Presidential address: The American Association for Vascular Surgery: A tradition of imagination, innovation, and change

Henry Haimovici, MD, vascular surgeon and physiologist at Montefiore Medical Center, founded International Society for Angiology in 1950.

A, New name (The International Society for Vascular Surgery, North American Chapter) and logo were adopted by Society in 1957. B, Society changed its name to The American Association for Vascular Surgery and adopted new logo in 2001.

Figure shows proliferation of national, regional, and specialty societies.

Alton Ochsner, MD, one of the founding members of the Society, was a spokesman for national healthcare issues.

Graph shows that incidence rate of major lower extremity amputation has not significantly changed in past 20 years.⁶ (Adapted from Feinglass J, et al. Rates of lower-extremity amputation and arterial reconstruction in the United States, 1979-1996. Am J Public Health 1999;89:1222-7. Copyright 1999 by the American Public Health Association.)

Northern Illinois data show that highest incidence rate of lower extremity amputation occurs in African-American population and in low socioeconomic areas of Chicago.