Getting vascular surgeons more involved leads to key improvements for PAD patients
Vascular surgeons play a critical role in the treatment of peripheral artery disease (PAD) and critical limb ischemia (CLI), conditions that cost many patients their feet or legs due to avoidable amputations. They can perform interventional, catheter-based options as well as open surgical procedures.
William P. Shutze, MD, secretary of the Society of Vascular Surgery (SVS), a vascular surgeon with Texas Vascular Associates in Plano, Texas, and a clinical associate professor of medicine at Texas A&M College of Medicine, spoke with Cardiovascular Business about the value vascular surgeons bring to the table when it comes to tackling these challenging conditions.
Shutze noted that there is a lot of overlap when it comes to what interventional cardiologists and interventional radiologists can do in a cath lab. Vascular surgeons, however, offer alternative treatments that can make a world of difference. Referrals to vascular surgeons are often seen as a bit of a last resort, Shutze explained.
"The term out there is 'no-option patient,' but in my experience is that it is sometimes a 'no-option provider," where the provider has reached their limit of what thy can do," he said.
Shutze said there has been a movement toward a heart team approach to patient care, where vascular surgeons can help make recommendations for care. When vascular surgeons have get to participate in these discussions, they can offer helpful advice and suggest care plans that may have otherwise never been brought up.
Getting vascular surgeons more involved in patient care can also help PAD patients receive treatments early on before it is too late and they have to undergo an amputation.
"The sad part is that there are 400 amputations performed every day in the country, but up to half of those are probably preventable," Shutze explained. "We are still losing a lot of legs that could have been avoided."
He said catching the disease earlier is the key. This can happen through improved screening efforts, better primary care and earlier referrals to PAD experts. Clinicians can also help bring about change by addressing ongoing healthcare disparities. For example, patients in rural or lower-income areas often miss out on care that could have saved them from requiring toe, foot or leg amputations.
To try and address these issues, SVS created its Highway to Health patient outreach campaign to try an raise more awareness among both patients and clinicians.
Dave Fornell has covered healthcare for more than 17 years, with a focus in cardiology and radiology. Fornell is a 5-time winner of a Jesse H. Neal Award, the most prestigious editorial honors in the field of specialized journalism. The wins included best technical content, best use of social media and best COVID-19 coverage. Fornell was also a three-time Neal finalist for best range of work by a single author. He produces more than 100 editorial videos each year, most of them interviews with key opinion leaders in medicine. He also writes technical articles, covers key trends, conducts video hospital site visits, and is very involved with social media. E-mail: [email protected]