Introduction Diabetes and its subsequent complications, including diabetic foot disease, is a rapidly growing global health pandemic and a major financial burden on healthcare systems worldwide. The International Diabetes Federation estimated that over 463 million people suffer from diabetes in…
Introduction Arthur Voorhees and colleagues first described the use of a prosthetic graft to bridge arterial defects in 1952. Since then, numerous advances have been made in fabric technologies, and a large variety of prosthetic grafts are currently available on…
Introduction As trainees and practicing vascular surgeons perform fewer open procedures, it becomes increasingly important to understand and become familiar with the established principles of open surgical technique. With advances in catheter-based technology, endovascular therapy is now the first option…
Introduction Access to the vascular system in order to perform life-sustaining dialysis in the face of renal failure remains an important and challenging clinical scenario for vascular surgeons. The number of individuals requiring vascular access for hemodialysis continues to rise.…
Ergot is a parasitic fungal disease that is caused by the organism Claviceps purpurea and that has a particular prevalence for infecting rye plants. Ergot and the ergot alkaloids have been linked to epidemic poisonings that manifested as ergotism and…