Audible Bleeding

SVS Leadership and Advocacy Summit

Audible Bleeding

Show Notes

Audible Bleeding editors Falen Demsas, an integrated vascular surgery resident at Massachusetts General Hospital, and Sasank Kalipatnapu (@ksasank), a fifth-year general surgery resident at UMass Chan Medical School, are joined by Megan Tracci (@MeganTracci), James Black (@JamesHBlackMD), and Lauren West-Livingston (LWestLivingston) for a discussion following the inaugural SVS Leadership and Advocacy Summit. In this episode, the group reflects on the importance of surgeon advocacy, highlights key takeaways from the Summit, and discusses how vascular surgeons throughout training and practice can engage in policy, leadership, and organized medicine at local and national levels. The conversation explores the evolving role of advocacy within the Society for Vascular Surgery, including the work of the SVS Advocacy Council and its collaboration across Government Relations, Coding, VA advocacy, and quality and policy initiatives. Dr. Tracci shares insights from her leadership roles within SVS advocacy efforts and her work as ACS Medical Director for Surgeon Engagement. Dr. Black discusses his longstanding advocacy work on behalf of patients and physicians, including numerous trips to Capitol Hill over the course of his career. Dr. West-Livingston reflects on her experience attending the recent Advocacy & Leadership Conference as a trainee and the importance of resident involvement in advocacy work. Show Guests Megan Tracci Leader within the SVS Advocacy Council, which includes Government Relations, Coding, VA advocacy, and quality and policy collaboration efforts. She also serves as the ACS Medical Director for Surgeon Engagement. James Black Chief of Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapy at Johns Hopkins University and longtime advocate who has made countless trips to Capitol Hill to advocate for patients and physicians. Lauren West-Livingston Integrated vascular surgery resident at Duke University and member of the SVS Government Relations Committee who attended the recent Advocacy & Leadership Conference. Notable Mentions The inaugural SVS Leadership and Advocacy Summit Advocacy efforts within the Society for Vascular Surgery, including Government Relations, Coding, VA advocacy, and quality and policy collaboration. Learn more here SVS Advocacy Council Opportunities for vascular surgeons to engage in advocacy throughout all stages of training and practice. Sign up for updates Follow us @audiblebleeding Learn more about us at Audible Bleeding and provide us with your feedback through our listener survey. Gore is a financial sponsor of this podcast, which has been independently developed by the presenters and does not constitute medical advice from Gore. Always consult the Instructions for Use (IFU) prior to using any medical device.

More from Audible Bleeding

Oct 4, 2026

Audible Bleeding editor Wen Kawaji (@WenKawaji) is joined by Dr. Danielle Garcia, Dr. Robert Meyers, JVS editor Dr. Duncan (@ADuncanVasc), and JVS-VL editor Dr. Ruth Bush to discuss some of our favorite articles in the JVS family of journals.

Sep 21, 2026

Jacob Soucy (@JacobWSoucy) hosts an inside look at a timely and thought-provoking editorial published in The Vascular Specialist, the official news magazine of the Society for Vascular Surgery. In this episode, we explore the introduction of preference signaling to the integrated vascular surgery match through the lens of the editorial "This Signal Brings Noise." The discussion examines whether signaling addresses problems that exist within the vascular surgery match, how signals may influence interview selection, and the potential unintended consequences of introducing artificial scarcity into an already highly successful match process. Jacob speaks with Dr. Malachi G. Sheahan III about the motivation behind the piece, the problems preference signaling is intended to solve, how applicants and programs may approach the new system, and why signaling may turn the application process into a strategic game. They also discuss application review, virtual versus in-person interviews, the role of program reputation and mentorship in applicant decision-making, and what the vascular surgery community should watch as signaling is implemented for the first time.

Sep 17, 2026

Audible Bleeding Editor and vascular surgery fellow Sasank Kalipatnapu (@ksasank) is joined by James Martinson, a practicing general surgeon with an interest in vascular surgery, currently serving as the ship's surgeon for the USS John F. Kennedy aircraft carrier; JVS editor Dr. Audra Duncan (@ADuncanVasc); and JVS-CIT editor Dr. Matthew Smeds (@MattSmeds) to discuss two great articles in the JVS family of journals. Articles: Part 1: The association between multimorbidity and arteriovenous fistula creation outcomes (Wei and Woo)

Aug 9, 2026

Audible Bleeding Editor and vascular surgery fellow Richa Kalsi (@KalsiMD) is joined by James Martinson, practicing general surgeon with an interest in vascular surgery currently serving as the ship's surgeon for the USS Harry S Truman aircraft carrier and Langford Green (@langfordgreen_), research fellow at the Center for Vascular Research at the University of Maryland currently applying to medical school, JVS editor Dr. Audra Duncan (@ADuncanVasc), and JVS-VI editor Dr. Anahita Dua (@AnahitaDua) to discuss two great articles in the JVS family of journals. Articles: Part 1: Open bypass versus endovascular therapy in chronic limb-threatening ischemia patients with prior endovascular attempts (Hamouda & Malas)

Aug 2, 2026

Welcome back to the Audible Bleeding Series: Landmark Papers in Vascular Surgery. In this episode, Audible Bleeding editor John Culhane and co-host Dr. Jesse Columbo are joined by our guests, Dr. David Stone, Dr. Salvatore Scali, and Dr. Anders Wanhainen to unpack one of the longest-running debates in aortic surgery: when (and whether) to repair an abdominal aortic aneurysm. We'll start our episode with the open-repair era and the two trials that set the basis for the 5.5 cm threshold—UKSAT and ADAM—then move into the early EVAR years with PIVOTAL and CAESAR, which asked whether fixing smaller aneurysms with endovascular technology could do better. Finally, we'll look at how modern screening programs, improved medical therapy, and current guidelines have reshaped the practical decisions we make for these patients every day.

See all episodes →