Vascular surgery: Current trends and recent innovations

Abstract

Over the past one and one-half decades, the specialty of vascular surgery has undergone a tremendous amount of growth and expansion. Surprisingly, the majority of the developments have occurred in the form of new devices. One should not overlook the global changes among the specialty of vascular surgery. Traditionally, the specialty was knowledgeable about vascular diseases, its etiology and the natural history. Physicians used surgical procedures to remedy or alter the natural course for their patients. Initially, vascular surgical specialists did not invent or adopt percutaneous therapies, but that has all but changed. The new breed of vascular surgeons is a true vascular specialist. They possess expertise in all areas of vascular disease: medical management, percutaneous therapy and surgical intervention. Their position is unique, as no other vascular specialists currently possess all three of these capabilities. It enables the vascular surgeon to individualize therapy for each patient based upon his or her risks and benefits, instead of offering only the modality he or she is capable of performing. They will continue to possess this advantage until surgical therapy for vascular problems is no longer necessary. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2010.