2023 Spring Newsletter
President’s Message
FVS President (2022-2023)
I am more than excited to announce that the 36th annual FVS meeting is right around the corner. It has been a very productive year for the organization with regards to recruiting new members, executive board participation and financial stability. I am proud to say that this year’s meeting will be of great clinical display, as well as a relaxing time at the Four Seasons Orlando at Walt Disney World resort. Thanks to the efforts of Dr. Murray Shames and the Planning Committee, the scientific program looks incredibly strong and encompasses a wide variety of vascular topics, spoken by experts from around the state and beyond. Our visiting professors, Dr. Dawn M. Coleman, Dr. C. Keith Ozaki, and Dr. Sherene Shalhub will share their knowledge and insights of vascular surgery. The Seeger Symposium will address aortic pathology and its treatments, and I am proud to say that it will be among the best and most exciting of symposiums. The opportunity for medical students as well as residents to present in a clinical meeting is very well recognized at our meeting and the number of abstracts that were submitted speaks of the outreach of this program.
More importantly is the interaction between members, the opportunity to catch up and create new friendships that will last for your entire career, same as it has been on mine so far. I love meeting extraordinary people that share the same passion for vascular surgery. Our social program is reaching attendance not before seen and will satisfy all needs. If you want to golf or relax at the pool or go for walks, the resort is a spectacular venue for our meeting.
Industry support has been receptive to supporting our meeting. During the meeting, there will be opportunities to meet them to become familiar with new technology and meet new reps in your local areas of practice.
The society financials have been very well managed by Mr. Brian Hart’s organization, and we have renewed their contract for 3 more years. He and his team have been a great partner for our society not only for their expertise in managing groups like ours but for the ability to expand and involve members of our organization in leadership roles. We have dedicated committees with outstanding attendance, but we always need new members to reach out and help us become the best state society in the country. Young, motivated members is what we need to continue to be such a great organization. Please reach out to bhart@fvs.org if you are interested in joining a committee!
I would like to acknowledge the FVF for the great work they have been doing over the years promoting students, residents, and fellows with the possibility to attend our clinical meetings and expand their knowledge of vascular surgery.
It has been an honor to be president of this great organization and I will keep honoring the confidence that you have put in me to guide the society to be the best it can be. It is a privilege to be part of this selected group. The relationship that we form in this society surpasses the idea of just joining the society for building knowledge together. I have no doubts in saying that we are in great hands for next year as President-Elect Murray Shames, MD will keep leading us to the society we want to have and be.
I’m looking forward to seeing and catching up with you all in Orlando in April!
2023 Scientific Sessions Program Report
FVS President-Elect (2022-2023)
Dear Florida Vascular Society Members,
Happy New Year! We are excited to announce that the 36th Annual Florida Vascular Society will be held at the luxurious Four Seasons Hotel in Orlando from April 27th to April 30th. This year’s program promises to be a memorable experience filled with exciting educational and social activities.
The scientific sessions are packed with outstanding abstracts from both academic and community members. We are pleased to announce that the program committee has selected 25 abstracts for oral presentation and added 7 poster presentations for this year’s program.
On Friday morning, we will be hosting the Seeger Symposium, which will focus on the Management of Aortic Dissection and will be chaired by Dr. K Dean Arnaoutakis, Director of the Comprehensive Aorta Center at USF Health Division of Vascular Surgery. The session will include presentations from distinguished experts in the field followed by a panel discussion.
Following the Seeger Symposium, Dr. Chahwan will be giving the presidential address. We encourage all our members to attend and hear from our president.
We are honored to host three outstanding visiting professors this year who will be presenting throughout the meeting. Dawn M. Coleman, Professor of Surgery and Chief of the Division of Vascular Surgery at Duke University; Dr. C. Keith Ozaki, John A. Mannick Professor of Surgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Executive Vice Chair of the Department of Surgery; and Dr. Sherene Shalhub, Division Head of Vascular Surgery at the Oregon Health and Science University. We encourage all our members to attend their presentations, as they are all international experts in their fields.
On Sunday morning, we have added an exciting new session: The Best/Worst Cases, where members will share their most challenging or rewarding cases and elicit feedback from the audience.
As part of our industry-supported “Lunch and Learn,” lunch will be provided Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Please plan on supporting our industry partners and learning from our invited speakers.
In addition to the robust academic program, the FVS will host a number of social events, including a welcome reception on Thursday afternoon from 4:30 – 6:00 PM, a golf tournament on Friday afternoon after the Lunch and Learn, and a catered “Splash Bash” from 3:00 – 5:00 PM on Saturday at the hotel pool.
On behalf of the Program Committee, we look forward to seeing you all in Orlando in April. Please register for the meeting and book your hotel room. Social activities can also be reserved on the registration link.
Photos from the 2022 Annual Meeting. Don’t miss out this year!
Click on the banner below to register.
Foundation Report
President, Florida Vascular Foundation
On behalf of the Florida Vascular Foundation (FVF), I would like to welcome you to the 36th Annual Scientific Sessions of the Florida Vascular Society. Please join us at the beautiful Four Seasons Resort at Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL to renew friendships, share in the camaraderie of the Florida Vascular surgery community, share in our common experiences and learn from each other and our esteemed group of visiting professors as we continue our annual tradition as the best state vascular society meeting. Dr. Chahwan and the Executive Committee have put together an eclectic agenda of topics that is sure to pique the interests of us all. The meeting location in Disney is sure to appeal to all who attend and offers something for all age groups.
This year, there were 25 presentations and 7 abstracts submitted and accepted for presentation. These submissions will also be considered for publication in the Annals of Vascular Surgery. From these submissions, the executive committee will choose 3 worthy presenters for the following awards:
The Jose “Pepe” Alvarez, Jr., MD Resident Award: Awarded for the best overall abstract and oral presentation for clinical or experimental work performed by residents of fellows in training. The awardee receives $1,000 and will be considered for publication in the Annals of Vascular Surgery.
The Dr. JJ Karmacharya Award: Awarded for the best abstract and oral presentation in aortic aneurysmal disease reconstruction and treatments. Awardee receives $1,000. (Formerly sponsored by the JJ Karmacharya Foundation for Vascular Surgery).
The Mark L. Friedell, MD Award: Awarded for the Best Medical Student Abstract and Oral Presentation. Awardee receives $500. In addition to supporting these 3 competing awards, the Florida Vascular Foundation (FVF) provides scholarships to ease the burden of attending this meeting to all trainees in vascular surgery.
These scholarships are funded by the generous donations of our members.
Established in 2008, the FVF, is a not-for-profit entity created to promote education and awareness of vascular diseases among medical professionals and the public in the state of Florida. The Foundation
provides a mechanism to promote excellence in the treatment of vascular diseases through educational programs directed at physicians, physician assistants, nurses, and vascular technologists involved in the care of patients with these disorders. The Foundation provides scholarship support to medical students and residents who desire to pursue careers as vascular specialists. This year we are pleased to support the registration of six medical students and 5 surgical residents, who have expressed a high level of interest in our specialty. Please congratulate the recipients and please make them feel welcome, they might be your new associates! Please be sure to support these young trainees as they are often our best and brightest and we would like to encourage them to stay in our great state.
Since the inception of the FVF, the members of the Florida Vascular Society (FVS), along with our industry partners have donated over $300,000 to the Foundation. During 2022, the Foundation received over $15,000.00 from the generous hearts of 26 individuals (listed below). Now, more than ever, the foundational support provided by you is essential to ensure that future patients will have access to care by highly qualified vascular professionals.
The goals of the Florida Vascular Foundation are lofty, yet attainable. Likewise, the calling of vascular surgery remains a grand pursuit. By contributing to the Florida Vascular Foundation, you can help reach these lofty goals that are so critical to the health and well-being of our fellow Floridians. Please join us in our efforts by contributing to this most worthy cause.
Donate Online Today!
Thank you to the FVF donators off 2022:
Juan Pereda, MD, FACS
Lyle Breeding, MD, FACS
Geoff Risley, MD, FACS, RPVI
James Dennis, MD, FACS
Paul Citrin, MD, FACS
Russell Samson, MD, FACS
Jon Wesley, MD, FACS
Grady Morrell
Scott Tapper, MD, FACS, RPVI
Libby Watch, MD, FACS
Arthur Palamara, MD, FACS
Vincent Rowe, MD, FACS
Ignacio Rua, MD, FACS
Murray Shames, MD, FACS
Jack Zeltzer, MD, FACS
John Rechtenwald, MD, FACS
Deepak Nair, MD, FACS, RVT
Paul Armstrong, DO, FACS
Xavier Cannella, MD, FACS
Thomas Huber, MD, PhD, FACS
Robert Feezor, MD, FACS
Charles Thompson, MD, FACS
Jim & Cathy Seiler
Brett Almond, MD, PhD
Steven Collins, MD, FACS, RPVI
Salvatore Scali, MD
Thank you to those who have already donated to FVF in 2023:
Howard Hermans, MD, FACS
Libby Watch, MD, FACS
Brett Almond, MD, PhD
Chun Kevin Yang, MD
Steven Collins, MD, FACS, RPVI
Mark Bonta, MD
Membership Report
Chair, Membership Committee
I am honored to serve as Florida Vascular Society Membership chair again this past year. This is a fantastic organization to be a part of, and it’s amazing to have watched it grow and expand. The membership committee meets monthly to discuss initiatives to increase membership and expand upon member categories and benefits. We have made changes to the application process, streamlining it to be more efficient. We have added AutoPay to pay dues automatically annually. In addition, we have also been working with industry partners on identifying vascular surgeons in the various regions of Florida with the local members doing outreach.
We are looking forward to our 36th Annual Scientific Sessions being held on April 27 – 30, 2023 at the Four Seasons in Orlando. We hope to see all the members there! In effort to drive membership goals we have been pushing the FVS Membership Challenge. The member who recruits the most new applicants/members will have a waived registration fee for this year’s annual meeting. We encourage you to participate.
At our last Board Meeting, the members voted to make fellows, residents, and medical students have no membership/application fees. We have had a great number of applicants since this change.
I am beyond excited to see what 2023 holds for the Florida Vascular Society!
Please welcome our newest FVS members who joined in 2022:
Estela Abich, MD
K. Dean Arnaoutakis, MD
Turan Badali, PA-C
Dariam Cardentey Oliva, MD
Michol Cooper, MD
Kyle Diamond, MD
Jeffrey Edwards, MD, RPVI
Sherali Gowani, MD, FACC
Edgar Guzman, MD
Benjamin Jacobs, MD
Mark Lytle, MD
Issa Mirmehdi, MD, RPVI
Matthew Sanders, MD, FACS
Salvatore Scali, MD
Jai Shahani, Medical Candidate
Tony Shao, MD
Benjamin Szpila, MD
Kevin Treto, MD
Chun Yang, MD