WFVS secretary general details how the organization has evolved in recent years, seeing gains in representation and access to education among members from underserved regions.
In the stew of national and regional vascular societies that dot the globe, the World Federation of Vascular Societies (WFVS) might get somewhat overlooked. You might be peripherally aware of the group, you might have heard the current secretary general talk about it at a podium somewhere in the not-too-distant past, but you might not be too sure what it is and what it does. Those are maladies Palma Shaw, MD, the WFVS secretary general in question, wants to remedy.
“The whole mantra of the WFVS is the haves help the have nots,” Shaw tells Vascular Specialist as she gears up to attend the latest WFVS symposium in South Africa. “We’re here to pool our resources together and we’re committed to that. We’ve spent a lot of time trying to re-establish the federation as an impactful entity. We’ve put on a lot of different sessions to increase the federation’s visibility, and we have really worked to bring together resources that are accessible.”
Shaw runs through a quick refresher on its reason for being: The WFVS is an umbrella organization that unites societies across the globe; a collaborative forum to advance vascular science, education and patient care worldwide; and a network to share expertise and establish global standards of care. In 2021, the federation was revamped with bylaw updates, a new website, and the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) taking over day-to-day management.
Shaw says those founding WFVS goals have seen some significant advances in recent times. One of the most prominent: the Global Training Initiative is now established with the aim of bringing together trainees and young surgeons from across the world for accessible programming. “We have representatives from each member society who come together every two months to try to discuss ways we can help them fill in gaps in education,” she explains. “Some have more exposure to different areas of vascular surgery than others. The website is a great enabler of this, helping provide access to trainees and young surgeons in any country, from Africa to South America.” Resources now available include contributions from the SVS, the European Society for Vascular Surgery (ESVS) and the Japanese Society for Vascular Surgery (JSVS).
In person, the WFVS has broadened its footprint at national and international conferences and meetings, including WFVS-dedicated sessions at the SVS Vascular Annual Meeting, the VEITHsymposium and the Charing Cross (CX) International Symposium. And this month sees the WFVS stage its own annual symposium during the Vascular Society of South Africa (VASSA) Congress in Cape Town (Oct. 16–18)—home organization of the reigning WFVS president, Pradeep Mistry, MD—the event for which Shaw is preparing as she outlines the federation’s progress.
Cost is a limitation to expanding the Global Training Initiative, which has in part spurred the development of WFVS’ digital platform and access to its repository of educational resources. But a couple of key face-to-face opportunities have also emerged.
“We now have WFVS International Fellowships, part of a visiting scholar program, to help those from underserved regions who need more hands-on, advanced training,” Shaw continues. One is hosted by Jikei University in Tokyo, Japan, in which scholars spend three months under the leadership of Takao Ohki, MD, the other a 12-month program at Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center under the guidance of Alan Lumsden, MD.
WFVS is also working with Iman Bayat, MBBS, from the Australia and New Zealand Society for Vascular Surgery (ANZSVS) on the Global Vascular Companionship, a mentorship-based program to create sustainable vascular units in underserved regions. “This is aimed at trying to help specific nations that have the capacity to build vascular units back home, but who just need that education,” Shaw details, pointing to examples of general surgeons in Barbados and Fiji being mentored by vascular surgeons to get units up and running.
“We are endorsing and expanding the reach across the world. We also worked with the Rouleaux Club, the UK and Ireland’s vascular trainee association, to put on the Worrying Foot Competition at CX in London,” says Shaw. The problem is funding for these trainees to do anything. The Worrying Foot Competition provided an opportunity to attend. But if you’re not in Europe it’s an expensive trip, so how do you get that support?”
Further WFVS efforts are afoot to plug the gaps. A collaboration with the Journal of Vascular Surgery-Vascular Insights saw the development of a special edition focused on rare vascular diseases, which is available online and due to be published in print. It features such conditions as carotid body tumors, pediatric aneurysms and popliteal vein aneurysms. A multi-societal effort to bring together experience with uncommon vascular diseases, Shaw says the edition is aimed at providing perspectives from different parts of the world “you may not get if you’re always coming from the U.S. or Europe.” In the same vein, the WFVS is collaborating with the Vascular Low Frequency Disease Consortium to expand global access to data on rare diseases.
Meanwhile, the WFVS council has been expanded. From two per society, the body now includes an additional representative from each constituent member society with an executive leader. “Again, the goal was to try to have more representation rather than less,” Shaw adds.
That inclusive approach extends to helping women vascular surgeons advance, including in areas of the globe where barriers endure. “Speaking to colleagues in different parts of the world, it is clear there is less opportunity for exposure, especially among women,” she says. “There are fewer women vascular surgeons in places like Africa, for example, and, even in a place such as Romania, some of the female vascular surgeons may train but they don’t get to work independently, ending up as surgical assists. So, there are countries where I think that maybe we can help women advance and spread knowledge and experience.”
