Clinical Guidelines and Reporting Standards
The Society for Vascular Surgery offers several different types of clinical practice documents and tools to assist our members and the healthcare industry.
Call for Member Comments
The SVS invites members to comment on the draft guideline, "Society for Vascular Surgery Clinical Practice Guideline on the Management of Intermittent Claudication: Focused Update."
A writing group of experts was tasked with updating the 2015 guideline, “Society for Vascular Surgery practice guidelines for atherosclerotic occlusive disease of the lower extremities: Management of asymptomatic disease and claudication.” The writing group identified 11 recommendations, which address:
- The use of dual pathway antithrombotic strategies.
- The role and type of exercise therapy.
- Endovascular interventions for femoropopliteal and infrapopliteal disease.
- The identification of specific risk factors that should be incorporated into shared decision making around revascularization.
Input from a panel of patients with personal life experiences relevant to PAD and IC provided key stakeholder input to the writing group.
Your comments will provide the writing panel and the SVS Document Oversight Committee with valuable input to produce the final version of the guideline.
Comments are due by Monday, Dec. 23, 2024.
Please email your comments to SVS Clinical Practice Guidelines with your name, title, organization and medical specialty.
Clinical Practice Guidelines
The Society's guidelines evaluate the evidence in the scientific literature, assess the likely benefits and harms of a particular treatment, and enable healthcare providers to select the best care for a unique patient based on his or her preferences. The Society develops clinical practice guidelines to aid its members and their patients in the decision-making process.
Translating Guidelines Into Clinical Practice
GVG-CLTI Series
In the fall of 2022, expert moderators and panelists came together to host a series of interactive roundtables addressing how to incorporate the Global Vascular Guidelines on the Management of Patients with CLTI into practice. The three sessions are helpful in expanding physician knowledge base and improving clinical confidence and effectiveness in treating patients with CLTI.
Varicose Veins
Varicose Vein experts hosted an interactive session addressing diagnostic evaluation of patients with varicose veins, using duplex scanning to confirm pathologic superficial truncal reflux. The session also covered compression therapy, and open surgical and percutaneous endovenous therapies for lower extremity varicosities, including thermal and non-thermal ablations of the great, small and accessory saphenous veins. The treatment of perforating veins and the concomitant treatment of varicose tributaries with sclerotherapy or mini-phlebectomy were also be discussed.
Part 1
Part 2
Decision-Making in the CLTI Patient Series
In 2024, the Decision-Making in the CLTI Patient Series was launched through the support of a CMSS grant. These sessions feature expert moderators and faculty from around the country. They are aimed at expanding physician knowledge base and improving clinical confidence and effectiveness in treating patients with CLTI.
Perioperative Care in Vascular Surgery: Recommendations from ERAS and SVS
In the fall of 2024, expert faculty reviewed the recommendations for perioperative care based on the consensus statements developed by the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) Society and the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) in 2022, 2023 and 2024. In addition, practical examples of how ERAS protocols have been implemented in clinical practice are discussed.
Multi-specialty Consensus Documents
The Society occasionally participates in Multi-specialty Consensus Documents with external organizations.
Reporting Standards
Reporting standards are intended to provide uniformity of definitions and classifications for comparative purposes. They are instructive on how to report information from clinical studies in a consistent manner to make it easy for the reader to compare results.
Credentialing Resources
Find papers and information on vascular credentialing and clinical competencies.
Best Practices
A multi-specialty effort on best practice for talking points concerning the risks and benefits of using paclitaxel devices.