Articles & Press Releases

By Beth Bales

The SVS Foundation received an extra infusion of contributions in late 2020, thanks to more than 40 new donors and the generosity of four members who matched a portion of these donations.

By Beth Bales

The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) is starting 2021 with updated guidelines and reporting standards for three vascular conditions.

Researchers compared three techniques in the treatment of varicose pathology: radiofrequency ablation (RFA), high ligation and stripping (HLS) and conservative hemodynamic correction of venous insufficiency (CHIVA) to determine superior intervention

ROSEMONT, Ill., January 5, 2020 – A retrospective study analyzing approximately 55,000 patients undergoing abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair suggests current AAA screening guidelines may be inadequate in detecting a significant number of new cases.

As part of the Education Council (see related story, below), the Education Committee is breaking new ground in 2021.

The Policy and Advocacy Council is composed of the leaders of the Coding and Reimbursement, Government Relations, PAC, Quality and Performance Measures, and VA Vascular Surgeons committees.

The SVS Political Action Steering Committee (PAC) looks to protect your future and hopes.

Since its inception, the Community Practice Committee has been a valuable resource for surgeons working in settings that serve local communities.

The Basic and Translational Research Committee (BTRC) is the new name of the former Research and Education Committee.

Applications are due early in 2021 for a number of Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) and SVS Foundation awards, honors and grants.

Have you paid your 2021 Society for Vascular Surgery dues? If you haven’t, you’re missing access to all of the latest research in the Journal of Vascular Surgery publications.

While there is little doubt the pandemic has impacted each vascular surgeon and the SVS as a Society in numerous ways, the commitment and dedication of SVS committee, council and task force members to deliver on the mission has remained undaunted.

The SVS Document Oversight Committee—or the DOC—will be aligning with the SVS Quality Council in order to further its crucial work during the course of 2021.

The Postgraduate Education Committee is hard at work to try to provide the most compelling, timely educational material for SVS members this year, chair Vikram Kashyap, MD, tells Vascular Specialist.

The International Relations Committee has launched a new International Mentorship Program to provide experienced SVS academic mentors for members outside the United States who do not have access to individuals who can assist them in professional growth.

As 2020 brought both the prospect of significant reimbursement challenges for surgical services as well as the tremendous clinical and financial challenges of the pandemic, the SVS Government Relations Committee focused intensely on efforts to head off implementation of steep cuts to 2021 Medicare reimbursements.

The Clinical Practice Council, chaired by William Shutze, MD, has numerous ongoing and new projects and initiatives, including the new SVS Population Health Initiative.

Led by chair Peter Nelson, MD, the SVS Foundation Development Committee works with Foundation chair Peter Lawrence, MD, and the SVS Foundation Board to develop strategies to promote SVS member donations.

The Publications Committee is responsible for overseeing, among others, the Journal of Vascular Surgery (JVS) family, the Rutherford textbook and Seminars in Vascular Surgery. After conducting reviews and interviews, committee members as a group put forth candidates for the editorship of JVS and Rutherford to the SVS Executive Committee for its final decisions, according to committee chair Peter Henke, MD.

At the conclusion of a challenging 2020, we at the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) have a clear mission ahead: We must work with the U.S. Congress to avoid what military experts refer to as a “tragedy of the unprepared.”

New pocket guides of the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) clinical practice guidelines and reporting standards are now available, with printed guides sent to all members.

The Quality Council has earmarked a major initiative for 2021, and it will involve sponsorship of the first official set of SVS Appropriate Use Criteria guidelines, focusing on claudication.

The Quality and Performance Measures Committee (QPMC) is tasked with monitoring and creating national performance measures that are relevant to vascular surgeons.

The SVS Communications Committee, equipped with three subcommittees, is a new addition for 2021.