Education takes many forms, and for some learners, seeing beats hearing. Thus, SVS offers video presentations at the Vascular Annual Meeting.
Videos are a relatively recent – and very well-received – addition to VAM. Videos are included in plenary sessions and also have a whole session devoted to them: “How I Do It,” held from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Saturday.
These visual presentations tend to be “entertaining, visually stimulating and very clinical,” said Dr. Ben Jackson, chair of the VAM Video Committee, which oversees selection of the scientific video presentations.
Videos are the common denominator for most VAM attendees, he said. Beyond somewhat more specialized focuses on research, management or community practice, “all of us are interested in operative vascular surgery,” he said. “All of us find it interesting.”
SVS President Dr. Ron Fairman and VAM Program Committee Chair Dr. Ron Dalman both stress making VAM not only accessible to all members but also dynamic and interesting, Dr. Jackson said. “Videos fit the bill,” he said. “And last year we had the most videos ever.”
The VAM Video Committee is particularly interested in a few specific types of videos: • Operations and procedures most members do infrequently. “Last year we really wanted to show a case of pedal access for retrograde lower extremity revascularization,” he said. “It’s a relatively novel approach, but we just didn’t have a video showing exactly what we wanted.” • Novel procedures, perhaps utilizing cutting-edge technology. An example would be Dr. Gustavo Oderich’s presentation in 2016 on branched endografts for thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repair. “It was compelling and interesting and showcased cutting-edge technology that not everyone has access to,” he said.
Beyond selecting videos for VAM presentation, committee members also hope to establish a library collection, available online, for both VAM videos and videos on other topics. These would be particularly invaluable for surgeons preparing for a certain procedure who want to view a video of that procedure. “Hopefully we will have that in the future as a valuable resource for the membership and for residents and fellows,” Dr. Jackson said