The last decade has witnessed a number of changes in the delivery of vascular services nationwide. Vascular surgery attained speciality status in 2012, and is well recognised as an urgent and emergent speciality delivering time-dependent care for patients with aortic aneurysms, carotid surgery for stroke prevention and lower limb revascularisation for critical limb-threatening ischaemia. The […]
Read MoreIntroduction The importance of frailty as a clinical syndrome is gaining momentum in surgical specialties. Frailty is defined as ‘a state of vulnerability to a stressor event, triggering disproportionate changes in health status’.1 Increasing age may lead to the clinical condition of frailty.1 In the UK, three quarters of patients presenting with vascular disease are […]
Read MoreIntroduction The COronaVIrus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic resulted in major changes in medical practice and clinical decision-making. Throughout the pandemic, the decision of whether, and how, to offer medical or surgical treatments was influenced by several factors such as COVID-19 positivity, patients’ risk of contracting COVID-19 whilst receiving treatment, resource rationing, staff shortages and government guidelines.1,2 […]
Read MoreIntroduction The ageing population is growing. In 2020 there were 609,503 UK residents aged 90 and over, an increase of more than 2.5 times in the past 30 years.1 Cardiovascular disease is a large contributor to morbidity and mortality in this age group,2 and consequently older patients are being referred for vascular surgery evaluation.3 Given […]
Read MoreIntroduction The COVID-19 pandemic has caused major disruption to clinical practice across the entire health service. Major changes to service delivery occurred across all specialties with the introduction of the national lockdown in the UK in March 2020. At the peak of the pandemic, overwhelming pressure caused staff shortages in all areas, reduced intensive care […]
Read More