2020 UAB Cardiovascular Institute Annual Report CVI Annual Report 2019-2020 6 | Page 26

The UAB Vein Program is the most comprehensive venous disease-based service in Alabama and has become an
important resource for both straightforward and complex vein problems. The program provides comprehensive
evaluation and specialized treatment for vein disorders, such as acute and chronic deep venous thrombosis (DVT),
venous ulcers, iliac vein and vena cava obstruction, oncologic venous reconstructions, and rare disorders of the
venous system, such as venous malformations.
The UAB Vein Clinic is the outpatient arm of the larger UAB Vein Program. Many minor vein procedures can
be performed in an outpatient setting, including saphenous vein ablation and treatment of spider and varicose
veins, with few side effects and minimal scarring. The Comprehensive Vein Clinic is one of only a few facilities in
Alabama accredited by the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission for Vein Centers.
HIGHLIGHTS
• High volume of acute and chronic DVT treatments
• Removal of chronically indwelling inferior vena cava (IVC) filters
• Complex minimally invasive outpatient venous procedures can be performed at the UAB Vein Clinic, including:
– Veinwave system, which uses heat to close the veins and render them nearly invisible
– Sclerotherapy, in which a liquid chemical is injected into the vein that causes it to collapse and fade
– Endovenous ablation, which closes off the blood supply to the affected veins
– Microphlebectdomy, in which varicose veins or vein clusters are removed through tiny incisions
Significant post-thrombotic
syndrome due to complete
IVC filter, vena cava, and
iliofemoral vein thrombotic
occlusion. Advanced
catheter clot removal
using phamacomechanical
thrombectomy techniques,
along with filter removal,
resulted in restored
patency to IVC and
iliofemoral vein system
and significant clinical
improvement.
24
UAB Cardiovascular Institute Annual Report
PERIPHERAL ARTERIAL & VENOUS DISEASE
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS:
• Multiple innovative device and drug trials are ongoing for new treatments of peripheral arterial disease.
• An active participant in research and clinical trials for the diagnosis and treatment of peripheral arterial disease.
These studies include the multi-institutional, NIH-sponsored BEST-CLI trial (Best Endovascular vs. Best Surgical
Therapy in Patients with Critical Limb Ischemia), which evaluates and compares the outcomes of open and
minimally invasive treatments performed for limb salvage.
• Physicians in the UAB Stroke Center participate in the CREST 2 trial, which is evaluating medical therapy for
asymptomatic carotid stenting or carotid endarterectomy.
• UAB Medicine surgeons participate in the Society for Vascular Surgery Vascular Quality Initiative (SVS VQI),
allowing evaluation for outcomes and national/regional benchmarking of outcomes and care processes.
COMPREHENSIVE VEIN PROGRAM
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
• Gagne PJ, Gasparis A, Black S, Thorpe P, Passman M, Vedantham S, Marston W, Iafrati M. Analysis of threshold
stenosis by multiplanar venogram and intravascular ultrasound examination for predicting clinical improvement
after iliofemoral vein stenting in the VIDIO trial.
J Vasc Surg Venous Lymphat Disord. 2018 Jan;6(1):48-56.e1. doi: 10.1016/j.jvsv.2017.07.009
• Parmar GM, Novak Z, Spangler E, Patterson M, Passman MA, Beck AW, Pearce BJ.
Statin use improves limb salvage after intervention for peripheral arterial disease.
J Vasc Surg. 2019 Aug;70(2):539-546. doi: 10.1016/j.jvs.2018.07.089
• Leithead C, Novak Z, Spangler E, Passman MA, Witcher A, Patterson MA, Beck AW, Pearce BJ. Importance
of postprocedural Wound, Ischemia, and foot Infection (WIfI) restaging in predicting limb salvage. J Vasc Surg.
2018 Feb;67(2):498-505. doi: 10.1016/j.jvs.2017.07.109
• Whaley ZL, Cassimjeea I, Novak Z, Rowland D, Lapollaa P, Chandrashekar A, Pearce BJ, Beck AW, Handa
A, Lee R. (In Press) The Spatial Morphology of Intraluminal Thrombus Influences Type II Endoleak After
Endovascular Repair of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms, Annals of Vascular Surgery, Available online 5 August
2019.
• Parmar, GM, Novak, Z, Spangler, E, Beck, AW, Pearce, BJ; Zdenek Novak, MD, PhD, MSHI Statin use improves
limb salvage after intervention for peripheral arterial disease, Journal of Vascular SurgeryVolume 70, Issue 2,
August 2019, Pages 539-546
• Leithead, C, Novak, Z, Spangler, E, Passman, MA, Witcher, A, Patterson, MA, Beck, AW, Pearce, BJ
Importance of postprocedural Wound, Ischemia, and foot Infection (WIfI) restaging in predicting limb salvage.
Journal of Vascular Surgery, Vol 67, Issue 2, February 2018, Pages 498-505.
• Axley J, Novak Z, McFarland G, Spangler EL, Pearce BJ, Patterson MA, Passman MA, Beck AW Informing
Telemetry Use in Post-Operative Vascular Surgery Patients Dysrhythmia in the Vascular Quality Initiative. Ann
Vasc Surg 2019; 61:20-21
• Wilson R, Novak Z, Spangler EL, McFarland G, Passman MA, Patterson MA, Beck AW Assessing the
Relationship Between Post-Operative Myocardial Infarction, Preoperative Hemoglobin and Perioperative Blood
Usage. Ann Vasc Surg 2019;21-22
• Rothenberg KA, McFarland GE, Stern JR. Endovascular Repair of a Ruptured Hepatic Artery Pseudoaneurysm
Secondary to Fibromuscular Dysplasia. Vasc Endovascular Surg. 2019 Jan;53(1):66-70.
• McFarland, G, Tran, K, Virgin-Downey, W, Chandra, V, Mell, M, Harris, EJ, Dalman, RL, Lee, JT. Standard EVAR in
patients with dilated infrarenal necks requiring a 34-36mm endograft is associated with increased risk of type
1a endoleak. J Vasc Surg.2019 Feb;69(2):385-393.
• Tran K, Lee AM, McFarland GE, Sgroi MD, Lee JT. Complex EVAR is associated with higher peri-operative
mortality but not late-mortality compared to infrarenal EVAR amongst octogenarians. J Vasc Surg. 2019
Feb;69(2):327-333.
• Luke M Stewart, Benjamin Pearce, Danielle C Sutzko, Graeme E. McFarland, Emily L. Spangler, Zdenek
Novak, Adam W. Beck, The Association of Preoperative Length of Stay on Surgical Site Infection After Lower
Extremity Bypass. October 2019.
uabmedicine.org
25