The Society for Vascular Surgery has translated the updated guidelines on abdominal aortic aneurysms into Spanish, aimed at the large population of Spanish-speaking vascular surgeons.
The translated guideline — a pilot project to gauge interest in such work — already is available. The SVS International Relations and Document Oversight committees collaborated on the translation.
“Our committee thought we could contribute internationally by sharing the work that’s already been done,” Dr. Ascher said of the guideline translation. SVS hired a professional translator who is also a medical doctor to do the overall translation, which was then painstakingly reviewed, line by line, by committee volunteers.
The translated guideline, with 112 recommendations and 774 references, is aimed primarily at surgeons in Latin America and Europe.
Translations to other languages could follow, said Dr. Ascher, citing Chinese, Mandarin, Hindu and Russian as possibilities. The International Relations and Document Oversight committees want members who find this first effort beneficial to let committee members know, and also suggest other guidelines and materials to translate. One possibility is translating the Vascular Educational Self-Assessment Program (VESAP) into another language.
To obtain a copy of the guideline in Spanish, visit vsweb.org/SVSGuidelines. People will be asked to submit some information, including where they learned of the translation, before accessing the guideline. For more information, email guidelines@vascularsociety.org.