PVSS Becomes VESS: The Vascular and Endovascular Surgery Society

March 12, 2014—The Vascular and Endovascular Surgery Society (VESS), formerly the Peripheral Vascular Surgery Society (PVSS), announced this change in its name at the society’s 2014 annual meeting. The new name was chosen to reflect the modern practice of the more than 1,000 active and senior members that comprise the society.

According to VESS, the term “peripheral” in its descriptor is now outdated in that it was previously used to differentiate the emerging field of vascular surgery from “central” cardiovascular surgery. The society was founded in 1976 as the Peripheral Vascular Surgery Club and later became PVSS. The membership has actively engaged in and researched projects and outcomes across the spectrum of all vascular territories, using the best modern vascular and endovascular techniques.

VESS stated that the new name reflects the society’s appropriate American board certifications, many division and practice names, and common journals to which its members contribute and in which they are often published. The society noted in its announcement that general knowledge of the role of vascular surgery in public health is increasing through a variety of mechanisms, and the importance of the marriage of endovascular surgery to traditional perceptions of vascular surgery is timely and has strategic implications for VESS.

Past President Chuck Anderson, MD, commented in the society’s announcement, “Our specialty has evolved dramatically since the early meetings of the Peripheral Vascular Surgery Club. The original goal was to recognize the group of ‘new’ surgeons that were fellowship trained in a ‘new’ specialty and provide a forum for continued education and advocacy. The new name more appropriately reflects the evolution of the specialty, and our mission remains the same.”

VESS stated that it will continue its mission of providing a forum for the development of young vascular and endovascular surgeons. The VESS Spring Meeting will continue to be held in conjunction with the Society for Vascular Surgery’s Vascular Annual Meeting. The VESS Winter Meeting will remain the major venue for all of its members, with programs for residents and fellows, a slate of plenary sessions and interchange, presidential addresses, and the annual celebratory dinner.

The VESS annual 2014 Winter Meeting was held on January 29 to February 2, 2014, at The Steamboat Grand in Steamboat Spring, Colorado. The meeting’s academic program included the presentation of 50 papers from institutions across the United States and abroad. Presentations covered the entire scope of vascular and endovascular surgery, including readmission rates after abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, hospital length of stay after carotid endarterectomy as a surrogate for quality, and methods for maintenance of endstage dialysis access. The program also included several case presentations that described new techniques for visceral vessel debranching and the management of large acquired arteriovenous fistulas. The plenary sessions provided a forum for fellows and residents to present their work.

The VESS 2014 Spring Meeting will be held June 4 to coincide with the Society for Vascular Surgery's 2014 Vascular Annual Meeting that will be held June 5–­7 at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston, Massachusetts, and the VESS 2015 Winter Meeting will be held January 28 to February 1, 2015, at the Vail Cascade Resort in Vail, Colorado. More information about VESS is available on the society’s website: vesurgery.org.