Impact of frailty on risk of long-term functional decline following vascular surgery.

Objective: Frailty is a clinical syndrome associated with slow recovery after vascular surgery. However, the degree and length of functional impairment frail patients experience after surgery is unclear. The objective of this study was to prospectively measure changes in functional status among frail and non-frail patients undergoing a spectrum of different vascular surgery procedures.

Characterizing the volume of surgery and post-operative complications during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic led to unprecedented changes in volume and quality of surgery. Utilizing the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database, the current study assesses the impact of COVID-19 on surgical volume during each quarter of 2020 in comparison to 2019. Quality of surgical care during 2020 was also investigated by assessing postoperative complications, readmissions, and reoperations during 2020 in comparison to the previous 5 years.

Medical Student Perspectives on Choosing a Career in Vascular Surgery.

Background: Vascular surgery is facing an impending workforce shortage as the population ages and the demand for vascular surgical services increases. The integrated vascular surgery residency (0+5) paradigm is well-established and provides a mechanism to increase the number of board-certified vascular surgeons. Recruitment of medical students to these programs has proven challenging with unfilled positions in each of the past 2 years.

Long-Term Functional Decline Following Vascular Surgery Among Vulnerable Adults.

Background: Identification of high-risk patients that may experience functional decline following surgery poses a challenge to healthcare providers. The Vulnerable Elders Survey (VES-13) is a patient-reported tool designed to identify risk for health deterioration based on age, self-rated health, physical function, and functional disabilities. This study was designed to determine whether VES-13 could predict long-term functional decline among patients undergoing vascular surgery procedures.