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...
TCAR vs CEA: Research shows fewer myocardial infarctions after TCAR with use of general...
A Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI) analysis uncovered a reduction in the risk of myocardial infarction after transcarotid artery revascularization (TCAR) compared to carotid endarterectomy...
Innovation: ISET audience hears what’s on the horizon for CLTI patients
“I am going to give you reasons to be excited about your critical limb practice,” Peter Schneider, MD, professor of vascular and endovascular surgery...
Apply for VAM travel scholarships by May 19
Medical students and general surgery residents have until May 19 to apply for Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM) travel scholarships....
Registration for VAM 2021 now open
Registration and housing opened today for the 2021 Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM), which takes place Aug. 18–21 in San Diego.
Educational programming is ready to...
Voting on bylaws, vice president begins May 17
Voting runs from May 17 to 24 on proposed bylaws amendments and for the position of vice president of the Society for Vascular Surgery....
Honor mentors with gift to SVS Foundation
Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) members can honor their mentors in a wonderful and consequential way by making a donation to the SVS Foundation...
Register for upcoming ‘Meet the Experts’ webinars
Register today for the remaining Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) "Meet the Experts" webinars, including "Redo Carotid Revascularization,” to be held May 20.
These webinars...
The top 10 most popular stories from April
Our April cover story on the links between electronic health records (EHRs) and physician burnout, the continuing problem of manels (or all-male speaking panels)...
Endologix announces launch of Alto abdominal stent graft in Canada
Endologix today announced the first implant of its Alto abdominal stent graft in Canada following recent approval from Health Canada. Alto was also recently...
A love for writing
Welcome to Corner Stitch, a brand new section by and for trainees. First up is outgoing Vascular Specialist residents and fellows editor Laura Marie...
An open letter to Epic Systems
Dear Epic,
I am not writing to you today as a customer, but rather on behalf of your users. More specifically, I am representative...
VAM: SVS PAC donors to be recognized at VAM
The SVS Political Action Committee (PAC) is critically important for our voices to be heard in the places where policies that affect all of...
MicroStent to treat PAD below the knee receives FDA breakthrough device designation
Micro Medical Solutions (MMS) recently revealed Food and Drug Administration (FDA) breakthrough device designation for its MicroStent vascular stent. This novel technology is designed...
#SVSTweetChat: Connecting to the online vascular community
With social media having such a prevalent presence today, it continues to play a significant role in connecting surgeons, prospective trainees and medical students...
Registration to open for VAM 2021
Registration and housing are set to open in mid-May for the 2021 Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM), which takes place Aug. 18–21 in San Diego.
Educational...
Vascular Specialist–May 2021
In this issue:
Frank Veith, MD, makes the case for EVAR being "the treatment of choice" for ruptured AAAs (p. 1 and 6)
Malachi...
Hitting the spot: EVAR for rAAA should be ‘treatment of choice’ in 2021
If the equipment and requisite skillset are available, and a patient’s anatomy is suitable, endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) for ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms (rAAAs)...
Interventions associated with ‘poor’ two-year relief of intermittent claudication symptoms
Peripheral vascular interventions for intermittent claudication were linked to "poor" two-year relief of symptoms in the Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI) database, a new study...
Enrollment starts in postmarket studies of WavelinQ endoAVF system
Enrollment has begun and the first patients have been treated in the postmarket surveillance study, CONNECT-AV, of the WavelinQ (BD) endovascular arteriovenous fistula (endoAVF)...
Wearable device for AV fistula remote monitoring shows promise—but faces commercial challenges
A new wearable device designed to remotely monitor arteriovenous (AV) fistulae function in dialysis access patients uncovered promising data, leading one set of researchers...
Upcoming webinars: May to feature exchanges on coding, employment
The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Community Practice Committee will host two webinars in May designed to support members in community-practice settings. Members may...
SAVS issues 2021–2022 officer line-up
The Southern Association for Vascular Surgery (SAVS) has announced its officer slate for 2021–2022. Incoming president is William A. Marston, MD, professor in the...
SoundBite peripheral crossing system gains FDA approval
Soundbite Medical Solutions has announced Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 510(k) approval for the SoundBite crossing system—Peripheral (SCS-P) with the 0.014” active wire (14P).
The...
Peer-to-peer coaching program created to strengthen wellness support
The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) and the Academy for Surgical Coaching are developing a first-of-its-kind coaching program that strengthens wellness support for vascular...
VAM: Session on diversity set to feature on Friday of SVS annual meeting
Racial and ethnically based disparities exist in healthcare. To highlight these disparities, and what the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) is doing to address...
Plans revealed for pilot study on performance of EVAR for AAA in office-based labs
Details of a planned pilot study investigating the merits of performing endovascular aortic repair (EVAR) on abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) in office-based labs (OBLs)...
Registry data show EVAR is safe, durable and effective out to five years
Endovascular aortic repair (EVAR) is safe, durable and effective, the five-year interim results of the Global Registry for Endovascular Aortic Treatment (the GREAT registry)...
SVS seeks nominees for prestigious community practice award by May 1
The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) is on the lookout for candidates for the next Excellence in Community Service Award, with the deadline for...
PAD: Endologix acquires PQ Bypass
Endologix recently announced completing the acquisition of PQ Bypass, a medical technology company pioneering a first-of-its-kind technology that addresses severe peripheral arterial disease (PAD).
PQ...
Surgeons react to reintroduction of bill that aims to increase access to PAD screening
The recent reintroduction of the bipartisan Amputation Reduction and Compassion (ARC) Act—aimed at improving peripheral arterial disease (PAD) education, increasing access to PAD screening...
VenoValve: Chronic venous insufficiency device gains brisk double of first US patent, IDE approval
Hancock Jaffe Laboratories recently revealed that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issued the first patent covering the company’s VenoValve. The patent is...
Emerging picture: VAM 2021 shaping up into blockbuster event
The moving pieces that comprise the 2021 Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM), set to take place Aug. 18–21 at the San Diego Convention Center, San...
Patients with AAAs who had COVID-19 may need ‘more frequent surveillance’ until better understanding...
Patients who have known abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs), who may have had a COVID-19 infection, might need to have more frequent or a different...
‘Radiation will be a thing of the past’
Discussion during the opening day of the Charing Cross (CX) 2021 Digital Edition emphasized the potential of Philips’ Fiber Optic RealShape (FORS) technology to...
SVS advocacy efforts help spark landmark change in research effort requirements
The recent decision from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) to reduce the dedicated research effort from 75 to 50% for K...
BUTTERFLY study finds most reinterventions after FEVAR are not related to balloon-expandable covered stent...
A mid-term assessment of bridging stentgraft integrity and flare geometry following fenestrated endovascular aortic repair (FEVAR) finds that, although there is a substantial reintervention...
SVS PAC has weathered the storm of 2020
The year 2020 was one of firsts and of resilience. We had a plague of biblical proportions; civil unrest; fiery political and racial tensions;...
Lessons in PAD care from VA vascular surgeons
The care of patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is challenging and costly. Every practicing vascular surgeon knows that when patients present with ulcerations,...
Intravascular shunts improve early limb salvage after extremity vascular injury, study finds
A multicenter retrospective study of the PROOVIT (Prospective observational vascular injury treatment) registry suggests the use of temporary intravascular shunts (TIVSs) results in lower...
SVS continues to plan in-person VAM
Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) leaders continue to plan for a live, in-person Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM), the SVS has announced.
As COVID-19-related restrictions ease...
Added benefit of carotid revascularization to modern medical care ‘needs to be revisited’, study...
A pooled meta-analysis found that patients with symptomatic carotid stenosis enrolled in recent randomized controlled trials (RCTs) had a lower risk of stroke after...
Fluoroscopically-guided insertion of td-CVC found to be ‘low exposure,’ despite large variability across procedure...
While there is large variability based on the site of insertion, patient characteristics and previous accesses, fluoroscopically-guided insertion of tunnelled central venous catheters (td-CVC)...
Settled science: The indisputable link between EHR and burnout
The CEO of Epic, Judith Faulkner, recently made a statement questioning whether there was any evidence tying the EHR (electronic health record) to physician...
Next SVS Town Hall to discuss post-pandemic practice
The next SVS Town Hall will deal with vascular practice's path forward from the ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The event is intended to help...
New data support ‘routine’ use of IVUS during iliac vein stenting to optimize stent...
A recent study on iliac vein stenting showed better short and mid-term patency rates when intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) was utilized prior to stent deployment...
VAM travel scholarships open up to applicants April 21
Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) travel scholarships for trainees to attend the Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM) are set to begin accepting applications on April...
Physician assistant community launches ‘PA Case of the Month’
To help broaden its physician assistant (PA) members’ knowledge of vascular care and help them engage and interact with each other virtually, the Society...
SVS introduces ‘Meet the Experts’ Webinar Series
The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) is introducing a new webinar series, with the first installment set to take place this month.
The "Meet...
First pulmonary embolism patient enrolled in FLAME study
Inari Medical has announced the enrollment of the first high-risk pulmonary embolism (PE) patient in the FLAME (FlowTriever for acute massive pulmonary embolism) study....
When there are none: Why manels are out
On June 12, 2019, the director of the National Institutes of Health, Francis Collins, MD, made a public commitment to decline to take part...
‘More robust’ studies needed to confirm near infrared spectroscopy as valuable tool in lower...
“The available data suggest that exercise training improves de-oxygenation and re-oxygenation patterns, as measured with near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), in patients with lower extremity...
Vascular Specialist–April 2021
In this issue:
Three vascular surgeons journey through more than 60 peer-reviewed papers that make the connection between electronic health records (EHRs) and physician...
Surmodics announces first patient uses of two Sublime radial access platform devices
Surmodics recently announced the successful first uses in patients for two devices within its Sublime radial access platform: the Sublime radial access guide sheath and...
US surgeons begin commercial use of Gore Excluder conformable AAA endoprosthesis with Active Control...
W. L. Gore & Associates (Gore) today announced the first use of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved Gore Excluder conformable abdominal aortic aneurysm...
APDVS honors Jack L. Cronenwett with inaugural Lifetime Achievement in Education Award
The Association of Program Directors in Vascular Surgery (APDVS) bestowed its first-ever Lifetime Achievement in Education Award on the association's one-time president Jack L....
Details emerge on VRIC’s move to VAM 2021
In celebration of the 75th year of the SVS, the Vascular Research Initiatives Conference (VRIC), typically held in early May, is moving this...
Researchers recommend national registries address geographical variation in DVT guideline implementation
A new review concludes that the implementation of clinical guidelines for the management of patients with deep vein thrombosis (DVT) varies among countries, from strict...
‘A reliable tool’: Positive findings for 2D perfusion angiography in CLTI patients
Researchers suggest that in patients with chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI), two-dimensional (2D) perfusion angiography is a “reliable tool” when used according to standardized methods. Jetty...
‘Highly implementable’ price sheet strategy sparks cost reduction in vascular procedures
A simple cost reduction strategy implemented among providers in an academic vascular surgery practice yielded data demonstrating sometimes significant cost savings—in the case of...
Study identifies ‘critical need’ for guidelines on appropriate use of atherectomy
No data currently exist to support the use of atherectomy over other procedures for the treatment of peripheral arterial disease (PAD), and the healthcare...
Tracci elected Southern Vascular recorder
The Southern Association for Vascular Surgery (SAVS) has announced the election of Margaret (Megan) Tracci, MD, as its next recorder.
Tracci is currently associate professor...
‘Latinx’: How to understand and use the term
Three members of the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee, chaired by Vincent M. Rowe, MD, explain use and...
Study: ELVeS Radial varicose vein laser therapy shows ‘excellent’ long-term results
ELVeS Radial laser system
Long-term results of patients who underwent outpatient laser treatment for varicose veins at the great saphenous vein (GSV) or small saphenous...
First patient treated in the BeGraft FEVAR study aimed at providing evidence for on-label...
The first patient has been included in the BeGraft fenestrated endovascular aneurysm repair (FEVAR) study investigating the Bentley BeGraft peripheral balloon expandable covered stent...
Vetex Medical announces positive one-year outcomes for ReVene thrombectomy catheter
Vetex Medical has announced positive one-year outcomes from a European clinical study of the ReVene thrombectomy catheter. In patients with iliofemoral vein thrombus, the...
Higher frailty scores linked to increased postoperative complications and mortality in veterans undergoing EVAR...
Higher frailty scores were associated with higher rates of postoperative complications and mortality among a national cohort of veteran patients who underwent endovascular aneurysm...
SVS Foundation: Celebrating surgeons on March 30
The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Foundation recognizes and thanks all SVS surgeons and physicians on National Doctors’ Day, which falls on March 30.
This...
Cervical artery lesions are ‘frequent and mostly asymptomatic’ in vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome patients
Cervical artery lesions are frequent and mostly asymptomatic in patients with vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, investigators seeking to systematically assess arterial complications in the region...
Venous2021 kicks off Wednesday, March 17
The American Venous Forum (AVF) will hold its 33rd annual meeting, Venous2021, in a virtual format from March 17–20.
The conference features scientific sessions covering...
Ramped-up productivity incentives and a deadly down slope
The healthcare system always conducts a “root cause” analysis when a medical error occurs. It looks for a systemic problem to address in order to...
SVS Foundation work continues during year of challenges
Despite it being a year unlike any other, the increased generosity of the SVS Foundation donors allowed for the mission work to continue as...
Radiation exposure: ControlRad Select imaging system gains FDA market clearance
ControlRad has announced Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 510(k) clearance to market ControlRad Select, a technology that utilizes proprietary semi-transparent filters, a user-interface tablet,...
Key MACRA changes highlighted
The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) is in its fifth calendar year, and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) continues...
British AAA screening results show ‘considerable’ local variation in proportion of patients undergoing EVAR
The first detailed surgical results from the U.K. National Health Service (NHS) Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Screening Programme (NAAASP) show that, over a seven-year period,...
VRIC set to be held during VAM 2021
This year's Vascular Research Initiatives Conference (VRIC) will be held during two sessions at the 2021 Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM) in August.
VAM is scheduled...
SVS SET: PAD patient walks away from pain
Ice, cold and snow make it tough to walk outside in Lansing, Michigan, right now. So, jokes Doug Giller, he is wearing a path...
Coaches ‘integral’ to SVS SET app program
“A good coach will make his players see what they can be rather than what they are.” Those are words ascribed to football coach...
Supervised Exercise Therapy: There’s an app for that
Call it timing on several fronts, each part coming together for the benefit of patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD).
Included in the mix was...
SVS Clinical Research Seed Grant deadline pushed to March 8
The deadline for the SVS Foundation Clinical Research Seed Grant has been extended to Monday, March 8.
The award, which provides researchers with $25,000 to...
FDA grants breakthrough device designation for Zenith fenestrated+ endovascular graft
The Zenith fenestrated+ endovascular graft (ZFEN+) product (Cook Medical) has received breakthrough device designation from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This designation is...
Channeling SVS messaging across diffuse mediums
In order to recognize the diverse ways members interact and consume information, a new Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Communications Committee, replete with three...
OBL: In praise of the office-based interventional lab
Vascular surgery has undergone dramatic changes over the last 30 years. What was once a traditional open surgical discipline has now become a hybrid...
Vascular Specialist–March 2021
In this issue:
Outpatient centers like OBLs have lately come under heavy scrutiny in light of new evidence highlighting outlier utilization rates. Last month,...
Virtual VSB Certifying Exam ‘a huge success’
The virtually administered Vascular Surgery Certifying Exam (CE) has been declared "a huge success" by members of the Vascular Surgery Board (VSB). The VSB...
VESAP5 mobile app now available
The mobile app for the fifth edition Vascular Educational Self-Assessment Program (VESAP5)—for both Android and Apple operating systems—is now available. Apple users need to...
Hospital availability of TCAR associated with an improvement in overall outcomes for carotid revascularization
Silk Road Medical has announced positive results from a comparative-effectiveness study involving transcarotid artery revascularization (TCAR) that was published in JAMA Network Open.
The study...
Journal of Critical Limb Ischemia set to launch in spring
The CLI Global Society is launching the first peer-reviewed academic journal focusing on interventional techniques pertaining to critical limb ischemia (CLI). The new title, Journal...
EVAR improves one-year survival in octogenarians with AAAs, study finds
Endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) for abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) in those 80-plus decreases one-year mortality rates compared to non-operative management, researchers at the University...
Corriere: Meetings about meetings and how not to have a bad one
The past year in which the concept of “the meeting” shifted almost entirely into the digital realm challenged everything from the constitution of the...
FDA panel recommends against premarket approval of Lutonix 014 DCB for BTK use
A Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory panel has recommended against premarket approval of BD’s Lutonix 014 drug-coated balloon (DCB) for use in below-the-knee (BTK) arteries....
‘Leading when everyone is watching—and when no one knows what to do’
The title of the Southern Association for Vascular Surgery (SAVS) Jesse E. Thompson, MD, Distinguished Guest Lecture was heralded as “Leading when everyone is...
‘Grit matters in vascular surgery’
"This is what happens to you when you show grit: You end up being elected president of the American College of Surgeons."
Those were among...
New officers named to SVS office-based lab section
New officers are in place with the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Section on Outpatient and Office Vascular Care (SOOVC) Executive Committee, which covers...
In memoriam: Aspiring vascular surgeon Noor Gul Shah, 29
Noor Gul Shah, MD, who passed away in October last year aged 29, was a remarkable fourth-year resident in general surgery at NYU Langone...
Medtronic recalls unused Valiant Navion thoracic stent graft system
Medtronic has voluntarily issued a global recall of its Valiant Navion thoracic stent graft system and informed physicians to immediately cease use of the...
‘Vascular surgery is an integral part of a complete healthcare system’
A new Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) report highlights both the critical skills vascular surgeons provide to a healthcare system and the specialty’s benefit...
New SVS online portal heralds vascular education ‘on the go’
To great excitement on the part of leaders and members, the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) has launched its new Education Portal, the online...
SVS PAC recaps 2020, offers goals for 2021
It is difficult to put 2020 into words. However, despite everything bad that has gone on in the U.S. and nationally, the SVS PAC...
UPDATED: First post-virus vascular meeting with in-person element declared success
The first major conference in the vascular surgery universe to incorporate an in-person element as part of a hybrid format has been declared a...
SVS solicits comments on clinical practice guidelines covering carotid disease
The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) is seeking comments by Feb. 24 on proposed clinical practice guidelines for the management of extracranial cerebrovascular disease—which...
Surgeons discuss early efforts rolling out SVS Branding Toolkit
Two-and-a-half years back, when Kathryn E. Bowser, MD, joined her current institution as a vascular surgeon, a confluence of unfolding events led her to...
SVS seeks volunteers to test website navigability
The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) is on the lookout for volunteers to help fine-tune a planned overhaul of vascular.org, the SVS website.
Testers are...
Postmarket study of sirolimus-eluting balloon enrolls first patient
MedAlliance has announced enrollment of the first patient in SUCCESS PTA, its large post-market study with the drug-eluting balloon Selution SLR for the treatment...
Veterans study: No evidence of increased risk of death with use of PCDs out...
A study of more than 10,000 U.S. veterans with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) undergoing endovascular interventions in the femoropopliteal segment found that rates of...
Pioneering Duke vascular surgeon Richard McCann dies
Richard McCann, MD, a vascular surgeon who reinvented his skills after the endovascular revolution in the 1990s and implanted the first endograft for an...
Evidence suggests wearable activity monitors could benefit intermittent claudication patients
There is some evidence to indicate that the inclusion of wearable activity monitors in home-based exercise therapy improves walking ability and quality of life...
VESAP5 pandemic discount set to end
The pandemic-induced discount applied to the fifth edition of the Vascular Educational Self-Assessment Program (VESAP5) will end March 31.
VESAP5 was introduced in July 2020...
SVS opens nominations for 2021–2022 vice president
Nominations for the solitary Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) 2021 officer position is now open.
The nominations received will inform who will fill the SVS...
Data show potential of Limflow system to improve outcomes for no-option CLTI
“Deep vein arterialization is safe and technically feasible,” Peter Schneider, MD, a professor in the division vascular and endovascular surgery at the University of...
Why VAM was shifted to August amid COVID-19 vaccination rollout
To enhance the chances of being able to hold the 2021 Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM) in-person, the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) has moved...
USPSTF reaffirms 2014 recommendation against screening for asymptomatic carotid stenosis
The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has recommended against screening for asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis in the general adult population—a reaffirmation of...
Cohort selected for second year of Leadership Development Program
The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) has selected 24 members for the year-two cohort of the Leadership Development Program. Because of the pandemic, the...
Foundation donors rise to challenge
The SVS Foundation received an extra infusion of contributions in late 2020, thanks to more than 40 new donors and the generosity of four...
Treo IDE primary endpoint results announced
In the wake of approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the Treo abdominal aortic stent-graft system for the treatment of patients...
SVS, ACC complete move to single vascular registry
The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) and the American College of Cardiology (ACC) have completed a move to create a single vascular registry.
The new...
How to succeed in vascular surgery: A guide for the aspiring outlier
Disclaimer: The views expressed here do not reflect those of Mayo Clinic, the Society for Vascular Surgery, Vascular Specialist, or even the author, for...
Vascular Specialist–February 2021
In this issue:
A Vascular Specialist cover special on atherectomy and utilization rates: "Are high reimbursement amounts incentivizing inappropriate medical provider care?" (p. 1...
LINC 2021: Long-term data show sustained efficacy and safety of paclitaxel devices in fempop...
A key theme among the late-breaking trial data presented at the recent LINC 2021 (the Leipzig Interventional Course), held digitally from Jan. 25–29, was the...
COVID-19 pandemic led to ‘severe’ financial loss for academic vascular surgery division
The initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in three-month sustained decreases in operative and outpatient clinical volume as well as a “severe” financial...
Democrats take control with Biden presidency, majorities in both chambers
Democratic victories for Georgia’s two Senate seats in the runoff election Jan. 5 have solidified the Democrats’ control of the federal government for the...
SVS Foundation’s new initiative to address disparities in vascular health
Significant disparities in healthcare services in the United States result in unnecessary limb loss, stroke and death. Vascular health professionals are developing new programs...
Lymphedema: NYC vascular surgeon explains experience tackling severe cases with a modified Charles’ procedure
Kuldeep Singh, MD, calls them a labor of love. They are tough—the patients having endured repeated hospitalizations, infections, embarrassment: The sorts of severely affected...
Patients with depression ‘less likely’ to go home after CLTI revascularization
A recent analysis established an association between depression and non-home discharge after revascularization for chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI)—providing further evidence, the authors say, that...
SVS online education hub goes live
The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) has launched its Education Portal, linking to eagerly anticipated new learning management system (LMS) SVS OnDemand.
Education Committee chair...
Five-year ILLUMENATE results confirm safety profile of Philips Stellarex DCB
Royal Philips has announced the final, five-year results of two randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that show no difference in all-cause mortality between patients treated...
Upper-extremity vascular injuries associated with ‘increased prevalence’ of nerve deficits
Vascular injuries of the upper extremity are associated with a lower rate of limb loss but have an increased prevalence of nerve deficits after...
Vascular firefighters: New data highlight ‘essential hospital resource’
New data that analyze the preoperative and intraoperative assistance vascular surgeons provide to other surgical subspecialties underscores “the essential hospital resource” that vascular surgery...
Fempop atherectomy: Are high reimbursement amounts incentivizing inappropriate medical provider care?
Reimbursement-per-procedure for femoropopliteal atherectomy and stenting has increased at about the same rate for national providers as a whole and vascular surgeons specifically—at the...
SVS seeks volunteers for claudication Appropriate Use Criteria rating panel
The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) is developing Appropriate Use Criteria (AUC) for claudication using the RAND Appropriateness Method.
The AUC process consists of a...
Not Appropriate! Florida healthcare fraud case highlights inappropriateness in care
The latest research around practice patterns and appropriateness in care came shortly after a criminal case in Florida at the tail end of last...
‘Inordinate amount’ of vascular surgery’s Medicare payments go to narrow group, study finds
Just 1% of vascular surgeons receive “an inordinate amount” of the total Medicare payments that flow toward the specialty, with disproportionate use of outpatient...
Leadership and culture: Nurturing our immune system
Defining culture is amorphous, and mostly subjective. Being hard to define, it falls behind other measures of leadership—and team success or failure—like strategy or...
Fluoroquinolones linked to increased incidence of aortic aneurysms in US adults
Fluoroquinolones—one of the most commonly prescribed antibiotic classes in the United States—were associated with increased incidence of aortic aneurysm formation in U.S. adults, a...
Journal supplement outlines updated clinical practice guidelines, reporting standards
The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) is starting 2021 with updated clinical practice guidelines and reporting standards for three vascular conditions.
Guidelines on chronic mesenteric...
‘Ample published data unable to replicate association between paclitaxel-coated devices and mortality’
Ample published data from from large, observational datasets, randomized-controlled trial (RCT) subgroup analyses and long-term follow-up from pivotal paclitaxel-coated device RCTs have not been...
System outage alert: Cyberattack sends medicine back to paper age
On Oct. 28, 2020, the University of Vermont Health Network—consisting of six hospitals in Vermont and upstate New York, was hit by a cyberattack.1...
FDA representatives respond to SWEDEPAD interim analysis, highlight need for continued study
Representatives from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) referenced "important and reassuring" results from the recent interim analysis of the SWEDEPAD clinical trial in which...
Target 2021: SVS councils and committees drill down on key goals for year ahead...
Ronald L. Dalman
While there is little doubt the pandemic has impacted each vascular surgeon and the SVS as a Society in numerous ways, the...
Target 2021: SVS councils and committees drill down on key goals for year ahead...
While there is little doubt the pandemic has impacted each vascular surgeon and the SVS as a Society in numerous ways, the commitment and...
Upcoming symposium for fellows: ‘Building a successful vascular practice’
A symposium designed to educate graduating vascular fellows on succeeding in a community or private practice as well as an academic setting is set...
Walking can relieve leg pain in people with PAD
Exercise can play an important role in treating peripheral arterial disease (PAD), a recent review by Amy Harwood, PhD, from the Centre for Sport and...
Resident Research Award deadline moved to Feb. 17
The deadline for the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Resident Research Award has been extended to Feb. 17—a knock-on effect of the date shift...
Target 2021: SVS councils and committees drill down on key goals for year ahead...
While there is little doubt the pandemic has impacted each vascular surgeon and the SVS as a Society in numerous ways, the commitment and...
Medicare cuts: Avoiding the ‘tragedy of the unprepared’
*The January 2021 issue of Vascular Specialist, which contained this story, went to press prior to the news that Congress had moved to halt cuts to...
Target 2021: SVS councils and committees drill down on key goals for year ahead...
While there is little doubt the pandemic has impacted each vascular surgeon and the SVS as a Society in numerous ways, the commitment and...
Study of patients undergoing AAA repair suggests screening guidelines may be inadequate
A retrospective study analyzing approximately 55,000 patients undergoing abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair suggests current screening guidelines may be inadequate in detecting a significant...
Target 2021: SVS councils and committees drill down on key goals for year ahead...
While there is little doubt the pandemic has impacted each vascular surgeon and the SVS as a Society in numerous ways, the commitment and...
SVS creates much-anticipated DEI Committee
Fulfilling one of the first recommendations—and the highest priority—of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Task Force, the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) has...
Executive Board commits to DEI changes
The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Task Force’s findings and recommendations are taking shape, with some already implemented.
After...
Missing your journals? Be sure your dues are paid
Have you paid your 2021 Society for Vascular Surgery dues? If you haven’t, you’re missing access to all of the latest research in the...
New SVS learning platform due to go live in late January
Educational content will soon be as close as the nearest Internet connection.
SVS OnDemand is slated to go live at the end of this...
Deadlines near for Society, Foundation awards
Applications are due early in 2021 for a number of Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) and SVS Foundation awards, honors and grants.
Information on...
Outpatient evaluation and management codes extensively revised
For the first time since 1992, office/outpatient evaluation and management (E/M) Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes have been extensively revised. As of Jan. 1,...
A healing touch
Since March 2020, my life has literally spiraled out of control both personally and professionally. The COVID-19 pandemic shattered my life, and I am...
Inaugural leadership program overcomes pandemic difficulties
The inaugural cohort of the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Leadership Development Program had to show some resilience early. Not long after the initiative’s...
Vascular Specialist–January 2021
*The January 2021 issue of Vascular Specialist went to press prior to the news that the dates for VAM had been moved to August,...
Vascular surgery COVID-19 registry participants probe state of practice amid winter surge
The question of the COVID-19 pandemic’s effect on vascular practice continues to occupy members of the specialty. Contributors to a global vascular surgery registry...
Total endovascular aortic arch treatment shows promise in dissections, but secondary interventions remain ‘Achilles’...
Speaking at the Virtual Aortic Surgery How to Do It Highlights conference (Dec. 17–18), Stéphan Haulon, MD, a vascular surgeon at Hôpital Marie Lannelongue,...
Pre-emptive embolization of aneurysm sac side branches prevents post-EVAR type II endoleak, study finds
According to Daniela Branzan, MD, a senior vascular surgeon at University Hospital Leipzig, in Leipzig, Germany, and colleagues, pre-emptive embolization of aneurysm sac side...
VAM dates shifted to mid-August
The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) has shifted the 2021 iteration of its flagship conference, the Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM), to August in a...
Congress delays steep Medicare payment cuts
Both the House of Representatives and Senate have approved legislation to delay steep cuts to Medicare that were set to take effect Jan. 1,...
Quality initiative: New pocket guides now available
New pocket guides of the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) clinical practice guidelines and reporting standards are now available, with printed guides sent to...
Simulation-based training shown to build open vascular surgery skills
A recent systematic review found that “carefully designed and structured” simulation-based training (SBT) in open vascular surgery is effective and can improve technical skills,...
‘Successful’ first-in-human use of the Efemoral scaffold system announced
Efemoral Medical has announced the first-in-human (FIH) use of the company’s Efemoral Vascular scaffold system (EVSS) with FlexStepv technology in the EFEMORAL I FIH...
WIfI score found to be accurate across racial groups
The wound, ischemia and foot infection (WIfI) score is as accurate a predictor of risk for limb loss in Black people as it is...
Revascularization ‘improves’ walking performance in claudicating PAD patients
Revascularization of the lower extremity improves hemodynamics, walking performance, quality of life and calf-muscle pathology in claudicating patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD), researchers...
SWEDEPAD unplanned interim analysis shows no difference in all-cause mortality for paclitaxel devices
An unplanned interim analysis of the registry-based SWEDEPAD clinical trial, in which patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) received treatment with paclitaxel-coated (drug-coated balloons...
CMS creates new codes for IVL performed below the knee
Shockwave Medical has announced that as part of the calendar year 2021 Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) final rule, the Centers for...
SVS launches inaugural member census
The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) has launched an Annual Physician Member Census aimed at capturing current issues of importance and the changing demographics...
RelayPlus thoracic stent graft post-approval study reports low operative mortality
Terumo Aortic has announced the midterm results from the RelayPlus thoracic stent graft system post-approval study, revealing low operative mortality and morbidity— supporting its...
COVID-related hypercoagulability linked to elevated malfunction rate in temporary hemodialysis catheters
Hypercoagulability in COVID-19 patients leads to an increase in the malfunction rate of temporary hemodialysis catheters—but heparin locking of the catheters is linked to...
Fund hope with the SVS Foundation
A gift to the SVS Foundation funds not just things—patient education fliers, research awards and community awareness projects—but also hope for a better future....
Vesper Medical announces first enrollment in the VIVID trial
Vesper Medical recently announced initiation of its Food and Drug Administration (FDA) investigational device exemption (IDE) study, VIVID (Venous stent for the iliofemoral vein investigational clinical trial...
The power of groups: Invest in the SVS PAC
Humans are social animals, and, over time, they have found that their best times are spent in groups. We have just celebrated Thanksgiving, spending...
VAM 2021 taking shape, schedule changes to expand programming
Though many individual components will remain the same, the 2021 Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM) will have a different look and feel.
"The meeting has...
Present imperfect
On the morning of Nov. 9, I received a phone call from my sister. My father had been found unresponsive in his Manhattan apartment...
The benefits of an academic research career in the VA
Every year a number of graduating vascular trainees look for jobs in academic surgery to develop a career as a surgeon-scientist in basic, translational...
CMS confirms Physician Fee Schedule cuts; SVS members asked to contact lawmakers
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) has delivered a blow to vascular surgery in the form of a 7% cut in total...
Dalman to trainees: ‘Vascular surgery is a tremendously rewarding career’
For aspiring vascular trainees, interview season is a time of great stress as well as opportunity. Graduating medical students and residents are preparing the...
Vascular Specialist–December 2020
In this issue:
OBL: Community surgeons talk through surviving private practice in office-based labs (p. 1 and 4)
"Present imperfect": Vascular Specialist medical editor Malachi...
Clarion call: Application deadlines for research awards coming up
Applications for three Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Foundation awards are coming up early in the new year.
The Resident Research Award (Jan. 13,...
Risk of ‘feared’ ischemic steal syndrome comparable for tapered and non-tapered AVGs
In a recent systematic review and meta-analysis, Venkata Sai Jasty, from the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tuscon, Arizona, and colleagues found...
OBL: Community surgeons discuss surviving private practice in office-based labs
Outpatient settings like office-based laboratories (OBLs) have attracted increased scrutiny in recent times amid efforts to shine greater light on appropriateness in care. During...
Study: The ‘successful’ operation of TCAR in a community practice setting
A research team in Dallas demonstrated the successful operation of transcarotid artery revascularization (TCAR) in a community practice setting, reporting results in line with...
President Dalman reflects on year of adversity—and positive change
The last nine months took away much. The Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM) was canceled. The Vascular Research Initiatives Conference (VRIC) suffered a similar fate—its...
F-BEVAR performed on women shows ‘lower’ level of technical success
Fenestrated-branched endovascular aneurysm repair (F-BEVAR) for thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms (TAAAs) carried out on women “demonstrate metrics of increased complexity and have a lower level...
Study findings support SVS practice guidelines for surveillance of small AAAs
The low rate of events that occur in small abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) supports continued ultrasound surveillance every three years for aneurysms that measure...
SVS pushes out trio of mobile apps to aid CLTI treatment
The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) has launched three new mobile apps to help guide surgeons in the treatment and management of chronic limb-threatening...
Audible Bleeding now flows through SVS
The Society for Vascular Surgery would like to welcome the popular Audible Bleeding podcast into its communications family. SVS has reached and executed an...
NESVS outgoing president makes diversity pitch
During the virtual annual meeting of the New England Society for Vascular Surgery (NESVS), outgoing president Marc L. Schermerhorn, MD, called for the NESVS...
Former SVS president named to AMA RUC
The American Medical Association's Board of Trustees has named SVS' longtime coding expert and member Robert M. Zwolak, MD, as the AMA alternative representative...
Frailty still strongly linked to mortality after EVAR for AAA
An analysis of the Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI) endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) registry for elective abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) revealed that frailty continues to...
Foot vein arterialization study shows 77.8% limb salvage rate
Foot vein arterialization (FVA) is a safe procedure with good early graft patency and a limb salvage rate of 77.8%, Qi Yan, MD, and...
HIFLO RCT finds increased wound closure, high-quality healing using mVASC microvascular tissue graft
Treatment with the mVASC microvascular tissue graft product (MicroVascular Tissues) results in superior wound closure compared to standard of care alone, the first randomized...
Correct billing in severe trauma cases can be complicated
The management of the severely injured trauma patient often requires delicate coordination among multiple specialties, and multiple separate operative procedures are often necessary. In...
Active stent-graft fixation below the renal arteries may have the least effect on aortic...
Stent grafts with active fixation below the renal arteries as well as oversizing by less than 10% seem to have the least effect on...
‘Smile’ to benefit SVS Foundation
The holidays are close upon us, and many Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) members will be shopping online this month and next.
The COVID-19...
Healthcare on a precipice: SVS PAC stands ready to fight coming challenges
Since 2002, the SVS Political Action Committee (PAC) has been a vehicle for advocacy specifically for vascular surgeons. As the only voice geared for...
VOYAGER PAD: Rivaroxaban plus aspirin versus aspirin alone among CLTI patients undergoing revascularization reduced...
In one of the latest sub-analyses from the VOYAGER PAD trial, investigators found that rivaroxaban plus aspirin versus aspirin alone in the high-risk population...
SVS members in the news
Richard Lynn, MD, a vascular surgeon from Palm Beach, Florida, has been elected second vice-president-elect of the American College of Surgeons (ACS).
Alan Dardik,...
Dig deep this Giving Tuesday
Will you give on Giving Tuesday? This will be the SVS Foundation’s third year marking the annual global day of giving—Dec. 1, this year—which...
Diabetes Awareness Month: The utility of SVS branding fliers for diabetic foot ulcers
November is Diabetes Awareness Month. The Branding Toolkit can help SVS members promote the valuable care they provide those with the disease.
One of...
SVS details opposition, support to CMS proposed rules
The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) has submitted comment letters to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on two proposed rules that...
Previously described patient-centered clinical success measure after revascularization for diabetic foot wounds may be...
Patient-centered clinical success after lower-extremity revascularization for people with diabetic foot wounds was achieved among 63% of patients in a new analysis—but researchers suggest...
DETOUR I two-year outcomes: ‘Excellent’ functional improvement in complex PAD cohort
During a late-breaking data session at this year’s Vascular Interventional Advances virtual annual meeting (VIVA 2020) Nov 6–8, Ehrin Armstrong, MD, a professor of...
Abstracts for VRIC, VAM 2021
Calling surgeons and scientists: Your research is wanted. Submission sites are now open for two annual SVS meetings in 2021, the Vascular Research Initiatives...
Case study: Putting the SVS Branding Toolkit into action
William Shutze, MD, a member in community practice in Dallas, has lost no time in putting the new SVS Branding Toolkit to use.
In...
Give people a fair chance and watch the results
Ten years ago when we wrote a paper on diversity that was published in the Journal of Vascular Surgery (JVS), it barely caused a...
Intravascular lithotripsy superior to PTA in acute procedural success out to 30 days
The DISRUPT PAD III randomized controlled trial (RCT) provides the largest level-one evidence for the treatment of heavily calcified femoropopliteal arteries, noted William Gray,...
Anatomy of a branding campaign: Making vascular surgery more visible
Members asked; SVS listened. The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) has launched a Branding Toolkit to help its members brand the specialty in order...
Latest VOYAGER PAD analysis finds no mortality and improved limb outcomes in drug-coated device...
Given the absence of a safety signal in data from the VOYAGER PAD trial, a new analysis examined the potential benefit of drug-coated device...
Vascular Specialist–November 2020
In this issue:
"Anatomy of a branding campaign: Making vascular surgery more visible"—how the SVS crafted a strategy aimed at elucidating what it is...
New committee needs volunteers
The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) has extended the deadline for volunteers to apply to its new Communications Committee. The Society is seeking members...
Utilize new SVS Branding Toolkit
The new SVS Branding Toolkit—a robust set of tools designed to help members communicate their roles in comprehensive vascular care—is now available exclusively and...
‘Alea iacta est’: The case for endovascular methods in vascular trauma care
When Benjamin W. Starnes, MD, talks vascular trauma, he does so from a position of certain authority. As the recent Southern California Vascular Surgical...
Janssen applies to FDA for new indication to expand use of rivaroxaban in PAD...
The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson announced today it has submitted a supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) to the Food and Drug...
‘Fundamental differences’ in outcomes after open AAA detected across three national registries
An investigation of differences in patient outcomes following open repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) found in three national registries showed that mortality rates...
New analysis finds DCBs lead to greater four-year survival after fempop revascularization
Patients treated with a paclitaxel-coated balloon saw greater survival, freedom from amputation and amputation-free survival through four-year follow-up after their initial femoropopliteal revascularization operation...
Getinege expands its vascular surgery arm
Getinge is investing €3 million in its manufacturing of polyester grafts and patches to treat aneurysmal and occlusive diseases. The investment aims at increasing...
‘Significant’ value of adding podiatrists to limb salvage alliance
A multidisciplinary limb salvage alliance found that operating room (OR) and clinic volumes as well as work relative value units (wRVUs) all increased significantly...
Help diversity effort by completing member survey
To know where to go, you first have to know the starting point. "We cannot adequately measure our progress in the SVS on diversity, equity...
New JVS associate editor for diversity traces footsteps of her mother
It took Journal of Vascular Surgery (JVS) associate editor Ulka Sachdev-Ost, MD, a while to realize just how much of an impact her mother’s...
TCT 2020 late-breaking trials session features new data on drug-coated devices
Findings from a series of late-breaking trials in the endovascular field were delivered recently at TCT Connect (Oct. 14–18), the 32nd annual scientific symposium...
SVS makes commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion
Following a year of study and including more than 40 separate goals, objectives and requested actions, the SVS Executive Board has received, reviewed and...
SVS PAC: We know who you are—do you know who we are?
Let’s start with our mission statement: We at the SVS Political Action Committee (PAC) exist as the fundraising arm for the advancement of the...
NYC study shows 50% limb salvage rate in COVID-19 patients with ALI during pandemic...
Data gathered from patients presenting with acute limb ischemia (ALI) during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic at the heart of New York City—a...
Quality Payment Program: The proposed updates slated for 2021
The COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on surgery and medicine continues, prompting the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to propose changes in year five...
New society focused on limb preservation unveiled
A new American Limb Preservation Society (ALPS) was launched during the recently concluded Diabetic Foot Conference (DFCon), held virtually this year from Oct. 9–10.
The...
SAVE registry finds Surfacer system safe and effective
The Surfacer Inside-Out access catheter system device (Bluegrass Vascular) is safe and effective for patients with thoracic central venous obstruction requiring central venous access....
With an eye on the past, SVS Foundation looking ahead to stable future
Before we can look to where we’re going, we need to look to where we’ve been. And we do just that, in the pages...
Coming up: VRIC and VAM 2021 submission portals set to open
Abstracts for next year’s Vascular Research Initiatives Conference (VRIC) will be accepted beginning Nov. 3. VRIC 2021 is held the day before and in...
Freischlag elected as ACS president-elect
Julie Ann Freischlag, MD, the first female president of the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS), will be the next president of the American College...
‘Nearly nothing’ in surgery will go untouched by AI, ACS Clinical Congress hears
Almost nothing will go untouched by artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare and surgery, notably in the quickly evolving world of vascular and endovascular surgery,...
Science at twilight: Reasserting our democratic responsibility
Thomas Jefferson sat alone in a Philadelphia boarding house. He was nervous; much was riding on the words he would now write. The sovereignty...
SVS: Building bridges between twin tracks of academic and private practice
For Laurel Hadley Hastings, MD, membership in the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) provides a great collection of valuable benefits.
They include an ongoing...
Hodgson: Bringing appropriateness into sharper focus
In 2019, Kim Hodgson, MD, kicked off his presidential year by placing appropriateness and quality of care under the microscope. His turn organizing the...
Vascular Specialist–October 2020
In this issue:
Special interview: Kim Hodgson, MD, discusses his SVS presidency, his appropriateness-in-care agenda, the new SVS SET app, and his post-presidential priorities...
JVS appoints associate editor dedicated to diversity, equity and inclusion
The Journal of Vascular Surgery (JVS) has announced the appointment of a new associate editor for clinical research who will be focused on diversity,...
Flying lesson: King Air 559 Delta Whiskey
This article has little, yet everything to do with surgery. It is about decision-making under adverse circumstances. If you have not listened to the...
CDC codifies CLI, CLTI in ICD-10-CM
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has approved a proposal to distinctly recognize critical limb ischemia (CLI) and critical limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI)...
Study identifies new genetic factors associated with AAA risk
The American Heart Association (AHA) recently announced the publication of a study identifying 14 new genes linked to an increased risk of abdominal aortic...
Family history risk of AAA ‘increases incrementally’ based on degree of relation
There is an incremental increase in the risk of an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) among those with a family history of the disorder based...
Preoperative risk score tool for rAAA 30-day mortality is accurate, new study finds
An entirely preoperative risk-scoring tool for the prediction of 30-day mortality after a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (rAAA) was found to be accurate after...
Coming soon: VRIC ONLINE 2020
The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) is offering a virtual Vascular Research Initiatives Conference (VRIC) ONLINE 2020 featuring abstracts that were intended to be...
Population Health Task Force volunteers needed by Oct. 8
The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) is seeking volunteers to serve on a task force focused on population health.
Applications are due by Oct. 8.
The...
SVS launches vascular branding toolkit
"Surgery is only part of our story." Or as SVS Public and Professional Outreach Committee chair Joseph Mills, MD, recently put it in a recent...
UK study shows early treatment for leg ulcers leads to better outcomes for patients
To deliver clinical and cost benefits, leg ulcer care pathways should be revised to include early assessment and treatment of superficial venous reflux, researchers...
SVS president ponders challenges in year ahead
New SVS president Ronald L. Dalman, MD, has several initiatives he’d like to see move forward during the year of his presidency.
These include...
VA system delivers high quality services for veterans
Vascular surgery in the Veterans Health Administration has always been a robust service, developing into a mature specialty around the time of the Vietnam...
President Dalman: SVS Appointments Committee confidential
The success of the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) in its many missions is driven by the passion and commitment of its members. Each...
Robert W Gore, inventor and chairman emeritus of WL Gore & Associates, dies at...
Robert W. "Bob" Gore, PhD, the man behind expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) and chairman emeritus of the W.L. Gore & Associates board of directors, has...
Open repair linked to higher long-term survival in patients deemed off-label for EVAR
Open repair of aortic aneurysms is associated with higher long-term survival in patients who fall outside the confines of endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) instructions...
Study finds low mortality, high complication rates after aortic endograft explantation
The explantation of aortic endografts—associated with high postoperative morbidity, particularly in patients with infected grafts—can be carried out with a low mortality rate, a...
Vascular surgeons encouraged to consult talking points document on paclitaxel devices
Vascular surgeons are being encouraged to take consideration of a set of talking points about the risks and benefits of paclitaxel-equipped devices—which has been...
Vietnam War-era vascular trauma pioneer honored by department he founded
During a storied career, Norman M. Rich, MD, carved out a reputation as a pioneering vascular surgeon—drawing distinction for the creation of the Vietnam...
First patient recruited into study on use of bridging stents in BEVAR procedures
The first patient has been recruited into a trial investigating the BeGraft peripheral plus stent graft system (Bentley InnoMed) as a dedicated bridging stent in...
Claim emerging vascular surgeons ‘less well prepared to rapidly achieve open exposure’ in trauma...
A recent perspective published in the Annals of Surgery—which argued the shift toward endovascular care had led to a deficit in open surgical experience...
Study: 40% of vascular surgeons report suffering chronic work-related pain
A majority of vascular surgeons are in pain after a day of operating—with open and endovascular surgery identified as the types of intervention causing...
Professionalism: #Medbikini through the eyes of an aspiring medical student
The recent furor over the article published in the Journal of Vascular Surgery (JVS) about unprofessional behavior among recent vascular surgery trainees occasioned a...
Local matters: Three community service honorees in profile
The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) has honored three members in community practice for their leadership of patients and their local communities, as well...