Vein Specialist

On April 13, 2026, the long-awaited primary results of the NIH-sponsored, multicenter, randomized C-TRACT (Chronic Venous Thrombosis: Relief with Adjunctive Catheter-Directed Therapy) Trial were published in The New England Journal of Medicine.¹ The study found that in patients with moderate-or-severe post-thrombotic syndrome (PTS) and iliac vein obstruction, endovascular iliac vein stent placement reduced PTS severity and improved venous disease-specific and overall quality of life (QOL) at 6 months. Additional results, including 24-month follow-up, will be shared during the upcoming months.

The AVF deserves praise for the role it played in building the study’s scientific foundation and in actively helping it succeed.  The study’s primary outcome was objectively assessed using the Venous Clinical Severity Score (VCSS), a key product of AVF efforts to standardize and refine venous outcome assessment/^2.3 AVF members played important roles in leading study sites (Cassius Iyad Ochoa Chaar at Yale New Haven Hospital was a top contributor) and the overall study (Drs Anthony Comerota, William Marston, Suresh Vedantham, and Suman Wasan are Steering Committee members).  The AVF supported the NIH grant application, publicly endorsed the study (special thanks to Dr Brajesh Lal and Mr. John Forbes), and shared updates with members. These contributions demonstrated the AVF’s stalwart support for rigorous venous science and helped to overcome the many challenges that faced the study.

At present, only a small minority of PTS patients receive focused care from a knowledgeable specialist.  With the trial’s NIH-level rigor and dissemination to medical physician audiences, C-TRACT can now serve as a potent vehicle in addressing this critical patient care gap.  It is hoped that physicians will leverage its results to build local collaborations that can enable all patients with an iliofemoral deep vein thrombosis (DVT) to benefit from multi-specialty input and (when needed) timely referral to endovascular specialists. An open iliac vein is important for the health of DVT patients, so additional innovation to develop new ways to durably ensure excellent iliofemoral venous outflow will be important in the future of PTS care. AVF members will undoubtedly continue to play a major role in driving that progress forward over time.

Acknowledgments

The C-TRACT Trial is supported by NHLBI grants UH3-HL138325 (to Dr. Suresh Vedantham at Washington University in St. Louis) and U24-HL137835 (to Dr. Sameer Parpia at McMaster University).  Medi USA donated compression garments to trial participants. The content in this article is solely the responsibility of the author, not the NHLBI or NIH.  The author thanks the NHLBI; the C-TRACT Steering Committee, site investigators, and staff; and the patients who volunteered to participate.

References

1. Vedantham S, Kahn SR, Marston WA, et al; C-TRACT Trial Investigators. Endovascular therapy for post-thrombotic syndrome: a randomized trial. N Eng J Med 2026; published 4/13/26. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2519001
2. Rutherford RB, Padberg FT Jr., et al. Venous severity scoring: an adjunct to venous outcome assessment. J Vasc Surg 2000; 31:1307-1312.
3. 3. Vasquez MA, Rabe E, McLafferty RB, et al. Revision of the venous clinical severity score: venous outcomes consensus statement: special communication of the American Venous Forum Ad Hoc Outcomes Working Group. J Vasc Surg 2010; 52(5):1387-96.

Abstract submission for the AVF’s 2027 Annual Meeting is open! Start pulling together your best work now and plan to join colleagues in vibrant Nashville, TN February 28–March 4, 2027.  This year’s theme, “Harmony in Venous Care.” says it all: when venous specialists collaborate, our patients win.  

We warmly invite you to submit your best original research and join a program designed to highlight innovation, foster collaboration, and continue to elevate the field of venous disease. We are excited to welcome investigators, clinicians, educators, staff, trainees, and industry colleagues to AVF2027. Nashville will provide an outstanding backdrop for sharing new ideas, building partnerships, and advancing venous care together. 

We’d love to see your research front and center at AVF2027. This meeting is built for everyone moving the field forward. With more than 1,000 members worldwide, AVF puts your work in front of an audience that truly understands it. Expect thoughtful questions, genuine feedback, and conversations that sharpen your research for publication. For students and early-career folks, the meeting is a goldmine for mentorship and the kind of connections that turn into lasting collaborations. You’ll also get a front-row seat to the latest innovations shaping the venous world with our industry partners. 

AVF presentations carry academic weight. Selection signals rigor and relevance, and strong abstracts frequently evolve into peer-reviewed manuscripts and multicenter projects. Whether you’re advancing endovenous therapy, refining duplex protocols, or tackling complex central venous disease, AVF provides the stage to amplify your work. 

And then there’s Nashville! Beyond the meeting, the city delivers: live music around every corner, incredible food, and a welcoming, walkable downtown that genuinely makes connecting with colleagues fun. From morning coffee chats to evening networking over hot chicken, the city has a way of bringing people together.  

Identify your most exciting project—and submit early. Bring your data, your curiosity, enthusiasm, and your best ideas. We can’t wait to see and hear the beautiful music that this community creates together!  

At the 2026 American Venous Forum Annual Meeting in Denver, the Associate Member Committee—formerly the Advanced Practice Provider (APP) Committee—delivered a robust and thoughtfully designed program for APPs, nurses, therapists, and technologists working in venous disease. Committee leaders Karen Bauer, Suzanna Fitzpatrick, Kristan Probeck, and Sarah Rosenberger guided the effort with support from Executive Board Member Kathleen Ozsvath, MD.

A major highlight of the program was the abstract session. Academic research submitted by APPs was peer‑reviewed by the committee, selected for presentation, and delivered to a large and engaged audience. This was especially meaningful because the scholarship, the voice, and the podium all belonged to APPs while remaining inclusive to all clinicians and settings. Each presenter received a certificate and commemorative gift in recognition of their contribution, and the accepted abstracts will be published in the Journal of Vascular Surgery: Venous and Lymphatic Disorders.

We are particularly proud of the committee’s vision, ownership, and execution in bringing this event to life. A total of 4 abstracts were presented, each paired with an assigned discussant who reviewed the work and contextualized it within the current literature. We look forward to making this session a recurring feature of future AVF meetings and continuing to elevate the academic presence of the entire venous care team. Please look forward to submitting an abstract for our sessions in 2027!

The American Venous Forum (AVF) continues its commitment to developing the next generation of venous and lymphatic specialists through the 2026 Venous Early Career Course, scheduled for September 25–26, 2026, in Chicago, Illinois. Designed for fellows, residents, APPs, recent graduates, and physicians new to venous disease management, the highly interactive program offers participants an immersive educational experience led by nationally recognized experts in the field.

The course emphasizes practical learning through small-group workshops, live patient cases, ultrasound and sclerotherapy demonstrations, interactive case discussions, and exposure to the latest advances in venous care. Participants also gain valuable opportunities to connect with faculty, peers, and industry leaders within a collegial environment focused on mentorship and professional growth.

To help expand access to the program, the AVF is offering a limited number of scholarships for qualified Physician and Associate members. Full scholarships include a $500 travel stipend, 2 nights of hotel accommodations, meeting-related food and beverage, and waived registration fees. Scholarship recipients are selected through a competitive review process conducted by members of the AVF Early Career Committee, with priority consideration given to AVF members.

Applications submitted before June 12, 2026, will be considered for scholarship support. Early career clinicians interested in advancing their expertise in venous and lymphatic disease are encouraged to learn more and apply through the AVF website.

We look forward to seeing you in Chicago!

“What really separates great from good?”

It was a question I recently had the opportunity to ask a world-class athlete.

As we stood there, in his element, I waited for the answer. And without hesitation, he said just one word.

“Belief.”

I’ll admit—at first, it took me by surprise. I had expected something complex, even nuanced—perhaps a reflection on training, discipline, facing fear, sacrifice, and the mental game.

But this unexpected answer makes perfect sense. This is someone who has reached a level that many aspire to and almost no one achieves. I actually looked it up: 99.995% of players in his sport never rise to his level.

And what else but pure belief would propel anyone to such greatness—reaching the pinnacles that they wish to achieve.

Belief is the ultimate intrinsic motivator that transcends all else. It’s even the essence of leadership: inspiring others to believe—and enabling that belief to become reality.

After all, people may not remember what we tell them—they will remember whether we believe in them.

An executive at a major financial services firm shared with me just the other day a cherished memory from childhood—of spending summer vacations in a village in north India. Every morning, he accompanied his grandfather, who was well respected and head of the village council, to the fields and watched as his grandfather interacted with others.

“One evening, our chitchat veered toward what I wanted to become when I grew up,” the executive told me. “I don’t remember my specific reply, but what I remember vividly is his suggestion in Hindi: ‘beta jo bhi karna, bus apne aas paas ke logon ka dhyan rakhna’—become whatever you want to but make sure you have a positive impact on the people around you!”

An enduring lesson in believing—in ourselves and in others.

Believing in someone, especially when they are in doubt, is an expression of confidence—and believing for others is a purposeful action. It turns fear into confidence, ambivalence into motivation.

Here’s the thing, though. We have to believe in ourselves first—before we can aspire to inspire others. Once we commit to it, belief doesn’t stay contained. What begins as an internal conviction becomes an external force multiplier.

The fact is the leader’s job is always to deliver belief. How we do that depends on our leadership style.

Our firm’s research, drawing on assessments of hundreds of thousands of leaders in more than 2,000 organizations around the world, has identified six overall leadership styles—directive, participative, visionary, pacesetting, affiliative, and coaching.

Inherent in every behavior and style is belief. It must be both our opening act and the encore of leadership.

When it all comes together, belief reverberates outward and cascades everywhere—creating a mindset that shows up in how we lead and how others respond.

We all know what belief does not look like. The manager … who controls a bit too much. The colleague … who is quick with a “but,” and short on “and.”

Tellingly, we also know what belief does look like and, more importantly, what it feels like. It uplifts, energizes, moves, inspires.

And that is something to believe in.