Abstract
Meeting highlights
When I was asked to summarize the Vascular Scientific Sessions presented by the Society for Vascular Medicine in Denver, Colorado, September 29 – October 2 (aka, #SVM22), of course my first thought was where will I find the time to meet the deadline?! Then, close after, I thought, what a great opportunity to show off everything we have accomplished together. But when it was time to put pen to paper so to speak (as we all just type, don’t we?), I had to come up with the best ways to highlight what the conference was really like. That was not as easy as it may sound. Should I just focus on the numbers? (We had over 360 faculty, registrants, and industry members on site.) Perhaps highlight the fundraising? (This year we are grateful to our numerous industry and institutional supporters who have given generously to make the meeting a reality.) Or maybe content is the true king? (The meeting sported clinical and scientific content that spanned two and a half days, some of which ran in concurrent sessions.) Or perhaps, the best way to measure the meeting’s success is through the engagement of the attendees? (Even by the end of the last session, many people just stayed around – talking and interacting.)
I kept thinking of these options, deliberating on how to expand on each one. And still, none felt right. Finally, after investing even more thought, I realized that the best way to describe this year’s meeting was to explain how it made us all feel. This was the first time we all met since Dr Raghu Kolluri organized the meeting in McLean, Virginia back in 2019. We had missed each other. The meeting offered many opportunities to interact, from networking sessions, casual hallway encounters, and even through (highly) competitive ping-pong games, and an inaugural 5K race in memory of Will Hiatt who passed away recently. I would like to especially thank Dr Marc Bonaca for helping make this race a reality. Bottom line – we all felt extremely happy to be able to meet in person again.
Conference attendees had the opportunity to enjoy many excellent sessions. Alongside past favorites, this year’s meeting had quite a few new features; many of which seem like they are here to stay. It would be remiss not to mention a few.
Even before the conference formally started, Drs Elizabeth Ratchford and Aaron Aday coordinated a Speed Mentoring session. Dozens of seasoned faculty members volunteered their time, while younger colleagues took the opportunity to round among them and learn from their experience in a ‘speed dating’, no barriers fashion.
We hosted our first Primary Care and Hospital Medicine track. Nearly 30 of the Society’s faculty offered talks and interactive sessions to an eager crowd of 23 local, national, and even international primary care and hospital medicine physicians who wanted to learn more about vascular disease and earn CME on the way. Dr Jay Bishop volunteered to chair this session, and he reported it was a great success.
Drs Naomi Hamburg and Stanislav Henkin chaired an excellent risk-factor modification workshop. An amazing array of speakers went through the modern management of lipids, diabetes, and hypertension in patients who are at risk for or have arterial disease. We all left with practical tools to improve the care of our patients.
Also new this year, Dr Gaurav Parmar coordinated a packed Point-of-Care-Ultrasound (POCUS) session. Nearly 60 attendees rotated between six stations, where they learned about the versatile applications of POCUS in the care of patients with vascular disease.
Drs Natalie Evans and Gregory Piazza hosted a dynamic (and often heated) Vascular Jeopardy! After a back and forth that kept us all on the edge of our seats, Dr Behnood Bikdeli managed to clinch the victory and eternal honor. Congratulations! In the same vein of warm-hearted audience participation, Drs Ana Casanegra, Rob McBane, and Schuyler Jones hosted the ‘Cases over Canapés’ session. We were all able to engage with one another, trying to solve interesting mystery cases presented by amazing young colleagues.
The science of vascular disease was at the center of the conference this year. Drs Paul Wennberg and Scott Kinlay returned to chair the abstract selection committee. A total of 73 abstracts were selected. Of these, four were chosen for the Jay D Coffman Young Investigator Award presentations, four for the rejuvenated Late-Breaking Science session (thanks to Dr Mary McDermott), and four for the new featured poster presentation session, which was moderated by Drs Daniella Kadian-Dodov and Kush Desai. Congratulations to all the presenters, speakers, and awardees.
In a new session called ‘If it were me’, Drs Vlad Lakhter and Haseeb Qazi coordinated speakers who discussed how they manage all those conditions we see every day but have little data to guide us. Topics varied, and the level of interest and engagement was high.
Drs Natalia Fendrikova Mahlay and Raghu Kolluri reimagined ultrasound learning by having a remote, hands-on, interactive, live case demonstration. True, Raghu had to fly home to Columbus, Ohio early to be able to scan a few patient volunteers, but we were all able to learn from his expertise and how he utilizes ultrasound in everyday practice.
No SVM conference is complete without a few spirited debates. Drs Yogen Kanthi and Dmitriy Feldman hosted a Great Debates session. Speakers were cordial but stood their ground firmly as they walked us through arguments in favor of opposing approaches to challenging vascular scenarios.
Finally, one must mention the ‘Tips for Readers’ session. Drs Aditya Sharma and Bryan Wells volunteered to host the last session of the conference. Not surprisingly, attendance was great. Excellent speakers taught us about how they approach interesting challenges in ultrasound interpretation.
Of course, I cannot summarize our annual meeting without thanking our management company, Veritas. I would like to thank all the people who came to be with us on location, including Sue O’Sullivan, Matt Helms, Sandy Addison, Jennifer Fitzgerald, Ryan O’Sullivan, and Jennifer Manthei. We could not have pulled it off without them. I would also like to thank our terrific and highly engaged Scientific Sessions planning committee and Dr Herb Aronow, the Society’s president. Herb held my hand throughout the planning and execution of this wonderful conference. None of this would be possible without his support.
I very much am looking forward to seeing you all again next year. Please save the date for our next annual meeting, to be held September 7–10 in Washington DC.
With much appreciation,
Ido Weinberg, MD, FSVM
President-Elect, Society for Vascular Medicine
Chair, Vascular Scientific Sessions Program Committee
2022 Society for Vascular Medicine Award Recipients
Jess R Young Outstanding Vascular Medicine Educator Award
Mark A Creager, MD, MSVM
Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH
Master of the Society for Vascular Medicine (MSVM) Designation
Marie D Gerhard-Herman, MD, MSVM
Brigham and Women’s Hospitals, Boston, MA
Paul W Wennberg, MD, MSVM
Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
Mark A Creager Prize for Research Excellence
The impact of standing desks on cardiometabolic and vascular health
Ariel Bodker, Alexis Visotcky, David Gutterman, Michael E Widlansky, Jacquelyn Kulinski
Vasc Med 2021; 26: 374–382
Jay D Coffman Young Investigator Award
Association of HIV infection with clinical features and outcomes of patients with aortic aneurysms
Omar Chehab, MD, MSc
Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
Persepctives from the Alan T Hirsch Travel Award Recipients
I am honored to be among the recipients of the SVM Alan T Hirsch Travel Award. This award validated my determination to be present on location for Vascular Scientific Sessions 2022 by SVM in our ‘post’ pandemic world. It was inspiring to witness the motivation of all members and faculties to make this meeting a success. I am grateful for the networking opportunities and thankful to be received as the newly minted Fellow of the Society for Vascular Medicine. Readily with time, new realities are emerging. As penned by William R Hiatt1, a ‘sea-change’ that encompasses appropriate guidelines for low-, middle- and high-income countries is needed to close the gaps of practices’ disparities towards efficient clinical outcomes. SVM is an important body that can provide the platform to unite vascular clinicians, practitioners, and researchers to reflect, redirect focus, and augment vascular medicine through empowering basic knowledge, facilitate translational and ratify clinical advancements along with multidisciplinary teams to holistically improve the patients’ quality of life, whoever and wherever they are. Diseases engulf the sufferers into darkness. Guided by primum non nocere, wielding of the design can cast the light. A heartfelt thank you to the pioneers for forging the path for us.
Farina Binti Mohamad Yusoff, MBBS, PhD, FSVM;
Assistant Professor, Hiroshima University, Higashihiroshima, Japan
Being in Denver was a really exciting experience. I had the opportunity to be in this amazing scientific session and be aware of how vascular medicine has advanced in the United States. There were many interesting new interventions that I believe could impact the care of my patients. It was also very interesting to recognize the difficulties that this specialty has, not only in my country, but all over the world to be accredited and recognized by all governmental agencies, which reaffirms my belief that, in the future, working as a team with different societies all over the world is the best opportunity to develop this specialty and bring the best care to the people who need vascular medicine.
Sebastian Guerra-Zarama, MD;
Vascular Medicine Resident, Universidad de Antioquia, Colombia
For me it was a great opportunity to attend this event and learn the point of view of other professionals and their actions on a day-to-day basis. This kind of event gives us the opportunity to meet people from other parts of the world who share similar interests and expand our knowledge and experiences. The speakers gave clear and concrete points of new and very important topics in the evaluation of patients. I look forward to attending again next year and continuing to increase knowledge in this area of medicine that is growing every day. Thanks a lot!
Andrea Restrepo, MD;
Vascular Medicine Resident, Universidad de Antioquia, Colombia
Additional awardee: Deborah Nadler, MD; Cardiology Fellow, University of Massachusetts Memorial, Worcester, MA, USA
Dr. Herbert Aronow delivers the Presidential Address.
Vascular Medicine Editorial Board toasts its highest ever impact factor.
Memorable first SVM 5K Fun Run in honor of Past President Dr William R. Hiatt held before sunrise on the hotel rooftop.
SVM 5K Fun Run winner, Dr Hatem Hassaballa, with Drs Aronow and Weinberg.
Well-attended POCUS session gave attendees hands-on experience.
Dr Gene Zierler participating in the POCUS session.
Vascular Jeopardy hosts (Drs Natalie Evans and Gregory Piazza) and 2022 winner Dr Behnood Bikdeli.
Dr Alexis Visotcky accepts the 2022 Creager Prize on behalf of her team from Vascular Medicine Editor-in-Chief, Dr Heather Gornik.
Dr Marie D. Gerhard-Herman receives the Master of the Society for Vascular Medicine (MSVM) designation, presented by Dr Herbert Aronow.
Dr Paul W. Wennberg receives the Mater of the Society for Vascular Medicine (MSVM) designation, presented by Dr Herbert Aronow.
Drs Esther Kim (SVM Treasurer) and Elizabeth Ratchford (SVM Secretary) connect at a coffee break.
Dr Omar Chehab receives the Jay D Coffman Young Investigator Award, presented by Dr Paul Wennberg.
Speed mentoring session connected #SVMNextGen members with Society leaders.
SVM Leaders with the Philippines delegation to the SVM VSS.
Drs Herbert Aronow (SVM President) and Ido Weinberg (SVM President-Elect) enjoy downtime between sessions.
Dr Robert McBane engages the audience in ‘Cases over Canapés’ discussion.
