Anthony James Comerota, MD,
FACS, FRACS (HON.), FACC
A colleague had this to say: “Dr. Comerato has been a leading researcher in the basic science of venous disease and a leading force in new techniques for thrombolysis in DVT patients.”
In your opinion, which area of research is yielding the most advancement in the field?
Management of Acute DVT to prevent post-thrombotic morbidity.
What technological advances are contributing to the quality of vein treatment that most excite you?
The development of percutaneous techniques to permit a successful strategy of thrombus removals in patients with acute DVT.
What advancements are long overdue?
Our understanding of venous obstruction as it contributes to the symptoms and morbidity of chronic venous disease.
With all the talk about "going green", where do you think modern medicine will contribute the most? Where do you think it will fall short?
We should design and us reusable instruments. We fall short in the United States due to the disposable nature of the instruments we use.
What is the biggest challenge in your work?
Getting young surgeons interested in performing good quality research.
Are you involved in leading or teaching educational symposiums at clinics, hospitals, universities, etc? Please share your experiences.
I run an annual Venous Thromboembolism symposium in Toledo. I co-direct an annual vascular symposium, in which one day is dedicated to venous disease.
Tell us about any publications or research you are currently working on or recently finished.
Working on quantifying the benefit of a strategy of thrombus removal in fifty patients, correlating QOL outcome, venous physiology studies, venous clinical severity scores and Villalta Scores to initial presentation and degree of thrombus removal. Working of summarizing our experience of the treatment of Iliofemoral DVT in pregnancy with a strategy of thrombus removal. Publications in print include: 1.) An analysis of venous obstruction using post occlusive reactive hyperemia nad maximal venous outflow, 2.) Arterial inflow is compromised by chronic venous disease, 3.) The quantitative benefit of Isolated Segmental Pharmacomechanical Thrombolysis. Publications recently published: 8th ACCP Consensus on the Antithrombotic and Thrombolytic Therapy for Venous Thromboembolism - CHEST.
What efforts have you been involved in to foster cooperation (rather than competition) between the various venous educational organizations so that the greatest number has access to the advances in the diagnosis and treatment of venous disease?
Interdisciplinary efforts to develop an NIH grant, (now funded - The ATTRACT Trial) to study Catheter -directed thrombolysis for acute DVT. Inter-societal efforts to promote venous education - within the U.S. and beyond.
You are well-known in your field of work. What is something about you that would surprise your colleagues?
I'm a very good baker.
