Spending an entire day or so learning about the history of the Medicare and Medicaid programs? Fascinating, said Dr. Matthew Sideman, chair of the SVS Coding and Reimbursement Committee.

The experience was one of the highlights of his week at the Executive Leadership Program in Health Policy and Management at Brandeis University in 2016. The program also included participating in the American College of Surgeons Leadership and Advocacy Summit in Washington, D.C., this past May.

Does the anemic – but high cardiac risk – patient need a blood transfusion, or not?

SVS member Dr. Panos Kougias is leading a study on the best transfusion approach when treating patients at high cardiac risk who become anemic postoperatively.

A total of 1,500 participants at 15 Veteran Administration hospitals will be randomly assigned to receive transfusion at one of two postoperative hemoglobin levels: liberal (less than 10 gm/dL) or restrictive (less than 7 gm/dL).

“Current practice of thoracic outlet decompression surgery in the United States.” J Vasc Surg Sept. 2017.

CHICAGO, Illinois, September 2017 – A national study has confirmed the safety of thoracic outlet decompression surgery, validating the findings of previous single-center experiences.

Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) is relatively rare but may affect those who use a lot of repetitive upper arm movements, such as athletes. It commonly becomes news when a professional athlete is sidelined for TOS surgery to repair nerve compression.

CLINICAL PRACTICE GUIDELINES FOR PAD AND RELATED DISORDERS

PAD Clinical Practice Guidelines Pocket CardOne of our most popular pocket guidelines. From Guideline Central.

“Evaluation of Thrombolysis Using Tissue Plasminogen Activator in Lower Extremity Deep Venous Thrombosis with Concomitant Femoral-Popliteal Venous Segment Involvement.” Journal of Vascular Surgery: Venous and Lymphatic Disorders, September, 2017.

The SVS Patient Safety Organization and M2S, in conjunction with the SVS, presented a webinar last month on getting started in the Medicare reimbursement program, including the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS).

For those who couldn't attend, it is posted, along with the presentation slides, on the Vascular Quality Initiative website's home page. View it today to get up to speed on MIPS and MACRA (Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015). 

GOOD NEWS FOR BASEBALL PITCHERS, OTHER ATHLETES

Large national study finds vascular surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome is safe

CHICAGO, Illinois, August 1, 2017 – A national study has confirmed the safety of decompression surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome, also known as TOS. It’s good news for patients whose vascular surgeon has recommended surgery.

The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) executive board has established a task force to explore developing a vascular certification program for inpatient and outpatient centers.

Before departing for the July 4 recess, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 1215, “Protecting Access to Care Act,” 218-210, a bill that SVS supports. The legislation is modeled after medical liability reform laws already in place in Texas and California, among other states that have a positive effect on increasing access to care and keeping health care costs affordable for patients and physicians.

At the 2017 Vascular Annual Meeting (May 31-June 3), the SVS Foundation awarded a number of basic and clinical research grants.

SVS Foundation and American College of Surgeons Mentored Clinical Scientist Research Career Development AwardKaren Woo, MD; University of California, Los Angeles; Outcomes of Dialysis Vascular Access in the Elderly