Increasing Endovascular Intervention for Claudication: Impact on Vascular Surgery Resident Training

• Published in: Journal of endovascular therapy 2006-08, Vol.13 (4), p.507-513
• Main Authors: Keeling, W. Brent, Stone, Patrick A., Armstrong, Paul A., Kearney, Heather, Klepczyk, Lisa, Blazick, Elizabeth, Back, Martin R., Johnson, Brad L., Bandyk, Dennis F., Shames, Murray L.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Databases, Factual; Drug therapy; Education, Medical, Graduate - statistics & numerical data; General Surgery - education; General Surgery - statistics & numerical data; Hospital Mortality; Humans; Intermittent Claudication - mortality; Intermittent Claudication - surgery; Internship and Residency - statistics & numerical data; Intervention; Medical Audit; Medical residencies; Morbidity; Postoperative Complications - mortality; Retrospective Studies; Surgery; Vascular surgery; Vascular Surgical Procedures - education; Vascular Surgical Procedures - statistics & numerical data
• ISSN: 1526-6028; 1545-1550
• DOI: 10.1583/06-1843.1

Purpose: To audit the caseloads of vascular surgery residents in the management of disabling claudication and assess the influence of endovascular procedures on overall operative experience. Methods: A retrospective review was conducted of vascular surgery resident experience in the open and endovascular management of lower limb claudication during two 3-year periods (January 2000 to December 2002 and January 2003 to December 2005). The time periods differed with regard to number of surgical faculty with advanced endovascular skills (3 in the first period and 4 in the second) and the availability of portable operating room angiography equipment. Results: During the 6-year period, the operative logs of vascular surgery residents indicated participation in 283 procedures [170 (60%) open surgical interventions, including 146 suprainguinal procedures] performed for claudication. The number of procedures increased by 62% (p