Nearly 10 million women in the United States wake up daily with chronic pelvic pain sufficient to limit their activity and reduce their quality of life. More than 6 million of these women will have this pain due to pelvic venous disease. Despite the many attempts of these women to seek medical care, more than $1 billion is wasted each year on inappropriate testing and ineffective treatments, and the chronic pain persists. Additionally, this condition also affects men, but just not as frequently.

The goal of this summit is to convene a first-of-a-kind conference that addresses this national public health problem. The key objectives of this summit are:

• Collectively unify our understanding of the major issues involved, including those pertaining to diagnosis and treatment.
• Identify knowledge gaps.
• Chart the course for future research.
• Develop educational materials suitable for both the patients and the medical specialists that care for them.

Attendees will include health care professionals who provide care to patients with PeVD, including but not limited to Vascular Surgeons, Cardiologists, Interventional Radiologists, Gynecologists, Adolescent Medicine practitioners, Pelvic Floor Physical Therapists, and Pelvic Sonographers.

The AVF believes a national meeting, which includes a variety of specialties who take care of patients with PeVD is a necessary step in this endeavor. Ultimately, we hope to advance knowledge and skills to help improve the care of this larger group of underserved women.