Opportunities and Options in Venous Education
Opportunities and Options in Venous Education
by Marlin W. Schul, MD, MBA, RVT, FACPh
Welcome to the spring issue of VEIN Magazine!
Our cover story represents the heterogeneity of providers that practice
phlebology. As warmer weather is approaching, many pursue figure enhancing procedures in addition to managing unsightly veins. Dr. EJ Sanchez, an accomplished interventional cardiologist, shares his reflections on adding laser lipolysis / liposuction to a thriving interventional cardiology/phlebology practice. Dr. Sanchez’s personal research and investment of time offers valuable as one entertains adding
this procedure to an established vein practice.
The annual scientific meeting of the American Venous Forum was not without surprises, as new scientific discoveries were shared including a landmark discovery by Dr. Paolo Zamboni and associates. In an oral abstract presented by Dr. Zamboni, it was revealed that cerebral venous obstructive pathology is a common finding in (18/20) twenty patients
studied having multiple sclerosis (MS). This pilot study of
relieving venous obstruction patterns is offering new hope
to patients suffering this debilitating disease state. A thorough
review of AVF meeting highlights is shared in this issue.
VEIN Magazine has printed giftedly written phlebology
education articles by Dr. Steve Elias. Dr. Elias has addressed
many questions while documenting the scope of the problem
and need for formal phlebology education. Where there is
a dearth of phlebology material currently taught in medical
schools and residency programs, the AVF Fellows course and
scholarship programs to attend the Annual Congress of the
American College of Phlebology represent effective tools to
reach and train interested medical providers. Despite these
promising programs, the size of the potential audience is
seemingly endless as the general public and majority of medical
providers, ancillary personnel, and hospital administrators
possess little knowledge about venous disease and the
epidemics of deep vein thrombosis and stasis ulcers.
Medical societies, industry, and individual medical providers
each own a responsibility to meet the education demands to
help enhance awareness of common complications of vein
disease, including DVT/PE and stasis ulcers. The benefits working
together to meet these demands serve many purposes.
The general public:
• Patients with occupational risk may utilize compression
routinely to support their venous health.
• The pregnant patient may elect to wear compression
during the first trimester in an attempt to limit
venous stasis.
The 55 year old patient being hospitalized for total hip
surgery may ask their surgeon about DVT prophylaxis.
Medical providers of all types (medical students, nursing
students, ancillary providers in hospitals, established medical
and surgical personnel):
• Provide impressionable medical and nursing
students with knowledge about venous disease
and measures to promote vein health.
• Help established primary care physicians recognize the
prevalence of chronic venous disease, the common
skin findings, and complications of venous stasis.
• Help providers take initiatives to build dVT risk
assessment plans for their patient population,
And for all hospitalized patients.
• Help providers identify means to reduce the risk of
dVT/PE through screening and prophylaxis according
to the American College Chest Physician guidelines.
• Familiarize providers with stasis ulcers
and means to reduce recurrence.
Hospital Administrators:
• Bring further awareness to nEVER events
and means to reduce the incidence of VTE
complications in hospitalized patients.
• Encourage hospital administrations to see the clear
benefit of routine risk assessment of all hospitalized
patients and select outpatients for VTE risk.
At the end of the day, if industry, academia, medical societies,
and private practitioners work together for a common
purpose, the goals of reducing VTE incidence and enhancing
overall venous health in society will be obtained. This cannot
and will not happen overnight, but a concerted effort across
societies, providers of all backgrounds and industry partners
will yield dividends of public and provider awareness and
an outcome of elevated level of vein care throughout our
communities. If we think about venous education there are
many potential roles. Is it to educate other physicians? Teach
impressionable medical students? Increase public awareness
and participate in a National Venous Screening program such
as that of the AVF? Or to simply educate your patients and
your local physician pool one patient, one physician at a time?
What is your role?
Marlin W. Schul
MD, MBA, RVT, FACPh