Vascular Surgery

The Department of Vascular Surgery has graduated three fellow trainees each year since the American Board of Surgery recognized specialty training in vascular surgery in 1984. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) has approved the fellowship program in vascular surgery since program review and approval was initiated through the Residency Review Committee for Surgery in 1984. At that time, graduates of the program became eligible for the certificate of “Added Qualifications in General Vascular Surgery” offered through the American Board of Surgery. More than 50 graduates of our program have attained certification as Specialty Trained Vascular Surgeons since 1984.

The Department of Vascular Surgery selects three candidates each year through the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) for specialty training. Eligible candidates must have completed an approved general surgery residency and be eligible for certification by the American Board of Surgery. International medical graduates are considered eligible applicants if they have an equivalent background in general surgery residency and have a valid Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) certificate. They must participate in the NRMP. Former international medical graduates of our training program now practice in Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, Ireland, Spain and New Zealand, as well as across the United States.

The goal of the Vascular Surgery Fellowship Program is to provide the trainee with a broad and in-depth experience in the surgical treatment of vascular diseases. In 1996, the duration of the program was lengthened to a two-year experience. The additional year of training over the ACGME-required 12 months was deemed necessary to provide the trainee with a substantial exposure to catheter-directed interventional vascular procedures, as well as in-depth exposure to the noninvasive vascular diagnostic laboratory with its increasingly sophisticated ultrasound diagnostic techniques. During the two-year period of training, the fellow also learns the nonsurgical treatment of vascular diseases and is provided designated time to complete a research project.

Cleveland Clinic vascular surgeons see an average of 23,900 outpatients and perform more than 5,000 procedures each year. As a result of this volume of work, each fellow participates in 650 to 700 surgical cases and 750 to 800 catheter-directed procedures including diagnostic studies, balloon angioplasties and stents, and stent graft placements. The fellow also learns to use thrombolytic agents for arterial and venous disorders. Elective experience in sclerotherapy for varicose veins, percutaneous vena cava filter placement, and surgical management of venous disease is also available.

This information is provided by Cleveland Clinic and is not intended to replace the medical advice of your doctor or health care provider. Please consult your health care provider for advice about a specific medical condition.

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