The Venous Institute of Buffalo - News & Events
Dr. Vasquez to speak at International Congress
August 18. 2011
This September Dr. Vasquez has been invited to speak at the International Congress of Union Internationale de Phlebologie (UIP) European Meeting in Prague. Dr. Vasquez will speak on Revision of the Venous Clinical Severity Score: Venous Outcomes COnsensus Statement SPecial Communication of The American Venous Forum Ad Hoc Working Group.
Dr. Vasquez contributes to practice guidelines article published in Journal of Vascular Surgery
August 18, 2011
Early 2011 found Dr. Vasquez busy with a committee of noted vascular physicians working on a consensus document for care of venous disease. The resulting document, "The care of patients with varicose veins and associated chronic venous diseases: Clinical practice guidelines of the Society for Vascular Surgery and the American Venous Forum" was published in The Journal of Vascular Surgery (J Vasc SUrg 2011;53:2S-48S).
Revised VCSS manuscript published in The Journal of Vascular Surgery
Dr Vasquez and the other members of the committee charged with revising the VCSS have seen their results published in The Journal of Vascular Surgery. The manuscript can be found in the journal, JVS 2010; 52:1387-96. Congratulations to all the members of the committee on their hard work and dedication to this revised scoring instrument!
Dr. Vasquez publishes article in Seminars in Vascular Surgery
The current issue of the international publication Seminars in Vascular Surgery is on venous insufficiency. With guest editors Dr. Cynthia Shortell and Dr. Ruth Bush, the edition is titled "Modern management of superficial venous insufficiency: Out with the old, in with the new". Dr. Vasquez has contributed the chapter titled "The importance of uniform venous terminology in reports on varicose veins". It is an interesting combination of the history of venous surgery and the terminology used, along with the importance of establishing a universal language for reporting venous disease and the changes associated with therapy. You can read the chapter here.
Dr. Vasquez featured in Business First Healthcare 50
Read Dr Vasquez profile for Business First Healthcare 50 here.
Dr. Vasquez Review Article Published in International Journal
April 15, 2010
Dr. Vasquez review article "Venous Clinical Severity Score and Quality-of-Life Assessment Tools: Application to Vein Practice" has been published in the international journal Phlebolymphology. To read the full article, click on the link. Dr. Vasquez Phlebolymphology Review Article
March 5, 2010
Dr. Vasquez has a Busy Fall and Winter Speaking at National and International Meetings
Dr. Vasquez continued to lecture on his clinical experience and his support of outcome assessment measures at three meetings this past Fall and WInter. In September he presented two papers at the XVI World Meeting of the Union Internationale De Phlebologie in Monaco. He spoke on "Our obligation to follow clinical outcome in venous disease" and also gave an update on the revisions underway for the Venous Severity Scoring System. In November he spoke at The American College of Phlebology Meeting in Palm Desert, California, with a clinical paper on "Adjunct procedures following radiofrequency ablation of the saphenous vein: Incidence and timing" as well as a theoretical paper titled "Outcome measures:Important for research? Which measures?" He also gave a mid term update on our current ACP Research in Practice Grant Winning project "Use of the SQOR-V (Specific Quality of Life and Outcome Response-Venous) Instrument in Assessing the Relationship of Outcome Measures". In February he presented two papers at The American Venous Forum meeting in Amelia Island, Florida. The first was an update on the completed revisions of the Venous Clinical Severity Score, while the second talk focused on the treatment of perforator veins.
Acting Surgeon General issues Call to Action to prevent deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism
Source: http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/news/pressreleases/pr20080915.html
Monday, September 15, 2008
Acting Surgeon General Steven K. Galson. M.D., M.P.H., today issued a Call to Action to reduce the number of cases of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism in the United States.
Galson urged all Americans to learn about and prevent these treatable conditions.
Deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism affect an estimated 350,000 to 600,000 Americans each year, and the numbers are expected to increase as the US population ages. Together, deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism contribute to at least 100,000 deaths each year.
Deep vein thrombosis is a blood clot in a deep vein, most commonly in the lower leg or thigh. The clot can block blood flow and cause pain, swelling, and skin discoloration.
In the most serious cases, deep vein thrombosis can lead to a pulmonary embolism- when part of the blood clot breaks loose and travels through the bloodstream to the lungs, where it can block a lung artery, causing damage to the lungs or other organs from lack of oxygen.
"Deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolisms are often 'silent' conditions- they can occur suddenly and without symptoms," Galson said. "But we have made a lot of progress in understanding how these disorders develop and how to prevent, diagnose, and treat them. It's time to put this knowledge into action."
Researchers have found that in most cases, deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism develop in people who have an inherited blood clotting disorder or other risk factor, and who experience a triggering event.
"Being hospitalized or confined to bed rest, having major surgery, suffering a trauma, or traveling for several hours can increase a person's risk of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism," Galson said. "We want to increase the awareness and knowledge of these potentially deadly conditions and encourage patients and health care providers to take steps to prevent them."
The Call to Action urges a coordinated, multifaceted plan to reduce the numbers of cases of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism nationwide. The plan emphasizes the need for:
- Increased awareness about deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism.
- Evidence-based practices for deep vein thrombosis.
- More research on the causes, prevention, and treatment of deep vein thrombosis.
The Call to Action resulted from a Surgeon General's Workshop on Deep Vein Thrombosis which was convened in May 2006. The workshop was co-sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health.
"Deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism are major public health problems, and NHLBI is committed to continuing to support important basic and clinical research to advance our understanding of these disabling and potentially fatal conditions," NHLBI Director Elizabeth G. Nabel, M.D., noted. "Research is shedding light on genetic factors and the role of triggering events, behaviors, and conditions that increase the risk of developing dangerous blood clots. It is imperative that clinicians and public health experts work together to translate this scientific evidence to save lives."
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) contributed to the Call for Action with the release of two new guides- one for patients and another for health care providers- on how to prevent dangerous blood clots. "Fighting deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism is a team effort that involves health care providers and patients," said AHRQ Director Carolyn M. Clancy, M.D.
The Surgeon General's Call to Action to Prevent Deep Vein Thrombosis and Pulmonary Embolism 2008, is available at http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/calls/index.html. To order, contact the NHLBI Health Information Center at 301-592-8573 or at NHLBIInfo@nhlbi.nih.gov.
