New analyses from the VOYAGER PAD clinical trial in both high-risk and fragile patients and those with and without comorbid coronary artery diseases (CAD) were presented at the American Heart Association (AHA) 2023 Scientific Sessions (Nov. 11–13) in Philadelphia.
The...
Researchers may now submit abstracts for the SVS Vascular Research Initiatives Conference (VRIC), to be held in conjunction with the American Heart Association’s annual Vascular Discovery meeting.
The conference, which emphasizes basic and translational vascular science, will take...
SVS members are reminded to act promptly before the year’s end to ensure uninterrupted access to their 2024 membership benefits.
Renewals are due on or before the close of the year on Dec. 31. SVS members can pay their...
Peter Schneider (University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA) recently presented 36-month data from Surmodics' TRANSCEND clinical trial at the VEITHsymposium 2023 (14–18 November, New York, USA).
The TRANSCEND trial is a prospective, multicentre, single-blind randomised controlled trial to...
Now set to welcome its fifth cohort, the SVS Leadership Development Program (LDP) continues to help vascular surgeons across the U.S. and Canada to hone their leadership skills.
Manuel Garcia-Toca, MD, chair of both the Leadership Development Committee and...
As the holiday season comes into focus, the SVS Foundation is preparing to celebrate science and honor our vascular heroes on Giving Tuesday, a time dedicated to philanthropy and giving back to the community.
Giving Tuesday is celebrated annually...
The SVS Sub-Section on Outpatient and Office Vascular Care (SOOVC) has opened applications for its Presentation Award and Research Seed Grant, allowing practitioners to contribute to an ever-changing outpatient and office-based vascular care sector.
The Presentation Award recognizes the...
VAM program chair Andres Schanzer, MD, makes a call for cutting-edge new science for next year’s meeting in Chicago.
Researchers who want to present new science at the 2024 Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM) are encouraged to prepare their abstracts for...
“We have a critical problem in America, which is the under-appreciation of peripheral arterial disease ,” says Vikram Kashyap, MD, on his first time participating in the SVS Foundation’s Vascular Health Step Challenge, which concluded in September.
Kashyap, a...
Change is a constant in life, and advocacy is no exception. The healthcare landscape is always evolving, and the SVS Advocacy Council is working to maintain a voice in the decision-making process. The council is committed to driving change...
Nicolas Mouawad, MD, chief of vascular surgery at McLaren Health System in Bay City, Michigan, urges vascular surgeons to “get out of their comfort zone” and become more involved in pulmonary embolism (PE) care.
With more than 1 million cases...
Xeltis has announced "highly encouraging" 12-month results from its first-in-human (FIH) aXess vascular conduit trial. The data were presented by Frans Moll (University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands) at this year's VEITHsymposium (14–18 November, New York, USA).
At 12...
An ongoing UK National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)-funded randomized controlled trial seeks to illuminate the value of an image fusion guidance technology for endovascular aortic repair.
In a presentation on the trial at this year’s VEITHsymposium...
This summer the center for medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published its annual Physician Fee Schedule and Proposed Rule for calendar year 2024, and on Nov. 2 the Final Rule was published. The proposed rule included several proposals within...
Two-year data from the SWING trial, a first-in-human study of the safety and performance of the Sundance sirolimus drug-coated balloon (DCB; Surmodics), have been presented at this year's VEITHsymposium (Nov. 14–18) in New York City.
The SWING trial is a...
I enjoy listening to podcasts. In addition to my usual rotation through Audible Bleeding and Behind the Knife, I’ve found insight in listening to Hidden Brain. A recent episode centered on the concept of gratitude, where it was highlighted...
Periodically, when under pressure at work, and sometimes at home, I would think about what I could do to free up more time for myself and the family. How I could prioritize or drop tasks that were unimportant. There...
A 14-year effort to achieve departmental status for vascular surgery at a large healthcare system in Southern California resulted in significant gains for the specialty within the organizational apparatus, according to an administrative case report on an effort finalized...
Vascular surgeon-scientist Elsie Gyang Ross, MD, recently secured coveted funding through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Research Project Grant Program (R01)—a rare feat for one so young having managed to achieve the career landmark before the age of...
The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Executive Director Kenneth M. Slaw, PhD, has been elected to executive council of the Council of Medical Specialty Societies (CMSS).
The Council of Medical Specialty Societies (CMSS) is an organization of 53 boarded medical...
In this issue:
Carotid revascularization: Getting to the right decision
SVS reveals proposed changes to Society bylaws
Meta-analysis: The complete patient-level dataset on paclitaxel and death that helped sway FDA
PE care: The pulmonary arterial tree—is it time to branch...
This advertorial is sponsored by Silk Road Medical.
For Scott Berman, MD, patient responses when confronted with an explanation of the extent of their asymptomatic carotid disease tend to be quite stark. They are either so petrified of having a...
This advertorial is sponsored by AOTI.
Enrico Ascher, MD, and Natalie Marks, MD, currently combine for close to 60 years of vascular surgery practice experience in New York City’s 3 million-strong populous borough of Brooklyn. Between them they see a...
The recent move by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to expand coverage for carotid artery stenting brought with it the requirement for a shared decision-making interaction between physicians and patients as they establish which carotid revascularization...
Endologix has announced results from a pooled analysis of the DETOUR1 and DETOUR2 studies evaluating percutaneous transmural arterial bypass (PTAB) with the Detour system.
The Detour system offers a novel approach to treating complex peripheral arterial disease (PAD), enabling physicians to bypass...
This advertorial is sponsored by Philips.
The benefits of utilizing intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) in peripheral vascular interventions has been widely demonstrated in the literature. In nearly every vascular bed studied, we have seen an improvement in overall outcomes. Over the...
One-year results from the PROMISE II US pivotal trial demonstrate the durability of outcomes of transcatheter arterialisation of the deep veins (TADV) using the LimFlow system (LimFlow) and that the procedure is safe and reproducible.
Daniel Clair (Vanderbilt University Medical...
Last month, the most popular stories from Vascular Specialist included The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) confirmation of carotid artery stenting coverage expansion; data on a "next generation" inferior vena cava (IVC) filter retrieval device presented at the...
LimFlow announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Inari Medical.
A press release details that, under the terms of the agreement, LimFlow will receive US$250 million in cash at closing and be eligible...
Patients undergoing computer-assisted vacuum thrombectomy with the Indigo Aspiration System (Penumbra) for pulmonary embolism (PE) showed 2.7% rates of both major adverse events (MAEs) and major bleeding at 48 hours post-procedure alongside “a significant reduction” in right ventricle/left ventricle...
The SVS has announced an expansion of its coding-related information and help in response to increasing member demand. The new resources will assist vascular surgeons in navigating medical coding and billing complexities, in line with the Society’s ongoing commitment...
A recently published study has shown that lower limb bypass surgery offered a significantly higher probability of amputation-free survival and wound healing compared with endovascular treatment in patients with chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI). This and other key findings from...
November is National Diabetes Month. Because SVS members treat patients with the condition—and its complications—the Society has numerous educational resources available.
“Diabetes and Vascular Disease” is one of nearly 10 patient education fliers produced by the SVS Foundation as part...
Results from a first-in-human, prospective, single-arm study of the Akura Medical thrombectomy system (Akura Medical) for pulmonary embolism (PE) were revealed this week at The VEINS 2023 (28–30 October, Las Vegas, USA).
Presenter Jay Mathews (Manatee Memorial Hospital, Bradenton, USA)...
A secondary analysis of existing clinical trial data has indicated that new ischaemic brain lesions detected via diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI) following carotid artery revascularisation—either with carotid artery stenting (CAS) or carotid endarterectomy (CEA)—do not appear to have...
The open-label phase of the DEXTERITY-AFP trial investigating the Bullfrog microinfusion device—which involves the perivenous injection of the anti-inflammatory drug dexamethasone to improve patency and post-thrombotic syndrome (PTS) six months after thrombus removal in symptomatic deep vein thrombosis (DVT)...
David Dexter (Sentara Vascular Specialists, Norfolk, USA) shared one-year data from the CLOUT registry this week at The VEINS 2023 (28–30 October, Las Vegas, USA).
Long-term, prospective outcome data after mechanical thrombectomy for deep vein thrombosis (DVT) are lacking. The...
The SVS, in collaboration with the American Venous Forum (AVF) and the American Vein and Lymphatic Society (AVLS), has unveiled part two of the clinical practice guidelines for the management of varicose veins of the lower extremities. Building...
In September, the Society for Vascular Surgery submitted a detailed comment letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in response to a proposed rule that could mean a 3–4% cut in Medicare payments.
The letter responds to...
Data can be granular and clarifying. Conversely, data without appropriate context can lack nuance—like a paint-by-numbers portrait using only one crayon.
A recent article publivenshed by Becker’s Hospital Review, and promoted by the medical network Doximity, listed the top 10...
With the congressional “busy season” upon us, the SVS is gearing up for big tasks ahead on the legislative and regulatory fronts. Having stepped into the role of chair of the SVS Advocacy Council this past June, I have...
Voting members of the SVS will have the opportunity to consider a bylaws referendum, with key amendments related to membership and the composition of the SVS Executive Board.
The voting follows the SVS Strategic Board of Directors’ formal approval of...
SVS members must act before the end of the year to avoid interruption of their 2024 membership benefits. Members can pay their dues on or before Dec. 31 to support the SVS mission and advance vascular health.
Membership renewal...
Applications open this month for the SVS Excellence in Community Practice Award and the Sub-Section on Outpatient & Office Vascular Care (SOOVC) Research Seed Grant and Presentation Award.
The Excellence in Community Practice Award honors members who have exhibited...
Data from the REAL-PE study were presented this week at TCT 2023 (23–26 October, San Francisco, USA) demonstrating that patients treated for pulmonary embolism (PE) with the Ekos endovascular system (Boston Scientific) had lower rates of adverse events, including...
Thrombolex has announced never-before-reported major reductions in obstruction in all of the segmental pulmonary arteries (PA), based on independent core lab data analysis of 107 patients from 18 sites in the USA, with acute intermediate-risk pulmonary embolism (PE), using...
During the vascular annual meeting that celebrates science and research, the SVS Foundation’s annual Gala will take place in a museum that also honors science. “A Night at the Museum—A Celebration of Science” is set for Friday, June 21,...
This month in Corner Stitch, we highlight a trainee-centric study presented at the 2023 Midwestern Vascular Surgical Society (MVSS) annual meeting held in Minneapolis, Minnesota (Sept. 7–9). With the rise of Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) and the diminishing number...
The September issue of Annals of Vascular Surgery featured 37 original, peer-reviewed scientific papers whose lead authors and researchers are women vascular surgeons. Here, editor Caitlin W. Hicks, MD, discusses the mechanics of getting the publication out, coming amid...
Julie A. Freischlag, MD, used her turn as honorary guest lecturer at the 2023 Midwestern Vascular Surgical Society (MVSS) annual meeting to make a pitch for vascular surgeons to step up to the plate as hospital and institutional leaders—because...
Results of the LIFE-BTK randomized controlled trial have just been presented at TCT 2023 (Oct. 23–26) in San Francisco. The data show that, in patients with chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) due to infrapopliteal artery disease, an everolimus-eluting resorbable scaffold...
Data from a patient-level meta-analysis—a factor in the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) recent change of position on the use of paclitaxel-coated devices to treat peripheral arterial disease (PAD)—have been made public for the first time at TCT 2023...
Data from a patient-level meta-analysis—a factor in the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) recent change of position on the use of paclitaxel-coated devices to treat peripheral arterial disease (PAD)—have been made public for the first time at TCT...
The majority of more than 300 vascular surgeons who responded to a recent survey indicated that they perceive the management of venous disease to be of less value than that of arterial disease. Investigators Misaki M. Kiguchi, MD, of...
Robert Cambria, MD, recently took over as president of the New England Society for Vascular Surgery (NESVS). He was passed the presidential baton by Sean Roddy, MD, during the NESVS 2023 annual meeting, held in Boston (Oct. 6–8).
Cambria is...
Organizing a Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM) takes a whole lot of time and a whole lot of long-range planning.
Thus, members of the SVS Postgraduate Education Committee (PGEC) have already evaluated the 90 submitted proposals (an SVS record) for educational...
New research examining the safety and efficacy of using radial access for peripheral artery interventions has found that radial access allows early ambulation and same-day discharge with no serious adverse events.
These are the conclusions of a study published in...
An inferior vena cava (IVC) filter retrieval device dubbed the next-generation in removal of the venous thromboembolism-fighting tools could substantially cut procedural times and radiation exposure, according to data emerging out of in vivo testing at Yale University.
The Articulating...
A vascular surgeon's value includes far more than direct revenues from procedures performed, said SVS member Robert Tahara, MD, recently. He told surgeons to remember not only these direct revenues, but also the help a surgeon provides other specialties...
The SVS Foundation's Board of Directors announced the appointment of two new board members, Edith Tzeng, MD, and Palma Shaw, MD, at the board’s fall meeting in September. Tzeng was approved as the new chair of the Foundation Development...
This September, 533 people put their feet to the ground to raise awareness about peripheral arterial disease (PAD) as part of the SVS Foundation’s Vascular Health Step Challenge. The challenge raises funds and awareness, with participants pledging to walk...
A mass shooting in Las Vegas. A bombing at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. A shooting at a Fourth of July parade. Healthcare workers may not be on the actual front line of disasters, but they’re definitely...
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released its final decision regarding National Coverage Determination (NCD) 20.7 covering carotid artery stenting (CAS), essentially confirming the coverage expansion outlined in a July proposed decision memo.
In a communique to...
While sex disparities regarding the outcomes of carotid revascularization have “long been a concern,” new prospective data published in the Journal of Vascular Surgery (JVS) indicate that no such disparity exists between male and female patients treated with transcarotid...
A virtual roundtable on Oct. 10 will cover the new Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) varicose veins guidelines. Set for 6–7:30 p.m. CDT, the session will address the latest in the diagnostic evaluation of patients with the venous condition...
First, a disclaimer. This commentary is woefully short of sex-related content. Not even the wholesome gender-based outcomes stuff. So, if that key term brought your internet search here, feel free to press on with your illicit journeys my friend....
Contego Medical has announced enrollment of the first patient in the prospective, multicenter PERFORMANCE III trial aimed at further evaluating the safety and effectiveness of the Neuroguard integrated embolic protection (IEP) direct system—a carotid stent system designed for direct transcarotid access.
The study is...
Roger Malcolm Greenhalgh, MD, the surgeon internationally renowned for his unparalleled contribution to vascular education, training and research, died peacefully on Oct. 6. He was 82. At the time of his death, he was emeritus professor of surgery at...
This advertorial is sponsored by Inari Medical.
For patients with in-stent thrombosis (IST), one of the most critical unmet needs has been an effective method to remove acute-to-chronic material. Here, Rishi Roy, MD, a vascular surgeon at Advanced Vascular &...
In this issue:
Preventing spinal cord ischemia: Novel techniques for direct segmental artery revascularization show promise
Eastern Vascular: New data chart underrepresentation of women at the head of national clinical trials
Women's champion: Freischlag marks out value of diversity...
The underrepresentation of women vascular surgeons in national clinical trial leadership formed the central theme of data coming out of a new study that probed all clinical trials in five main areas of vascular disease between 1997 and 2003.
Delivered...
George S. Lavenson Jr., lovingly referred to as “Doc” by his many friends, died Saturday, Aug. 19, 2023, on the beautiful island of Maui, Hawaii, where he chose to share a life in majestic Lahaina with his loving wife,...
An investigator-sponsored clinical study conducted at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, of the investigational Human Acellular Vessel (HAV) in patients with chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) was presented at the Midwestern Vascular Surgical Society (MVSS) annual meeting in Minneapolis,...
Outgoing Midwestern Vascular Surgical Society (MVSS) President Jeffrey Jim, MD, used his recent presidential address to call upon vascular surgeons to spread the word far and wide—from Main Street to hospital C-suites—of what marks out vascular surgery as the...
On March 22, 1978, Karl Wallenda went up on a high wire in Puerto Rico strung between two high-rise buildings. There was no safety net. The winds were blowing hard. A crowd was massed below, awaiting the event. As...
Last month, the most read stories from Vascular Specialist included data releases from the recent Midwestern Vascular Surgical Society (MVSS) using direct revascularization of segmental arteries to prevent spinal cord ischemia; a reflection on the crucial role of vascular nurses...
The potential for large language-learning models like ChatGPT to take over tedious writing tasks such as emails and parts of PowerPoint presentations—or even be put to use to help collate Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code data—was put to attendees...
Outgoing Western Vascular Society (WVS) President Wei Zhou, MD, used her presidential address to put out a call for the vascular specialty to embrace tolerance in order that it thrives amid rising cases of physician burnout and the mounting...
The Journal of Vascular Surgery: Venous and Lymphatic Disorders (JVS-VL) has launched its first virtual special issue on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in vascular surgery.
“DEI issues have come to the forefront and affect multiple aspects of the care...
The SVS History Digital Archives Task Force is soliciting contributions as it aims to present a curated collection to SVS members and the medical community. The initiative came from the SVS Executive Board earlier this year as members saw...
In the dynamic arena of healthcare advocacy, the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) stands as a champion, harnessing the power of amplification to thrust the voices of vascular surgeons into the forefront of federal decision-making. Over the past year,...
A vascular surgery team from the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles demonstrated the feasibility of multidisciplinary direct revascularization of segmental arteries to prevent spinal cord ischemia (SCI) using novel endovascular or extra-anatomic bypass techniques in high-risk...
Laminate Medical Technologies has announced their flagship device, the VasQ external vascular support, has been cleared by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use to create arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs) for dialysis access. The device, designated by the FDA...
Viz.ai has announced new clinical data supporting advancements in pulmonary embolism (PE) detection. Two studies have demonstrated the real-world clinical efficacy of Viz.ai’s PE module to quickly and accurately identify PE and associated right heart strain, accelerate care coordination, and improve...
“Voices of Vascular,” an initiative to highlight the diverse voices within the SVS, has earned the Society and the SVS Foundation a Profile of Excellence Award from the American Association of Medical Society Executives (AAMSE).
Catherine Lampi, the Foundation’s director...
This commentary—authored by Anne Abbott, PhD, MBBS, Lawrence Schott, MD, Lan Gao, MMed, PhD, Hrvoje Budincevic, MD, PhD, Rishad Faruqi, MD, Tatjana Rundek, MD, PhD, Jean-Baptiste Ricco, MD, PhD, Saeid Shahidi, MD, and Gert J. de Borst, MD, PhD—consists...
Roy M. Fujitani, MD, president of the University of California, Irvine (UCI) Medical Center medical staff, took over as Western Vascular Society (WVS) president at the conclusion of the WVS annual meeting recently held in Koloa, Hawaii (Sept. 9–12).
He...
The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) and the American College of Surgeons (ACS) have released new standards for outpatient vascular centers to help them provide optimal care and treatment of patients receiving vascular surgical and procedural care.
These new standards,...
The Southern Association for Vascular Surgery (SAVS) has put out a call for applications from medical students and general surgery residents for 20 travel scholarships now available to attend the 2024 SAVS annual meeting.
Applicants must be either a medical...
The 2024 Society for for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Vascular Research Initiatives Conference (VRIC), which concentrates on basic and translational vascular science, will take place from 7 a.m.–6 p.m. CDT on May 15, 2024, at the Hilton Chicago in Chicago....
“We face a scarcity of data evaluating endovascular therapy for isolated popliteal artery lesions, known as a difficult vessel bed to treat as we don’t want to leave anything behind,” said Frank Vermassen, MD, chief of vascular and thoracic...
“Multifactorial” issues persist in gender representation in vascular leadership and trial enrollment, leading women vascular surgeons tell Vascular Specialist.
"We would have fewer untoward side effects, fewer drugs removed from the market by the FDA , and, ultimately, better outcomes...
Humacyte has announced positive top line results from its V005 Phase 2/3 trial of the Human Acellular Vessel (HAV) in vascular trauma repair.
A press release reports that the single-arm clinical trial was a success and showed that the...
The Society for Vascular Surgery’s Patient Safety Organization (SVS PSO) has formally launched a national smoking cessation initiative. It includes tools and resources to help physicians, surgeons and other healthcare professionals to help their patients kick the smoking habit.
CAN-DO (Choosing Against...
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today announced approval of LimFlow therapy—a novel and minimally invasive procedure designed to bypass blockages in arteries of the legs and restore blood flow for many thousands of people suffering from chronic limb-threatening...
Bernadette Aulivola, MD, the division director of vascular surgery and endovascular therapy at Loyola University in Maywood, Illinois, took over as president of the Midwestern Vascular Surgical Society (MVSS) at the conclusion of the MVSS annual business meeting held...
Kathleen Ozsvath, MD, a vascular surgeon at St. Peters Health Partners in Albany, New York, took over as president of the Eastern Vascular Society (EVS) during the 37th EVS annual meeting that took place in Washington, D.C. from Sept....
Shape Memory Medical recently announced that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted investigational device exemption (IDE) for the company to begin a prospective, multicenter, randomized, open-label trial to determine safety and effectiveness of the Impede-FX RapidFill device...
The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS), American Venous Forum (AVF), and American Vein and Lymphatic Society (AVLS) have released the second and final part of new guidelines for the management of varicose veins of the lower extremities. The recommendations,...
In a world in which both medical breakthroughs and technological advancements seem to dominate the healthcare landscape, it’s easy to overlook the unsung heroes who work tirelessly to ensure that patients receive the specialized care they need. Vascular Nurses...
Organizers behind an SVS-commissioned financial compensation survey are calling on more members to fill out the short list of questions so that they can break a key 20% response-rate target and begin to publish data gleaned from participants. Any...
In this issue:
When women are PIs: A story foretold on the vascular frontlines
SVS members rally to respond to CMS carotid stenting coverage expansion proposal
Guest Editorial: Arthur E. Palamara, MD, on "Expiation, Karl Wallenda, Oppenheimer and us"
...
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in mid-July released two payment-related proposed rules—the highly-anticipated calendar year (CY) 2024 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule (MPFS) and the Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Ambulatory Surgical...
Organizers of VAM 2024 want members to consider what the modern-day vascular surgeon needs to know for optimal patient care and professional success. What’s the latest in the venous disease space? What are helpful tips and tricks in open...
Nearly one-third of the public comments submitted to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on a controversial proposed coverage decision affecting carotid stenting were from SVS members.
“We could not have been more pleased with our members’ response...
Welcome back to Government Grand Rounds, a campaign aimed at expanding vascular surgeons’ understanding of—and comfort with—the SVS’ many advocacy tools. In the dynamic landscape of healthcare, the promotion of positive change and the advancement of our profession require...
Limited spots remain open for two popular SVS courses coming in October: the Complex Peripheral Vascular Interventions (CPVI) Skills Course on Oct. 1–2 and the Coding and Reimbursement Workshop (with optional half-day evaluation and management coding workshop) on Oct....
The month of September begins Friday and with it, the SVS Foundation’s Vascular Health Step Challenge.
The initiative challenges participants to walk 60 miles—representing the 60,000 miles of blood vessels in the human body—throughout the month, which is National Peripheral...
The first U.S. patient has been treated as part of the SOCRATES trial (Short neck AAA randomized trial—ESAR and FEVAR), which compares the safety and performance of endosuture aneurysm repair (ESAR) with fenestrated endovascular aneurysm repair (FEVAR) for the...
In the wake of the coverage of inappropriate vascular interventions in the mainstream press, guest editorialist Adam Tanious, MD, tackles the thorny issue of interactions with industry “reps”—particularly among younger surgeons.
Many of us in the surgical community have had...
NOTE: This video is ONLY available to watch in selected countries and geographies
The benefits of Shockwave Medical’s new Shockwave L6 Peripheral Intravascular Lithotripsy (IVL) catheter—designed for use in large, calcified vessels (available in 8-12 mm diameter sizes), —were highlighted...
Nectero Medical announced that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Fast Track designation for the Nectero Endovascular Aneurysm Stabilization Treatment (Nectero EAST) system to treat patients with infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) of maximum diameter 3.5–5cm. The...
The question of “persistent problems” with venous stenting among post-thrombotic syndrome (PTS) patients emerged as a key talking point during the recent Deep Venous Stenting Summit that took place during VAM 2023 in National Harbor, Maryland (June 14–17).
The issue...
There is no doubt that the Medicare payment system needs reform. At this moment, the SVS is aiming to inspire reform through all facets of effective advocacy. This takes place incrementally by raising Congressional awareness of the issues that...
Cydar Medical has announced the successful treatment of the first patient in a strategic collaboration with Medtronic. The collaboration, which spans 40 sites across the U.S., UK and Europe, involves the integration of the company’s Cydar Maps software with...
NOTE: This video is ONLY available to watch in selected countries and geographies
Experts gathered at the Society for Vascular Surgery’s 2023 Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM) in National Harbor, Maryland (June 14–17) to discuss the latest innovation from Shockwave...
Clinical outcomes of Humacyte's investigational Human Acellular Vessel (HAV) were presented at the Military Health System Research Symposium in Kissimmee, Florida (Aug. 14–17), following a year-long humanitarian program in Ukraine. The bioengineered, implantable human tissue-based device was provided to...
In a recently published study, dedicated venous stents performed well through pregnancy and postpartum, and a protocol including the use of low-dose antiplatelets in combination with anticoagulation at either a prophylactic or therapeutic dose depending on the patient’s risk...
Researchers report that inferior vena cava (IVC) filter placement position relative to the level of the most inferior renal vein was not associated with differences in IVC thrombosis in a recent single-centre cohort study.
Additional key findings from the study...
The SVS will host the SVS Coding and Reimbursement Workshop this fall, providing a comprehensive program designed to equip vascular surgeons and their support staff with essential knowledge and competence in appropriate billing and coding procedures.
Over the course of...
Phase II of a national branding campaign for vascular surgery and three new task forces are just two of several initiatives the SVS’ Executive Board highlighted for further action during its recent board retreat.
The SVS Strategic Board meets each...
Time is running out to plan attendance at the annual course, A Comprehensive Review and Update of What’s New in Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, to be held from Aug. 23–26 at the Beverly Hilton, in Beverly Hills, California.
The course...
As a vascular surgery trainee, there are multiple aspects of vascular surgery that I’ve had the opportunity to learn about. And to be honest, I’m still learning.
To that end, the SVS has put a great deal of effort in...
Because high-quality evidence from large, prospective multicenter trials on the best treatment of uncomplicated type B aortic dissection (uTBAD) is scarce, SVS members Firas F. Mussa, MD, a professor of vascular surgery at UT-Houston in Houston, Texas, and Panos...
The Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI) Fellows in Training (FIT) program is a success, said leaders as they provided a one-year review.
FIT introduces residents and fellows in vascular surgery and medicine to the SVS Patient Safety Organization (PSO). Fellows worked...
September's Vascular Health Step Challenge is fast-approaching, and SVS members are preparing to step up to meet it.
The challenge benefits the SVS Foundation, which asks people to walk 60 miles—representing the 60,000 miles of blood vessels in the...
The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) and its affiliated Patient Safety Organization (PSO)/Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI) have submitted a formal response to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding its proposed national coverage determination on percutaneous transluminal...
Merit Medical has announced that it has completed enrollment in its WRAPSODY Arteriovenous Access Efficacy (WAVE) pivotal study. Merit’s WAVE study is a prospective, randomized, controlled, multicenter study comparing the Merit WRAPSODY cell-impermeable endoprosthesis (CIE) to percutaneous transluminal angioplasty...
The American Board of Surgery (ABS) has named Society for Clinical Vascular Surgery (SCVS) President M. Ashraf Mansour, MBBS, as its 2023–24 chair. He was nominated to the ABS by the Association of Program Directors in Vascular Surgery (APDVS)...
Alucent Biomedical has announced that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted an investigational device exemption (IDE) for a U.S. clinical study of AlucentNVS, a light-activated, drug-coated balloon catheter technology.
AlucentNVS combines an intravascular device with a photochemical process to...
In this issue:
SVS responds to New York Times exposé on overuse of vascular interventions
Long-awaited FDA update finds data do not support excess mortality risk for paclitaxel-coated devices
Vascular surgery added as named specialty to influential national hospital...
“PERT care is the coalition of the willing,” quipped Dennis Gable, MD, a vascular surgeon at Texas Vascular Associates in Plano, Texas. He was referring to team-based care for pulmonary embolism (PE) patients and how, unlike acute stroke intervention...
The SVS has created a template to help members transmit comments to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding proposed major adjustments in National Coverage Determination (NCD) 20.7, which covers carotid artery stenting (CAS).
The CMS proposal would...
The Vascular and Endovascular Devices Team (VEDT) in the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Office of Cardiovascular Devices appreciates the Vascular Specialist editorial board's offer to provide an update to the vascular community to enhance regulatory transparency and communication....
In the previous month, Vascular Specialist delivered a range of leading commentary from the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) in response to the New York Times investigation on inappropriateness in vascular care; the anticipated Food and Drug Administration (FDA)...
The Journal of Vascular Surgery (JVS) has announced the appointment of Anahita Dua, MD, as the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Vascular Surgery-Vascular Insights (JVS-VI), the newest title in the JVS stable.
Dua, an SVS member, is an associate professor...
The number of office-based facilities has been increasing steadily over the past several years—and more vascular surgeons may be considering becoming involved in operating such centers.
To help vascular surgeons consider the various details involved, the SVS Subsection on Outpatient...
SVS members are encouraged to submit comments—due Aug. 10—to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on its proposed national coverage determination on percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) of the carotid artery concurrent with stenting.
The move would expand coverage...
The characterization of aortic tissue by means of three key biomechanics-based biomarkers bundled into a compound Regional Areas of Weakness (RAW) Map showed “very good performance” as part of an artificial intelligence (AI)-based prediction of faster than average growth...
U.S. News & World Report has renamed the specialty formerly known as “Cardiology & Heart Surgery” to include vascular surgery in its national rankings of the best hospitals in the country.
The category will now be called “Cardiology, Heart & Vascular...
Humacyte today announced completion of enrollment in its Phase II/III vascular trauma trial (V005) that is expected to support a Biologics License Application (BLA) filing for the company's Human Acellular Vessel (HAV) in vascular trauma repair.
A press release details...
Humacyte today announced completion of enrolment in its Phase II/III vascular trauma trial (V005) that is expected to support a Biologics License Application (BLA) filing for the company's Human Acellular Vessel (HAV) in vascular trauma repair.
A press release details...
The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Foundation has announced the appointment of Bernadette Aulivola, MD, and Vikram Kashyap, MD, to its board of directors. Both will serve two-year terms and, with the board’s collective knowledge and experience, will further bolster...
Failure is part of the process that leads to success. Occasional failures may sting but we must recognize the adage that failure is a “bruise, not a tattoo.”
I knew a mid-career faculty member some years ago who was rapidly...
Nectero Medical today announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted investigational new drug (IND) clearance for the company to initiate a prospective, multicentre, randomised clinical trial (the stAAAble study) to evaluate the safety and efficacy...
Endologix has shared in a press release that the first patients underwent percutaneous transmural arterial bypass (PTAB) using the Detour system since Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of the system was granted.
PTAB with the Detour system treats complex peripheral...
The SVS’ 2023 Coding and Reimbursement Workshop will help participants learn about accurate coding and reimbursement for vascular surgery. The intensive two-day program will review essential topics such as recent Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code and Medicare changes.
An optional...
This year’s E. Stanley Crawford Critical Issues Forum zeroed in on the pipeline of sources feeding the vascular surgery ranks. Incoming SVS President Joseph Mills, MD, assembled an expert panel to look at many of the key issues at...
In an official Society response, SVS President Joseph Mills, MD, tackles recent coverage in the mainstream media of inappropriateness in vascular care.
There have been several recently published articles by respected news media outlets highlighting the deeply concerning issue of...
Landmark meeting (June 14-17) with nearly 1,400 vascular professionals moves the needle with program innovations, slew of new science and jam-packed agenda.
With more content presented than ever before, a family-friendly Wednesday night gathering, the inaugural Frank J. Veith Distinguished...
The second edition of a hit trainee-created textbook primarily aimed at those taking the Vascular Surgery In-Training Exam (VSITE) has hit the shelves.
The Vascular Surgery Review Book, authored by Thomas Creeden, DO, a resident from the University of Massachusetts in Worcester,...
Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) members have until July 31 to apply to serve on a new SVS writing group to develop a position paper on the scope of work of vascular surgery practice in diagnosing and treating vascular...
Uncertainty underlying the magnitude of risk posed by long distance air travel in venous thromboembolism (VTE) patients has created the need for a deeper, systematic dive into the guidelines and resources providers should be turning to when managing their...
In a letter to healthcare providers dated July 11, 2023, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) communicates that the risk of mortality associated with paclitaxel-coated devices to treat peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is no longer supported based on data...
The SVS’ fifth edition of the Vascular Education and Self- Assessment Program (VESAP5) expires at 9 a.m. CDT July 14 and with it, the possibility of claiming continuing medical education credits.
Learners can earn credits and obtain certificates until then....
in this issue:
The numbers are in: VAM 2023 adds up to another SVS classic
Guest Editorial: The Golden Larva Syndrome: Is it real? asks Bhagwan Satiani, MD
Comment & Analysis: Congress considers incremental steps towards Medicare payment...
Despite being considered “generally safe,” cyanoacrylate can cause local reactions in up to 25% of patients, disproportionately affecting women, Asian race and thin patients with a body mass index of <22. This was the conclusion drawn by Eduardo Silva,...
Last month, Vascular Specialist garnered readers' attention with an array of commentary on the BEST-CLI and BASIL-2 trials; the medical editor's interview with vascular surgery's 'living legend' Frank J. Veith, MD; the news of the death of Past SVS...
Surmodics has announced the receipt of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for the SurVeil drug-coated balloon (DCB).
A company press release notes that the SurVeil DCB may now be marketed and sold in the USA to physicians for percutaneous...
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted approval for Cook Medical to initiate an investigational device exemption (IDE) study on the Zenith fenestrated+ endovascular graft (ZFEN+).
The clinical study will assess the safety and effectiveness of the ZFEN+ in...
As the vascular community continues to unpack the key learnings from two of the biggest trials to date in chronic limb threatening ischemia—BEST-CLI and BASIL-2—attendees of the 2023 Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM) in National Harbor, Maryland (June 14–17) told...
The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) mourns the death of Kenneth Wayne Johnston, an SVS member, former president and recipient in 2009 of the SVS’ highest honor, the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Barry Rubin, MD, chair and program medical director for...
Delivering results and recommendations from a systematic review and meta-analysis of novel oral anticoagulants (NOACs) versus low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) in the prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE) recurrence in cancer patients, Patricia Noreen Bueno, MD, from St Luke’s...
UC San Francisco Medical Center (UCSF) is among the first four hospitals in the U.S. to be verified as part of the American College of Surgeons' (ACS) Vascular Verification Program (Vascular-VP), a quality program recently launched in partnership with the Society...
In the past 18 months, a joint taskforce studying the needs of pediatric vascular patients has made great strides, conducting a needs assessment, identifying top priorities and planning resources for surgeons of these young patients. The next step—a meeting...
A new analysis of chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) treatment outcomes was presented at the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions (SCAI) 2023 Scientific Sessions (May 18–20) in Phoenix.
Since the initial results of the BEST-CLI trial found surgery superior...
A recent study concludes that non-thrombotic iliac vein lesion (NIVL) patients have better primary patency after venous stenting than patients with venous thrombotic disorders. Olivier Espitia, MD, from CHU de Nantes in Nantes, France, and colleagues report this main...
Artificial intelligence (AI) has become a central focus within various spheres, from commerce to medicine—including applications in patient care. Sharon Kiang, MD, talks to Vascular Specialist about the specter of bias and how a “hybrid” approach between AI and...
One of the most gratifying aspects of working to advocate for surgeons is that, at its heart, this is completely transparent and is done simply to serve. Serve what? To serve surgeons, by supporting their ability to flourish in...
For surgeons-in-training, professional development time (colloquially known as “the research years”) is a welcome break from the rigors of surgical residency. A time to rest, reflect, and embark on new growth opportunities. A reprieve from the 6:00 a.m. (or...
A recent survey has indicated that physical pain is “prevalent” among vascular surgery trainees and represents a risk factor for burnout. Eric Pillado, MD, MBA, a vascular surgery resident at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, shared...
Vascular Specialist medical editor Malachi Sheahan III, MD, sits down with Frank J. Veith, MD, to discuss his new book, The Medical Jungle, ahead of the maiden named Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM) lecture created in the former SVS President's honor. The...
VS@VAM journalist Will Date and videographer Jean-Philippe Bensoussan caught some VAM 2023 foot traffic outside the BEST-CLI and BASIL-2: Debate, Analysis and Implementation session last week to get their take on the two trials and how it has impacted...
A study presented during Plenary Session 3 at last week’s Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM), concluded that the Wound, Ischemia, and Foot Infection (WIfI) stage is predictive of major amputation at one-year follow-up in patients with chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI),...
The Society for Vascular Surgery celebrates all of its members at the inaugural Celebration of Diversity Reception at the Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM) 2023.
In previous years, many specific groups held smaller receptions while at VAM, including young surgeons,...
America’s face is changing, becoming more diverse and with more women and immigrants in the country, medicine and the vascular surgery specialty.
Raghu L. Motaganahalli, MD, of the Division of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Indiana University School of...
The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) honored two surgeons—instead of the traditional one—with its highest honors, the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM) last week.
It’s only the third time the Society has done so in...
The findings of a recent study on reinterventions and sac dynamics after fenestrated endovascular aneurysm repair (FEVAR) with a physician-modified endograft (PMEG) for index aneurysm repair and following prior EVAR led researchers to conclude that “vigilant” surveillance and a...
Endologix has announced the 24-month results of the DETOUR2 study, presented at VAM 2023, the annual meeting of the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS), by one of the study’s principal investigators, Sean Lyden, MD, chairman of vascular surgery at...
The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) has announced the latest additions to its officer roll following the 2023 elections for Society vice president and treasurer.
Keith Calligaro, MD, of Pennsylvania Hospital and a professor of clinical surgery at the University...
Friday afternoon in Potomac D will see VAM play host to a series of presentations on access for hemodialysis that will offer education on arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs), grafts (AVGs) and maturation—as well as strategies for managing their failure.
The session...
Revascularization for extremity trauma can be performed with excellent limb salvage rates, though poor compliance with long-term surveillance raises some cause for concern.
These are among the primary messages presented from a study detailing the experience and outcomes of...
Friday morning’s Plenary Session 5 (8:00–9:30 a.m.) is set to feature new data on an external support device that may deliver more functional arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs) while also offering an improvement in cost-effectiveness. Presenting an abstract on research into...
A night of grandeur, reminiscent of the parties hosted by the fictional character Jay Gatsby, awaits attendees on tonight (Friday) at the “Great Gatsby Gala,” benefiting the SVS Foundation.
Gala tickets are sold out, but bidding will continue for...
The annual business meeting (for members only).
The results of the just completed SVS election of officers (vice president and treasurer) will be announced at the meeting, which will also feature reports from officers and others, presentation of awards and...
Imaging technologies in the aortic space will be a key feature of Saturday’s Plenary Session 8 (11:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.) in Potomac A/B, with speakers set to share data on Philips’ Fiber Optic RealShape (FORS) technology and Centerline...
A national cohort study of vascular trainees taking the Vascular Qualifying Examination (VQE) and the Vascular Certifying Examination (VCE) found performance during the former is “not predictive” of first-time pass achievement in the latter—but, the findings highlight the “”...
The local delivery of a glucose-derived compound in small- and medium-sized abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) has been deemed safe, with “promising” early efficacy data indicating its potential in stabilising or slowing AAA sac growth. According to Stephen Cheng, MBBS,...
The principal investigators behind the BEST-CLI trial struck a conciliatory tone during the inaugural Frank J. Veith Distinguished Lecture yesterday morning in which they laid bare the blood, sweat and tears shed on their journey to complete the landmark...
In this issue:
BEST-CLI investigators implore a move beyond endo vs. Open ‘battle’ in the name of scientific advance
Presidential address: ‘The annual meeting is only part of our story’
Special VAM session underscores ‘complementary’ nature of open and...
Older-generation vascular surgeons are keen to hone their endovascular skills, while the younger generation are looking to develop their capacity to treat aortic pathologies—but surgeons at all stages in their career favor hands-on learning to continue their development.
These are...
A dedicated session at VAM 2023 saw speakers and delegates gather to debate, analyse and consider the implementation of the BEST-CLI and BASIL-2 randomized-controlled trials (RCTs). There was general agreement that the strategies are complementary, and that “picking the...
Friday morning will see Michael C. Dalsing, MD, MBA, deliver what is an annual hallmark of the VAM program—the SVS Presidential Address.
From 11:00 a.m.–12:15 p.m. in Potomac A/B, Dalsing will chart his personal journey from “small-town boy with some...
A prospective study has demonstrated that carotid intervention can improve mood in depressed patients with advanced carotid disease, in addition to enabling cognitive improvements irrespective of baseline depression.
These findings were presented during the Plenary Session 1: William J. von...
Early-bird VAM 2023 attendees yesterday gained broad insight into the issues facing vascular surgeons around the world, with the tone set from the opening talk on the World Federation of Vascular Societies (WFVS) Educational Session docket.
Looking at the global...
Alessandro Gregio, MD, a vascular surgery trainee at the University of Bologna in Bologna, Italy, presented midterm results from the Carotid asymptomatic stenosis observational study during the first of two SVS-VESS (Vascular and Endovascular Surgery Society) Scientific Sessions yesterday...
Shang Loh, MD, is chief of vascular surgery and endovascular therapy at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center in Philadelphia and professor of clinical surgery at the University of Pennsylvania. Ahead of the Embolization for Vascular Surgeons: Techniques, Tips and Tricks...
VAM brings together not only vascular surgeons but also residents, fellows and medical students keen to glean as much vascular education as possible. VS@VAM caught up with a selection of aspiring surgeons to find out how their conference was...
Between additional available therapies, multiple new devices now on the market and evolving research supporting thrombus removal, Patrick Muck, MD, and Madhavi Meka, MD, anticipated an informative session on deep vein thrombosis (DVT) at lunchtime Wednesday.
The two surgeons co-moderated...
The SVS Patient Safety Organization (SVS PSO) has launched a national smoking cessation initiative.
SVS PSO Associate Medical Director Gary Lemmon, MD, and SVS PSO Director of Quality Betsy Wymer introduced the program during SVS PSO’s Vascular Quality Initiative’s (VQI)...
A study of two risk assessment models (RAMs) for predicting the bleeding risk in patients considered for pharmacologic prophylaxis to prevent venous thromboembolism (VTE) has found that though an increasing risk score correlated with higher bleeding rates, both models...
SVS President Michael Dalsing, MD, officially opened the 2023 Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM) yesterday morning, telling attendees at the early morning Opening Ceremony: “For 76 years, vascular surgeons have been developing and integrating ideas, tenacity and collaboration across this...
Who enjoys Twitter as part of their daily routine? The Society for Vascular Surgery Social Media Subcommittee plans a challenge during the Vascular Annual Meeting that’s right up their alley.
The #VAM23 Twitter Challenge, “You’re So Vein,” will test the...
A focused session on vascular trauma yesterday took a deep dive into emerging issues and controversies in the field.
Moderated by Sherene Shalhub, MD, of Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, and Rishi Kundi, MD, of the R Adams...
Attendees at the society for Vascular Surgery Vascular Annual Meeting, the Vascular Quality Initiative meeting—VQI@VAM—and the Society for Vascular Nursing Annual Conference all can receive credits or project hours for their participation in the meetings.
The Accreditation Council for Continuing...
Keep the party going at the Great Gatsby Gala after-party. New this year, enjoy two additional hours of Prohibition-era festivities by purchasing a ticket for $150. Gala tickets do not include access to the after-party.
Also, get “Glam” before the...
Quell your anticipation for the upcoming Great Gatsby Gala by skipping the registration lines Friday evening and heading straight to the night’s festivities. This year, the SVS Foundation offers guests early check-in for a no muss/no-fuss experience.
Registrants should already...
A predictive model incorporating 3D shape features such as aneurysmal flow lumen and outer wall structure extracted from computed tomography (CT) imaging can improve the ability to predict the growth of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs).
This is according to research...
Any past VAM attendee knows he or she will put in a lot of steps on the way to educational sessions, the Exhibit Hall, receptions, plenaries and dancing the night away at the Gala.
This year those steps will...
Reflecting on the positives and negatives of retirement, Peter Gloviczki, MD, from the Mayo Clinic, previously in Rochester, Minnesota, now in Scottsdale, Arizona, and editor-in-chief emeritus of the Journal of Vascular Surgery (JVS) regaled attendees of his “Lessons learned:...
Aidin Baghbani-Oskouei, MD, and Gustavo S. Oderich, MD, from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Texas, detail the endovascular thermal septotomy technique for chronic post-dissection thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms (TAAAs), which featured as a video presentation at...
A durability study that looks at reintervention risk among patients treated with carotid endarterectomy (CEA) versus carotid artery stenting (CAS) procedures established that CEA demonstrated the lowest risk up to six months after surgery. A subgroup analysis between stenting...
VAM traditionally includes presentations from specially invited translational researchers that are performing cutting-edge work focused on vascular disease. All are held during plenary sessions.
“These presentations inform the larger VAM audience about cutting-edge translational science performed by our members and,...
In a prospective, non-randomized study, researchers found that a total transfemoral approach was associated with lower rates of cerebrovascular events and improved outcomes compared to an upper extremity approach during fenestrated/branched endovascular aneurysm repair (F/BEVAR).
Thomas Mesnard, MD, research fellow...
Randall DeMartino, MD, is Division Chair of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and a co-moderator of a session dedicated to onco-vascular surgery, taking place today from 3:30–5 p.m. in National Harbor 12/13. A...
Ok, so day one has lived up to the hype. From hearing about amazing research endeavors to listening to lively discussions on the latest treatment options for vascular patients, it has been very invigorating.
Day two is equally packed. One...
As the vascular community continues to digest key insights from the BEST-CLI randomized controlled trial (RCT), attendees of Plenary Session 3 at the Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM) 2023, taking place 8:00–9:30a.m. Thursday morning in Potomac A/B, will be offered...
Nearly 50 SVS members took advantage of VAM’s location near Washington, D.C., visiting Capitol Hill Tuesday to discuss legislation related to vascular surgery with members of Congress and their staffs.
The meetings were constituent-driven, with members talking with elected officials...
The SVS includes five special sections for different member groups, including physician assistants, women, young surgeons, surgeons in community practice and the Subsection on Outpatient and Office Vascular Care (SOOVC).
With each section session quite popular during the 2022...
Yesterday's E. Stanley Crawford Critical Issues Forum, which looked at ways to address the pipeline of sources feeding the vascular surgery pool of talent, yielded an illuminating perspective on the looming workforce crisis currently occupying leaders in the field....
In this issue:
Opening Ceremony heralds ‘power’ of VAM attendance
Von Liebig Forum: Significant life and limb gains for claudicants who stop smoking before lower-extremity bypass
PAD: Sex-related disparities in lower-extremity revascularization
VESS@VAM: Carotid stenting observational data
Women are more likely to undergo reintervention after lower extremity revascularization for peripheral arterial disease (PAD) compared to male patients with similar limb salvage and survival outcomes despite having fewer comorbidities, findings of a retrospective analysis presented during the...
“The endothelial cell is the superhero of the vascular system,” Kathryn L. Howe, MD, PhD, FRSCS, a vascular surgeon-scientist at the University of Toronto in Toronto, Canada, argued during an invited research presentation in Plenary Session 2 at VAM...
Long-term overall survival (OS) and amputation-free survival (AFS) are outcomes that rebound in claudicants who quit smoking prior to elective surgery—and they mirror those of never smokers. But patients who don’t kick the habit have significantly worse outcomes, lighting...
To borrow from the hit musical “Hamilton,” VAM 2023 takes place right near Washington, D.C., the seat of power, and “the room where it happens.” While the song refers to a particular room and a particular deal, “it,” can...
A study set to be presented at VAM (14–17 June, National Harbor, USA) has found that the long-term outcomes of transcarotid artery revascularization (TCAR) are “not significantly affected” by prior head and neck radiation. Owing to substantially increased risks...
The results of a subanalysis of the BEST-CLI trial found that patients with chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) who were deemed suitable for open lower-extremity bypass surgery “have similar periprocedural complications following either open or endovascular revascularization.”
The finding led researchers...
“The intellectual exchange of information and a better understanding of unique global perspectives has brought the leading societies closer,” Palma Shaw, MD, MBA, secretary general of the World Federation of Vascular Societies (WFVS) says of the success of this...
Today’s program at the 2023 Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM) will feature the presentation of an abstract by R. Debbie Li, MD, Loyola University Medical Center, Chicago, on the divergent perceived experiences of the shared learning environment by vascular and...
The Society for Vascular Surgery has added four lunchtime learning sessions to the VAM opening day.
Topics are both clinical and non-clinical, ranging from planning for retirement, embolization tips and tricks, new deep vein thrombosis treatments and a session on...
Presenter Neeta Karani, MD, from Bronson Healthcare, Kalamazoo, Michigan, is set to elucidate findings that consider the incidence of carotid stent fractures and their impact on carotid stent durability during Plenary Session 2 (9:45–11 a.m.) in Potomac A/B at...
As part of its ongoing commitment to foster collaboration and strengthen the vascular community, the SVS will host the inaugural SVS Connect@VAM: Building Community Wednesday evening, to close out the first day of VAM. This event allows attendees a...
Award-winning vascular resident talks about the science behind her work, which her mentor says is “moving the needle on every front.”
University of Toronto surgeon-scientist trainee Sneha Raju, MD, has been awarded the SVS Foundation Resident Research Award for 2023...
The Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM) E. Stanley Crawford Critical Issues Forum this year probes the problems and the challenges facing the vascular surgery workforce pipeline. The opening day highlight—the domain of the incoming SVS president, Joseph Mills, MD—seeks to...
Earlier this year, researchers debuted single-center experiences indicating that intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) may be able to expand transcarotid artery revascularization (TCAR) into patients with traditionally prohibitive calcific disease. With a multicenter case series now further suggesting IVL’s utility, but...
In this issue:
President-elect zeroes in on complexity of issues within vascular surgery pipeline
‘First’ study to identify endothelial cell-cell communication via bidirectional secretion of extracellular vesicle cargo wins SVS Foundation award, place on VAM stage
Advocacy: VAM 2023...
The specter of pulmonary embolism (PE) as a common and lethal disease process—with mortality of massive PE static at about 50% for decades while rapid advances were made in stroke and STEMI care—forms the backdrop to a VAM 2023...
The opening day at the society for Vascular Surgery’s Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM) starts with an educational session for the World Federation of Vascular Societies (WFVS), moves on to the Opening Ceremony, followed by a very full day of...
The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) will once again offer the 2023 Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM) attendees the opportunity to receive free headshots.
These professional headshots are a valuable addition to any professional’s career portfolio. The headshot booth will...
Over the past several months, the Society for Vascular Surgery’s Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI) hit some important milestones, including registering procedure number 1,000,000 in its database, enrolling center number 1,000, as well as 100-plus quality charters initiated in 2022....
A social media campaign promoting educational videos proved efficient and cost-effective, and similar campaigns will be useful for quality improvement projects directed toward medical trainees.
That’s the message from “A social media campaign to promote safe technique in femoral access,”...
Medical editor Malachi Sheahan III, MD, takes a look at seemingly conflicting results from the landmark BEST-CLI and BASIL-2 trials, and asks what they really reveal.
This past April, BASIL-2 chief investigator Andrew Bradbury, MD, presented trial results at the...
Malachi Sheahan III, MD, Vascular Specialist’s medical editor, speaks to living legend and limb-salvage pioneer Frank J. Veith, MD, on the contents of his hard-hitting new book, The Medical Jungle: A Pioneering Surgeon’s Battle to Revolutionize Vascular Care and...
Optimal treatment of patients with chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) has been an ongoing debate within the vascular community, fueled by growing numbers of patients, evolving technologies, provider bias, and a lack of high-quality evidence.
Few randomized controlled trials (RCTs)...
Our annual gathering is almost here. After months of planning, our premiere educational event in vascular surgery, the Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM), opens June 14. Every president before me has said nothing can top this year’s event—and yet, somehow,...
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released draft guidance with updated recommendations for good clinical practices (GCPs) aimed at modernizing the design and conduct of clinical trials.
In a statement, the regulator said that the updates are intended to...
Positive results from a clinical trial involving a novel therapeutic procedure known as sonolysis—deployed during a carotid endarterectomy (CEA)—were presented at the recent European Stroke Organisation Conference (ESOC; 24–26 May, Munich, Germany).
“The randomised clinical trial confirmed the results of...
Last month, Vascular Specialist most piqued reader interest with a commentary from the editor-in-chief on why he supports the decision by the Southern Association for Vascular Surgery (SAVS) to replace its emblem; a guest editorial examining whether physicians nowadays can experience...
For surgeons, “EPA” means not the “Environmental Protection Agency” but “Entrustable Professional Activity”—and they’re going to change surgery training. A pilot rollout for vascular surgeons will begin in select centers in the fall with Vascular Surgery Board (VSB) implementation...
In this VAM 2023 preview issue:
The Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM) beckons: "Our annual gathering is almost here. After months of planning, our premiere educational event in vascular surgery opens June 14," writes SVS President Michael C. Dalsing, MD...
This advertorial is sponsored by Shockwave Medical.
Mazin Foteh, MD, contrasts the benefits of Shockwave Medical’s new Shockwave L6 Peripheral Intravascular Lithotripsy Catheter alongside those of its sister device, the Shockwave M5+ Peripheral Intravascular Lithotripsy Catheter.
The Shockwave L6 device is...
The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Foundation has announced the winners of the 2023 Student Research Fellowship Awards.
The award is for undergraduate college and medical school students registered at universities in the United States and Canada. Its intent is...
A recording of the inaugural “SVS Presents” virtual educational session, on the BEST-CLI (Best endovascular vs. best surgical therapy in patients with critical limb ischemia) trial and its effect on vascular surgery, is now available.
More than 150 people...
Interim results from the ECST-2 randomized controlled trial (RCT) have shown no evidence that carotid stenosis patients with a low-to-intermediate stroke risk, treated with optimized medical therapy, will benefit from additional carotid revascularization via carotid endarterectomy (CEA) or carotid...
Speaking on the FLAME, FLASH and PEERLESS trials that each collected data on the FlowTriever (Inari Medical) device for the treatment of pulmonary embolism (PE), Ripal Gandhi, MD, Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute & Miami Cancer Institute, Miami, elaborated...
A new study using data from millions of patients hospitalized across the U.S. has determined whether population density and associated urban versus suburban versus rural environments predispose patients with peripheral vascular disease for chronic poor blood flow in their...
The underlying processes associated with advocacy—whether legislative, regulatory or political—are arduous and complex. As a result, measures of “success” are often characterized by progress within the process, or in other words, to advance a given initiative even if additional...
Malachi Sheahan III, MD, peels back the layers on why a decision by the Southern Association for Vascular Surgery (SAVS) to replace its signature emblem is the right one.
Imagine you are considering moving to a country where you will...
Data from a cohort of one million patients with chronic limb-threatening ischaemia (CLTI) were recently presented as late-breaking clinical research at the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions (SCAI) 2023 Scientific Sessions (18–20 May, Phoenix, USA). Using data from Medicare,...
Presenting “remarkable results” from the JETi registry—a prospective, multicenter, observational study which collected real-world data on the safety, performance and clinical benefits of the JETi peripheral thrombectomy system—speaker Mahmood K. Razavi, MD, relayed the positive outcomes seen with the...
Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) have been a focus for the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) and continue to grow in importance. VAM 2023 organizers are committed to making sessions and content more diverse, equitable and inclusive. “This year...
The Society for Clinical Vascular Surgery (SCVS) 50th Annual Symposium (25–29 March, Miami) hosted a series of abstract presentations. Among them was one by Bianca Mulaney, MD and colleagues including Elizabeth George, MD, Stanford University, Stanford, on the cost...
The use of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) can provide helpful information for assessment of pre- and post-intervention vascular status and, thus, is an important part of the management of patients with arterial and venous disease. IVUS can provide information about lesions...
Although researchers describe eudaimonia as the practice of virtues like courage, wisdom, good humor, moderation and kindness, some have translated the writings of Greek philosopher Aristotle to mean achieving deep wellness and purpose. Certainly, if Aristotle says so, it...
“The time has definitely come to look at the evidence, and redo these studies,” posited Alun Davies, MD, from Imperial College London in London, England, putting forward his argument that the NASCET and ECST clinical trials “need to be...
More than 880 vascular professionals are preparing to pack their bags in preparation for the 2023 Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM).
The specialty’s premiere educational event of the year takes place June 14 to 17...
The 2023 Society for Vascular Surgery's Vascular Annual Meeting will end its first full day on Wednesday with an outdoor networking event—food and drink, games, entertainment, artist demonstrations and more—for attendees and their families.
The inaugural SVS Connect@VAM: Building Community...
Endologix has announced the online publication of the final five-year results of the LEOPARD trial in the Journal of Vascular Surgery (JVS). The study's findings showed that there was no significant difference in aneurysm-related outcomes between patients randomized to...
Statin treatment after aortic repair is associated with improved long-term survival, while dose does not matter. This was the key message from a first-to-podium presentation delivered by Kevin Mani (Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden) at the 2023 Charing Cross (CX)...
I vividly recall sitting in the back of the conference room as a medical student and marvelling at the various approaches that could be used to solve vascular problems during the weekly “indications conference.” Every Monday morning, the creativity...
A new analysis of chronic limb-threatening ischaemia (CLTI) treatment outcomes was presented today as late-breaking clinical research at the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions (SCAI) 2023 Scientific Sessions (18–20 May, Phoenix, USA), a press release reports.
Following the initial...
Lyssa Ochoa, MD, is used to the assumptions. One: ”What a nice program you have.” Another: “It must be so nice that you can give away all of this charity care.”
Ochoa is the founding vascular surgeon behind the SAVE...
A recent proposal has called for “whole-person, multidisciplinary interventions” after an interrogation of the interplay between lower extremity peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and mental health impacts. Published in the Journal of The American College of Cardiology, researchers have put...
For the treatment of juxtarenal aortic aneurysms, reinterventions after physician-modified endovascular grafts (PMEGs) are non-detrimental to long-term survival. This is one of the main findings of a recently published study by Ayumi Tachida (University of Washington School of Medicine,...
With proper patient selection, short-term outcomes of thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) in acute uncomplicated acute type B aortic dissection (uTBAD) are similar irrespective of the timing of treatment after dissection. This is according to a study recently published...
A nationwide cohort study of over 9,000 patients shows that the “controversial” practice of arteriotomy closure for carotid endarterectomy (CEA) is associated with an increased risk of ipsilateral stroke and “should be avoided”. Instead, authors Magnus Jonsson (Karolinska University...
A recent study concludes that non-thrombotic iliac vein lesion (NIVL) patients have better primary patency after venous stenting than patients with venous thrombotic disorders. Olivier Espitia (CHU de Nantes, Nantes, France) and colleagues report this main finding from a...
Venous disease care has a problem with optics in the context of growth in the number of venous procedures and the spectre of inappropriate care, the 2023 Charing Cross (CX) International Symposium (25–27 April, London, UK) heard.
The conversation thread...
A recent multicentre, prospective study has found that stent deformations are greater in the common iliac vein with higher levels of hip flexion, as well as in iliofemoral veins with hyperextension at the superior ramus of the pubis.
Their...
This month, Corner Stitch highlights one of the papers recently presented at the Vascular and Endovascular Surgery Society (VESS) 2023 winter meeting in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada (Feb. 23–26). Nallely Saldana-Ruiz, MD, a senior vascular surgery fellow at the...
This year’s VAM will include an “enhanced” Society for Vascular Surgery Political Action Committee (SVS PAC) contributor display, which will recognize SVS PAC donors from both 2022 and 2023. Deadlines for recognition for 2023 are April 15 for groups...
Dear editor,
I recently read an article in Vascular Specialist regarding the new age of the “vascular surgery influencer” that discussed how the world of social media has invaded our “once-sane” specialty. While I assume the article was meant to...
In this month's issue:
BASIL-2 points towards endovascular-first revascularization strategy in CLTI patients (p. 1 and 3)
A vascular mission: Defying assumptions in the fight against amputation in disadvantaged areas (p. 1 and 5)
Research on aortic size index...
Terumo Aortic announced that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted approval of the RelayPro thoracic stent graft device for the treatment of dissection and transection in the U.S.
A Terumo Aortic press release notes that RelayPro delivers uncompromised...
In April 2023, Vascular Specialist readers were drawn to an interview dissecting the role robotics play, and can play in the future, in vascular surgery; a report of a new study that trialled the explantation of mature arteriovenous fistulas...
Xeltis has presented “highly-encouraging” six-month data from its first-in-human (FIH) aXess vascular graft trial at the 13th Congress of the Vascular Access Society (VAS; 27–29 April, Porto, Portugal).
A press release outlines that six-month data from the FIH trial found...
Cook Medical recently announced that the first patient has been treated in a clinical study to evaluate a new venous valve designed for treating chronic venous insufficiency (CVI). The patient was treated by principal investigator Mauricio Alviar, MD, a...
The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Foundation seeks applicants to fill a pair of two-year terms on the Foundation Board of Directors. The term starts in June and ends in June 2025. Applications are due May 12.
The Foundation seeks...
Since the initial launch of the Cancer Moonshot in 2016, the cancer community has made tangible progress towards ambitious goals, including accelerating scientific discovery in cancer, fostering greater collaboration and improving data-sharing.
Just last year, U.S. President Joe Biden announced...
The United States military has access to the most cutting-edge equipment to perform its duties, so we should expect nothing less for its veterans. As vascular surgeons, we all appreciate the importance of high-functioning, cutting-edge equipment. Over the past...
Seeking a better understanding of why women with ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) have worse outcomes when compared with men, a new study champions adherence to “evidence-based practice” to challenge gender disparities within vascular surgery, in pursuit of sustained...
Since conducting an initial U.S. population-based study of gendered abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) trends spanning 40 years, Indrani Sen, MBBS, an assistant professor of surgery in the Mayo Clinic Health System, has used her research as a launchpad to...
A debate between two prominent carotid interventionists—Peter Schneider, MD, professor of vascular and endovascular surgery at University of California San Francisco in San Francisco, and Domenico Valenti, MD, professor of vascular surgery at King's College London in London, England—on...
A question from Manj Gohel, MD, from Cambridge University Hospitals in Cambridge, England, on what the 2023 Charing Cross (CX) International Symposium audience should take back to their multidisciplinary team meetings from the first-time presentation of BASIL-2 led chief...
The “Great Gatsby Gala” Committee is turning its attention to gathering auction items to entice bidders in both the Live and Silent auctions.
The sky’s the limit, organizers say—anyone up for donating rides in a hot-air balloon, for example? In...
Besides being able to attend the scientific and educational sessions at the Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM), medical students and general surgery residents have an entire program devoted specifically to their career stage.
The VAM Resident and Student Program includes:
An...
Terumo Aortic announced the first North American implant of a custom-made hybrid device, Thoracoflo.
A press release noted that the device is used to treat patients with thoracoabdominal aortic disease using a less invasive surgical technique than traditional open surgical...
“Recycle that vein!”—that was the appeal from the authors of a new study that trialled the explantation of mature arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs) from patients with venous outflow obstruction in one extremity and translocation of them to the contralateral extremity....
Surmodics has announced that Ankur Lodha, MD, an interventional cardiologist at the Cardiovascular Institute of the South in Lafayette, Lousiana, and Pradeep Nair, director of the institute's vein program, were the first physicians to use the company’s Sublime radial...
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved an investigational device exemption (IDE) application for the VEINRESET multicenter pivotal study that will evaluate Sonovein high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) treatment for varicose veins, it has been announced.
Antonios Gasparis, MD, director...
With sessions covering a wide swath of topics important to vascular surgeons, including many proposed by Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) members themselves, participants at the 2023 SVS Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM) are sure to find valuable information on...
With an emphasis on cells—structural and immune—the program for the May 10 Vascular Research Initiatives Conference (VRIC) in Boston next month is taking shape.
VRIC will be held at the Boston Marriott Copley Place in Boston, in conjunction with the...
Chicago medical student Maria Paz, BS, discusses intentional mentorship—and why she believes it matters.
When I started medical school, I never imagined that the most difficult part would be convincing myself that I deserved to be there. I remember at...
This advertorial is sponsored by Bentley.
Crossing chronic total occlusion (CTO) lesions is a challenging procedure. The BeBack crossing catheter—Bentley’s first product to be available in both Europe and the United States following the company’s acquisition of Upstream Peripheral...
Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) member Anahita Dua, MD, has been named a Presidential Leadership Scholar for 2023.
She is one of 60 scholars in this eighth annual class. Dua is an associate professor of surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital...
The 2023 Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Nominating Committee has announced the candidates for the 2023 officer election. They are:
For SVS vice president, succeeding to president-elect, and then president: Kellie Brown, MD, and Keith Calligaro, MD
For SVS...
The occasion of a seminal meeting held in Chicago by former Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Presidents John J. Bergan, MD, and James S.T. (Jimmy) Yao, MD, played a central role in the formation of the world-renowned Charing Cross...
A decade ago, if he were asked to name 10 Black vascular surgeons, says one African American vascular chief, he could have come up with six or seven.
Today after being part of the creation and formation of the Society...
An emerging program at Houston Methodist aims to help prod those practicing in the vascular surgical space deeper into the field of robotic surgery.
The first ah-ha during a talk at a national meeting being given by one of the...
In this issue:
SVS, American College of Surgeons (ACS) launch new quality verification program (p. 1 and 3)
SCVS 2023: Endovascular-first or -only approach to all CLTI patients ‘is not evidence-based care’ (p. 1 and 6)
On occasion of...
The Society for Vascular Surgery Vascular Quality Initiative (SVS VQI) clinical registry recently announced it has achieved another milestone, with more than 1,000 centers enlisted in VQI registries. This achievement will strengthen vascular care, improve outcomes and underscore the...
Lithotripsy may hold the key to enabling more carotid artery disease patients who require calcification treatment to undergo stent placement via a transcarotid artery revascularization (TCAR) procedure, as per single-center experiences presented at the recent Society for Clinical Vascular...
Vascular trainees and medical students are invited to submit their best cases for three sessions at the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM) this year. Case submissions are due April 26.
They are (all times Eastern Daylight...
Former SVS President Anton Sidawy, MD, hopes the launch of the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) and the American College of Surgeons (ACS) “Vascular Verification Program (Vascular-VP)” leads to the “flood gates” opening with applications.
“We’re going to need reviewers as...
For University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, vascular surgeon Randy Moore, MD, the route to a world of precision care for individual abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) patients—involving aortic wall strength-mapping technology developed over the course of the last 15 years,...
The feeling of being “uncertain, anxious and vulnerable” defines a creeping health insecurity problem riddling parts of the U.S. patient population—demographics who are underserved and at higher risk of outcomes such as amputation. And they can be a barrier...
Presenting award-winning new research, Andrea Vacirca, MD, a research fellow at The University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston (UTHealth Houston), revealed how, despite prior records which demonstrate that fenestrated-branched endovascular aortic repair (F/BEVAR) is “feasible and safe”...
In March 2023, the Vascular Specialist stories grabbing readers' attention were a response to a February letter addressing vascular surgeons' use of social media; an interview with an advocate for more carefully considered use of venous stents; the publication of...
William Martin Abbott, MD, former president of the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS), died peacefully in his home Jan. 9 after a brief illness. He was 86.
Abbott grew up in San Francisco and graduated from Stanford University and Stanford...
Recent data presentations have revealed reduced risks of stroke and mortality among transcarotid artery revascularization (TCAR) patients who receive dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT)—both preoperatively and at discharge—as compared to other drug regimens. Researchers believe these findings underscore the importance...
In Physics of Fluids, by AIP Publishing, researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology (BHU) Varanasi and Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur made a computational model of the cardiovascular system in order to predict early abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA)...
A retrospective cohort study presented at the 2023 Society for Clinical Vascular Surgery (SCVS) Annual Symposium in Miami (March 25–29) has found lower-extremity bypass patients who received dual antiplatelet therapy or anticoagulation (DAPT/AC) postoperatively had a higher 30-day survival...
The development of medical devices in the vascular space faces increasing challenges amid moves afoot at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), according to a leading regulatory expert in the field.
Among the developmental vehicles currently caught in the crosshairs...
Results from the PROMISE II pivotal trial investigating transcatheter arterialization of the deep veins using the LimFlow system in so-called no-option chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) patients were today published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).
The publication confirmed...
Dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) has demonstrated improved clinical outcomes, including reduced in-hospital stroke and mortality risks, compared to other medication regimens in carotid disease patients who undergo stent placement via a transcarotid artery revascularization (TCAR) procedure.
This is the key...
Michael S. Conte, MD, one of the foremost experts in the field of peripheral arterial disease (PAD), took attendees of the 2023 annual meeting of the Society for Clinical Vascular Surgery (SCVS) in Miami on a journey through the...
Navigating cases of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) with short neck anatomy poses a serious challenge to vascular surgeons, but the list of potential options available to carry out repairs are numerous—and decision-making can be optimized by using a bespoke...
With registration for the 2023 Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM) right around the corner, those people who have not paid their SVS 2023 dues have a good incentive to do so quickly. Members receive a discount on not only VAM...
W L Gore & Associates (Gore) has announced that the first U.S. patient has been enrolled in a prospective, randomized, multicenter, single-arm study with five-year follow-up to evaluate the investigational Gore Viafort vascular stent for the treatment of symptomatic...
Getinge‘s iCast covered stent system has received premarket approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of patients with iliac arterial occlusive disease.
The iCast covered stent system, sold outside the U.S. under the brand name Advanta...
Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) members should act now so they do not lose earned continuing medical education (CME) credits.
The American Board of Surgery (ABS) has changed its processes for CME credits, which affects their upload as well as...
A recent study comparing outcomes of endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) patients has reported no statistically significant differences in mortality or secondary rupture rates between standard Cook, Medtronic and Gore endografts, suggesting similar safety in a real-world setting.
Michael O. Falster,...
Recruitment proved to be a major challenge for the STEVECO (Stent versus conservative treatment in patients with deep venous obstruction) randomized controlled trial (RCT), prompting discussion on how best to randomize patients in future trials, the ethics of doing...
A novel, order-initiated workflow facilitated by the electronic health record (EHR) has been shown to improve timeliness of care for vascular surgery patients, decreasing time to operation and working to standardize and automate the consultation process.
Presented at the 2023...
A new study found no difference in perioperative outcomes and incidence of adverse events at follow-up after transcarotid artery revascularization (TCAR) between academic and non-teaching community institutions. Presented at the 2023 winter annual meeting of the Vascular and Endovascular...
The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) and the American College of Surgeons (ACS) have launched the “Vascular Verification Program (Vascular-VP)," an ACS Quality Program developed in partnership with the SVS.
The newly launched inpatient program reviews not just safety processes...
A key investigator in efforts to tackle chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) with an bioprosthetic venous valve replacement talks about progress being made with surgical and endovascular versions of the device—and surgical community skepticism.
Jorge Ulloa, MD, has not long since...
Dear editor,
Reading “Likes, dislikes and reposts: The new age of the vascular surgery influencer,” by Drs. Jean Bismuth (@jeanbismuth) and Jonathan Cardella (@yalevascular), they rightly point the spotlight on the trend of some vascular surgeons posting cases on social...
Viz.ai recently announced it has received Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 510(k) clearance for its algorithm intended to detect suspected abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). Viz AAA is the first FDA-cleared AI-powered solution for the detection and triage of suspected...
Ashish Gupta, MD, outlines his ABCs for confronting and treating patients with acute deep vein thrombosis (DVT) of the lower extremity, and how he developed his dictums.
A is for “anticoagulation” for not more than six months of duration. Rationale:...
The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) has a vision that is unwavering. We desire quality vascular care for all patients by providing our members with the information and tools they need to provide best care. We believe the goal...
Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) diagnosis and repair occurs among women almost 10 years later than in men—with similar age-adjusted mortality—the 2023 Society for Clinical Vascular Surgery (SCVS) annual meeting in Miami (March 25–29) is set to be told. The...
Vesteck scientific advisory board members along with key opinion leaders from around the world have successfully completed the first three in-human cases with the Suture-Tight catheter, a press release reports.
Dai Yamanouchi (University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA) and Dainis Krievins...
This advertorial is sponsored by Tampa General Hospital.
Operating in Tampa, Florida, Charles J. Bailey, MD, and his partners in the Division of Vascular Surgery at the University of South Florida see their fair share of preventable amputations. In a...
Shockwave Medical announced the full U.S. commercial availability of the Shockwave L6 peripheral intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) catheter following clearance by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
A press release details that the Shockwave L6 catheter is purpose-built to modify calcification in otherwise difficult-to-treat...
In this issue:
Four decades of AAAs in the U.S.: Rare epidemiological study establishes women are diagnosed and repaired 10 years later than men (p. 1 and 4)
From the SVS president: Supporting one another (p. 1 and 6)
...
SVS member David Han, MD, has been re-elected to the American Medical Association (AMA) Relative Values Scale (RVS) Update Committee (RUC). Han’s two-year term runs from March 2023 and ends in February 2025.
This is the third time Han will...
Welcome newly matched vascular surgery residents into the fold! I am just over six months into my first attending position after completing my residency training at Dartmouth. While nothing reminds you of how much you don’t know or haven’t...
Welcome back to Government Grand Rounds, where the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Advocacy Council discusses how sustained advocacy engagement is important for all SVS members.
While “advocacy” continues to rank high among SVS member priorities, many remain unsure how...
The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) has launched its “Management Guide on the Perioperative Care of Patients with Vascular Disease,” a multidisciplinary resource for care of patients with vascular disease who require an intervention.
The American Society of Anesthesiologists, the...
An analysis of venous stent usage trends in the United States from 2014 through 2021 showed a “significant increase” in stents per day placed over time, despite high-profile recalls of two dedicated venous stents from the market.
Those were among...
Distal embolic protection using a filter has been associated with improved transfemoral carotid artery stenting (tfCAS) outcomes in terms of in-hospital stroke and death risks—underpinning current Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) guidelines recommending routine use of distal embolic protection...
When receiving treatment for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), female patients have a higher risk for kidney damage after endovascular repair, a Michigan Medicine study finds.
Researchers from Michigan Medicine designed an algorithm that can be used prior to endovascular AAA...
Meeting registration and hotel reservations opened March 15 for the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) 2023 Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM). This year’s premiere educational event for all vascular professionals will be June 14–17 at the National Resort and Convention...
The European Union’s Council of Ministers has today adopted a resolution to extend the deadline for the certification of medical devices under the Medical Devices Regulation (MDR).
Producers of medical devices will have until Dec. 31, 2027, for higher risk...
Data from a new prespecified analysis of the phase III VOYAGER PAD clinical trial show that low-dose rivaroxaban plus aspirin resulted in a 33% reduction in acute limb ischemia and a 15% reduction in major adverse limb and cardiovascular...
The contributions of the Society for Vascular Surgery’s women members take center stage this month as part of the SVS Foundation’s “Voices of Vascular” series.
The “Voices” series is designed to help celebrate the diversity in the vascular surgery specialty....
Large bore mechanical thrombectomy with the FlowTriever system (Inari Medical) in patients with high-risk pulmonary embolism (PE) was associated with a significantly lower occurrence of meaningful in-hospital adverse clinical outcomes compared to other contemporary treatments, data presented at the...
Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) members have until March 15 to apply for a scholarship to attend the Executive Leadership Program in Health Policy and Management at Brandeis University.
The week-long program for physicians and surgeons will be June 4–10...
Robert A. Lookstein, MD, who is executive vice chair, Diagnostic, Molecular and Interventional Radiology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York today presented the results of a subanalysis of Thrombolex’s National Heart, Lung...
The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) will debut “SVS Presents” April 12, a monthly webinar series that provides an evening of educational programming for members.
“Presents” is in response to a key finding from the 2021 Educational Needs Assessment and...
The 2023 annual meeting of the American Venous Forum (AVF) heard the final results from the first U.S. trial of the emerging varicose vein treatment, Sonovein echotherapy, with data showing a 100% technical feasibility at three months—which was the...
In February 2023, the hits with Vascular Specialist readers included positive safety and efficacy findings from the PRESERVE trial; the announcement of the scientific program for Sudan's first vascular meeting; the release of a former Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS)...
Having observed a strong relationship between calcification and subsequent limb loss, a research team led by investigators from the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) have conducted a single-center, retrospective follow-up extending an initial study evaluating pedal medial arterial...
Among 61 high-risk pulmonary embolism (PE) patients followed through to the 30-day visit in the U.S. cohort of the FLASH registry, no mortalities were recorded, while at 48 hours post-treatment with the FlowTriever mechanical embolectomy system, likewise, there were...
Researchers in Colombia behind the first-in-human study of a novel bioprosthetic venous valve designed to treat chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) reported three-year results among eight patients during the 2023 annual meeting of the American Venous Forum (Feb. 22–25) in...
Interim one-year outcomes from the multicenter, prospective, single-arm CLOUT registry investigating use of the ClotTriever thrombectomy system in all-comer patients with deep vein thrombosis (DVT) demonstrated that 93.5% of limbs had flow present, 97.1% were compressible and 10.5% of...
Few adverse events are connected to the use of inferior vena cava (IVC) filters to help prevent deep vein blood clots from developing into pulmonary embolisms (PE), according to the findings of the Predicting the safety and effectiveness of...
David Gillespie (Boston, USA) talks to Vascular Specialist about the PRESERVE study—established by the Society for Vascular Surgery and Society of Interventional Radiology—which is the largest prospective study to investigate real-world outcomes with contemporary use of inferior vena cava...
Almost one-half of the patients receiving a peripheral vascular intervention (PVI) in the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI) registry between 2017 and 2018 were not on guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT). Kim G. Smolderen, PhD, and...
BioGenCell has announced that it is recruiting for an international clinical trial to assess the company's stem cell-based therapy for chronic limb-threatening ischemia patients who are at risk for limb amputation.
The clinical trial is currently taking place in medical...
To help celebrate the diversity in the vascular surgery specialty, the Society for Vascular Surgery Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee has launched “Voices of Vascular,” a series highlighting the contributions of surgeons from a wide variety of backgrounds.
“Voices” debuts...
One of my earliest clinical experiences with vascular disease was as a high school student shadowing at a busy urban hospital in Detroit. A Black man with a longstanding history of diabetes developed a foot ulcer that ultimately required...
The March issues of the Journal of Vascular Surgery (JVS) and JVS: Venous and Lymphatic Disorders (JVS-VL) include eight articles that will be available via free-access by Feb. 21 (JVS-VL) and Feb. 23 (JVS). The fully accessible peer-review papers...
A block party on opening day, session recordings available daily and—of course—the educational and scientific sessions for which the Society for Vascular Surgery’s Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM) is known: all this and much more will be part of VAM...