The following statement was approved by the Society for Vascular Surgery Executive Board regarding the United States Supreme Court decision in the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health issued on Friday, June 24, 2022.
The SVS respects the diverse perspectives of its members regarding complex societal issues. As with many public policies, or in this case a SCOTUS ruling, the merits of the case may vary with individual and personal beliefs and choice, however, the potential long-term damaging impact of the ruling on health policy, namely the most fundamental tenet of the practice of medicine and delivery of high-quality care, a strong foundational relationship between physicians and their patients, is extremely worrisome. This ruling from the Supreme Court regarding access to reproductive healthcare services erodes that relationship and will leave many patients without access to essential care, and many physicians exposed to legal and regulatory vulnerability for doing what they know and believe is best in delivery of medical care for their patients. The SVS joins over 50 other medical societies across specialties, representing over 1,000,000 physicians, in advocating for the freedom of clinicians to provide their patients with the care they need, in a safe environment, free from medically unnecessary government or regulatory restrictions on health care services. All physicians must be free to practice medicine and provide patient-centered care informed by medical education, experience, and scientific evidence, without fear of social, legal, or regulatory persecution or prosecution.
The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) is a professional medical society composed of 6,500 specialty-trained vascular surgeons and other medical professionals who are dedicated to the prevention and cure of vascular disease.