Vascular Surgery Should Have Its Own Identify, Their Own Board and Their Own RRC

The Future of Vascular Surgery is in Your Hands!

Take Action Before a Competing Medical Specialty Takes it Over!

The subject of independence is of great interest to the media.

2003:  Wall Street Journal understood our fight for independence.  The writers of this article won Pulitizer prizes! The Focus:   Medical Ignorance Contributes to Toll From Aortic Illness. Many Doctors Don't Realize Aneurysms Are Treatable; A Paucity of Specialists.  They got it right!

Vascular Surgeons Bang on the Specialists' Door

In a fight for independence of Vascular Surgery, the New York Times took great interest in our battle, although the war has still not been won. Published: February 11, 2005


March 2005:  Denied!

New York Times was provided with background information regarding our fight for independence! 

2005: I publicly discussed with Endovascular Today, advocacy for separate board certification for vascular surgeons.

2004:  A consumer publication asked for my opinion regarding independence of our specialty.  In my interview, I stated that a  patient's chance of survival is why an independent board is needed.

SVS Presidential Address

Selection as President of The Society for Vascular Surgery for me was a singular honor, especially because it came on the 50th Anniversary of the Society. However, at that time there was enormous upheaval in American medicine, so holding the office of President forced me to focus all of my energy on the future of Vascular Surgery and how well it could survive in turbulent times. The resulting concern I have for the future of our specialty prompted me to select Charles Darwin as the topic of my Presidential Address. It is certainly reasonable to wonder what possible relevance Darwin, the famous English naturalist and the father of the theory of evolution, could have to Vascular Surgery. In fact, the theory and principles of Darwin are important to our specialty, and I will explain why here.

2003:  Wall Street Journal understood our fight for independence.  The writers of this article won Pulitizer prizes! The Focus:   Medical Ignorance Contributes to Toll From Aortic Illness. Many Doctors Don't Realize Aneurysms Are Treatable; A Paucity of Specialists.  They got it right!

Vascular Surgeons Bang on the Specialists' Door

In a fight for independence of Vascular Surgery, the New York Times took great interest in our battle, although the war has still not been won. Published: February 11, 2005


March 2005:  Denied!

New York Times was provided with background information regarding our fight for independence! 

2005: I publicly discussed with Endovascular Today, advocacy for separate board certification for vascular surgeons.

2004:  A consumer publication asked for my opinion regarding independence of our specialty.  In my interview, I stated that a  patient's chance of survival is why an independent board is needed.

My SVS Presidential Address

Selection as President of The Society for Vascular Surgery for me was a singular honor, especially because it came on the 50th Anniversary of the Society. However, at that time there was enormous upheaval in American medicine, so holding the office of President forced me to focus all of my energy on the future of Vascular Surgery and how well it could survive in turbulent times. The resulting concern I have for the future of our specialty prompted me to select Charles Darwin as the topic of my Presidential Address. It is certainly reasonable to wonder what possible relevance Darwin, the famous English naturalist and the father of the theory of evolution, could have to Vascular Surgery. In fact, the theory and principles of Darwin are important to our specialty, and I will explain why here.

Additional Suggested Reading

 1996:  Published in JVS: Vision of the vascular surgeon as the vascular specialist of the future 

1997: Published JVS:   James C. Stanley, MD in his SVS Presidential address said: Vascular surgery has evolved by quantum leaps during the past five decades. The scientific practice of vascular surgery is exceedingly complex and, combined with the intricacies of dealing with health care providers and well-intentioned social planners, as well as diverse distractions by both our surgical and medical colleagues, challenges the simplest of our efforts. This dissertation addresses an important event in our history, the formation of the American Board of Vascular Surgery, the seeds of its evolution, the reactions to its inception, and a reflection as to what it means to our patients and our discipline.

1998:  Published in JVS. The American Board of Surgery Sub Board for Vascular Surgery: A Word of Caution.

2000:  Published in JVS: An Op-ed: The case for an independent American Board of Vascular Surgery

2016: Homans Lecture Delivered at the Society for Vascular Surgery Annual Meeting