I would like to romanticize it and claim that it was love at first site…but I would be lying. Vascular surgery was my first my very first surgery experience as a third-year medical student at Ohio State University. I experienced extremely long days and long operations, and for unclear reasons, medical students were preferred over fixed retractors. At that time, very few medical students were “courted and supported” the way they are now. Although I knew that I liked “the action” of the surgical services, vascular surgery was not high on my list heading into general surgery residency. But as fate would have it, it serendipitously turned out to be my first general surgery rotation and first operative experience. Once I was first assist and able to see what was going on, I was hooked on this “quirky” field and the unique personalities our specialty attracts.
I’ve always liked the close parallel to an athletic performance where we prepare, rehearse and perform. And even before the advent of our endovascular and hybrid options, and to this day, I really enjoy the fact that if you present a case to the group-we will agree on the end goal but the path to get there may vary considerably. Finally, I was very fortunate to always be surrounded by outstanding attendings and mentors who genuinely had an infectious enthusiasm for the work of reconstructing blood vessels. There are very few operating room days when I don’t think to myself that it’s just as fun now as it was the very first time that I saw the clamp released.
I have never really considered myself a Black vascular surgeon as much as a surgeon who happens to be Black American. I’ve also not spent a lot of time thinking about my race, my circumstances, or people’s reactions to me. I have found that to be an unproductive exercise. Instead, I’ve always tried to focus outward on how can I use my skill set to impact the patient and community for which I am responsible. I grew up in a small rural Ohio community that was a white monolith within a decade of the end of the Civil Rights Movement. I benefited from sports and interacting with adjacent, more diverse communities. It was very evident to me early in life that socioeconomic factors, for Black and white Americans, were the origins of many challenges within our different communities. That environment prepared me very well to practice vascular surgery. Returning to Ohio to care for the mothers and fathers of the diverse group of friends that I grew up with has been an incredibly rewarding experience for me. There are many areas of Ohio that have fallen on tremendously difficult economic times. But for every person who comes into my practice at The Cleveland Clinic, I know and understand the underlying social context of their cardiovascular disease which allows me to help them better. In this world, looking outward to find common ground has allowed me to be the best version of my physician self.
I have too many vascular surgeon inspirations to count. They spanned from Charles C Wolferth, M.D., my chair of general surgery, and Mark Mantell, M.D., who taught me a lot about surgery of blood vessels. Bruce Brener, M.D., was a consummate gentleman surgeon and technical master who opened the endovascular world to me before many others had access with the Talent IDE and the Montefiore Endovascular Graft System EVAR devices. Ron Fairmen, M.D., and Michael Golden, M.D., at Penn were both quite gracious with time and support. Dan Clair, M.D., Sean Lyden, M.D., and Lars Svensson, all my former and current Cleveland Clinic partners have inspired me. All these individuals have a common thread of indefatigability, optimism, and a focus on patient care and clinical/process innovation. They all have represented various forms of sponsorship, allyship and mentorship in my career.
Each day I wake up looking forward to looking after my patients. What has me most energized is the Community Engagement position that I have at Cleveland Clinic, which is innovative in its very goal of transforming how a healthcare system engages with the diverse community which it serves. The Cleveland Clinic as, an economic anchor institution in our community, is improving individual and population-based care by engaging with stakeholders, improving clinical quality, and elevating the value-based care proposition, tapping into the economic engine of the Black American and LatinX-led business community that is mutually beneficial from a vendor supply and philanthropic donor perspective. It improves our ability to engage disenfranchised communities into clinical trials and implement pipeline-building efforts that span K-12 through early career. We are discovering how a healthcare system delivers on the promise to care for communities far beyond the hospital’s perceived role.
By far, my greatest inspiration continues to be my mom and dad, who although no longer alive, were able to provide me with a sound set of foundational tools that guide me each day. Arrive early and ready to work, search for common ground and consensus, but know what one stands for and how to stand your ground when that line is crossed. I didn’t know until late in her life, but my mother integrated what was then known as Ohio Bell and moved up through levels of management over her career. Many of her younger co-workers, mostly women of all races that she had mentored over time attended her funeral and shared with me how she was as a co-worker and a manager. She was principled, demanding, and supportive. Hopefully, I share some of those qualities. And my dad, despite working hard, never failed to mow the line, take care of his business and then get outside to practice the seasons sport. I could count on them both to be present and attentive at a school or sporting event.
Black History Month is a moment to step back, pause and pay homage to the many individuals who paid dearly, many times with their lives, to force our society to make social, political and economic change and progress. In most societies, the status quo rarely changes without social conflict. There are many names and stories out there not limited to the commonly celebrated Dr. Martin Luther King and U.S. public health services syphilis study at Tuskegee. It is through the effort of those known stories and the many more that are undocumented that a pathway to success has been created for social and economic progress. It requires courage for an individual or group to stand and rail again injustice. And just as much courage for the alleys of the Civil Rights Movement that worked to unwind the structural underpinning of an unjust society codified by Jim Crow Laws. Sufficient progress has yet to be made as we look at the persistent social and economic inequity and de facto segregation that persists within many communities in the United States. However, Black History Month is a time to pause and celebrate those that come before us. Both famous and unsung.
Dr. Kirksey's profile was created in collaboration with the Voices of Vascular Series. Join the SVS and SVS Foundation as we honor celebratory months by sharing facts, highlighting SVS members and more. Visit the Voices of Vascular page to learn more.