Articles & Press Releases
Recent Articles
VAM 2021 taking shape, schedule changes to expand programming
Though many individual components will remain the same, the 2021 Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM) will have a different look and feel.
Fund hope with the SVS Foundation
A gift to the SVS Foundation funds not just things—patient education fliers, research awards and community awareness projects—but also hope for a better future.
Society launches mobile apps for staging of CLTI
The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) has launched three new mobile apps to help guide surgeons in the treatment and management of chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI).
Society for Vascular Surgery Launches Mobile Apps for Staging of Chronic Limb-Threatening Ischemia
ROSEMONT, ILL, Nov. 18, 2020 – The Society for Vascular Surgery introduces three new mobile apps to guide surgeons in the treatment and management of Chronic Limb-Threatening Ischemia (CLTI).
Anatomy of a Branding Campaign: Making Vascular Surgery More Visible
Members asked; SVS listened. The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) has launched a Branding Toolkit to help its members brand the specialty in order to elevate and differentiate their practices. This first set of branding tools tells referring physicians what vascular surgeons do and why they are critical partners when it comes to treating their patients with circulatory disease.
SVS details opposition, support to CMS proposed rules
The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) has submitted comment letters to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on two proposed rules that directly affect SVS members: the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule and the Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment and Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment Systems (HOPPS).
Virtual VRIC is here
The 2020 Vascular Research Initiatives Conference is repurposed as a virtual event—and is coming to a screen near you this month.
Freischlag unveiled as ACS president-elect
Julie Ann Freischlag, MD, the first and so far only female president of the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS), will be the next president of the American College of Surgeons (ACS).
Correct billing in severe trauma cases can be complicated
The management of the severely injured trauma patient often requires delicate coordination among multiple specialties, and multiple separate operative procedures are often necessary.
Abstracts for VRIC, VAM 2021
Calling surgeons and scientists: Your research is wanted. Submission sites are now open for two annual SVS meetings in 2021, the Vascular Research Initiatives Conference (VRIC) and the Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM).
Dig deep this Giving Tuesday
Will you give on Giving Tuesday? This will be the SVS Foundation’s third year marking the annual global day of giving— Dec. 1, this year—which follows Thanksgiving and the big shopping days of Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Varicose Versus Spider Veins: Understand the Difference and Know When to Seek Treatment Help
The vascular system is like the highway of the body – composed of blood vessels including arteries, veins and capillaries. Vascular disease is any condition of the almost 100,000 miles of blood vessels in the body; any complication along this highway can cause problems and health risk. In most cases, however, vascular conditions are highly treatable, often without surgery. Two common vein conditions include spider veins and varicose veins, but what are the differences?
Vascular surgeons encouraged to consult paclitaxel talking points document
Vascular surgeons are being encouraged to take consideration of a set of talking points about the risks and benefits of paclitaxel-equipped devices—developed by a multispecialty panel of medical societies—in discussions with their patients.
‘Smile’ to benefit SVS Foundation
The holidays are close upon us, and many Society for Vascular Surgery members will be shopping online this month and next.
SVS members in the news
Richard Lynn, MD, a vascular surgeon from Palm Beach, Florida, has been elected second vice-president-elect of the American College of Surgeons (ACS).
Diabetes Awareness Month: The utility of SVS branding fliers for diabetic foot ulcers
November is Diabetes Awareness Month. The Branding Toolkit (see cover story) can help SVS members promote the valuable care they provide those with the disease.
Visit, re-visit SVS ONLINE
By Beth Bales
There’s still time to view presentations from this past summer’s SVS ONLINE: “New Advances and Discoveries in Vascular Surgery,” held virtually from late June to early July. Credits for sessions that offer them are available through Oct. 31.
Science at twilight: Reasserting our democratic responsibility
As the election nears, most of you identify as Democrat or Republican. Without abandoning your core beliefs, I would ask you to consider another affiliation—that of a scientist. Scientists can be progressive or conservative. Their one shared political principle is anti-authoritarianism. Tyrants have taken many roles: dictator, pope and king. Regardless of the form, eventually he (it is usually he) needs to tear down the truth. And it is science that stands in the way.
SVS: Building bridges between twin tracks of academic and private practice
By Beth Bales
For Laurel Hadley Hastings, MD, membership in the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) provides a great collection of valuable benefits.
Quality Payment Program: The proposed updates slated for 2021
The COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on surgery and medicine continues, prompting the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to propose changes in year five of the CMS Quality Payment Program (QPP). These changes were to take effect Jan. 1, 2021.
Recent Articles
SVS advocacy efforts help spark landmark change in research effort requirements
The recent decision from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) to reduce the dedicated research effort from 75 to 50% for K awards is a landmark change and will have a tremendous impact on vascular surgeons.The decision affects the June 2021 submission date and applies to vascular, cardiothoracic and trauma surgeons, as well as interventional.
Register for ‘Meet the Experts’ webinars
Register today for the remaining Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) "Meet the Experts" webinars, including "Redo Carotoid Revascularization,” to be held May 20. These webinars are free for SVS members and residents/trainees. Nonmembers will pay $35 for each webinar. They are limited to 100 participants to permit an intimate feel and provide for faculty-audience conversations.
Peer-to-peer coaching program created to strengthen wellness support
The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) and the Academy for Surgical Coaching are developing a first-of-its-kind coaching program that strengthens wellness support for vascular surgeons. Studies show they—along with physicians across specialties—are experiencing an increase in burnout, anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation.
#SVSTweetChat: Connecting to the online vascular community
With social media having such a prevalent presence today, it continues to play a significant role in connecting surgeons, prospective trainees and medical students throughout the vascular community. The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Social Media Committee has launched its newest initiative to keep members connected, the new monthly #SVSTweetChat series. Each month, expert panelists will share career advice, hot topics of debate, and innovations in the vascular field with the Twitter community.
Voting on bylaws, vice president begins May 17
Voting runs from May 17 to 24 on proposed bylaws amendments and for the position of vice president of the Society for Vascular Surgery. Immediately preceding the opening of voting, SVS leaders will host a Town Hall from 6 to 8 p.m. Central Daylight Time, “Leading the Way in 2021: An Evening with the Appointments and Nominating Committees.” President Ronald L. Dalman, MD, will facilitate the Town Hall.
Honor mentor with gift to SVS Foundation
Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) members can honor their mentors in a wonderful and consequential way by making a donation to the SVS Foundation in their mentors’ honor. Several members did just that for National Doctors’ Day, with $3,100 in contributions to recognize eight different SVS members. SVS members who would like to do the same may email the Foundation at SVSFoundation@vascularsociety.org for more information. When the Foundation’s new website—now in progress—is completed, honorarium gifts will be available online.
Friday at VAM to feature session on diversity
Racial and ethnically-based disparities exist in healthcare. To highlight these disparities, and what the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) is doing to address them, the 2021 Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM) will feature a special session on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). It will be held from 10 to 11 a.m. Friday, Aug. 20, and will immediately precede the 2021 Presidential Address from Ronald L. Dalman, MD, at 11 a.m.
VAM: SVS PAC donors to be recognized at VAM
The SVS Political Action Committee (PAC) is critically important for our voices to be heard in the places where policies that affect all of our practices are being made. The PAC’s role is one of advocacy and influence—to educate Congress on the important policies and referendums that can have a direct effect on our patients and our practices.
Apply for VAM travel scholarships by May 19
Medical students and general surgery residents have until May 19 to apply for Society for Vascular Surgery Vascular Annual Meeting travel scholarships. The scholarships are the SVS General Surgery Resident/Medical Student VAM Travel Scholarship and the SVS Diversity Medical Student VAM Travel Scholarship. Each provides not only a travel award to underwrite expenses to attend VAM, but also complimentary meeting registration, a mentorship program, and a dedicated educational and networking program.
Stand up for Your Feet
Stand up for your feet. That is the message from David Armstrong, DPM, PhD, a member of the Society for Vascular Surgery and a podiatric surgeon.
Study Shows the Use of Temporary Intravascular Shunts Improves Early Limb Salvage after Extremity Vascular Injury
Rosemont, Illinois, April 14, 2021 – A multicenter retrospective study of the Prospective Observational Vascular Injury Treatment (PROOVIT) registry suggests the use of temporary intravascular shunts (TIVSs) results in lower rates of amputation during the early phase of care and should be part of
‘Latinx’: How to understand and use the term
Three members of the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee, chaired by Vincent M. Rowe, MD, explain use and understanding of the term Latinx.
VAM travel scholarships open up to applicants April 21
Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) travel scholarships for trainees to attend the Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM) are set to begin accepting applications on April 21.
APDVS honors Jack L. Cronenwett with inaugural Lifetime Achievement in Education Award
The Association of Program Directors in Vascular Surgery (APDVS) bestowed its first-ever Lifetime Achievement in Education Award on the association’s one-time president Jack L. Cronenwett, MD, during its annual Spring Meeting (March 26–27).
VRIC to be held at VAM
In celebration of the 75th year of the SVS, the Vascular Research Initiatives Conference (VRIC), typically held in early May, is moving this year to be held during the 2021 VAM in August. In a year when so much has been challenging, SVS president Ronald Dalman, MD, and VAM leadership considered how VAM could serve as a “homecoming” for all vascular surgeons.
Recent Articles
SVS advocacy efforts help spark landmark change in research effort requirements
The recent decision from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) to reduce the dedicated research effort from 75 to 50% for K awards is a landmark change and will have a tremendous impact on vascular surgeons.The decision affects the June 2021 submission date and applies to vascular, cardiothoracic and trauma surgeons, as well as interventional.
Register for ‘Meet the Experts’ webinars
Register today for the remaining Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) "Meet the Experts" webinars, including "Redo Carotoid Revascularization,” to be held May 20. These webinars are free for SVS members and residents/trainees. Nonmembers will pay $35 for each webinar. They are limited to 100 participants to permit an intimate feel and provide for faculty-audience conversations.
Peer-to-peer coaching program created to strengthen wellness support
The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) and the Academy for Surgical Coaching are developing a first-of-its-kind coaching program that strengthens wellness support for vascular surgeons. Studies show they—along with physicians across specialties—are experiencing an increase in burnout, anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation.
#SVSTweetChat: Connecting to the online vascular community
With social media having such a prevalent presence today, it continues to play a significant role in connecting surgeons, prospective trainees and medical students throughout the vascular community. The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Social Media Committee has launched its newest initiative to keep members connected, the new monthly #SVSTweetChat series. Each month, expert panelists will share career advice, hot topics of debate, and innovations in the vascular field with the Twitter community.
Voting on bylaws, vice president begins May 17
Voting runs from May 17 to 24 on proposed bylaws amendments and for the position of vice president of the Society for Vascular Surgery. Immediately preceding the opening of voting, SVS leaders will host a Town Hall from 6 to 8 p.m. Central Daylight Time, “Leading the Way in 2021: An Evening with the Appointments and Nominating Committees.” President Ronald L. Dalman, MD, will facilitate the Town Hall.
Honor mentor with gift to SVS Foundation
Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) members can honor their mentors in a wonderful and consequential way by making a donation to the SVS Foundation in their mentors’ honor. Several members did just that for National Doctors’ Day, with $3,100 in contributions to recognize eight different SVS members. SVS members who would like to do the same may email the Foundation at SVSFoundation@vascularsociety.org for more information. When the Foundation’s new website—now in progress—is completed, honorarium gifts will be available online.
Friday at VAM to feature session on diversity
Racial and ethnically-based disparities exist in healthcare. To highlight these disparities, and what the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) is doing to address them, the 2021 Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM) will feature a special session on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). It will be held from 10 to 11 a.m. Friday, Aug. 20, and will immediately precede the 2021 Presidential Address from Ronald L. Dalman, MD, at 11 a.m.
VAM: SVS PAC donors to be recognized at VAM
The SVS Political Action Committee (PAC) is critically important for our voices to be heard in the places where policies that affect all of our practices are being made. The PAC’s role is one of advocacy and influence—to educate Congress on the important policies and referendums that can have a direct effect on our patients and our practices.
Apply for VAM travel scholarships by May 19
Medical students and general surgery residents have until May 19 to apply for Society for Vascular Surgery Vascular Annual Meeting travel scholarships. The scholarships are the SVS General Surgery Resident/Medical Student VAM Travel Scholarship and the SVS Diversity Medical Student VAM Travel Scholarship. Each provides not only a travel award to underwrite expenses to attend VAM, but also complimentary meeting registration, a mentorship program, and a dedicated educational and networking program.
Stand up for Your Feet
Stand up for your feet. That is the message from David Armstrong, DPM, PhD, a member of the Society for Vascular Surgery and a podiatric surgeon.
Study Shows the Use of Temporary Intravascular Shunts Improves Early Limb Salvage after Extremity Vascular Injury
Rosemont, Illinois, April 14, 2021 – A multicenter retrospective study of the Prospective Observational Vascular Injury Treatment (PROOVIT) registry suggests the use of temporary intravascular shunts (TIVSs) results in lower rates of amputation during the early phase of care and should be part of
‘Latinx’: How to understand and use the term
Three members of the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee, chaired by Vincent M. Rowe, MD, explain use and understanding of the term Latinx.
VAM travel scholarships open up to applicants April 21
Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) travel scholarships for trainees to attend the Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM) are set to begin accepting applications on April 21.
APDVS honors Jack L. Cronenwett with inaugural Lifetime Achievement in Education Award
The Association of Program Directors in Vascular Surgery (APDVS) bestowed its first-ever Lifetime Achievement in Education Award on the association’s one-time president Jack L. Cronenwett, MD, during its annual Spring Meeting (March 26–27).
VRIC to be held at VAM
In celebration of the 75th year of the SVS, the Vascular Research Initiatives Conference (VRIC), typically held in early May, is moving this year to be held during the 2021 VAM in August. In a year when so much has been challenging, SVS president Ronald Dalman, MD, and VAM leadership considered how VAM could serve as a “homecoming” for all vascular surgeons.