President's Message

Dear Colleagues:

During this COVID-19 concern, the CSVS remains committed to our mission of promoting vascular health for Canadians.  Regional representatives from coast to coast are actively collaborating, drawing on the experience of nation-wide leaders to help establish guidelines that can be suggested at a local level.  Please stay tuned and stay well. 

The CSVS committees continue to be engaged in various projects. The Canadian Vascular Surgery Research Group is undertaking a second project comparing outcomes following open or endovascular repair of juxtarenal/short neck AAA. The education committee has planned the program and selected the speakers for the half-day CME session at the CSVS annual meeting and has submitted an application to the Royal College to maintain the accredited provider status for the CSVS.  Members wishing to obtain section 3 credits are encouraged to complete the CSVS SKILL SAP an online self-assessment program through our website that I think all our membership should engage in.  This program satisfies members’ needs for strategies to improve their technical performance, and also provides an opportunity to accumulate category 3 CPD credit for maintenance of certification with the Royal College.  The CSVS Quality and Outcomes Committee chaired by Dr. Graham Roche-Nagle will be looking to share quality tracking insights and several CSVS members are participating in guideline development for venous disease, carotid disease and vascular lab. We will also continue to be involved in the Choosing Wisely activities.

Watch for updates as we plan for the 2020 Annual Scientific Meeting in St. John's, NL.  For the first time we will be holding a clinical half-day on September 10, one day before the start of the CSVS annual meeting.  We are also excited to have Dr Tara Mastracci back on home soil as our guest speaker! 

I will close by saying our Society has a bright future because of our members, both past and present.  I am honoured to be your President and will strive to continue supporting our CSVS mission for Canadian Vascular Surgeons to lead, educate, and advocate as experts in comprehensive vascular care. 

Sincerely,

Keith Baxter, MD, FRCSC