Message from Anton N. Sidawy, MD, SVS President

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The Society for Vascular Surgery® (SVS) has undergone a radical metamorphosis over the last few years. It ceased to exist as an annual meeting-based society and became a 360-day vibrant, active, and involved organization that employs a sophisticated staff and over 270 volunteer Society members that populate over 30 groups, committees, and councils that grease the engines of the Society. Even to those who have been involved in the functioning of SVS over the last few years, these changes have been dizzying to say the least. It is heartwarming to experience the number of our members and their willingness to volunteer for various positions on committees and councils.
Even a cursory look at the accomplishments of the SVS in the last year provides the reader with a good idea of the Society’s volunteer-led accomplishments on behalf of its membership. Some of these accomplishments are summarized in this report.

VESAP1 (Vascular Self Assessment Program) was released by SVS. In response to the Maintenance of Certification (MOC) process adopted by the Vascular Surgery Board of the American Board of Surgery as a member of the American Boards of Medical Specialties (ABMS) and its requirement for self-assessment hours in vascular surgery, the Society put together a group of editors led by Dr. Kim Hodgson to produce a CD-ROM vascular surgery specific exam that would satisfy over three years of self assessment hours towards the MOC program. VESAP is not the only educational function of the Society; it is the most prominent at this time. SVS continues to provide post-graduate sessions and coding and reimbursement courses. In addition, it is now co-publishing the seventh edition of the Rutherford’s Textbook of Vascular Surgery. To encourage the next generation of vascular surgeons, 30 Vascular Annual Meeting® scholarships were awarded to medical students and junior surgical residents. They attended the meeting in Denver and had their own sessions with vascular surgeons and the leadership of the Society. We hope they are getting excited about our specialty as we are.

The SVS’ Vascular Registry®, that was put together by the Outcomes Committee under the leadership of Dr. Gregorio Sicard, increased participation to 83 centers and accumulated over 10,000 carotid endarterectomy and carotid stenting cases. The SVS asked the Outcomes Committee to produce this registry in response to CMS NCD covering reimbursement for carotid artery stenting. The Outcomes Committee felt that carotid endarterectomy procedures should also be included to provide for future comparisons between the two procedures. Indeed, two presentations at the SVS national meetings have occurred and a manuscript comparing outcomes of the two procedures was published in the Journal of Vascular Surgery®.

The Society ramped up the production of Practice Guidelines. Not only are they essential in standardizing the care of patients with vascular disease based on the available evidence, but it is also very important for the SVS to take the lead and set the tone in this area. Practice guidelines in the care of carotid artery disease and hemodialysis AV access have been published by the Society in the Journal of Vascular Surgery and guidelines in the care of patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms and venous disease are forthcoming.

In addition, the Society appointed a Committee on Comparative Effectiveness and published the SVS position statement in this area in response to the national trend toward comparing treatments for cost-effectiveness and efficiency. Another committee was formed from the Clinical Research Council to coordinate an effort to put together Objective Performance Goals (OPG) for Critical Limb Ischemia (CLI). These OPGs will serve to evaluate new catheter-based treatments in CLI, based on evidence from historical controls of randomized clinical trials.

Our Health Care Policy Committee has been very active. It orchestrated the creation of surgical quality measures for hemodialysis access and carotid endarterectomy; these measures were included in the 2009 PQRI program. It has also been participating actively in the Surgical Quality Alliance, a group representing all surgical specialties and anesthesia put together by the American College of Surgeons to have a coordinated surgical response to governmental policies and programs including helping to conceptualize a new all-surgery database. Committee members also responded to changes in both local and national coverage determinations affecting vascular surgery. SVS spearheaded the SAAAVE Act to screen for abdominal aortic aneurysms; this act was coupled with the Welcome to Medicare Physical Exam, which rendered it inefficient since fewer than 10,000 beneficiaries were screened in 2007.
The Society is working now on SAAAVE Act of 2009, which would expand AAA screening to 65-75 year old at-risk Medicare beneficiaries and separate it from the Welcome to Medicare Physical Exam.

The SVS has a fully functioning PAC to help in the legislative efforts and a charitable foundation, the American Vascular Association®, which advances the research funding and helps advance career development for researchers in vascular surgery.

The crown jewel of the Society’s activities, however, is the Vascular Annual Meeting. This is when all those interested in the care of vascular disease come together to learn, interact, and socialize. As evidenced by the attendance in the last few meetings, the Vascular Annual Meeting remains very popular defying the downturn in the economy. The meeting in Denver was a huge success enjoyed by all who attended it as indicated by the meeting’s evaluations. More than 351 members participated in this year’s meeting. They organized sessions, presented original papers, and participated in panel discussions.

SVS has never been so active. Our Society is thriving, expanding, and working hard to meet the needs of the members. However, the Society is YOU, the member; it can only advance your agenda and satisfy your needs if you get involved. More vascular medical professionals than ever before are becoming members of the SVS. This year a record 421 surgeons, residents, and others in vascular health care were approved as new members. So my message to all members, current and new, get involved, volunteer, tell us what it is important to you and the specialty, and make the SVS your home.

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