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 both a sense of wellness and purpose in their profession; news from a UK vascular meeting where delegates heard of the optics challenges venous disease is up against; and a report of a newly published ‘biopsychosocial roadmap’ for peripheral arterial disease (PAD) treatment.
1. A vascular mission: Defying assumptions in the fight against amputation in disadvantaged areas
Lyssa Ochoa, MD, is the founding vascular surgeon behind the SAVE Clinic in San Antonio, geared in its entirety towards targeting the Texas city’s most socially and economically disadvantaged areas against the backdrop of some of the state’s most eye-watering rates of diabetes-related amputation. She answers some of Vascular Specialist’s questions.
2. We can honor the past without living in it
Malachi Sheahan III, MD, peels back the layers on why a decision by the SAVS to replace its signature emblem is the right one.
3. Happiness, well-being and culture are key ingredients for seeking ‘eudaimonia’
“Practicing medicine is certainly a ‘purpose’, but the quest for ‘deep wellness’ has been lost over time and instead we are left with burnout […] What does this mean for the modern physician, particularly for those employed by large organizations or groups?”—Bhagwan Satiani, MD, examines this question.
4. Reinterventions after physician-modified endovascular grafts ‘non-detrimental’ to long-term survival
For the treatment of juxtarenal aortic aneurysms, reinterventions after physician-modified endovascular grafts 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, Seattle, USA) and colleagues.
5. CX 2023: Venous, we have a perception problem
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.
6. New ‘biopsychosocial’ roadmap set out to address PAD treatment and mental health impacts
Published in the Journal of The American College of Cardiology, researchers have put forward a “biopsychosocial” PAD management roadmap, offering solutions to current care “obstacles” to better attend to both behavioral and social health needs throughout vascular treatment.
7. Interim data find ‘no evidence of benefit’ for carotid revascularization additional to optimized medical therapy
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 artery stenting (CAS).
8. Letter to the editor: The virtue of a social media presence for surgeons in the internet era
Vincent Noori, MD, shares why he “[believes] we are fortunate to have a social media presence in the internet era, where surgeons can still stay connected and learn from each other in an ever-evolving field, despite being miles apart”.
9. Primary patency after venous stenting best in NIVL patients, study finds
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.
10. Cook Medical treats first patient in first-in-human clinical trial for venous valve
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.
