New long-term data of paclitaxel devices continue to show no increased mortality compared to...
New long-term data from the SAFE-PAD (Safety assessment of femoropopliteal endovascular treatment with paclitaxel-coated devices) study were presented today as late-breaking clinical research at...
Shockwave IVL maintains ‘superiority’ to angioplasty in calcified peripheral disease at two years
Shockwave Medical announced today that long-term data from the Disrupt PAD III trial found that superior vessel preparation with intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) led to excellent long-term outcomes...
Tissue samples show paclitaxel effect in minority of CLTI patients receiving DCB angioplasty, study...
Paclitaxel effect was witnessed in tissue specimens of a minority of chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) patients treated with drug-coated balloons (DCBs)—but was not dependent...
Non-optimal therapy for CLTI ‘more prominent in females’
A real-world claims data analysis of nearly 200,000 patients with chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) showed that female patients were older, underwent vascular procedures less often, and...
Venovo venous stent returns to US market after 2021 recall
BD recently announced that its Venovo venous stent is back on the U.S. market following a recall last year.
In 2019, the company reported that the...
Cancer patients face greater risks from AAA repair
Elective abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair in patients with a cancer diagnosis is associated with several poor postoperative outcomes, according to a newly published study from researchers...
75th anniversary: Celebrate SVS history through photos
A week remains in the SVS Photo Contest, which celebrates the Society for Vascular Surgery’s 75th Anniversary. Members are sharing images that tell the...
The top 10 most popular Vascular Specialist stories in April 2022
The digital version of the April 2022 issue of Vascular Specialist, the most recent editorial by our medical editor focusing on diversity within the...
Less frequent post-EVAR surveillance might be safe in some patient groups, study suggests
Results from the multicenter, retrospective ODYSSEUS study carried out in The Netherlands suggest that less frequent surveillance after endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) may be...
War in Ukraine: A tale of unspeakable horror, unprecedented unity and unquenchable thirst for...
This editorial was written in the days leading up to April 2.
At about 4 a.m. (Kyiv time) on Feb. 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin...
Artificial intelligence could make endovascular aortic repair outcomes more predictable, CX 2022 hears
At the 2022 Charing Cross (CX) International Symposium (April 26–28) in London, England, Tom Carrell, MD, a vascular surgeon in Cambridge, England, and founder of...
SCAI releases multi-society position statement focused on core competencies for endovascular specialists providing care...
The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions (SCAI) has released a position statement outlining competencies for endovascular specialists who provide care for chronic limb-threatening...
Voting for SVS vice president, secretary begins May 23
Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Active and Senior members will begin voting May 23 for a new SVS vice president and secretary for 2022–23....
New sirolimus data provide encouragement despite ‘potentially disappointing’ efficacy results
The results of a small-scale pilot study from Asia have indicated “potentially disappointing” results with a novel drug-eluting balloon in treating dysfunctional arteriovenous access...
FDA approves expanded indications for TCAR’s Enroute stent
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved expanded indications for the Enroute stent system—part of the transcarotid artery revascularization (TCAR) procedure—to include patients at...
SVS Foundation seeks applicants for VISTA projects
The SVS Foundation started to seek proposals in mid-April for pilot outreach projects to help identify needed vascular services in underserved portions of the...
CX 2022: IN.PACT AV DCB shows sustained and superior performance compared to PTA through...
New randomized controlled data demonstrating the sustained and superior performance of IN.PACT AV drug-coated balloons (DCBs) compared to percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) through 36...
SVS turns its sights to FY2023, long-range future
In January, the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Strategic Board met and forged its objectives for the coming fiscal year. Two months later the...
CX 2022: Overtreatment in venous disease: Financial incentives are ‘the elephant in the room’
To combat the “overtreatment problem” in the appropriate care of venous disease, “a concerted, complex, multimodal effort” is required from specialists across disparate parts...
SVS members receive deep discount on key textbooks
Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) members receive many important discounts as a privilege of belonging. These perks include discounts to important references in diagnosing...
From proposal to podium: Tips for getting your abstract accepted at academic conferences
Striving for excellence in research is one of the defining characteristics of an academic surgeon. But simply doing great research is not enough. The...
Veteran community care: Ensuring community care plays a vital role within the VA health...
Concerns about veterans getting access to quality healthcare in a timely fashion led to the Veterans Choice Act in 2014 followed by the VA...
VAM packed from beginning to end
From the opening session on the Wednesday morning of the Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM), to announcing the winners of the Poster Competition Championship Round...
Rockman: A family story of self-identity
Outgoing Society for Vascular Surgery (SCVS) President Caron Rockman, MD, delved into her family history from late-19th century and early- 20th century Russia to...
VAM: Gala auctions taking shape
It's spring now, but those whose winters seem never-ending might consider bidding on a week-long stay in Florida for next winter. Cold and snow...
Terumo Aortic announces FDA approval for Thoraflex Hybrid frozen elephant trunk device
Terumo Aortic today announced that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted approval of the Thoraflex Hybrid frozen elephant trunk device for commercial...
SCAI issues position paper on transaxillary arterial access
The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions (SCAI) has released an official position statement providing evidence-based recommendations for percutaneous transaxillary arterial access and training...
The top 10 most popular Vascular Specialist stories in March
Among the posts catching Vascular Specialist readers' eyes last month were the digital flipbook version of our March print edition, a new study looking...
Supply & demand: [Private] practice matters
Vascular surgeons in private practice could play a crucial role in alleviating one of the existential problems currently vexing the specialty: The training of...
Cydar Medical announces strategic collaboration with Medtronic
Cydar Medical recently announced it has entered a strategic collaboration with Medtronic. Under the pilot arrangement, Cydar’s EV Maps software will be introduced to up...
Our past is prologue: We are losing the battle to train more Black doctors
My mother was a child of the 1960s. Despite not having a college degree, she was determined to teach my sister and me that...
Alucent Biomedical announces first patient enrolled in first-in-human natural vascular scaffolding clinical trial
Alucent Biomedical announced in a press release that it has enrolled the first patient in ACTIVATE II, an Australia-based first-in-human clinical trial to evaluate the...
Help tell the SVS story through images
Thanks to smartphones, almost everyone usually has a good camera at hand and thousands of digital photos in storage.
So get that phone charged and be...
Interview: SCVS leaders discuss training challenges, position of private practice, diversifying generation of surgeons
Barriers thrown up between the worlds of private or community vascular surgery and academic practice need to be dismantled for the betterment of the...
Vascular Specialist–April 2022
In this issue:
In our April cover story, we report from the Society for Clinical Vascular Surgery (SCVS) Annual Symposium on new evidence that...
At VRIC 2022, Clowes lecturer to walk in research footsteps of field progenitor
When Kathleen Martin, PhD, gives the Alexander W. Clowes Distinguished Lecture at the 2022 Vascular Research Initiatives Conference (VRIC) in May, she’ll be discussing...
Rare case series shows 100% limb salvage in pediatric bone tumor resections with vascular...
A retrospective review of a rare set of pediatric bone tumor resection cases with significant blood vessel involvement has demonstrated 100% limb salvage and...
Interview: JVS group enters new era with brand chief and team-based approach
With changes occurring regularly in the publication business of scientific journals, the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) is planning changes with its own Journal...
VAM: How abstracts are selected
The abstracts presented at the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM) are the result not just of thorough research, but also...
SVS’ AMA membership push aimed at safeguarding vascular surgery voice on coding issues
The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) is urging members to join the American Medical Association (AMA) in a bid to maintain a critical voice...
Shockwave Medical announces global launch of new peripheral IVL catheter
Shockwave Medical has announced the global commercial availability of the Shockwave M5+ peripheral intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) catheter after receiving both Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and...
Cook Medical receives FDA Breakthrough Device designation for Zenith Thoraco+ endovascular system
Cook Medical’s Zenith Thoraco+ endovascular system (Thoraco+) has received Breakthrough Device designation from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a press release reports.
The company...
Medtronic issues voluntary recall for subset of IN.PACT Admiral and IN.PACT AV DCBs
Medtronic recently voluntarily recalled a subset of its IN.PACT Admiral and IN.PACT AV paclitaxel-coated percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) balloon catheters due to the potential...
Select gene SNPs found to be associated with venous ulcer formation and persistence
Looking to the future, genetic testing may play a role in guiding the intensity of therapeutic interventions and preventive strategies in patients with venous...
SCVS 2022: WIfI score does not predict successful healing after transmetatarsal amputation, study finds
A higher initial Wound, ischemia, and foot infection (WIfI) classification score at initial presentation in chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) patients who underwent a transmetatarsal...
Randomized trial suggests carotid endarterectomy does not affect dementia risk
Carotid endarterectomy (CEA) does not appear to either reduce or increase the risk of dementia, despite it having been shown to reduce stroke risk....
Increased market competition linked to higher odds of revascularization among asymptomatic patients with moderate...
A vascular surgery research team with a growing reputation for its work investigating appropriateness in care in the peripheral vascular bed recently uncovered an...
Medical students reach out to hemodialysis community in times of COVID-19
As president of the Louisiana State University (LSU) Vascular Surgery Interest Group (VSIG), I’ve been eagerly exploring opportunities to engage with community members and...
Nominations due March 31 for community practice award
Nominations for the Society for Vascular Surgery‘s prestigious Excellence in Community Practice Award are due March 31.
The honor, formerly known as the Excellence in...
Peer-reviewed COVID-19 archive grows
Two years in, an indicator of COVID-19’s continuing presence in the world is the growth of the “COVID-19 Collection” in the pages of the...
Diabetes: Impact of local medicolegal landscapes on costs
More litigious U.S. states did not see decreased amputation rates over those where the medicolegal environment was less adverse, according to an analysis of...
SCVS 2022: ‘We should not allow our industry relationships influence how we choose to...
Industry players and device makers have helped spark new science and innovation in vascular surgery amid flatlining National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding, but...
Apply for health policy program by March 25
Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. Central Standard Time on March 25 for the joint American College of Surgeons/Society for Vascular Surgery scholarship to...
Vascular Surgery Board seeks director nominees
The Vascular Surgery Board (VSB) of the American Board of Surgery (ABS) is seeking director nominees to serve a six-year term beginning July 1,...
Potential ‘new paradigm’ in treatment of long occlusive lesions emerges
Vascular surgeon Lewis Schwartz, MD, has had an interest in biomedical engineering since very early in his career. So his involvement in the early-stage...
Moments suspended in time: Joining the vascular fold
Noon on March 19, 2021, marked the end of an unprecedented year in the world of resident recruiting. Months of virtual interviews, “away” rotations...
SVS creates membership section for women
Women make up a growing percentage of vascular surgeons. And they now have a new professional membership home within the Society for Vascular Surgery...
Boston calling: Registration for VAM 2022 is open
Registration and housing for the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) 2022 Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM) are now open. This year’s premiere educational event for...
Database analysis findings ‘matched precisely’ with reported reasons for venous stent recalls
A recent analysis recalled Venovo and Vici venous stents—initiated last year—characterized “significant differences” between reported device and patient issues, and subsequent interventions for the...
The pandemic has been a challenge, but perhaps it imposed some equity
Years from now when we look back, will we measure time in terms of B.C. and A.C.—Before Covid and After Covid? It’s hard to...
Life of Achilles: Turning weakness into bursts of innovation, creativity
Themes rooted in the life of Achilles, the heroic figure from Greek mythology, and the concept of “emotional stamina” underpinned the message delivered from...
F/BEVAR review reveals less than 20% of patients suffered intraoperative adverse event
A retrospective evaluation of 600 fenestrated or branched endovascular aneurysm repairs (F/BEVARs) for the treatment of complex aneurysms revealed that fewer than one in...
Biomarkers of heart failure show early reversal with catheter thrombolysis compared to anticoagulation alone...
In a secondary analysis of the SUNSET sPE randomized control trial, lead investigator Efthymios Avgerinos, MD, of the division of vascular surgery, University of...
Dedicated vs. non-dedicated: Researchers place venous stenting under the spotlight at AVF 2022
Venous stenting was a hot topic on the agenda of the recent American Venous Forum (AVF) annual meeting, held this year Feb. 23–26 in Orlando,...
PROMISE II U.S. pivotal trial of device designed for ‘no-option’ CLTI patients completes enrollment
Enrollment has been completed in the PROMISE II pivotal trial of the LimFlow deep vein arterialization system designed to prevent amputations in so-called "no-option"...
Viabahn use in claudicants with long, complex SFA lesions ‘safe and effective’ through five...
Recently published research indicates that stent grafting with the Viabahn endoprosthesis (W L Gore & Associates) of long and complex superficial femoral artery (SFA) lesions in...
The top 10 most popular Vascular Specialist stories in February
February's top 10 includes a highlight from the 2022 Vascular and Endovascular Surgery Society (VESS) winter annual meeting and an interview with Melissa Kirkwood,...
Lesson learned: Entering vascular residency during first wave of pandemic
An insight into the benefits of virtual learning from the perspective of a medical student on the cusp of residency as the early stages...
Vascular Specialist–March 2022
In this issue:
Dedicated vs. non-dedicated: Researchers place venous stenting under the spotlight at the American Venous Forum (AVF) 2022 annual meeting (p. 1 and...
New JVS editorial leadership structure announced
The Executive Board of the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) recently revealed the new composition of the Journal of Vascular Surgery (JVS) publications‘ senior...
Writing and reviewing in the DEI space: Progress evident but ‘there’s a lot of...
It’s been more than 18 months since the Journal of Vascular Surgery (JVS) implemented changes aimed in part at diversifying involvement with the publication...
Venous stents remain durable following pregnancy, researchers find
Iliac vein stents tolerate a gravid uterus well and a possible future pregnancy should not contraindicate their usage in the treatment of pelvic venous...
Houston, we have a dialysis access problem
The concept of dedicated vascular access centers fuels a turbocharged Texan tussle with Karl Illig, MD, of Flow Vascular Institute in Houston, taking on Eric...
VAM 2022 will offer innovative formats
The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Postgraduate Education Committee is breaking up the format in favor of change and innovation for two sessions at...
AVF 2022: Emerging autogenous venous valve formation system sees ‘continual improvement’
An emerging endovenous valve formation system designed to treat patients with chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) with evidence of deep venous reflux has demonstrated continual...
FDA advisory panel issues recommendations on lifelong surveillance for EVAR
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently announced it has issued a letter to healthcare providers emphasizing the importance of lifelong surveillance, including imaging,...
Time’s nearly up: Apply for VAM travel scholarships by March 9
Time is quickly running out for medical students and general surgery residents to apply for Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) travel scholarships to attend...
Tickets selling briskly for Gala: ‘Cheers to 75 Years’
More than 330 people have registered their intentions to raise a glass to toast the Society for Vascular Surgery's quarter-century of helping vascular patients...
AVF 2022: Six-month CLOUT data indicate ClotTriever can effectively remove full spectrum of thrombus
Six-month outcomes from the ongoing CLOUT registry demonstrate the “safety and efficacy” of the ClotTriever thrombectomy system in a real-world deep vein thrombosis (DVT)...
AVF 2022: VenoValve improvement ‘maintained’ for 2.5 years without adverse events
Envveno Medical announced positive 30-month data from the first-in-human trial of the VenoValve bioprosthetic potential venous valve replacement during the 2022 American Venous Forum (AVF)...
VAM 2022: More science, discussion, streaming
With abstract selection finished this month and the lineup of many other sessions in place, organizers are excited about the offerings of the 2022...
Sex discordance and postoperative outcomes: We should be vigilant of a real disparity in...
The recent JAMA Surgery publication “Association of surgeon-patient sex concordance with postoperative outcomes” is a population-based, retrospective cohort study of more than 1 million...
Study ‘supports’ SVS open AAA volume recommendations
A multicenter, retrospective database analysis suggests improved open abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) outcomes when surgeon volume is greater than seven cases yearly and performed in...
Perioperative care in open aortic surgery: SVS and ERAS Society issue consensus statement
The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) and the Stockholm, Sweden-based Enhanced Recovery after Surgery (ERAS) Society have released a consensus statement intended to help...
‘Cheers to 75 Years’: Anniversary Gala tickets go on sale on Feb. 22
How will you help the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) celebrate “Cheers to 75 Years?”
Maybe it's offering an adventure in the wilderness, on a...
Ra Medical Systems receives FDA approval for increased enrollment in atherectomy clinical trial
Ra Medical Systems, a medical device company focused on developing the excimer laser system to treat vascular diseases, has announced that enrollment has reached...
SVS PAC: A voice for vascular surgeons on Capitol Hill
As everyone turned the page on 2021 and entered 2022 with a new hope for a return to normalcy, vascular surgeons continue to be...
VRIC input in 2021 helped strengthen research, says award-winner
The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Vascular Research Initiatives Conference (VRIC) in 2021 helped Sriganesh (Sri) Sharma, MD, better understand his own work.
During the...
Diversity efforts while in training: Is it just another box to check?
2020 was a herald year. It ushered in a global pandemic and a reckoning with issues of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in our...
Community practice award deadline extended
There's still time! The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) has extended the deadline to nominate an SVS member for the prestigious Excellence in Community...
From the SVS journals
The Journal of Vascular Surgery Cases, Innovations and Techniques has been growing rapidly, publishing an estimated 33% more articles this year than two years...
Silence is golden—but does self-imposed silence lead to burnout?
Burnout is associated with silence in various contexts. It is called the silent crisis, the silent epidemic, or the silent killer. What is not...
First patient enrolled in PEERLESS study of FlowTriever system
Inari Medical has announced that the first patient has been enrolled in PEERLESS prospective, randomized controlled trial (RCT) comparing the outcomes of patients with...
New data add to body of evidence highlighting ‘importance’ of vascular surgery in trauma...
Another study has emerged showing vascular surgery’s heavy intraoperative consult activity in a level 1 trauma center setting, lending further fuel to the “vascular...
Complex TAAA: US ARC IDE registry reports better survival vs. real-world data after endovascular...
Patients treated in Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved investigational device exemption (IDE) trials for complex thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms (TAAAs) in the U.S. Aortic...
Apply for VAM travel scholarships by March 9
Medical students and general surgery residents have until March 9 to apply for Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) travel scholarships that enable attendance at...
March 1 awards deadline nears
The deadline is March 1 for several awards and honors from the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) and the SVS Foundation. They include the...
Vascular Specialist–February 2022
In this issue:
"Vital signs": Reporting from the Southern Association for Vascular Surgery (SAVS) annual meeting on skyrocketing nursing costs and their contribution to...
Worldwide TCAR analysis provides ‘roadmap’ to evaluate future training approaches
An analysis of the worldwide experience of transcarotid artery revascularization (TCAR) has produced key objective proficiency metrics and an analytic framework to assess adequate...
Study highlights need to extend scope of cerebrovascular health disparities research
A new research letter in Stroke outlines use of the novel National Institutes of Health (NIH) All of Us research program dataset of diverse...
The top 10 most popular Vascular Specialist stories in January
January’s top 10 includes “Our forever plague,” a combined editorial by Malachi Sheahan III, MD, our medical editor, on fake news and science, and...
Medtronic issues voluntary recall for TurboHawk Plus directional atherectomy system
On Feb. 7, Medtronic issued a notice emphasizing that the same warnings and precautions issued for the HawkOne directional atherectomy system also apply for...
Index atherectomy interventions for claudication ‘is associated with higher’ reintervention rates vs. other technologies
Atherectomy use during index peripheral vascular interventions in claudicants is associated with higher reintervention rates when compared to other technologies, a newly unveiled study...
Marston: Diversity required to deliver comprehensive care to vascular disease population
William A. Marston, MD, was recalling a recent experience acting as a bone marrow donor for a family member, and the moment it dawned...
Interview: Combating the problem of spin, or overinterpretation, in RCTs
The presence of spin, or overinterpretation, in scientific papers that ultimately demonstrate statistically insignificant findings had been gnawing away at Thomas Forbes, MD, for...
Risk of venous stent migration ‘rare’ but probably ‘underreported,’ systematic review finds
Stent migration following treatment of acute iliofemoral thrombus or venous obstruction is “rare but may be underreported,” with the majority of reported cases being...
Radiation protection: Lightweight shield designed to reduce dose during complex endovascular procedures gains ground
It all started with a “we should do research together; this is fascinating.” The result—the production of a prototype eyewear that decreases radiation to...
VESS 2022: Novel use of TCAR to treat complex brachiocephalic disease shown to be...
A "unique" case series of patients undergoing transcarotid artery revascularization (TCAR) in which the system was put to novel use for proximal intervention or...
Office-based laboratory setting proves ‘safe’ for iliac vein stenting
A retrospective study of 1,223 iliac vein cases performed in three office-based laboratories (OBLs) demonstrated a major complication rate of 0.41%, suggesting these procedures...
FDA issues guidance documents for including patient perspectives in medical device studies
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued two final guidances providing recommendations for including patient perspectives in medical device clinical studies.
As per...
WFVS seeks to help shape future of global vascular training through technology and collaboration
The World Federation of Vascular Societies (WFVS) recently entered a new era of governance with the aim of better disseminating science and best practices...
Study suggests more proximal landing zone is preferred for TEVAR of acute type B...
A review evaluating the results of thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) following acute type B aortic dissection suggests most patients have less than 2cm...
Conveying vascular surgery’s essential ‘coolness’
Let’s start with a question: how do we communicate coolness? No, I am not referring to a cool or cold foot in the emergency...
Priorities and objectives will guide 2022 SVS programs
Whether it’s branding, advocacy or determining research initiatives, the process of setting Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) priorities and objectives begins with SVS members....
Strength in numbers: Global VASCC COVID-19 project helps identify framework to tackle delayed cases
When Robert Cuff, MD, and Max Wohlauer, MD, first launched the Vascular Surgery COVID-19 Collaborative (VASCC) back in the spring of 2020, the pandemic...
Guidelines recognize potential role for earlier endovascular treatment of uncomplicated type B aortic dissection
New clinical practice guidelines published today aim to act as “guard rails” to determine the treatment options and best practices for managing patients with...
UPDATED: Last call for community practice accolade
The clock is ticking to submit nominations for the 2022 Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Excellence in Community Practice Award—with an extended deadline now...
Cook Medical receives FDA breakthrough designation for new drug-eluting stent
Cook Medical has received Breakthrough Device designation from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on a new drug-eluting stent (DES) for below the knee...
SAVS 2022: ‘Recruiting more women without knowing race/ethnicity of those women only tells part...
Failure to stratify gender by race or ethnicity, or vice versa, leads to missed opportunities in the recruitment of underrepresented members from the potential...
Medtronic recalls HawkOne directional atherectomy system
Medtronic has recalled 95,110 HawkOne directional atherectomy system devices distributed in the United States between Jan. 22, 2018, and Oct. 4, 2021, the Food...
SVS to hold Surgical Coaching Program webinar Jan. 24
Professional athletes and musicians have coaches to help them “up their games.” It follows then that vascular surgeons can benefit from coaching within the...
SAVS 2022: Skyrocketing vascular nursing costs hammer division’s financial bottom line
The profit margin of a vascular surgery division at a prominent health system in New Orleans was severely eroded during the COVID-19 pandemic period—despite...
A balance is required with non-compete agreements in surgical practice
Unless prohibited by state law, most physicians employed by hospitals or physician groups are required to sign non-compete agreements (NCAs). A recent survey of...
Giving November initiative brings in $50,000-plus to SVS Foundation
The SVS Foundation’s extension of Giving Today into Giving November was a big success, with more than $50,000 donated to Foundation research, grants, awards...
Thrombolex: Investigational RESCUE trial yields ‘exciting’ interim data
The prespecified interim analysis of the first 62 evaluable pulmonary embolism (PE) patients enrolled in the investigational RESCUE trial produced positive results, Thrombolex has...
Live-streaming to return at VAM 2022
After a successful debut in 2021, live-streaming of a variety of sessions will return to the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Vascular Annual Meeting...
Formally introducing Christopher Audu
The team at Vascular Specialist—led by Malachi Sheahan III, MD—is pleased to announce the appointment of University of Michigan resident Christopher Audu, MD, as...
Corner Stitch: From intentions to gratitude in 2022
A time of transition, like the dawn of a New Year, usually commences the mass drive for New Year’s resolutions and intentions. Many of...
Members involved in suggesting topics for VAM 2022 sessions
Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) program planners are finalizing the lineup and topics for several types of educational session for the 2022 Vascular Annual...
Philips integrates cloud-based AI and 3D mapping into its mobile C-arm system series
Royal Philips has announced physicians will now have access to advanced new 3D image guidance capabilities through its image-guided therapy mobile C-arm system—Zenition. The...
VA: Cutting through the ‘red tape’ of research
Creating an academic career with a perfect blend of clinical work and protected time for productive research is a struggle for many surgeon-scientists. Many...
ISET 2022 audience hears latest data on endovascular therapies
At this year’s International Symposium on Endovascular Therapy (ISET), being held Jan. 16–19 in Hollywood, Florida, experts presented an array of late-breaking trial results...
Powell: Studies linking EVAR and cancer risk continue to mount
Evidence continues to accumulate of a link between endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) and cancer, with even small amounts of radiation potentially converting epithelial cells...
Vascular Specialist–January 2022
In this issue:
"Strength in numbers": Global VASCC COVID-19 registries have already helped identify a framework to tackle delayed cases with applicability both inside...
CSI announces development of IVL technology for the treatment of PAD
Cardiovascular Systems (CSI) recently announced that it has made significant progress towards the commercialization of its intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) system for the treatment of...
Europe: ESVS publishes 2022 guidelines on management of chronic venous disease of the lower...
The European Society for Vascular Surgery (ESVS) has released 2022 clinical practice guidelines on the management of chronic venous disease (CVD) of the lower...
New recommendations promote ‘appropriate and effective’ use of social media in medicine
In response to a rapid augmentation of social media use in medicine over the past five years, the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) has...
US IDE Aortic Research Consortium ‘pushes the envelope’ on F/BEVAR
The U.S. investigational device exemption (IDE) Aortic Research Consortium has produced the strongest data so far on the use of fenestrated/branched endovascular aneurysm repair...
Our forever plague
The following is a combined and revised version of the November and December 2021 editorials on fake news and science denial published in Vascular...
Deadlines near for slew of awards, honors
It’s awards season at the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) and the SVS Foundation, with deadlines in January, February and March for many awards...
FDA issues updated safety communication on use of Endologix AFX endovascular grafts
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued an updated safety communication on the use of Endologix AFX endovascular grafts. This update includes...
VAM travel scholarship applications available this month
Medical students and general surgery residents will be able to apply this month for travel scholarships to attend the 2022 Society for Vascular Surgery...
SVS PAD course postponed
The new Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) Skills Course has been postponed amid the COVID-19 pandemic recent surge in cases,...
Deadlines near to submit VRIC and VAM abstracts
Abstract submissions for possible presentation at the 2022 Vascular Research Initiatives Conference (VRIC) and the 2022 Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM) in Boston are due...
VIVID study on Duo venous stent system now fully enrolled, Vesper Medical announces
Vesper Medical recently announced the completion of enrollment in its pivotal study—VIVID (Venous stent for the iliofemoral vein investigational clinical trial using the Vesper Duo venous stent...
‘Meet the Experts’ webinars now available OnDemand
Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) members now have another chance to “Meet the Experts,” via computer screen and at no charge.
Three of the...
VESS: A society primed for young vascular surgeons, trainees and medical students
Welcome to December where the calendar is filled with abstract and registration deadlines to various meetings through the summer of 2022. In this month‘s...
FDA approves two pediatric venous thromboembolism indications for rivaroxaban
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved two pediatric indications for Xarelto (rivaroxaban): the treatment of venous thromboembolism (VTE) and reduction in the risk of recurrent...
CLI at a crossroads: Which direction now?
Vascular surgery once again finds itself at a crossroads, Michael Belkin, MD, chief of the division of vascular and endovascular surgery at Brigham and...
Nominate ‘giver, doer’ for Excellence in Community Service Award
The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) is asking members to consider who among the many excellent vascular surgeons they may know in community practice...
Explaining the No Surprises Act
The vast scope of the No Surprises Act—legislation signed into law in late 2020—may mean some Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) members are not...
‘Leveraging multiple teams and cardiovascular specialists’
This quarter’s Leadership Corner features Young Erben, MD, interviewing Charles B. Ross, MD, chief of vascular and endovascular services at Piedmont Heart Institute, Piedmont...
TCAR affords greater quality-adjusted life years than carotid endarterectomy, cost-effectiveness model finds
A cost-effectiveness model based on peer-reviewed sources suggests that although five-year costs for transcarotid artery revascularization (TCAR) were higher than those for carotid endarterectomy (CEA), TCAR afforded...
SVS issues new guidelines covering carotid disease and popliteal aneurysms
The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) has released updated clinical practice guidelines for the management of extracranial cerebrovascular disease and popliteal artery aneurysms in...
Task Force to address question: How will we care for pediatric vascular patients?
Along with the American Pediatric Surgical Association (APSA), the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) plans to minimize and close some very real gaps in...
In paying back, Joe Hart pays it forward
For Joe Hart, MD, a larger donation to the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Foundation this past year is helping him pay back several...
Wei Zhou: Prepared for change—and a more diverse, vocal generation of surgeons
There was something of a different pulse to some of the matters around this year’s Western Vascular Society (WVS) annual meeting, recalls Wei Zhou,...
Venous disease: SVS DEI Committee seeks survey participants
The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee is calling on vascular surgeons to complete a survey focused on patterns...
Planning underway for next VAM
One of the innovations—livestreaming— introduced at the 2021 Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM), is influencing the 2022 schedule.
“The streaming option, particularly for international members,...
Collaborative effort key to investigating potential biomarker of acute aortic syndrome
Research indicates that plasma desmosine has the potential to act as a biomarker of acute aortic syndrome and could, in the future, be used as a...
VRIC 2022 to be held May 11 in Seattle
The Society for Vascular Surgery’s 2022 Vascular Research Initiatives Conference (VRIC) will return to its spring timeframe of the past several years.
Abstract submission...
Smoking status ‘should not deter nor delay’ endovascular intervention in femoropopliteal vessels
Smoking does not seem to affect reocclusion rates, interval to reintervention and the total number of interventions in peripheral arterial disease (PAD) patients with...
Surgeons must stay skilled in femorotibial/pedal bypass surgery, Paris audience hears
At Paris Vascular Insights (PVI) 2021 (Oct. 21–23, Paris, France), Peter Schneider, MD, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, emphasized the need for...
PTFE crural bypasses: ‘Very acceptable patency, excellent limb salvage is obtainable with a fairly...
“The mantra I always use with fellows is bad vein, bad bypass.” Those were the words of Gregg Landis, MD, system chief of vascular...
Senate passes bill to halt 2022 Medicare cuts
Last night, the Senate passed legislation to halt Medicare physician payment cuts that were scheduled to take effect on January 1. President Joe Biden...
New attending call model aimed at fatigue mitigation produces ‘stable’ workflow
A “paradigm shift” in attending call staffing with a focus on fatigue mitigation can be undertaken in a vascular surgery practice without disruption to...
Amplifi vein dilation system demonstrates ‘encouraging’ clinical results in hemodialysis access
Artio Medical announced that full results from its first-in-human clinical study of the Amplifi vein dilation system were presented at the 2021 VEITHSymposium (Nov....
Review the year in SVS Foundation annual report
In a year prominently defined once more by COVID-19, the SVS Foundation nonetheless took some big steps forward, with new initiatives and a big...
VSIGs increase early exposure to vascular surgery in med school
This month, we are focusing on medical student recruitment into vascular surgery. In many medical schools, students do not get any exposure to the...
Canadian Vascular: Spin in RCTs
A large proportion of statistically nonsignificant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) yielded interpretations that were inconsistent with their results, according to an analysis of 31...
Learn by doing at February SVS PAD workshop
The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) Workshop in February will feature four hours of hands-on surgical skills training, on 10...
New ACS president aims to sow seeds of hope for enhanced recovery amid pandemic
Former Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) President Julie A. Freischlag recently took over the presidential reins of the American College of Surgeons (ACS). Here...
Rise in cardiovascular disease, vascular surgeon burnout presents a public health crisis, Western Vascular...
Cases of cardiovascular disease are rising across the U.S., with large disparities seen in ethnic groups and poorer geographical areas. In combination with increased...
Re-emerging from the pandemic: ‘What truly motivates us?’
How to find “flow” and motivation through goal setting, and reacquainting with “intrinsic priorities” on the other side of the COVID-19 pandemic, formed the...
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...
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...
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 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...
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...
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...
