"The Adventures of a Middle-Aged Woman in Vascular Surgery" might sound like the title of a personal memoir, but Dr. Britt H. Tonnessen, FACS, uses it as her introduction on social media to succinctly summarize her life. This phrase reflects her dedication to caring for vascular patients and her daily pursuit of joy and adventure in her profession.
Her interest in surgery originated in medical school at the Mayo Clinic, where she found that "Gross Anatomy" solidified her passion. She would often visit the cadaver lab after hours for more learning opportunities. During her third-year rotation, she witnessed an embolectomy in which the surgeon extracted a long thrombus from an artery. A vascular fellow even allowed her to place a few sutures in the popliteal artery.
"That was it – I was hooked," she said.
She credits an early mentor, Dr. Jeb Hallett, for exemplifying professionalism and excellence in the field. She completed her general surgery residency and fellowship at Ochsner Clinic in New Orleans, Louisiana, and remained an attending physician for four years.
"I choose vascular surgery each day because of the complexity and variety of cases, the continuity of care with the patients and it is never boring," Dr. Tonnessen said.
Dr. Tonnessen then worked as a community vascular surgeon in South Carolina and later in the Hudson Valley region of New York. She is an associate professor of vascular surgery, and the associate program director of the Yale Integrated Vascular Residency at the Yale School of Medicine.
She firmly believes that diversity in surgery and medicine enhances the culture within these fields. She emphasizes that physicians can grow and improve by listening to and considering different perspectives. Acknowledging the discomfort that can come with feeling isolated due to our thoughts, appearances, or backgrounds, she reflects on her college days as a rower, which highlighted the strengths of her team's diversity.
"We couldn't have been more diverse in our personalities and interests. However, we shared a common goal and worked in synchrony when we got into the boat. The strongest teams have shared goals and transformative ideas," Dr. Tonnessen said.
Her journey to become an associate professor at Yale cannot be summarized in just the few sentences above. Throughout the years, she has overcome various roadblocks and issues related to gender parity.
“There were no female surgeons I could identify as mentors – perhaps they would have guided me with a less naïve approach in my early career. I did have several wonderful male mentors who helped to push me forward. To be successful, I needed to have a great deal of tenacity and resilience,” Dr. Tonnessen said.
Fortunately, her mother and grandmother instilled in her from a young age the belief that she could achieve anything she set her mind to. Now, with more experience, Dr. Tonnessen feels a strong sense of responsibility to mentor and advocate for young people just starting their careers.
“The value of ongoing mentorship while in the early career stage cannot be underestimated and is a critical issue for women and all surgeons starting,” Dr. Tonnessen said.
Representation benefits both surgeons and patients, as noted by Dr. Tonnessen. She highlights the numerous publications that address disparities in medical diagnosis and treatment for women and minority patients. To address these issues, Dr. Tonnessen emphasizes the importance of understanding the gaps in research and knowledge. She encourages everyone to read "Vascular Disease in Women," edited by Caitlyn Hicks, MD, and Linda Harris, MD, to gain further insight.
Dr. Tonnessen believes that Women’s History Month offers an opportunity to honor those individuals who have made significant contributions to history in various fields, such as the arts, sciences and humanities. This month serves as a celebration of women who have shown courage and inspiration, intentionally and inadvertently. Dr. Tonnessen emphasizes the importance of including all individuals who identify as women and those who actively support and advocate for women's progress. While acknowledging the progress made, she reminds us that much work still needs to be done. She highlights the opportunities for camaraderie for those feeling isolated or in need of support in vascular surgery.
“In vascular surgery, women represent less than 20% of surgeons; when we get to higher leadership positions, there are even fewer of us. Meeting and networking with women leaders in vascular surgery from around the country and the world has been invaluable to me. It's important to build a trusted network of individuals who share a common bond and have experienced similar challenges,” she said.
She knows how nerve-wracking it can be for students or trainees to approach an established surgeon at a meeting and introduce themselves, but she encourages everyone to do so.
During Women’s History Month, the SVS Foundation aims to raise $30,000 to fund a Vascular Care for the Underserved (VC4U) Award, which supports research to improve women's care. Tonnessen raises an important question about why female patients have historically been underrepresented in clinical trials, even for diseases that have a similar prevalence in men, underscoring the need for this award.
“The answer is multifactorial and speculative. One opportunity is to improve the transparency in selecting principal investigators and to promote women vascular surgeons. When women leaders are at the table, there are additional opportunities for patient advocacy. By working with our SVS leadership and industry partners, we can unveil the barriers in women’s vascular health and better include all those who treat women with vascular disease,” she said.
Dr. Tonnessen reflects on her practice and the needs of a diverse patient population in the greater New Haven area. She encourages SVS members to examine their practices and consider the benefits of supporting the grant.
“Our patients benefit from evidence-based care, and to do that, we need the financial support to explore knowledge gaps and healthcare disparities,” Dr. Tonnessen said.
When you donate to the SVS Foundation, you support Voices of Vascular's important work in promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion. Learn more and make your gift today.