Articles & Press Releases

Recent Articles

Anatomy of a Branding Campaign: Making Vascular Surgery More Visible

Article

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

Article

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).

Abstracts for VRIC, VAM 2021

Article

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

Article

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

Press Release

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?

Visit, re-visit SVS ONLINE

Article

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

Article

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.

Recent Articles

Does this loofah make me look gay?

Article

I doubt many people remember a specific time they watched C-SPAN, let alone the exact date. But on Dec. 18, 2010, there I was, in my Durham, North Carolina, apartment, watching the U.S. Senate vote on the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Repeal Act of 2010. Up until 1993, the military forbade openly gay people from serving, even though it was common knowledge that gay men and women have served this country in every war.

Back in the room: Registration now open for Vascular Annual Meeting

Article

Registration for the live, in-person 2021 Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM) has begun—and organizers promise you won’t want to miss the meeting. VAM will be Aug. 18 to 21 in beautiful San Diego, California. Educational programming will be presented across all four days of the conference. The Exhibit Hall will be open Aug. 19 and 20. The registration and housing kick-off is especially welcome, say Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) leaders, after the COVID-19 pandemic forced cancellation of VAM 2020 and also prompted SVS to move this year’s VAM from June to the August dates.

New SVS vice president, revised bylaws set to be unveiled at June 16 Annual Business Meeting

Article

Members, be sure to register for the June 16 Virtual Annual Business Meeting, the first of two business meetings for 2021. Registration is required to assure A quorum. Register at vascular.org/ABM1Register. The second meeting will be held Saturday, Aug. 21, during the Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM). The Wednesday, June 16, meeting will be from 6 to 7 p.m. Central Daylight Time. Members will hear reports from President Ronald L. Dalman, MD, Secretary Amy Reed, MD, and Treasurer Keith Calligaro, MD. Nominating Committee Chair R. Clement Darling III, MD, will present his report, announce the results of the election for SVS vice president and on bylaws revisions, and introduce the 2021–22 Officers.

DEI One specialty, many voices, diverse perspectives

Article

Over the course of the last year, the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) has been on a journey toward fostering greater diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). From the nadir of #Medbikini almost a year ago, the SVS Executive Board has since embraced and published a report from the SVS DEI Task Force—now a full-fledged committee—that called for action and change.

Being queer without proximal or distal control

Article

“What do you mean your partner? Does that mean a man?” These were among the questions one of my mentors asked me when we were discussing my list of pros and cons regarding the vascular surgery residency training programs to which I would apply. “Yes, my partner is a man.” The expected “oh…” was a reply I heard going to research meetings and throughout the residency interview trail. Unclear was whether this “oh” was one of disappointment, a nervous response, or concern if I would “fit” in vascular surgery. This “oh” haunts me because, in one short utterance, all of my accomplishments can be easily stripped away.

VRIC comes to VAM

Article

This year, the two major meetings of the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) that involve the presentation of scientific research are being housed in one tent. The Vascular Research Initiatives Conference (VRIC), typically held in May and geared to translational research, will be held over two sessions Thursday and Friday at the 2021 Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM). More than 25 abstracts will be presented in four sessions covering arterial remodeling and discovery science for venous disease; vascular regeneration, stem cells and wound healing; atherosclerosis and the role of the immune system; and aortopathies and novel vascular devices.

Progress made during year like no other

Article

While the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects dominated 2020–21 fiscal year—including the cancellation of the live 2020 Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM)—it did not deter progress on many important initiatives. “When covid hit, it intensified our focus on what was truly important: our members, their patients and the SVS as their Society,” said Executive Director Kenneth M. Slaw, PhD. “That focus was sustained the past 15 months and it has led to innovation and an unprecedented volume of member value programs.” He outlined important highlights from the fiscal year that ended March 31—just more than a year after the pandemic was declared—and the vital initiatives that continue to move forward.

Propofol Use during Catheter-Directed Interventions for Intermediate-Risk Pulmonary Embolism is Associated with Major Adverse Events

Press Release

A single-center retrospective study suggests avoiding Propofol or intra-procedural sedation during catheter-directed interventions (CDIs) for intermediate-risk pulmonary embolism (PE) because it can have detrimental effects. Propofol is the most commonly used parenteral anesthetic agent in the United States, extensively used for minor and outpatient surgical procedures because of its rapid onset and reversal of action, and in intensive care units for maintenance of coma.

SVS Member Alert

Article

Medtronic is making updated patient management recommendations related to its voluntary recall of the Valiant Navion™ Thoracic Stent Graft on February 17th, which included the patient recommendation for physicians to follow best clinical practice and make best efforts to evaluate patients with at

Registration to open for VAM 2021

Article

Registration and housing are set to open in mid-May for the 2021 Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM), which takes place Aug. 18–21 in San Diego. Educational programming is ready to run across all four days, with exhibits open Thursday and Friday. The meeting will be subject to safety and health protocols likely to change between now and August.

In the room: Changes aplenty as VAM returns

Article

The Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM) is more anticipated than ever after the annus horribilis of 2020 and the pared-back, digital VAM alternative that was SVS ONLINE. While organizers have previously relayed the changes made for this year’s meeting, Program Committee co-chair Matthew Eagleton, MD, took the opportunity to once again emphasize the significant changes to its structure for 2021, with educational programming presented across all four days— Wednesday through Saturday.

Register for ‘Meet the Experts’ webinars

Article

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.

#SVSTweetChat: Connecting to the online vascular community

Article

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.

Recent Articles

Does this loofah make me look gay?

Article

I doubt many people remember a specific time they watched C-SPAN, let alone the exact date. But on Dec. 18, 2010, there I was, in my Durham, North Carolina, apartment, watching the U.S. Senate vote on the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Repeal Act of 2010. Up until 1993, the military forbade openly gay people from serving, even though it was common knowledge that gay men and women have served this country in every war.

Back in the room: Registration now open for Vascular Annual Meeting

Article

Registration for the live, in-person 2021 Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM) has begun—and organizers promise you won’t want to miss the meeting. VAM will be Aug. 18 to 21 in beautiful San Diego, California. Educational programming will be presented across all four days of the conference. The Exhibit Hall will be open Aug. 19 and 20. The registration and housing kick-off is especially welcome, say Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) leaders, after the COVID-19 pandemic forced cancellation of VAM 2020 and also prompted SVS to move this year’s VAM from June to the August dates.

New SVS vice president, revised bylaws set to be unveiled at June 16 Annual Business Meeting

Article

Members, be sure to register for the June 16 Virtual Annual Business Meeting, the first of two business meetings for 2021. Registration is required to assure A quorum. Register at vascular.org/ABM1Register. The second meeting will be held Saturday, Aug. 21, during the Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM). The Wednesday, June 16, meeting will be from 6 to 7 p.m. Central Daylight Time. Members will hear reports from President Ronald L. Dalman, MD, Secretary Amy Reed, MD, and Treasurer Keith Calligaro, MD. Nominating Committee Chair R. Clement Darling III, MD, will present his report, announce the results of the election for SVS vice president and on bylaws revisions, and introduce the 2021–22 Officers.

DEI One specialty, many voices, diverse perspectives

Article

Over the course of the last year, the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) has been on a journey toward fostering greater diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). From the nadir of #Medbikini almost a year ago, the SVS Executive Board has since embraced and published a report from the SVS DEI Task Force—now a full-fledged committee—that called for action and change.

Being queer without proximal or distal control

Article

“What do you mean your partner? Does that mean a man?” These were among the questions one of my mentors asked me when we were discussing my list of pros and cons regarding the vascular surgery residency training programs to which I would apply. “Yes, my partner is a man.” The expected “oh…” was a reply I heard going to research meetings and throughout the residency interview trail. Unclear was whether this “oh” was one of disappointment, a nervous response, or concern if I would “fit” in vascular surgery. This “oh” haunts me because, in one short utterance, all of my accomplishments can be easily stripped away.

VRIC comes to VAM

Article

This year, the two major meetings of the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) that involve the presentation of scientific research are being housed in one tent. The Vascular Research Initiatives Conference (VRIC), typically held in May and geared to translational research, will be held over two sessions Thursday and Friday at the 2021 Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM). More than 25 abstracts will be presented in four sessions covering arterial remodeling and discovery science for venous disease; vascular regeneration, stem cells and wound healing; atherosclerosis and the role of the immune system; and aortopathies and novel vascular devices.

Progress made during year like no other

Article

While the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects dominated 2020–21 fiscal year—including the cancellation of the live 2020 Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM)—it did not deter progress on many important initiatives. “When covid hit, it intensified our focus on what was truly important: our members, their patients and the SVS as their Society,” said Executive Director Kenneth M. Slaw, PhD. “That focus was sustained the past 15 months and it has led to innovation and an unprecedented volume of member value programs.” He outlined important highlights from the fiscal year that ended March 31—just more than a year after the pandemic was declared—and the vital initiatives that continue to move forward.

Propofol Use during Catheter-Directed Interventions for Intermediate-Risk Pulmonary Embolism is Associated with Major Adverse Events

Press Release

A single-center retrospective study suggests avoiding Propofol or intra-procedural sedation during catheter-directed interventions (CDIs) for intermediate-risk pulmonary embolism (PE) because it can have detrimental effects. Propofol is the most commonly used parenteral anesthetic agent in the United States, extensively used for minor and outpatient surgical procedures because of its rapid onset and reversal of action, and in intensive care units for maintenance of coma.

SVS Member Alert

Article

Medtronic is making updated patient management recommendations related to its voluntary recall of the Valiant Navion™ Thoracic Stent Graft on February 17th, which included the patient recommendation for physicians to follow best clinical practice and make best efforts to evaluate patients with at

Registration to open for VAM 2021

Article

Registration and housing are set to open in mid-May for the 2021 Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM), which takes place Aug. 18–21 in San Diego. Educational programming is ready to run across all four days, with exhibits open Thursday and Friday. The meeting will be subject to safety and health protocols likely to change between now and August.

In the room: Changes aplenty as VAM returns

Article

The Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM) is more anticipated than ever after the annus horribilis of 2020 and the pared-back, digital VAM alternative that was SVS ONLINE. While organizers have previously relayed the changes made for this year’s meeting, Program Committee co-chair Matthew Eagleton, MD, took the opportunity to once again emphasize the significant changes to its structure for 2021, with educational programming presented across all four days— Wednesday through Saturday.

Register for ‘Meet the Experts’ webinars

Article

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.

#SVSTweetChat: Connecting to the online vascular community

Article

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.