In this issue:
VAM FRIDAY, JUNE 16, 2023 | CONFERENCE EDITION 3
2 I nternational Forum Generational training needs in specialty
10 Trauma bypass ‘Excellent’ limb salvage rates
4N ovel drug First-in-human AAA study findings
13 CLTI Frailty status beats WIfI in all-comers
6 L ifetime Award 13 Word on the street Pair of former SVS VAM attendees presidents gain accolade chime in on CLTI trials
THE OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE
PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS: “THE ANNUAL MEETING IS ONLY PART OF OUR STORY”
www.vascularspecialistonline.com
VEITH LECTURE
SPOT LIGHT
By Jocelyn Hudson FRIDAY MORNING will see Michael C. Dalsing, MD, MBA, deliver what is an annual hallmark of the VAM program—the SVS Presidential Address. From 11:00 a.m.–12:15 p.m. in Potomac A/B, Dalsing will chart his personal journey from “small-town boy with some big dreams” to president of the SVS, as well as the history of the Society and that of the vascular surgery specialty in general, all the while delivering the salient message that “the Annual Meeting is only part of our story.” Rural America will be the opening scene for Dalsing’s address. This is where he grew up, with parents who were “deeply affected by World War II and the Depression,” his mother— who, Dalsing will say, would have travelled widely given the chance—“convinced that education would open doors to the world.” Against this backdrop, Dalsing moved away to attend college, majoring in
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BEST-CLI INVESTIGATORS IMPLORE A MOVE BEYOND ENDO VS. OPEN ‘BATTLE’ IN THE NAME OF SCIENTIFIC ADVANCE
T
he principal investigators behind the BESTCLI trial struck a conciliatory tone during the inaugural Frank J. Veith Distinguished Lecture yesterday morning in which they laid bare the blood, sweat and tears shed on their journey to complete the landmark study. The headline findings that emerged out of the trial—that both open and endovascular procedures were equally safe, and that chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) patients deemed suitable for either approach who had an adequate great saphenous vein experienced better overall clinical outcomes after open bypass surgery— sparked rancor in the interventional surgical communities. Yet, Alik Farber, MD, and Matthew Menard, MD, used the maiden Veith Lecture to shine a light
down a path toward further advances in end-stage peripheral arterial disease (PAD) care. The pair used the platform to tell the story of their journey in order that others might take the leap of faith they did to tackle “impactful questions in science,” Farber told VAM 2023 attendees. They first got together to develop the idea for a trial to compare open vs. endo treatment for CLTI in 2007. “It really was the blind leading the just as blind,” quipped Menard. As Farber described, personally he had very little experience in clinical trials at the time. “There was a lot of insecurity,” he said. “Were we really the right people to do this?” he recalled thinking back then.
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UP TODAY AND TOMORROW
FRIDAY KICKS OFF WITH the International Fast Talk Scientific Session at 6:30 a.m. Three breakfast sessions will cover developing a successful and funded clinical research program to improve patient care, fundamentals and advances in managing pulmonary embolism and advocacy work. Another international session, the International Forum Scientific Session, takes place from 7:15–8 a.m., also in Maryland A. From 11 a.m.–12:15 p.m., the spotlight belongs to outgoing President Michael C. Dalsing, MD, and his Presidential Address. The Community Practice Section holds its special session for its members from 1:30–3 p.m. At 2:45 p.m. section leaders will announce this year’s recipients of the Excellence in Community Practice Award. From 3:30–5 p.m., the Young Surgeons Section will hear topics relevant to their career stage. The Exhibit Hall remains open from 9:30 a.m.–5 p.m. The Career Fair (9 a.m.–3 p.m.) and Residency Fair (1:30–3 p.m.) round out the day. SVS Central is open from 9:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m. Then it’s time to visit the Roaring Twenties, at the SVS Foundation “Great Gatsby Gala” (7–11 p.m.). An After Party takes place 11 p.m.–1 a.m. Saturday. Saturday, meanwhile, will feature the final two plenaries, the Poster Competition championship, and the Roy Greenberg Distinguished Lecture.
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