by Suresh Vedantham, MD and Lowell Kabnick, MD

How often do you feel that the professional meeting you just returned from only barely scratched the surface about issues that are crucial to your patients and clinical practice environment? How often do you ask yourself why no one on stage seems to want to acknowledge the large ugly elephant (mammoth?) sitting in the room? How often do you sense a profound disconnect between the meeting faculty and the attendees?

AVF's Focus on Interactivity

Well, here is your big chance to participate in a professional forum that isn’t afraid of anything. We absolutely promise that you will agree that the 29th Annual Meeting of the American Venous Forum (AVF) was engaging, interactive, and BOLD. Stepping back, the AVF Annual Meeting is always a terrific opportunity to learn about the latest research results and innovative practical solutions from the people who move forward the field of venous and lymphatic disease. Like every year, world-renowned experts will share their clinical observations, their research, and their practice experiences while critically assessing recent developments in the field. That part will be no different.

But this year, the Program Committee and Executive Council were determined to shake things up a bit and the most important thematic direction expressed was interactivity. Meaning, we have lots to share with you, but we know you have a lot to say as well.

To that end, building on last year’s tremendous success, the meeting will start on Tuesday, February 14, 2017 with a Day of Innovation and Science, organized by Dr. Fedor Lurie (Program Moderator and AVF Foundation Chair) in partnership with the Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology Society. This year’s Day will include (NEW) outstanding original research abstracts; invited presentations on vascular biology, venous physiology, and bioengineering from speakers with a broad range of backgrounds; and robust opportunities for interaction, discussion, and engagement among all participants.

Interactive Symposia

The meeting will feature five Interactive Symposia with varying formats that encourage audience participation, including a live patient ultrasound scanning session, a pulmonary embolism response team (PERT) in-action with audience participation, sessions on how to perform and teach sclerotherapy (with the American College of Phlebology), debates with international colleagues, and integration of new anticoagulants and methods of managing complex edema syndromes (with the Society for Vascular Medicine).

And to those who say “no, don’t go there . . .” when faced with controversy, the Program Committee and Executive Council are proud to say, Yes, We’re Going THERE this year. On Wednesday February 15, the David S. Sumner Venous Summit, presented by AVF President Elect Dr. Marc Passman and ACP President Dr. Neil Khilnani, will reconstruct the scene of the crime – uh, I mean, of the July 2016 MEDCAC Meeting at which the evidence for chronic venous disease treatment was examined by a governmental panel that has strong influence over Medicare payment policy.

Are government-picked experts better qualified than AVF meeting attendees to judge the effectiveness of venous care? Well, you’ll have your chance to vote on the same questions the panel faced – will the answers be different? On the heels of that barfight, the Villavicencio Symposium on Wednesday afternoon, led by AVF Secretary Dr. Elna Masuda and Dr. Michale Vasquez, will ask, “Is the unethical treatment of venous disease out of control?” Stop by for some no-holds-barred (but healthy) self-assessment, and maybe self-help – you be the judge.

Just when you thought that the above was enough, we are pleased to have Dr. Peter Gloviczki deliver the Strandness Memorial Lecture. In addition, Dr. Lowell Kabnick’s Presidential address will be informative and exciting.

And on top of all that, there are the incredible opportunities provided by the New Orleans location of the meeting. A broad range of social events will be held for AVF attendees and family members, including the Venous Open Golf Outing on Thursday afternoon, and the incredible Forum Finale, a beautiful way to end an incredibly eventful meeting.

The AVF has continued to extend its reach in multidisciplinary collaboration and leadership in the venous community, a theme that will be highlighted at the meeting. Can’t wait to see you there!