VEIN Contributing Writer Kristinha M. Anding recently spoke with Melanie Murn, M.D., a physician at Vein Clinic PA in Chanhassen, Minn., and Stephen Daugherty, M.D., medical director of VeinCare Centers of Tennessee in Clarksville, Tenn., about their experiences attending the 2007 ACP Advanced Practical Symposium and why this year’s event should be considered by the serious phlebology professional.

Could you describe your experience attending the 2007 ACP Advanced Practical Symposium? What did you most enjoy about the event?

MM: My experience was very positive. The thing I liked best was the practical part, being in Dr. [Nick] Morrison’s clinic and seeing the procedures be performed. The seminar part of the Symposium was also very good. There were a lot of practical things discussed in the talks that were given.

SD: The 2007 ACP Advanced Practical Symposium is the only one that I have attended. It was a superb course hosted by Dr. Nick Morrison in Phoenix with supporting faculty from around the country. The Symposium is an excellent opportunity to learn fine points in technique and special pearls of wisdom in a small group setting, which allows considerable personal discussion with faculty and other course participants. The small group interaction and the relationships one can develop with teachers and other course participants is another advantage to this kind of course.

Are you planning on attending the 2008 Advanced Practical Symposium? If so, what are looking forward to?

MM: I probably will. There are some newer procedures people are doing, such as treating perforators with laser and closure. Every year there are new treatments coming up, and I imagine that some of those topics will be included.

SD: I do not know yet whether I will be able to attend the 2008 Symposium. I expect to be moving to a new office designed for a vein practice with two vein operating rooms in September and may be busy with the move.

Why should the Symposium be on the radar of other vein specialists?

MM: It’s a very small symposium, so you have a much better chance to talk to the instructors. It’s more one-on-one than at the bigger meetings. There were about 50 at last year’s event and probably 20 staff people. So it is a really good opportunity to talk to the people who are there and find out the way that they do things. I had many chances to ask questions that I would have never had at a big meeting. I remember talking to Dr. [John] Mauriello about things I had not understood, such as microphlebectomies. The person whom I work with [Russ Heagle, M.D.] is bordering on retiring, and he’s not doing a lot of these newer procedures, so this is my opportunity to find out from other people all the nuances of these techniques.

SD: Physicians who have already learned the more basic vein evaluation and management can benefit from attending the 2008 Symposium in order to raise their level of understanding and treatment of venous disease. The opportunity exists to learn from other experienced phlebologists in a setting that allows considerable discussion tailored to the needs of the individual who is willing to ask questions and participate in discussions. My advice to those who already have the basic knowledge and skills is to go to the 2008 Symposium to learn more.

Murn is a member of the ACP and the Canadian Society of Phlebology and is boarded in the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology. She is currently preparing for the American Board of Phlebology exam.

Daugherty is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and a founding donor of the American College of Phlebology Foundation. He is an active member of the ACP, the International Society of Endovascular Specialists and the American Medical Association.