions among high-burden specialties begins enrollment

A new study aiming to establish whether a series of mindfulness and physical interventions can help reduce stress and burnout among physicians who treat...

RelayPro thoracic stent graft approved by FDA

Terumo Aortic today (Friday, Aug. 6) announced that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted approval of the RelayPro thoracic stent-graft system for...

Vascular Specialist–August 2021

In this issue: The Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM) is nigh, and the specialty is grappling with several pressing issues across a number of fronts....

Study of amputees finds referral for prosthetics to be an independent predictor of long-term...

Prosthetic referral was an independent predictor of long-term survival among patients who had undergone lower-extremity amputation, new findings set to be published in the...

It is time to end the interview

INTERVIEWER: “Good morning, nice to meet you. Are you going to get pregnant?” While this may seem like a shocking way to begin a...

Won’t be in San Diego? Register for livestreamed/on-demand sessions

The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) 2021 Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM) in San Diego (Aug. 18–21) starts in mere days. For those who face...

AHA publishes updated scientific statement on PAD

The American Heart Association (AHA) has released a new scientific statement on lower extremity peripheral arterial disease (PAD), focusing on contemporary epidemiology, management gaps, and future directions. The...

VenoValve granted FDA Breakthrough Device designation

Hancock Jaffe Laboratories today (Wednesday, Aug. 4) announced that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Breakthrough Device Designation status to the company's...

SVS publishes DEI supplement to highlight challenges and opportunities within the specialty

With a firm eye on healing disparities in healthcare and within the vascular surgery specialty itself, the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) has published...

Surmodics announces successful first patient use of Pounce thrombectomy system

Surmodics has announced that J. Michael Bacharach, MD, a vascular interventionalist/cardiologist at North Central Heart, a division of Avera Heart Hospital in Sioux Falls,...

The choice between autonomy, true partnership—or the slow drift to ‘thralldom‘

Anthony Valdés, MBA, the president of Tampa, Florida-based Collaborative Health Systems, declares that what physicians want is to “deliver great clinical outcomes, get paid...

LimFlow system a ‘cost-effective and high-value alternative’ to traditional therapies

Percutaneous deep vein arterialization (pDVA) with the LimFlow system offers a cost-effective and high-value alternative to traditional therapies or amputation, according to a recent...

‘VSITE predicts qualifying exam success’

The Vascular Surgery In-Training Examination (VSITE) is “highly predictive” of a Vascular Qualifying Examination pass for examinees following both the integrated vascular surgery (0+5)...

Special session on diversity enters VAM agenda

Over the course of more than a year, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) have been brought into sharp focus by a compendium of events...

Just 16% of US centers in VQI offer SVS guideline-compliant open repair for AAA,...

There is a stark downward trend in the number of U.S. centers in the Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI) that meet the Society for Vascular...

Artio Medical completes enrollment of first-in-human trial investigating Amplifi vein dilation system

Artio Medical announced today it has completed enrollment in its first-in-human study evaluating the Amplifi vein dilation system. In the study, five patients were...

The year in COVID: VAM to feature 10 talks probing pandemic-related vascular complications

After nearly 18 months of life dominated by a worldwide pandemic—one that canceled the 2020 Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM)—VAM 2021 highlights several aspects of...

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 in the peripheral arteries,” findings from a systematic review...

VESS session: ‘Concerted effort’ made to feature science, discussion from widest possible swath of...

At its very essence, says Vascular & Endovascular Surgery Society (VESS) President Jason T. Lee, MD, vascular surgery is a “social sport.” The specialty...

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)...

‘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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Corner Stitch: Acing the final training years

In academia, the start of summer brings about new beginnings and a changing of the guard. Chief residents and senior fellows graduate and start...

Medicare: Surgical Care Coalition urges Congress to halt proposed cuts to care

The proposed Medicare Physician Fee Schedule for calendar year 2022 (CY2022) released Tuesday by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) fails to...

The vasculature united: Bringing together competing specialties for better patient care

Incoming Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) President Ali AbuRahma, MD, knows the topic of this year’s E. Stanley Crawford Critical Issues Forum at the...

#SVSTweetChat hits high levels of engagement

Since the inaugural #SVSTweetChat that covered early career advice went live on Twitter in April, the monthly social media initiative has proven to be...

Final Meet the Experts session is July 15

Practicing vascular surgeons, learn all about preventing and managing type II endoleaks—a common situation faced by specialists—from the experts on Thursday, July 15. Benjamin...

WFVS undergoes transformation, looks for vascular ’haves‘ to better help ‘have nots‘

The World Federation of Vascular Societies (WFVS) has entered a new era of transformation, seeking to better pave the way for disparate vascular surgeons...

Town Halls to address wellness, appropriate use

The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) has scheduled two Town Halls for the summer—one to cover vascular surgeon wellness programs (July 13) and the...

Fighting the good fight: The case for multidisciplinary limb salvage in face of increasing...

Dramatic increases in rates of diabetes—particularly among Black females—through 2060 underscore the importance of a multidisciplinary team approach to limb salvage, according to Vincent...

Vascular Connections–August 2021 (Preview Edition)

In this special VAM preview issue: Incoming SVS President Ali AbuRahma, MD, talks through this year's E. Stanley Crawford Critical Issues Forum: "The vasculature...

Surmodics builds thrombectomy portfolio with acquisition of Vetex Medical

Surmodics recently announced that it has acquired privately-held Vetex Medical Limited, expanding the company's thrombectomy portfolio with a second Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 510(k)-cleared...

Vascular Specialist–July 2021

In this issue: "Fighting the good fight: The case for multidisciplinary limb salvage in face of increasing diabetes, diversifying nation" (p. 1 and 6) ...

Janssen submits new drug application to FDA for rivaroxaban to treat VTE in pediatric...

The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson recently announced it has submitted a new drug application (NDA) to the Food and Drug Administration...

SVS releases updated clinical practice guidelines covering carotid disease

The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) has released updated clinical practice guidelines accompanied by an implementation document on the management of patients with extracranial...

A lifetime of achievement: Former SVS president looks back on career milestones

The first time Bruce A. Perler, MD, attended the Southern Association for Vascular Surgery (SAVS) annual meeting, he was a young faculty member who...

SVS clinical practice guidelines on popliteal artery aneurysms published

The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) has released new clinical practice guidelines to ensure that patients with popliteal artery aneurysms receive appropriate treatment and...

SVS Town Hall on June 30 hones in on value of an OBL

The next Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Town Hall will focus on the value of an office-based lab (OBL) to the healthcare system, patients...

SVS creates section for members in community practice

To better meet the needs of those Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) members who practice in the community setting, the SVS has approved a...

Adjunctive compression to standard prophylaxis for postoperative VTE shows benefit in very high-risk patients

Among patients with a Caprini score of ≥11 who received standard prophylaxis for venous thromboembolism (VTE), adjunctive intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC) resulted in a significantly...

OBL: Keys to success in the outpatient setting

The ability to pivot in the face of changes to reimbursement while still meeting the needs of patients is a key facet of success...
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Large study shows drop in AAA mortality ‘at faster rate than ever’

According to a new, population-based analysis, abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) mortality has continued to decline and “at a faster rate than ever” in the...

Fempop bypass shows reintervention benefit over endovascular therapy for advanced premature PAD

Femoropopliteal bypass is associated with decreased reinterventions at one year compared to endovascular therapy in patients with advanced premature peripheral arterial disease (PAD). This is...

Mills becomes next SVS vice president

Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) voting members have elected Joseph Mills, MD, of Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, as their next vice...

AVFs contribute to higher survival of hemodialysis patients with COVID-19

A new study, published online in The Journal of Vascular Access (JVA), suggests that arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs) contribute to higher survival of hemodialysis patients with COVID-19. Authors Ahmet Murt,...

Spotlight: Outstanding women in business award

American College of Surgeons (ACS) President-elect Julie A. Freischlag, MD, CEO of Wake Forest Baptist Health and a past president of the Society for...

Why donate to the SVS PAC?

A few years ago, in his presidential address to the Midwestern Vascular Surgical Society (MVSS), Mark Mattos, MD, spoke eloquently about the need to...

The top 10 most popular Vascular Specialist stories in May

A pointed letter aimed at electronic health record (EHR) behemoth Epic, an argument in favor of endovascular treatment of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms (rAAAs)...

VAM plans for San Diego shape up: ‘The June gloom will be history’

Registration for the live, in-person 2021 Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM) has begun—and organizers promise you won’t want to miss the meeting. VAM will be...

Pearls of wisdom for interns

It’s June and, in less than a month, a swarm of new faces, and freshly minted MDs and DOs will descend upon most academic...

DEI: One speciality, many voices, diverse perspectives

Over the course of the last year, the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) has been on a journey toward fostering greater diversity, equity and...

Overcoming prejudice and uniting vascular surgery

The United States has been living through some charged times recently. Our profession is not immune to these conflagrations. In recent times, minority members...

Being queer without proximal or distal control

“What do you mean your partner? Does that mean a man?” These were among the questions one of my mentors asked me when we...

Patient: ‘Whole body wellness includes the mind and body’

Kathryn Bowser, MD, a member of the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee, talks to Justin Michel, 29, who...

Does this loofah make me look gay?

I doubt many people remember a specific time they watched C-SPAN, let alone the exact date. But on Dec. 18, 2010, there I was, in...

Philips announces positive two-year data from TOBA II BTK clinical trial

Royal Philips recently announced positive two-year results from the TOBA (Tack optimized balloon angioplasty) II below-the-knee (BTK) clinical trial. The data show the Philips Tack endovascular...

Stenting found to be superior to atherectomy, balloon angioplasty in reducing PAD mortality risk

Stenting reduced mortality risk in patients undergoing interventions for peripheral arterial disease (PAD) by more than 30% when compared to plain balloon angioplasty, and...

SVS: Progress made during year like no other

While the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects dominated 2020–21 fiscal year—including the cancellation of the live 2020 Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM)—it did not deter...

AI triage solution for PE and aortic dissection receives FDA clearance

Medical imaging artificial intelligence (AI) specialist, Avicenna.AI, recently announced that it has received certification in the U.S. and European Union (EU) for CINA CHEST, its...

Study provides new insights on COVID-19 risk in patients receiving dialysis

Many individuals with kidney failure have been unable to self-isolate during the COVID-19 pandemic because they require dialysis treatments in clinics several times a...

Vascular Specialist–June 2021

In this special issue: Members of the SVS Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee introduce a multi-part special, featuring personal stories of overcoming prejudice,...

New SVS vice president, revised bylaws to be unveiled June 16

Members, be sure to register for the June 16 Virtual Annual Business Meeting, the first of two business meetings for 2021. Registration is required...

Medicare E&M coding changes and EHR physician burnout

A recent article published in Vascular Specialist summarized data regarding the undeniable relationship between electronic health records (EHRs) and burnout amongst physicians. There is...

Boston Scientific and BD initiate venous stent recalls

Boston Scientific and BD have both initiated recalls of venous stents. According to a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) medical device recall notice posted...

Elevating women in vascular surgery

Over a one-year period, Association of American Medical Colleges data showed that 25% of women in surgery reported experiencing disrespect based on their gender,...

Lead vascular surgeon on first use of Fiber Optic RealShape in US hails advance

Vascular surgeons at the University of Massachusetts became the first in the United States to carry out procedures using the breakthrough imaging technology Fiber...

‘Disproportionate decrease’: Vascular surgeons see buying power fall, study finds

Inflation-adjusted Medicare reimbursement rates for the 20 most common vascular surgical procedures decreased by more than 20% in the last decade, a new analysis...

Medical Devices Regulation goes into effect across EU

The European Union (EU) Medical Devices Regulation (MDR) takes effect from today (May 26). The Regulation revises quality and safety standards and the range of...

Medtronic issues updated patient management recommendations on Valiant Navion recall

Medtronic has announced that it has sent physicians updated patient management recommendations related to its voluntary recall of the Valiant Navion thoracic stent graft...

Boston Scientific recalls Vici SDS and Vici RDS venous stent systems following reports of...

According to a medical device recall notice posted on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website, Boston Scientific has recalled its Vici venous stent...

Former SAVS president David Rosenthal dies at 76

Renowned vascular surgeon David Rosenthal, MD, co-founder of the Atlanta Vascular Society and a former president of both the Southern Association for Vascular Society...

One-year results from PROMISE I study of LimFlow system in ‘no-option’ CLTI patients published

Twelve-month data from the full patient cohort in the PROMISE I study of the LimFlow percutaneous deep vein arterialization (pDVA) system have been...

Candidates for 2021-22 SVS vice president revealed

The candidates in the running to be the next Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) vice president—and a future SVS president—have been unveiled. They are William...

ACC.21: SAFE-PAD finds no increased risk of death with drug-coated devices

Researchers have found no statistically significant difference in mortality between patients treated with drug-coated devices and non-drug-coated devices in the SAFE-PAD study. Eric Secemsky,...

ACC.21: VOYAGER PAD shows rivaroxaban ‘significantly’ reduced total ischemic events in PAD patients

Rivaroxaban combined with low-dose aspirin led to a significant reduction in the occurrence of total ischemic events in patients with symptomatic peripheral arterial disease...

In the room: Changes aplenty as VAM returns

The Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM) is more anticipated than ever after the annus horribilis of 2020 and the pared-back, digital VAM alternative that was...

Intermittent claudication and exercise therapy: A poor SET-up

Many of you may have already heard about the controversial Comparative Billing Reports (CBRs) that have been received by some of our vascular surgery...

In brief: Spotlight

Ravi Chandra, MD, of Ocala, Florida, has been appointed to the Florida Board of Medicine, subject to Florida Senate confirmation. Peter McDonnell, MD, 65, Oak...

TCAR vs CEA: Research shows fewer myocardial infarctions after TCAR with use of general...

A Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI) analysis uncovered a reduction in the risk of myocardial infarction after transcarotid artery revascularization (TCAR) compared to carotid endarterectomy...

Innovation: ISET audience hears what’s on the horizon for CLTI patients

“I am going to give you reasons to be excited about your critical limb practice,” Peter Schneider, MD, professor of vascular and endovascular surgery...

Apply for VAM travel scholarships by May 19

Medical students and general surgery residents have until May 19 to apply for Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM) travel scholarships....

Registration for VAM 2021 now open

Registration and housing opened today for the 2021 Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM), which takes place Aug. 18–21 in San Diego. Educational programming is ready to...

Voting on bylaws, vice president begins May 17

Voting runs from May 17 to 24 on proposed bylaws amendments and for the position of vice president of the Society for Vascular Surgery....

Honor mentors with gift to SVS Foundation

Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) members can honor their mentors in a wonderful and consequential way by making a donation to the SVS Foundation...

Register for upcoming ‘Meet the Experts’ webinars

Register today for the remaining Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) "Meet the Experts" webinars, including "Redo Carotid Revascularization,” to be held May 20. These webinars...

The top 10 most popular stories from April

Our April cover story on the links between electronic health records (EHRs) and physician burnout, the continuing problem of manels (or all-male speaking panels)...

Endologix announces launch of Alto abdominal stent graft in Canada

Endologix today announced the first implant of its Alto abdominal stent graft in Canada following recent approval from Health Canada. Alto was also recently...

A love for writing

Welcome to Corner Stitch, a brand new section by and for trainees. First up is outgoing Vascular Specialist residents and fellows editor Laura Marie...

An open letter to Epic Systems

Dear Epic, I am not writing to you today as a customer, but rather on behalf of your users. More specifically, I am representative...

VAM: SVS PAC donors to be recognized at VAM

The SVS Political Action Committee (PAC) is critically important for our voices to be heard in the places where policies that affect all of...

MicroStent to treat PAD below the knee receives FDA breakthrough device designation

Micro Medical Solutions (MMS) recently revealed Food and Drug Administration (FDA) breakthrough device designation for its MicroStent vascular stent. This novel technology is designed...

#SVSTweetChat: Connecting to the online vascular community

With social media having such a prevalent presence today, it continues to play a significant role in connecting surgeons, prospective trainees and medical students...

Registration to open for VAM 2021

Registration and housing are set to open in mid-May for the 2021 Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM), which takes place Aug. 18–21 in San Diego. Educational...

Vascular Specialist–May 2021

In this issue: Frank Veith, MD, makes the case for EVAR being "the treatment of choice" for ruptured AAAs (p. 1 and 6) Malachi...

Hitting the spot: EVAR for rAAA should be ‘treatment of choice’ in 2021

If the equipment and requisite skillset are available, and a patient’s anatomy is suitable, endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) for ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms (rAAAs)...

Interventions associated with ‘poor’ two-year relief of intermittent claudication symptoms

Peripheral vascular interventions for intermittent claudication were linked to "poor" two-year relief of symptoms in the Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI) database, a new study...

Enrollment starts in postmarket studies of WavelinQ endoAVF system

Enrollment has begun and the first patients have been treated in the postmarket surveillance study, CONNECT-AV, of the WavelinQ (BD) endovascular arteriovenous fistula (endoAVF)...

Wearable device for AV fistula remote monitoring shows promise—but faces commercial challenges

A new wearable device designed to remotely monitor arteriovenous (AV) fistulae function in dialysis access patients uncovered promising data, leading one set of researchers...

Upcoming webinars: May to feature exchanges on coding, employment

The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Community Practice Committee will host two webinars in May designed to support members in community-practice settings. Members may...

SAVS issues 2021–2022 officer line-up

The Southern Association for Vascular Surgery (SAVS) has announced its officer slate for 2021–2022. Incoming president is William A. Marston, MD, professor in the...

SoundBite peripheral crossing system gains FDA approval

Soundbite Medical Solutions has announced Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 510(k) approval for the SoundBite crossing system—Peripheral (SCS-P) with the 0.014” active wire (14P). The...

Peer-to-peer coaching program created to strengthen wellness support

The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) and the Academy for Surgical Coaching are developing a first-of-its-kind coaching program that strengthens wellness support for vascular...

VAM: Session on diversity set to feature on Friday of SVS annual meeting

Racial and ethnically based disparities exist in healthcare. To highlight these disparities, and what the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) is doing to address...

Plans revealed for pilot study on performance of EVAR for AAA in office-based labs

Details of a planned pilot study investigating the merits of performing endovascular aortic repair (EVAR) on abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) in office-based labs (OBLs)...

Registry data show EVAR is safe, durable and effective out to five years

Endovascular aortic repair (EVAR) is safe, durable and effective, the five-year interim results of the Global Registry for Endovascular Aortic Treatment (the GREAT registry)...

SVS seeks nominees for prestigious community practice award by May 1

The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) is on the lookout for candidates for the next Excellence in Community Service Award, with the deadline for...

PAD: Endologix acquires PQ Bypass

Endologix recently announced completing the acquisition of PQ Bypass, a medical technology company pioneering a first-of-its-kind technology that addresses severe peripheral arterial disease (PAD). PQ...

Surgeons react to reintroduction of bill that aims to increase access to PAD screening

The recent reintroduction of the bipartisan Amputation Reduction and Compassion (ARC) Act—aimed at improving peripheral arterial disease (PAD) education, increasing access to PAD screening...

VenoValve: Chronic venous insufficiency device gains brisk double of first US patent, IDE approval

Hancock Jaffe Laboratories recently revealed that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issued the first patent covering the company’s VenoValve. The patent is...

Emerging picture: VAM 2021 shaping up into blockbuster event

The moving pieces that comprise the 2021 Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM), set to take place Aug. 18–21 at the San Diego Convention Center, San...

Patients with AAAs who had COVID-19 may need ‘more frequent surveillance’ until better understanding...

Patients who have known abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs), who may have had a COVID-19 infection, might need to have more frequent or a different...

‘Radiation will be a thing of the past’

Discussion during the opening day of the Charing Cross (CX) 2021 Digital Edition emphasized the potential of Philips’ Fiber Optic RealShape (FORS) technology to...

SVS advocacy efforts help spark landmark change in research effort requirements

The recent decision from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) to reduce the dedicated research effort from 75 to 50% for K...

BUTTERFLY study finds most reinterventions after FEVAR are not related to balloon-expandable covered stent...

A mid-term assessment of bridging stentgraft integrity and flare geometry following fenestrated endovascular aortic repair (FEVAR) finds that, although there is a substantial reintervention...

SVS PAC has weathered the storm of 2020

The year 2020 was one of firsts and of resilience. We had a plague of biblical proportions; civil unrest; fiery political and racial tensions;...

Lessons in PAD care from VA vascular surgeons

The care of patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is challenging and costly. Every practicing vascular surgeon knows that when patients present with ulcerations,...

Intravascular shunts improve early limb salvage after extremity vascular injury, study finds

A multicenter retrospective study of the PROOVIT (Prospective observational vascular injury treatment) registry suggests the use of temporary intravascular shunts (TIVSs) results in lower...

SVS continues to plan in-person VAM

Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) leaders continue to plan for a live, in-person Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM), the SVS has announced. As COVID-19-related restrictions ease...

Added benefit of carotid revascularization to modern medical care ‘needs to be revisited’, study...

A pooled meta-analysis found that patients with symptomatic carotid stenosis enrolled in recent randomized controlled trials (RCTs) had a lower risk of stroke after...

Fluoroscopically-guided insertion of td-CVC found to be ‘low exposure,’ despite large variability across procedure...

While there is large variability based on the site of insertion, patient characteristics and previous accesses, fluoroscopically-guided insertion of tunnelled central venous catheters (td-CVC)...

Settled science: The indisputable link between EHR and burnout

The CEO of Epic, Judith Faulkner, recently made a statement questioning whether there was any evidence tying the EHR (electronic health record) to physician...

Next SVS Town Hall to discuss post-pandemic practice

The next SVS Town Hall will deal with vascular practice's path forward from the ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic. The event is intended to help...

New data support ‘routine’ use of IVUS during iliac vein stenting to optimize stent...

A recent study on iliac vein stenting showed better short and mid-term patency rates when intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) was utilized prior to stent deployment...

VAM travel scholarships open up to applicants April 21

Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) travel scholarships for trainees to attend the Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM) are set to begin accepting applications on April...

Physician assistant community launches ‘PA Case of the Month’

To help broaden its physician assistant (PA) members’ knowledge of vascular care and help them engage and interact with each other virtually, the Society...

SVS introduces ‘Meet the Experts’ Webinar Series

The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) is introducing a new webinar series, with the first installment set to take place this month. The "Meet...

First pulmonary embolism patient enrolled in FLAME study

Inari Medical has announced the enrollment of the first high-risk pulmonary embolism (PE) patient in the FLAME (FlowTriever for acute massive pulmonary embolism) study....

When there are none: Why manels are out

On June 12, 2019, the director of the National Institutes of Health, Francis Collins, MD, made a public commitment to decline to take part...

‘More robust’ studies needed to confirm near infrared spectroscopy as valuable tool in lower...

“The available data suggest that exercise training improves de-oxygenation and re-oxygenation patterns, as measured with near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), in patients with lower extremity...

Vascular Specialist–April 2021

In this issue: Three vascular surgeons journey through more than 60 peer-reviewed papers that make the connection between electronic health records (EHRs) and physician...

Surmodics announces first patient uses of two Sublime radial access platform devices

Surmodics recently announced the successful first uses in patients for two devices within its Sublime radial access platform: the Sublime radial access guide sheath and...

US surgeons begin commercial use of Gore Excluder conformable AAA endoprosthesis with Active Control...

W. L. Gore & Associates (Gore) today announced the first use of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved Gore Excluder conformable abdominal aortic aneurysm...

APDVS honors Jack L. Cronenwett with inaugural Lifetime Achievement in Education Award

The Association of Program Directors in Vascular Surgery (APDVS) bestowed its first-ever Lifetime Achievement in Education Award on the association's one-time president Jack L....

Details emerge on VRIC’s move to VAM 2021

In celebration of the 75th year of the SVS, the Vascular Research Initiatives Conference (VRIC), typically held in early May, is moving this...

Researchers recommend national registries address geographical variation in DVT guideline implementation

A new review concludes that the implementation of clinical guidelines for the management of patients with deep vein thrombosis (DVT) varies among countries, from strict...

‘A reliable tool’: Positive findings for 2D perfusion angiography in CLTI patients

Researchers suggest that in patients with chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI), two-dimensional (2D) perfusion angiography is a “reliable tool” when used according to standardized methods. Jetty...

‘Highly implementable’ price sheet strategy sparks cost reduction in vascular procedures

A simple cost reduction strategy implemented among providers in an academic vascular surgery practice yielded data demonstrating sometimes significant cost savings—in the case of...

Study identifies ‘critical need’ for guidelines on appropriate use of atherectomy

No data currently exist to support the use of atherectomy over other procedures for the treatment of peripheral arterial disease (PAD), and the healthcare...

Tracci elected Southern Vascular recorder

The Southern Association for Vascular Surgery (SAVS) has announced the election of Margaret (Megan) Tracci, MD, as its next recorder. Tracci is currently associate professor...

‘Latinx’: How to understand and use the term

Three members of the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee, chaired by Vincent M. Rowe, MD, explain use and...

Study: ELVeS Radial varicose vein laser therapy shows ‘excellent’ long-term results

ELVeS Radial laser system Long-term results of patients who underwent outpatient laser treatment for varicose veins at the great saphenous vein (GSV) or small saphenous...

First patient treated in the BeGraft FEVAR study aimed at providing evidence for on-label...

The first patient has been included in the BeGraft fenestrated endovascular aneurysm repair (FEVAR) study investigating the Bentley BeGraft peripheral balloon expandable covered stent...

Vetex Medical announces positive one-year outcomes for ReVene thrombectomy catheter

Vetex Medical has announced positive one-year outcomes from a European clinical study of the ReVene thrombectomy catheter. In patients with iliofemoral vein thrombus, the...

Higher frailty scores linked to increased postoperative complications and mortality in veterans undergoing EVAR...

Higher frailty scores were associated with higher rates of postoperative complications and mortality among a national cohort of veteran patients who underwent endovascular aneurysm...

SVS Foundation: Celebrating surgeons on March 30

The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Foundation recognizes and thanks all SVS surgeons and physicians on National Doctors’ Day, which falls on March 30. This...

Cervical artery lesions are ‘frequent and mostly asymptomatic’ in vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome patients

Cervical artery lesions are frequent and mostly asymptomatic in patients with vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, investigators seeking to systematically assess arterial complications in the region...

Venous2021 kicks off Wednesday, March 17

The American Venous Forum (AVF) will hold its 33rd annual meeting, Venous2021, in a virtual format from March 17–20. The conference features scientific sessions covering...

Ramped-up productivity incentives and a deadly down slope

The healthcare system always conducts a “root cause” analysis when a medical error occurs. It looks for a systemic problem to address in order to...

SVS Foundation work continues during year of challenges

Despite it being a year unlike any other, the increased generosity of the SVS Foundation donors allowed for the mission work to continue as...

Radiation exposure: ControlRad Select imaging system gains FDA market clearance

ControlRad has announced Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 510(k) clearance to market ControlRad Select, a technology that utilizes proprietary semi-transparent filters, a user-interface tablet,...

Key MACRA changes highlighted

The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) is in its fifth calendar year, and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) continues...

British AAA screening results show ‘considerable’ local variation in proportion of patients undergoing EVAR

The first detailed surgical results from the U.K. National Health Service (NHS) Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Screening Programme (NAAASP) show that, over a seven-year period,...

VRIC set to be held during VAM 2021

This year's Vascular Research Initiatives Conference (VRIC) will be held during two sessions at the 2021 Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM) in August. VAM is scheduled...

SVS SET: PAD patient walks away from pain

Ice, cold and snow make it tough to walk outside in Lansing, Michigan, right now. So, jokes Doug Giller, he is wearing a path...

Coaches ‘integral’ to SVS SET app program

“A good coach will make his players see what they can be rather than what they are.” Those are words ascribed to football coach...

Supervised Exercise Therapy: There’s an app for that

Call it timing on several fronts, each part coming together for the benefit of patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Included in the mix was...

SVS Clinical Research Seed Grant deadline pushed to March 8

The deadline for the SVS Foundation Clinical Research Seed Grant has been extended to Monday, March 8. The award, which provides researchers with $25,000 to...

FDA grants breakthrough device designation for Zenith fenestrated+ endovascular graft

The Zenith fenestrated+ endovascular graft (ZFEN+) product (Cook Medical) has received breakthrough device designation from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This designation is...

Channeling SVS messaging across diffuse mediums

In order to recognize the diverse ways members interact and consume information, a new Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Communications Committee, replete with three...

OBL: In praise of the office-based interventional lab

Vascular surgery has undergone dramatic changes over the last 30 years. What was once a traditional open surgical discipline has now become a hybrid...

Vascular Specialist–March 2021

In this issue: Outpatient centers like OBLs have lately come under heavy scrutiny in light of new evidence highlighting outlier utilization rates. Last month,...

Virtual VSB Certifying Exam ‘a huge success’

The virtually administered Vascular Surgery Certifying Exam (CE) has been declared "a huge success" by members of the Vascular Surgery Board (VSB). The VSB...

VESAP5 mobile app now available

The mobile app for the fifth edition Vascular Educational Self-Assessment Program (VESAP5)—for both Android and Apple operating systems—is now available. Apple users need to...

Hospital availability of TCAR associated with an improvement in overall outcomes for carotid revascularization

Silk Road Medical has announced positive results from a comparative-effectiveness study involving transcarotid artery revascularization (TCAR) that was published in JAMA Network Open. The study...

Journal of Critical Limb Ischemia set to launch in spring

The CLI Global Society is launching the first peer-reviewed academic journal focusing on interventional techniques pertaining to critical limb ischemia (CLI). The new title, Journal...

EVAR improves one-year survival in octogenarians with AAAs, study finds

Endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) for abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) in those 80-plus decreases one-year mortality rates compared to non-operative management, researchers at the University...

Corriere: Meetings about meetings and how not to have a bad one

The past year in which the concept of “the meeting” shifted almost entirely into the digital realm challenged everything from the constitution of the...

FDA panel recommends against premarket approval of Lutonix 014 DCB for BTK use

A Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory panel has recommended against premarket approval of BD’s Lutonix 014 drug-coated balloon (DCB) for use in below-the-knee (BTK) arteries....

‘Leading when everyone is watching—and when no one knows what to do’

The title of the Southern Association for Vascular Surgery (SAVS) Jesse E. Thompson, MD, Distinguished Guest Lecture was heralded as “Leading when everyone is...

‘Grit matters in vascular surgery’

"This is what happens to you when you show grit: You end up being elected president of the American College of Surgeons." Those were among...

New officers named to SVS office-based lab section

New officers are in place with the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Section on Outpatient and Office Vascular Care (SOOVC) Executive Committee, which covers...

In memoriam: Aspiring vascular surgeon Noor Gul Shah, 29

Noor Gul Shah, MD, who passed away in October last year aged 29, was a remarkable fourth-year resident in general surgery at NYU Langone...

Medtronic recalls unused Valiant Navion thoracic stent graft system

Medtronic has voluntarily issued a global recall of its Valiant Navion thoracic stent graft system and informed physicians to immediately cease use of the...

‘Vascular surgery is an integral part of a complete healthcare system’

A new Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) report highlights both the critical skills vascular surgeons provide to a healthcare system and the specialty’s benefit...

New SVS online portal heralds vascular education ‘on the go’

To great excitement on the part of leaders and members, the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) has launched its new Education Portal, the online...

SVS PAC recaps 2020, offers goals for 2021

It is difficult to put 2020 into words. However, despite everything bad that has gone on in the U.S. and nationally, the SVS PAC...

UPDATED: First post-virus vascular meeting with in-person element declared success

The first major conference in the vascular surgery universe to incorporate an in-person element as part of a hybrid format has been declared a...

SVS solicits comments on clinical practice guidelines covering carotid disease

The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) is seeking comments by Feb. 24 on proposed clinical practice guidelines for the management of extracranial cerebrovascular disease—which...

Surgeons discuss early efforts rolling out SVS Branding Toolkit

Two-and-a-half years back, when Kathryn E. Bowser, MD, joined her current institution as a vascular surgeon, a confluence of unfolding events led her to...

SVS seeks volunteers to test website navigability

The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) is on the lookout for volunteers to help fine-tune a planned overhaul of vascular.org, the SVS website. Testers are...

Postmarket study of sirolimus-eluting balloon enrolls first patient

MedAlliance has announced enrollment of the first patient in SUCCESS PTA, its large post-market study with the drug-eluting balloon Selution SLR for the treatment...

Veterans study: No evidence of increased risk of death with use of PCDs out...

A study of more than 10,000 U.S. veterans with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) undergoing endovascular interventions in the femoropopliteal segment found that rates of...

Pioneering Duke vascular surgeon Richard McCann dies

Richard McCann, MD, a vascular surgeon who reinvented his skills after the endovascular revolution in the 1990s and implanted the first endograft for an...

Evidence suggests wearable activity monitors could benefit intermittent claudication patients

There is some evidence to indicate that the inclusion of wearable activity monitors in home-based exercise therapy improves walking ability and quality of life...

VESAP5 pandemic discount set to end

The pandemic-induced discount applied to the fifth edition of the Vascular Educational Self-Assessment Program (VESAP5) will end March 31.   VESAP5 was introduced in July 2020...

SVS opens nominations for 2021–2022 vice president

Nominations for the solitary Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) 2021 officer position is now open. The nominations received will inform who will fill the SVS...

Data show potential of Limflow system to improve outcomes for no-option CLTI

“Deep vein arterialization is safe and technically feasible,” Peter Schneider, MD, a professor in the division vascular and endovascular surgery at the University of...

Why VAM was shifted to August amid COVID-19 vaccination rollout

To enhance the chances of being able to hold the 2021 Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM) in-person, the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) has moved...

USPSTF reaffirms 2014 recommendation against screening for asymptomatic carotid stenosis

The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has recommended against screening for asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis in the general adult population—a reaffirmation of...

Cohort selected for second year of Leadership Development Program

The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) has selected 24 members for the year-two cohort of the Leadership Development Program. Because of the pandemic, the...

Foundation donors rise to challenge

The SVS Foundation received an extra infusion of contributions in late 2020, thanks to more than 40 new donors and the generosity of four...

Treo IDE primary endpoint results announced

In the wake of approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the Treo abdominal aortic stent-graft system for the treatment of patients...

SVS, ACC complete move to single vascular registry

The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) and the American College of Cardiology (ACC) have completed a move to create a single vascular registry. The new...

How to succeed in vascular surgery: A guide for the aspiring outlier

Disclaimer: The views expressed here do not reflect those of Mayo Clinic, the Society for Vascular Surgery, Vascular Specialist, or even the author, for...

Vascular Specialist–February 2021

In this issue: A Vascular Specialist cover special on atherectomy and utilization rates: "Are high reimbursement amounts incentivizing inappropriate medical provider care?" (p. 1...

LINC 2021: Long-term data show sustained efficacy and safety of paclitaxel devices in fempop...

A key theme among the late-breaking trial data presented at the recent LINC 2021 (the Leipzig Interventional Course), held digitally from Jan. 25–29, was the...

COVID-19 pandemic led to ‘severe’ financial loss for academic vascular surgery division

The initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in three-month sustained decreases in operative and outpatient clinical volume as well as a “severe” financial...

Democrats take control with Biden presidency, majorities in both chambers

Democratic victories for Georgia’s two Senate seats in the runoff election Jan. 5 have solidified the Democrats’ control of the federal government for the...

SVS Foundation’s new initiative to address disparities in vascular health

Significant disparities in healthcare services in the United States result in unnecessary limb loss, stroke and death. Vascular health professionals are developing new programs...

Lymphedema: NYC vascular surgeon explains experience tackling severe cases with a modified Charles’ procedure

Kuldeep Singh, MD, calls them a labor of love. They are tough—the patients having endured repeated hospitalizations, infections, embarrassment: The sorts of severely affected...

Patients with depression ‘less likely’ to go home after CLTI revascularization

A recent analysis established an association between depression and non-home discharge after revascularization for chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI)—providing further evidence, the authors say, that...

SVS online education hub goes live

The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) has launched its Education Portal, linking to eagerly anticipated new learning management system (LMS) SVS OnDemand. Education Committee chair...

Five-year ILLUMENATE results confirm safety profile of Philips Stellarex DCB

Royal Philips has announced the final, five-year results of two randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that show no difference in all-cause mortality between patients treated...

Upper-extremity vascular injuries associated with ‘increased prevalence’ of nerve deficits

Vascular injuries of the upper extremity are associated with a lower rate of limb loss but have an increased prevalence of nerve deficits after...

Vascular firefighters: New data highlight ‘essential hospital resource’

New data that analyze the preoperative and intraoperative assistance vascular surgeons provide to other surgical subspecialties underscores “the essential hospital resource” that vascular surgery...

Fempop atherectomy: Are high reimbursement amounts incentivizing inappropriate medical provider care?

Reimbursement-per-procedure for femoropopliteal atherectomy and stenting has increased at about the same rate for national providers as a whole and vascular surgeons specifically—at the...

SVS seeks volunteers for claudication Appropriate Use Criteria rating panel

The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) is developing Appropriate Use Criteria (AUC) for claudication using the RAND Appropriateness Method. The AUC process consists of a...

Not Appropriate! Florida healthcare fraud case highlights inappropriateness in care

The latest research around practice patterns and appropriateness in care came shortly after a criminal case in Florida at the tail end of last...

‘Inordinate amount’ of vascular surgery’s Medicare payments go to narrow group, study finds

Just 1% of vascular surgeons receive “an inordinate amount” of the total Medicare payments that flow toward the specialty, with disproportionate use of outpatient...

Leadership and culture: Nurturing our immune system

Defining culture is amorphous, and mostly subjective. Being hard to define, it falls behind other measures of leadership—and team success or failure—like strategy or...

Fluoroquinolones linked to increased incidence of aortic aneurysms in US adults

Fluoroquinolones—one of the most commonly prescribed antibiotic classes in the United States—were associated with increased incidence of aortic aneurysm formation in U.S. adults, a...

Journal supplement outlines updated clinical practice guidelines, reporting standards

The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) is starting 2021 with updated clinical practice guidelines and reporting standards for three vascular conditions. Guidelines on chronic mesenteric...

‘Ample published data unable to replicate association between paclitaxel-coated devices and mortality’

Ample published data from from large, observational datasets, randomized-controlled trial (RCT) subgroup analyses and long-term follow-up from pivotal paclitaxel-coated device RCTs have not been...

System outage alert: Cyberattack sends medicine back to paper age

On Oct. 28, 2020, the University of Vermont Health Network—consisting of six hospitals in Vermont and upstate New York, was hit by a cyberattack.1...

FDA representatives respond to SWEDEPAD interim analysis, highlight need for continued study

Representatives from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) referenced "important and reassuring" results from the recent interim analysis of the SWEDEPAD clinical trial in which...

Target 2021: SVS councils and committees drill down on key goals for year ahead...

Ronald L. Dalman While there is little doubt the pandemic has impacted each vascular surgeon and the SVS as a Society in numerous ways, the...

Target 2021: SVS councils and committees drill down on key goals for year ahead...

While there is little doubt the pandemic has impacted each vascular surgeon and the SVS as a Society in numerous ways, the commitment and...

Upcoming symposium for fellows: ‘Building a successful vascular practice’

A symposium designed to educate graduating vascular fellows on succeeding in a community or private practice as well as an academic setting is set...

Walking can relieve leg pain in people with PAD

Exercise can play an important role in treating peripheral arterial disease (PAD), a recent review by Amy Harwood, PhD, from the Centre for Sport and...

Resident Research Award deadline moved to Feb. 17

The deadline for the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Resident Research Award has been extended to Feb. 17—a knock-on effect of the date shift...

Target 2021: SVS councils and committees drill down on key goals for year ahead...

While there is little doubt the pandemic has impacted each vascular surgeon and the SVS as a Society in numerous ways, the commitment and...

Medicare cuts: Avoiding the ‘tragedy of the unprepared’

*The January 2021 issue of Vascular Specialist, which contained this story, went to press prior to the news that Congress had moved to halt cuts to...

Target 2021: SVS councils and committees drill down on key goals for year ahead...

While there is little doubt the pandemic has impacted each vascular surgeon and the SVS as a Society in numerous ways, the commitment and...

Study of patients undergoing AAA repair suggests screening guidelines may be inadequate

A retrospective study analyzing approximately 55,000 patients undergoing abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair suggests current screening guidelines may be inadequate in detecting a significant...

Target 2021: SVS councils and committees drill down on key goals for year ahead...

While there is little doubt the pandemic has impacted each vascular surgeon and the SVS as a Society in numerous ways, the commitment and...

SVS creates much-anticipated DEI Committee

Fulfilling one of the first recommendations—and the highest priority—of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Task Force, the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) has...

Executive Board commits to DEI changes

The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Task Force’s findings and recommendations are taking shape, with some already implemented. After...

Missing your journals? Be sure your dues are paid

Have you paid your 2021 Society for Vascular Surgery dues? If you haven’t, you’re missing access to all of the latest research in the...

New SVS learning platform due to go live in late January

Educational content will soon be as close as the nearest Internet connection. SVS OnDemand is slated to go live at the end of this...

Deadlines near for Society, Foundation awards

Applications are due early in 2021 for a number of Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) and SVS Foundation awards, honors and grants. Information on...

Outpatient evaluation and management codes extensively revised

For the first time since 1992, office/outpatient evaluation and management (E/M) Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes have been extensively revised. As of Jan. 1,...

A healing touch

Since March 2020, my life has literally spiraled out of control both personally and professionally. The COVID-19 pandemic shattered my life, and I am...

Inaugural leadership program overcomes pandemic difficulties

The inaugural cohort of the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Leadership Development Program had to show some resilience early. Not long after the initiative’s...

Vascular Specialist–January 2021

*The January 2021 issue of Vascular Specialist went to press prior to the news that the dates for VAM had been moved to August,...

Vascular surgery COVID-19 registry participants probe state of practice amid winter surge

The question of the COVID-19 pandemic’s effect on vascular practice continues to occupy members of the specialty. Contributors to a global vascular surgery registry...

Total endovascular aortic arch treatment shows promise in dissections, but secondary interventions remain ‘Achilles’...

Speaking at the Virtual Aortic Surgery How to Do It Highlights conference (Dec. 17–18), Stéphan Haulon, MD, a vascular surgeon at Hôpital Marie Lannelongue,...

Pre-emptive embolization of aneurysm sac side branches prevents post-EVAR type II endoleak, study finds

According to Daniela Branzan, MD, a senior vascular surgeon at University Hospital Leipzig, in Leipzig, Germany, and colleagues, pre-emptive embolization of aneurysm sac side...

VAM dates shifted to mid-August

The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) has shifted the 2021 iteration of its flagship conference, the Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM), to August in a...

Congress delays steep Medicare payment cuts

Both the House of Representatives and Senate have approved legislation to delay steep cuts to Medicare that were set to take effect Jan. 1,...

Quality initiative: New pocket guides now available

New pocket guides of the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) clinical practice guidelines and reporting standards are now available, with printed guides sent to...

Simulation-based training shown to build open vascular surgery skills

A recent systematic review found that “carefully designed and structured” simulation-based training (SBT) in open vascular surgery is effective and can improve technical skills,...

‘Successful’ first-in-human use of the Efemoral scaffold system announced

Efemoral Medical has announced the first-in-human (FIH) use of the company’s Efemoral Vascular scaffold system (EVSS) with FlexStepv technology in the EFEMORAL I FIH...

WIfI score found to be accurate across racial groups

The wound, ischemia and foot infection (WIfI) score is as accurate a predictor of risk for limb loss in Black people as it is...

Revascularization ‘improves’ walking performance in claudicating PAD patients 

Revascularization of the lower extremity improves hemodynamics, walking performance, quality of life and calf-muscle pathology in claudicating patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD), researchers...

SWEDEPAD unplanned interim analysis shows no difference in all-cause mortality for paclitaxel devices

An unplanned interim analysis of the registry-based SWEDEPAD clinical trial, in which patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) received treatment with paclitaxel-coated (drug-coated balloons...

CMS creates new codes for IVL performed below the knee

Shockwave Medical has announced that as part of the calendar year 2021 Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) final rule, the Centers for...

SVS launches inaugural member census

The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) has launched an Annual Physician Member Census aimed at capturing current issues of importance and the changing demographics...

RelayPlus thoracic stent graft post-approval study reports low operative mortality

Terumo Aortic has announced the midterm results from the RelayPlus thoracic stent graft system post-approval study, revealing low operative mortality and morbidity— supporting its...

COVID-related hypercoagulability linked to elevated malfunction rate in temporary hemodialysis catheters

Hypercoagulability in COVID-19 patients leads to an increase in the malfunction rate of temporary hemodialysis catheters—but heparin locking of the catheters is linked to...

Fund hope with the SVS Foundation

A gift to the SVS Foundation funds not just things—patient education fliers, research awards and community awareness projects—but also hope for a better future....

Vesper Medical announces first enrollment in the VIVID trial

Vesper Medical recently announced initiation of its Food and Drug Administration (FDA) investigational device exemption (IDE) study, VIVID (Venous stent for the iliofemoral vein investigational clinical trial...

The power of groups: Invest in the SVS PAC

Humans are social animals, and, over time, they have found that their best times are spent in groups. We have just celebrated Thanksgiving, spending...

VAM 2021 taking shape, schedule changes to expand programming

Though many individual components will remain the same, the 2021 Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM) will have a different look and feel. "The meeting has...

Present imperfect

On the morning of Nov. 9, I received a phone call from my sister. My father had been found unresponsive in his Manhattan apartment...

The benefits of an academic research career in the VA

Every year a number of graduating vascular trainees look for jobs in academic surgery to develop a career as a surgeon-scientist in basic, translational...

CMS confirms Physician Fee Schedule cuts; SVS members asked to contact lawmakers

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) has delivered a blow to vascular surgery in the form of a 7% cut in total...

Dalman to trainees: ‘Vascular surgery is a tremendously rewarding career’

For aspiring vascular trainees, interview season is a time of great stress as well as opportunity. Graduating medical students and residents are preparing the...

Vascular Specialist–December 2020

In this issue: OBL: Community surgeons talk through surviving private practice in office-based labs (p. 1 and 4) "Present imperfect": Vascular Specialist medical editor Malachi...

Clarion call: Application deadlines for research awards coming up

Applications for three Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Foundation awards are coming up early in the new year. The Resident Research Award (Jan. 13,...