In February, the most read stories from Vascular Specialist include a study of metformin and its potential as the first-ever medical treatment that can manage aneurysm disease; the SVS Sub-Section on Outpatient and Office Vascular Care (SOOVC) release the highly anticipated Office-Based Lab (OBL) Handbook; and a case series evaluation of aortoiliac endarterectomy, among several more.
1.‘Get a Pulse on PAD’: Multi-society public awareness campaign launched
The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS), in partnership with three other medical societies operating in the vascular disease space that form the PAD Pulse Alliance, is taking part in a peripheral arterial disease (PAD) public awareness campaign called “Get a Pulse on PAD.”
2. SAVS 2024: A journey to the heart of DEI like no other
David L. Cull, MD, delivers a captivating presidential address, laying bare his own challenging journey as a vascular surgeon and the hidden lessons on diversity, equity and inclusion his life story may hold.
3. More than half of medical students altered Match ranking order after post-virtual interview site visits, APDVS survey finds
Amid the build-up to residency Match Day 2024, the Association of Program Directors in Vascular Surgery (APDVS) has delivered data from a VISIT (Vascular In-Person for Students in the Match Trial) pilot study that took place last year showing some 57% of medical students who took part changed their rank list of integrated vascular surgery programs based on post-virtual site visits to institutions on their radar.
4. Re-evaluating aortoiliac endarterectomy: Case series shows ‘acceptable durability’
The uncommonly performed aortoiliac endarterectomy—one of the open procedures on which the vascular surgical specialty was founded—provides acceptable durability in aortoiliac occlusive disease patients with smaller native vessels, especially among females, a 25-patient case series review performed at Louisiana State University (LSU) Health Sciences Center in New Orleans has shown.
5. Serration angioplasty associated with reduced recoil in infrapopliteal arteries compared with plain balloon angioplasty
A study comparing the extent of early infrapopliteal recoil after serration and plain balloon angioplasty has found the former produces “substantially less” arterial recoil in the treatment of these lesions and has demonstrated “technical feasibility” in measuring early recoil using standard angiography.
6. A proposal to save vascular surgery
Russell H. Samson writes in response to recent articles in the lay press suggesting vascular surgeons were performing unnecessary procedures, following a talk he gave at the 2023 VEITHsymposium.
In this article he begins: “At that meeting I provided data demonstrating which specialties are treating vascular patients and the rate of insurance denials dependent on provider specialty. I was originally reluctant. I had stopped writing editorials for Vascular Specialist because I had said all that I had on my mind. I was also concerned that, eventually, I would write a piece that readers would find so controversial that I would never be able to show my face in public again.”
7. How the best leaders ensure psychological safety at work
Bhagwan Satiani writes on his understanding of psychological safety, stating that this is when people feel safe expressing differing opinions and thoughts in the workplace. Although, he believes, psychological safety must be part of every organizational culture, it is critical for high-performing teams.
8. Could metformin be first-ever medical treatment that is effective at managing aneurysm disease?
There is a global interest in assessing whether metformin, which has a long track record of safety and efficacy, is relatively inexpensive and is taken by millions of people every day for type-2 diabetes, has an effect on the progression of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs).
9. FORS-powered LumiGuide 3D imaging technology is rolled out at specialized centers in U.S. and Europe
Andres Schanzer, MD, has hailed it “one of the most exciting changes” seen in imaging during the course of his career. Philips’ LumiGuide “human GPS” technology—which uses light reflected along an optical fiber inside a guidewire to generate three-dimensional (3D), high-resolution, color images of devices inside a patient’s body in real-time powered by Fiber Optic RealShape (FORS)—is now available to specialized hospitals in Europe and the U.S., the company has announced.
10. SOOVC releases handbook for outpatient care
The SVS Sub-Section on Outpatient and Office Vascular Care (SOOVC) has released the anticipated Office-Based Lab (OBL) Handbook to guide practitioners and aid with safety and cost-effectiveness, as well as expand patients’ access to care.
