‘What I talk about when I talk about value’

Outgoing Western Vascular Society (WVS) President Ahmed Abou-Zamzam Jr., MD, provided a possible prescription for value in vascular surgery that goes beyond the monetary value assigned to the profession. Using the memoir of Japanese writer Haruki Murakami, What I Talk…
Care for intermittent claudication considered ‘inappropriate’ found to be common, putting patients at ‘increased’ risk

In a multi-institutional cohort of patients with intermittent claudication (IC), care deemed inappropriate, or where the risk outweighs the benefit, by the SVS appropriate use criteria (AUC) for the management of IC was “common” and associated with increased risk of…
Chronic venous insufficiency: Appeal over ‘not-approvable’ VenoValve fails

enVVeno Medical has announced that it received an “unfavorable” decision from the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) in response to its supervisory appeal of the “not-approvable” letter it received on Aug. 19 in response to its premarket approval (PMA) application…
TAMBE and TBE: Evolving experiences and piecing together channels of inquiry

New findings chronicling progress with both the Gore Excluder thoracoabdominal branch endoprosthesis (TAMBE)— approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last year—and Gore Tag thoracic branch endoprosthesis (TBE), which recently acquired a new indication for use in aortic zones…
WVS 2025: David Rigberg takes over as president of Western Vascular Society

David Rigberg, MD, clinical professor of surgery, at the UCLA Gonda School of Medicine in Los Angeles, has taken over as president of the Western Vascular Society (WVS). Rigberg became the 2025–26 WVS president at the society’s annual meeting in…
Regional vascular societies gear up for fall annual meetings

The glut of early fall regional vascular society annual meetings is just around the corner, with no fewer than five slated for the month of September. Several have recently made announcements about standout events taking place at their conferences, with…
Research suggests arm vein is the best alternative bypass conduit to GSV in patients with CLTI

A new analysis has found arm vein to be the most suitable alternative conduit to great saphenous vein (GSV) in chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) patients, particularly in below-knee bypass targets. Prosthetic grafts also represent an adequate option, the researchers add,…
Regional societies see presidential changing of the guards

Brajesh K. Lal, MD, assumed the Eastern Vascular Society (EVS) presidency during the 2024 EVS annual meeting. He took over from Kathleen Ozsvath, MD. Patrick Muck, MD, assumed the reins of the Midwestern Vascular Surgical Society (MVSS) at the conclusion…
The Japanese concept of ikigai and how mentorship might help specialty amid challenges of vascular surgery workforce shortage

The Japanese concept of ikigai, or an individual’s reason for being, underpinned the message behind a fresh call for mentorship in vascular surgery and how mentoring could aid efforts to plug a shortage in the specialty’s workforce. Roy M. Fujitani,…
Hybrid aortic arch: ‘We believe there is still a role for a versatile multiple-branched arch option’

Mid-term results from an analysis of a series of hybrid aortic arch reconstructions utilizing overlapping single thoracic branch endoprostheses in a dual-branch configuration showed the technique to be safe and versatile. Delivered at the 2024 Western Vascular Society (WVS) annual…

