Conference Swag

Hello conference attendees! I visited the pre-conference sessions today to check out McCormick Place and get my registration stuff done. After checking in I got some...uh...swag. Check it out:



Lovely bag with the lovely official SVU and Vascular Annual Meeting 2011 logo.



A program guide, a pocket version of the program guide, a CME certificate, and a Call for Papers pamphlet for the 2012 SVU Annual Conference in Washington, DC.



Brochures and pamphlets from our wonderful sponsors.



A pen, a lanyard with credentials, and a double-sided brush. I honestly have no clue how to use the brush. It's my goal on Thursday to figure out what the brush is for.



An assortment of papers with important information such as the list of all the sessions and their room #'s, a catalog of SVU products and publications, a conference feedback survey, and a list of names (I'm assuming it's all the attendees). It looks like we have visitors from as far away as Brazil, Ireland, United Kingdom, Australia, Israel, and Singapore. Glad to have you folks!



One raffle card with instructions on how to enter to win a cruise! Also one invitation to the 2011 Vascular Annual Meeting Welcome Reception on Thursday night from 5:30pm-6:30pm.

YAY!

$2.25 Bus Ride to The Magnificent Mile and Millennium Park

Hello 2011 SVU Annual Conference attendees!

Welcome to Chicago. Did you see the beautiful sunrise this morning at around 5:00am? No? You mean you're not that crazy? I wish the weather could've been better folks. It seems a little wet outside.

However, I do have some cool news for folks interested in doing some sightseeing. The public transportation system in Chicago is pretty awesome, but a little daunting at first. Thankfully there's a bus stop right outside of McCormick Place right next to the Hyatt Regency Hotel. The bus stop is specifically for Bus #3.



This is pretty awesome. Taking Bus #3 will get you through Michigan Ave., which provides access to Millennium Park and the heart of The Magnificent Mile.



So this is great news because this is what it would cost to take Bus #3 compared to a taxi going to Millennium Park:

Bus Fare: $2.25 (one way)

Taxi Cab Ride: $12.47 (one way w/ tip according to Taxifarefinder.com)

Nothing beats the convenience of taking a cab, but for starving students such as myself a $2.25 bus ride sounds awfully appealing. :)



If you're staying at the Hyatt Regency Hotel at McCormick Place, you're in even better luck! Normally you would need EXACT CHANGE ($2.25) to board the bus. But you can go to the Front Desk of the hotel to buy an unlimited 1-day bus/train pass for $5.75. This is normally only available at train stops and grocery stores.

So there you have it. A $2.25 bus ride to The Magnificent Mile and Millennium Park.

Cheers,
Manny :)

GRAND FINALE-2011 SVU ANNUAL CONFERENCE

The GRAND FINALE will be on Saturday, June 18. Hopefully by now everyone has an idea as to which events/sessions they will attend. Here is a schedule of events for Saturday. LAST DAY SO ENJOY YOURSELVES!!!!

7:00am-8:15am

There will be several tutorials taking place at the same time. Im sure at least one of these will interest us all. As a reminder, separate registration and fee of $10 per tutorial is required. As always a continental breakfast will be served at each tutorial.

Professional Development: Taking it to the Next Level—Research, Journal Articles, Poster, Education. Given by: Rob Daigle, BA RVT FSVU

Pearls and Pitfalls of the Visceral Vascular Examination. Given by: Patrick Washko, BS RT RDMS RVT Sponsored by GE Healthcare
-YES, I'M SURE BOWEL GAS WILL BE TALKED ABOUT!!!

Workforce Development: Bridging the Generation Gap and Other Cultural Divides. Given by: Rachel Kendoll, MAEd RVT


Ultrasound Guidance During Interventions. Given by: Kelly Byrnes, RVT and Joshua Cruz, RVT Sponsored by ONKIVT/KVS Chapters

8:30am-10:00am

Ergonomics Session



ICAVL Requirement. Given by: Marge Hutchisson, LPN RVT RCVT RDCS

Documentation of Pain/Injury. Given by: Marge Hutchisson, LPN RVT RCVT RDCS

Pain Management. Given by: Steven P. Stanos, DO

Q&A Session – All faculty



Wouldn't it be nice if we can somehow do ALL our exams in this manner!!!
I believe we ALL absolutely HAVE to attend this session. I'm sure there have been days where each one of us goes home with a sore back, wrist, shoulder, or neck. While I was a student, each one of my instructors were REALLY particular about correct body positioning. I had to learn a lot of adjustments being 6 feet tall. Come to this session and save yourself from taking those pain killers!!!!
Sponsored by Sound Ergonomics

10:30am-11:30am

Balancing Carotid Criteria: How Do We Maximize Accuracy
Moderator: George Berdejo, RVT FSVU
Edward I. Bluth, MD
Gene Zierler, MD
Greg Moneta, MD
Marie Gerhard-Herman, MD RVT



As a student, I had the opportunity to rotate through 4 different labs. One thing I noticed was the overwhelming differences in Carotid Stenosis Criteria (mostly in PSV) for a "hemodynamically significant stenosis" of >50%.


11:30am-12:00pm

Awards and Annual Election Results



SVU Scientific Awards/Poster Awards – Megan D. Hodge, RN BS RVT, Chair, Awards Subcommittee
Chapter Awards – Jeanette Flannery, RVT RDMS FSVU, Chair, Chapters Subcommittee
Annual Election Results – Debbie Pirt, RVT FSVU, Chair, Nominations Subcommittee

12:15pm-1:30pm

LUNCHEON OPTIONS

Box Lunch in Exhibit Hall (separate fee required)
OR Lunch With the Experts (separate fee required)
"Transcranial Doppler Exams"
Speaker: Anne Jones, RN BSN RVT FDMS FSVU
Sponsored by CareFusionOR Lunch on your own

1:45pm-3:15pm

Configuration of the Circle of Willis and Its Influence on the Extracranial Carotid Waveforms
Moderator: Bob Scissons, RVT FSVU
Speaker: Kirk W. Beach, PhD MD

3:15pm-3:30pm

Former NFL Star Joe Theismann and the Find the AAAnswers Coalition’s AAA Public Awareness Campaign (HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY!!!!)

Stay tuned for more info about Find the AAAnswers and Joe Theismann's story on my next blog post!!!!



Sponsored by Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc.
3:30pm-3:45pm

Break-IM SURE WE ALL CAN USE THIS BREAK!!!

3:30pm-4:45pm

A Good Day in the Vascular Lab Is Better Than a Bad Day Fishing: Interesting Vascular Case Studies
Patrick Washko, BS RT RDMS RVT
Kathy Ziegler, RVT


4:45 pm

Closing Remarks

2012 SVU Annual Conference Program Committee Chair Patricia "Tish" A. Poe, BA RVT RDCS FSVU

THAT'S A WRAP!!!



From Obama's home city to Obama's current city, see you in Washington D.C. next year at the Gaylord National Convention Center!!!

2011 SVU Student Case Study Competition Winners

This is just a shout out to all the hard-working students who participated in SVU's first-ever 2011 SVU Student Case Study Competition.

The rules were that full-time students would need to submit a case by March 31st, 2011. They would need to have had an active role in the study, submitted a written and oral presentation (i.e. PowerPoint), and have their case reviewed by their ultrasound program's Program Director or faculty. The categories that each case would fall under included:

1. Peripheral Arterial
2. Peripheral Venous
3. Cerebrovascular
4. Abdominal
5. Special Circulation Studies
6. Other

Major props to all the students out there because putting together a well-written and well-researched case study is a lot of hard work. I know in my own case about bidirectional flow in the CCA, which didn't win :(, I was fortunate enough to follow my patient at her initial scan all the way to post-surgical treatment. It was a lot of research! Also, students don't really get to choose the kind of pathology they get. Sometimes you just need to be at the right place at the right time, get some crazy case, and hopefully learn from it.

So here were the winners from the first ever SVU Student Case Study Competition:

Alicia Formato
Rush University, Chicago, IL
“A Vascular Ultrasound Finding on a Pediatric Patient” in the Abdominal Category.

Elizabeth Tenny
Alvin Community College, Alvin, TX
“A Real Pain in the …Arm?” in the Peripheral Arterial Category.

Danielle Ofsowitz
Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
“Carotid Restenosis Post CEA” in the Cerebrovascular Category.

Keara Dwyer
Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
“Renal Transplant” in the Special Circulatory Category.

Hamzeh Darwiche
Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
“Incidental Findings” in the Other Category.

What a really great competition! It's so awesome to see students take an active role in challenging themselves in competitions like these. Major props to these students and we can expect nothing but bright futures for them. Really awesome stuff. Hopefully these students get to go to the SVU Annual Conference this year, I would love to meet them.

To see the student's case presentations (PDF file), click on the link and look under "Competition Winners":
http://www.svunet.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3300





Major props to Elizabeth Tenny and Alicia Formato's presentation, they were pretty awesome. The other cases were awesome too..but ya know...bonus points for fancy colors. Hahaha.

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I got to speak to fellow Rush University classmate Alicia Formato recently, and I was really fascinated by her case. What started out as a pediatric renal duplex exam became a full-fledged abdominal scan. Alicia noticed diminished waveforms throughout the abdomen which led her to suspect coarctation of the aorta. MR angiography later confirmed and diagnosed Alicia's suspicions of the coarctation.



Alicia Formato recently graduated magna cum laude last Saturday so major props to her and the rest of Rush University's students.

Cheers,
Manny :)

Eat Learn Scan

In the movie Eat Pray Love, which is based on Elizabeth Gilbert's memoir of the same name, we watch an individual basically munch her way through exotic locales and discover her inner strengths.

You too can have that same experience (though not as exotic) by checking out the Lunch with the Expert sessions at the 2011 SVU Annual Conference. Yes, that's right. You too can eat delicious food, find the inner vascular clinician spirit within you, and come away a stronger individual.

In the end, let these sessions be a testament to the beauty of community, being around like-minded individuals that inspire us to be better vascular clinicians, and having a plate of good food. Yah!

Here's a quick rundown of sessions. Please remember that each session is a separate fee and comes with a delicious lunch.

Lunch with the Experts:

Thursday
12:30pm-1:45pm
Strategic Approach to the Abnormal Vascular Examination with:
S. Wayne Smith, MD, FACP FSVM RVT

Friday
12:20pm-1:30pm
Lab Management: Innovative Ideas with:
Ajay Zachariah, BS RVT RDMS RDCS,
Kathy Ziegler, RVT, and
Michael Schwebler, MBA RVT FSVU

Saturday
12:15pm-1:30pm
Transcranial Doppler Exams with:
Anne Jones, RN BSN RVT FDMS FSVU

Cheers,
Manny :)

2nd Day of the 2011 SVU Annual Conference - Preview

Last week on the blog we previewed the pre-conference sessions happening on Wednesday June 15th, as well as the 1st day sessions happening on Thursday June 16th. Today let's get a quick overview of Friday June 17th, 2011, which is officially the 2nd day of the conference.



2nd Day of the 2011 SVU Annual Conference

6:00am-5:30pm
SVU Registration

Registration opens at 6am for all the early birds out there.

7:00am-8:15am
SVU Technical Showcase
Industry/Company Highlights

The SVU Technical Showcase is a breakfast session where participants can get hands-on demonstrations of some of the latest developments by vendors such as GE Healthcare, Medstreaming, Biomedix, Philips Healthcare, CareFusion, Hokanson, Esoate North America, and Surgidex.

I'm looking forward to this because I'm sort of a geek when it comes to technology.

8:30am-10:00am
Clinical Oral Sessions
Lots of great information being presented at the Friday morning session. Here are the highlights of the morning's general session:

1. Comparison of Duplex Ultrasound and Computed Tomography Surveillance Following Endovascular Aneurysm Repair (EVAR) in Determining Proximal Endograft Location by Babatunde H. Almaroof, MD

2. Relationship Between Diameter And Pelvic Vein Reflux by Fanilda S. Barros, MD.

3. Standing Versus Supine Evaluation for Superficial Venous Reflux: Dispositional or Core Belief? by George A. Carty, MD RVT RPVI RPhS

4. Is Pre-Operative Vein Mapping Beneficial For Creation Of Dialysis Arteriovenous Fistulas? by Renee M Croft, RVT

5. Clinical Significance of Standing vs. Reversed Trendelenburg Position for the Diagnosis of Lower Extremity Venous Reflux in the Greater Saphenous Vein by R. Patrick DeMuth, ThM RVT.

6. Duplex-Guided Diagnosis And Surgical Repair Of A Posterior Circumflex Humeral Artery Aneurysm In A Major League Baseball Pitcher by Katherine Y. Kane MD.

7. Prospective Investigation Of Variability In Duplex Ultrasound Assessment Of Venous Reflux: Phase 1 Of The Invest by Fedor Lurie, MD PhD RVT.

8. Internship Program for New Graduates by Lois A. Scheffler, RVT RDMS RDCS.

Perhaps the most interesting presentation here for me is the "standing vs reversed trendelenburg" argument for reflux exams. I know during my clinical rotations as a student each lab I was at had their own way of doing things. Some were standing only and some used reversed trendelenburg. It'll be exciting to see what's in store for this debate.



10:30am-11:20am
Clinical Case Study Presentations

1. Internal Carotid Occlusion in a Newborn by Donna R. Blackburn,
MS RN RVT FSVU.

2. Common Femoral Artery Pseudoaneurysm Associated With Arterio-Venous Fistula by Judith W. Cook, MD.

3. Fusion Imaging: Combining Computer Tomogram Angiography And Transcranial Duplex Imaging Following Extra-Cranial/Intra- Cranial Bypass by Zsolt Garami, MD.

4. Lower Extremity Bypass Graft Entrapment by Marisa L. Marzec BS RVT.

5. Ophthalmic Artery Steal Syndrome: An Unusual Cause of Amaurosis Fugax by Francis J. Porreca MD RPVI.

6. Ultrasound-Guided Transcatheter Ethanol Injection and Sclerotherapy of an Arteriovenous Malformation of the Foot by Makenzie Seckora, RVT.

One of the phrases I heard the most during my clinical internships is that in vascular ultrasound, "anything is possible". What makes this field so exciting (and sometimes sad) is that there's always something new to learn and unique cases that go beyond what is available in textbooks. This is what makes the SVU Annual Conference great in that we can see and share unique cases that will broaden our "oh I've seen that before" portfolio. Come check out these unique cases and I guarantee you will leave a wiser vascular clinician. Also major props to Donna Blackburn, one of the faculty members at Rush University who is presenting a case about an ICA occlusion in a newborn.



11:20am-12:20pm
SVU Town Hall Meeting
So how is the Society of Vascular doing? Pretty awesome! But don't take my word for it. Come to the SVU Town Hall Meeting and check out what's happening.

1. State of the Society by SVU President Michel Comeaux, RN BSN RVT RDMS FSVU, and SVU Executive Director Steve Haracznak, BA.

2. Hot Topic by Michael Schwebler, MBA RVT FSVU

3. Announcement of 2011 SVU Fellows by Tish Poe, BA RVT RDCS FSVU, Chair, Fellows Subcommittee.

12:20pm-1:30pm
Lunch
Again, lunch is my favorite part of the day. Again people can have a boxed lunch at the Exhibit Hall (for a fee) or people can get lunch on their own. Friday's Lunch with the Experts session is about Lab Management!

Lunch with the Experts:
Lab Management: Innovative Ideas by Ajay Zachariah, BS RVT RDMS RDCS, Kathy Ziegler, RVT, and Michael Schwebler, MBA RVT FSVU

1:30pm-3:00pm
SVS and SVU Joint Session: Use of Ultrasound in Venous Diagnosis and Intervention

1. The Role of Ultrasound during Venous Ablation by Paula Heggerick, BS RDMS RVT RPhS
2. Duplex Evalution following Great Saphenous Vein Ablation: Should Duplex be Routinely Performed or is Selective Imaging Acceptable by David Rigberg, MD
3. Imaging of Perforators, Accessory Veins and Small Saphenous Vein: Technical Tips and Duplex Predictors of Benefit from Intervention by William B. Schroedter, BA RVT FSVU
4. Use of Ultrasound during IVC Filter Placement by Marc A. Passman, MD
5. DVT: Role of Venous Duplex in Determining Length of Anticoagulation by Paul Armstrong, DO
6. Q&A Session – All Faculty

This is a joint session by the Society for Vascular Surgery and the Society of Vascular Ultrasound. Along with carotid exams, venous exams are among the most numerous exams we do. Check out this important session on some interesting developments in venous ultrasound exams.

4:00pm-4:15pm
Award Presentations
SVU Service Awards by Megan D. Hodge, RN BS RVT, Chair, Awards Subcommittee.

4:15pm-5:30pm
SVU/SVS Joint Government Relations Update
Important, important, important!!! There is a lot of change happening in regards to patient care and government reform. Legislation changes affect everyone in the health care field (not just vascular clinicians). Come to this session to see the latest developments in health care reform.

1. Health Care Reform Status by David Parlato, BA RVT FSVU
2. CARE Bill Status by Anne Jones, RN BSN RVT RDMS FSVU
3. Status of State Licensure for Medical Imaging by Michael P. Lilly, MD
4. 2010 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule by Robert Zwolak, MD PhD FACS
5. SGR Formula Fix Update by Sean P. Roddy, MD

4:10pm-5:30pm
Concurrent International Session Contrast Agents
The use of contrast agents is another interesting development in vascular ultrasound. Check out this interesting session! It's the last session of the day, so please show some love and check it out!

Cheers,
Manny :)

2011 SVU Technical Showcase on Friday, June 17th

Over the years technology has helped to shape the profession of vascular ultrasound as we know it today. From the discovery of piezoelectricity by Pierre Curie, the invention of the stethoscope by René Laennec, the technique of blood pressure measurement discovered by Nikolai Korotkoff, to the invention of an ultrasound device to detect submarines by Paul Langevin, there has been a long history of pioneers who have paved the way for the technology and techniques we may take for granted today.


Uhhh...does it come with a gel warmer?

Especially for new graduates like myself, it's hard to imagine that there was a time when a vascular clinician did not rely on storing images on hard drives, or "cine mode", or color imaging, or even imaging itself.



Today the legacy of developing technology for the use of vascular ultrasound rests on the shoulders of some amazing companies. These companies include familiar names such as GE Healthcare, Philips Healthcare, Parks, Hokanson, Toshiba, Unetixs, and Esaote. Other names that may not develop ultrasound technology directly, but provide vital services, management of patient data, ICAVL accreditation, research of new imaging techniques, and clinical care solutions include BioMedix, CareFusion, Surgidex, Medstreaming, DatachecK, HPSO, BNAC, and Navix Diagnostix. There's other great companies that provide educational and ergonomic products (super important!) such as Pegasus Lectures, Vascular-Web.com, and Sound Ergonomics. And then there's ARDMS and CCI, whom new vascular ultrasound graduates tend to fear.

We're really happy to have these companies and organizations as sponsors for the 2011 SVU Annual Conference. Eight of these organizations will be at the conference including: GE Healthcare, Medstreaming, Biomedix, Philips Healthcare, CareFusion, Hokanson, Esoate North America, and Surgidex.



Therefore, it's highly recommended that all visitors this year come to the 2011 SVU Technical Showcase on Friday June 17th, 2011 from 7:00am-8:15am. There really isn't any other time or place where you'll get so many different companies to check out and hands-on demonstrations with the latest technology and services.

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Vascular clinicians and the companies that develop technology and solutions for them have always had a close-knit relationship. You may have spoken to someone from a company over the phone, or emailed them when a problem occurred, or perhaps met with a former colleague-turned-applications specialist. But in any case, there is no better way to create a relationship and have good old fashioned "face-to-face" contact with these companies than at the 2011 SVU Annual Conference.

The vascular ultrasound world is a rather small community. Vascular clinicians and the companies that develop technology and solutions for us are really "in it together" when it comes to providing the best care for all our patients. So come out, have some breakfast with us, and show some love at the 2011 SVU Technical Showcase on Friday June 17th, 2011 from 7:00am-8:15am.

Cheers,
Manny :)