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Congratulations to Dr. Edward Arous who was recently appointed to the Society for Vascular Surgery Young Surgeons Section Steering Committee! The committee’s mission is to foster and accelerate the learning and career development of young surgeons within the first 10 years of practice. Dr. Arous is one of 12 young surgeons on the committee. Learn more
LEOMINSTER — Longtime vascular surgeon and founding member of The Vascular Care Group, Dr. Stephen Hoenig recently completed a successful percutaneous femoral-popliteal artery bypass at its Merriam Avenue location, the first procedure of its kind in the state in an outpatient setting.
“With any new procedure there is always freshman anxiety,” Hoenig said of the breakthrough procedure. “I have an excellent team that gave me confidence and assisted in every part of the process.”
The procedure is used to treat a blocked femoral artery, the largest artery in the thigh that supplies oxygen-rich blood to the leg. According to a press release, the percutaneous bypass graft is used to restore blood flow to the lower leg and foot using a minimally invasive technique that avoids hospitalization and long recovery.
“Although I did not invent this procedure, I am proud to bring it to my community,” Hoenig said. “This, along with many of the minimally invasive procedures we now perform in the outpatient facility, I believe, are transformative in the world of vascular surgery and patient care. It gave me great joy and satisfaction to provide this service to my patients.”
Vascular surgeon and founding member of The Vascular Care Group Dr. Stephen Hoenig (far right) with his team, including Dr. Sebastian DiDato (second from left), who recently helped him successfully complete a percutaneous femoral-popliteal artery bypass at the Leominster location, the first procedure of its kind in the state in an outpatient setting. (COURTESY THE VASCULAR CARE GROUP)
Vascular surgeon and founding member of The Vascular Care Group Dr. Stephen Hoenig and his medical team recently completed a successful percutaneous femoral-popliteal artery bypass at the Leominster location, the first procedure of its kind in the state in an outpatient setting. (COURTESY THE VASCULAR CARE GROUP)
Hoenig said they have now completed the minimally invasive procedure, which decreases recovery time, on two patients under mild-conscious sedation.
“Both patients watched the procedure being performed on the monitor and had only minimal discomfort,” he said. “This procedure assists in keeping patients out of the hospital where they otherwise may have required a three-to-five-day hospitalization for recovery. My patients walked out of my office one hour after the procedure.”
According to a press release the procedure was part of an investigational device exemption trial called Detour2 Continued Access (NCT04625660), sponsored by Endologix LLC. The trial is evaluating the safety and effectiveness of the PQ Bypass System for a percutaneous femoral-popliteal bypass procedure. The PQ Bypass System was designated as a U.S. Food and Drug Administration Breakthrough Device in 2020.
The Vascular Care Group’s Merriam Avenue Leominster location, where Dr. Stephen Hoenig and his medical team recently completed a successful percutaneous femoral-popliteal artery bypass, the first procedure of its kind in the state in an outpatient setting. (COURTESY THE VASCULAR CARE GROUP)
“By offering this type of minimally invasive procedure in the outpatient setting, we can help patients avoid a surgical incision, hospitalization and postoperative recovery,” said Hoenig. “The patient was discharged … after the procedure with no discomfort and only two small, quarter-inch access incisions. This clearly changes our approach to limb threatening disease. I feel privileged to be one of the first vascular surgeons in Massachusetts to perform the procedure.”
With this new procedure, The Vascular Care Group is providing new technologies and techniques to community physicians working outside of large research centers, enabling greater access to medical innovation in a safe, efficient, patient-friendly setting. It marks another step in granting communities access to cutting-edge technology on a local level at a lower cost, without requiring a trip to a major city, or a long hospital stay.
Hoenig has been a vascular surgeon for 22 years and helped found The Vascular Care Group in January 2020, which has nine locations across the state.
LEOMINSTER, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The Vascular Care Group (TVCG), a state-of-the art practice committed to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of vascular disease, today announced the hiring of Sebastian DiDato, MD, FACS, RPVI, MPH to its Leominster, Mass. location. Dr. DiDato will support the practice’s mission to provide comprehensive vascular care for patients in the area with aortic disease, peripheral vascular disease, carotid disease, mesenteric vascular disease, dialysis access and venous disease.
“I believe the transition to expanded outpatient care is the future of healthcare across specialties, including vascular disease,” said Dr. DiDato. “In the outpatient setting, we see a streamlined process where patients interact with the same staff members throughout the course of their treatment. Our minimally invasive techniques are intended to send patients home within 60 minutes following their procedure, instead of hours. I have also seen improvement in overall patient outcomes as we can easily follow up after treatment and encourage better health practices in our local community.”
Dr. DiDato has experience treating patients across New England, and previously worked at Concord Hospital in New Hampshire and Reliant Medical Group in Worcester, Mass. He is also an active member of several professional organizations including, American College of Surgeons, New England Society for Vascular Surgery, Society for Vascular Surgery, and Massachusetts Medical Society. Dr. DiDato has authored multiple research publications and participated in conferences across the country. His clinical interests include treatment of aortic aneurysms, carotid artery disease, venous disease and wound care.
TVCG centers its treatment model around optimizing the patient experience, providing advanced vascular interventions outside of the traditional hospital setting, and reducing costs for patients and payers. With nine locations in Massachusetts, TVCG is bringing lifesaving vascular care to local communities and making state-of-the-art treatment more accessible.
About The Vascular Care Group
The Vascular Care Group (TVCG) is a growing group practice committed to the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of vascular disease. The practice brings together decades of expertise among a team of vascular specialists offering unparalleled care in Massachusetts at four full-service vascular care centers with five satellite offices, from Worcester to Cape Cod. Their comprehensive services cover a broad range of conditions from non-invasive vascular testing to complex vascular surgeries, including a full spectrum of open and endovascular procedures performed in-office and at affiliated hospitals throughout the state. Each care center has united some of the area’s leading vascular specialists with a focus on superior patient care. More information about the practice can be found at https://vascularcaregrp.com/.
LEOMINSTER, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The Vascular Care Group (TVCG), a state-of-the art practice committed to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of vascular disease, today announced Stephen J. Hoenig M.D. successfully completed a percutaneous femoral-popliteal artery bypass at the Leominster, Mass. location of TVCG, marking one of the first such procedures in an outpatient setting in the state. TVCG has centered its treatment model around optimizing the patient experience, providing advanced vascular interventions outside of the traditional hospital setting, and mitigating unnecessary expense. The success of this cutting-edge, minimally invasive procedure marks another step toward that mission.
The procedure was part of an investigational device exemption (IDE) trial called DETOUR2 Continued Access (NCT04625660), sponsored by Endologix LLC. The trial is evaluating the safety and effectiveness of the PQ Bypass System for a percutaneous femoral-popliteal bypass procedure. The PQ Bypass System was designated as a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Breakthrough Device in 2020.
“By offering this type of minimally invasive procedure in the outpatient setting, we can help patients avoid a surgical incision, hospitalization and postoperative recovery,” said Dr. Hoenig. “The patient was discharged two hours after the procedure with no discomfort and only two small, quarter-inch access incisions. This clearly changes our approach to limb threatening disease. I feel privileged to be one of the first vascular surgeons in Massachusetts to perform the procedure.”
Dr. Hoenig performed the procedure in his Leominster vascular center. The patient was placed under light conscious sedation and was sent home to recover a few hours later. This advancement in treatment was performed in concert with Vascular Breakthroughs, a clinical trials management platform.
“This is an impressive achievement for both Dr. Hoenig and The Vascular Care Group,” said Dr. Paul Gagne, founder of Vascular Breakthroughs, the clinical trials research organization supporting Dr. Hoenig. “The procedure expands the possibilities of vascular care in the outpatient setting and provides patients with better outcomes in a patient-friendly environment.”
The percutaneous bypass graft is used to restore blood flow to the lower leg and foot using a minimally invasive technique that avoids hospitalization and long recovery. With this new procedure, The Vascular Care Group is providing new technologies and techniques to community physicians working outside of large research centers, enabling greater access to medical innovation in a safe, efficient, patient-friendly setting. It marks another step in granting communities access to cutting-edge technology on a local level at a lower cost, without requiring a trip to a major city, or a long hospital stay.
The PQ Bypass System is limited by federal law to investigational use only and is not available for sale.
About The Vascular Care Group
The Vascular Care Group (TVCG) is a growing group practice committed to the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of vascular disease. The practice brings together decades of expertise among a team of vascular specialists offering unparalleled care in Massachusetts at four full-service vascular care centers with five satellite offices, from Worcester to Cape Cod. Their comprehensive services cover a broad range of conditions from non-invasive vascular testing to complex vascular surgeries, including a full spectrum of open and endovascular procedures performed in-office and at affiliated hospitals throughout the state. The care center has united some of the area’s leading vascular experts with a focus on superior patient care. More information about the practice can be found at https://vascularcaregrp.com/.
About Vascular Breakthroughs
Vascular Breakthroughs was founded by Paul J. Gagne MD, FACS, RVT in 2012 to provide a research infrastructure for physicians not affiliated with an academic institution. The organization has put new technologies in the hands of physicians working in the community, thereby improving access to novel treatments for patients and expanding the reach of cutting-edge research. Vascular Breakthroughs provides administrative support for all aspects of the implementation of a clinical trial, including recruitment, all phases in the initiation of a new trial and in the execution of a trial. More information about Vascular Breakthroughs can be found at https://vascularbreakthroughs.com/.
WELLESLEY, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The Vascular Care Group is proud to announce the opening of the Newton-Wellesley Vascular office at 981 Worcester St. in Wellesley, Mass. The state-of-the-art, 10,000-square-foot facility is designed to provide comprehensive vascular care for patients throughout New England with aortic disease, peripheral vascular disease, carotid disease, mesenteric vascular disease, dialysis access and venous disease.
“It is exciting to see the continued growth of office-based procedures”
The nationally accredited facility includes two state-of-the-art advanced imaging suites to safely perform outpatient procedures, dedicated ultrasound rooms to perform comprehensive vascular lab testing, comprehensive examination rooms and a sophisticated training and education facility. Christopher J. Kwolek, MD, MBA, FACS and R. Todd Lancaster, MD, MPH, two board-certified vascular surgeons with training from Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, lead the site.
Dr. Kwolek has been named one of Boston Magazine’s ”Top Doctors” and one of America’s Top Doctors by Castle Connolly for several years and has practiced in Boston for over 20 years. He has served as an Associate Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School and as the Vascular Surgery Fellowship Program Director at Massachusetts General Hospital. He established the first integrated vascular residency program at Harvard Medical School/Massachusetts General Hospital and served as the Chief of Vascular Surgery and the Chair of Surgery at Newton-Wellesley Hospital. Dr. Kwolek has been internationally recognized as a leader in the development of new techniques and devices for the treatment of aneurysm disease, carotid artery disease and peripheral vascular disease, and has served as the principal investigator for over 30 clinical trials evaluating invasive surgical techniques. He has authored over 120 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters and continues to serve as an invited national and international speaker and member of multiple advisory boards.
Dr. Lancaster has been named one of Boston Magazine’s “Top Doctors” for the last three years and also recognized by Castle and Connolly as a Top Doctor. He has over 15 years of surgical experience and is currently the Chief of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery at Newton-Wellesley Hospital; he also serves as the Director of Quality and Safety for Vascular Surgery and Cardiovascular Center, Co-Medical Director of the Vascular Laboratory, and Associate Director of the Elfers Cardiovascular Center. He has served as an Assistant Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School and sits on the Executive Council for the New England Society for Vascular Surgery. He has authored over 50 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, and his research interests include patient-centered care, patient-outcomes and safety following vascular surgical procedures. His clinical interests include treatment of peripheral arterial disease, carotid arterial disease, aneurysmal disease and all forms of venous disorders.
“We believe that this model, which is focused on providing outstanding, patient-focused care in the outpatient setting is the future of healthcare,” said Dr. Kwolek. “We will continue to work closely with our local hospitals to manage complex patients in the hospital, however, many patients can now receive safe, timely and cost-effective treatment in the outpatient setting. Over the past 24 months, we have seen numerous patients delay their care or reschedule procedures due to lack of beds or staffing. We have also witnessed patients move from large, tertiary hospitals to the community hospitals, and from the community hospitals to the outpatient setting. Working in this setting provides benefits for our patients, our clinicians and the health care system. It is estimated that care in the office-based setting is 30%-40% more cost effective than care provided in the hospital. Thus, we provide access for our patients to the latest technology, deliver value to the healthcare system and more control of the schedule to our clinicians. By joining a larger network of practices, we can also collaborate across facilities to determine the best practices and ultimately, work to change the way that vascular care is delivered.”
“It is exciting to see the continued growth of office-based procedures,” said Dr. Lancaster. “Outpatient vascular centers offer a highly personalized experience that put the patient at the center of the care model where they need it most, right in their community. We believe we can encourage healthier behaviors and more timely care by making treatment options more convenient for the patient.”
To learn more about The Vascular Care Group, please visit vascularcaregrp.com.
About The Vascular Care Group
The Vascular Care Group (TVCG) is a growing group practice committed to the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of vascular disease. The practice brings together decades of expertise among a team of vascular specialists offering unparalleled care in Massachusetts at four full-service vascular care centers with five satellite offices, from Worcester to Cape Cod. Their comprehensive services cover a broad range of conditions from non-invasive vascular testing to complex vascular surgeries, including a full spectrum of open and endovascular procedures performed in-office and at affiliated hospitals throughout the state. The care center has united some of the area’s leading vascular experts with a focus on superior patient care. More information about the practice can be found at https://vascularcaregrp.com/.
WORCESTER, Mass. — The Vascular Care Group (TVCG) is contributing to the healthcare ecosystem in Massachusetts through high-quality outpatient care at each of its nine locations, including a recently established location in Worcester. Led by Elias J. Arous, MD, Hector F. Simosa, MD, and Edward J. Arous, MD, MPH, all board-certified physicians, the new location is a fast-growing practice committed to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of vascular disease. The team offers treatments in a state-of-the-art environment for a wide range of peripheral vascular and venous conditions that can support local community hospitals and larger health systems.
“The future of healthcare will see an increase in specialized care offerings that push the boundaries of what we consider ‘traditional’ and that will include diversifying treatment options,” said Dr. Simosa. “By supplementing large hospital systems with outpatient care options, we can improve the patient experience and deliver care in a more efficient manner.”
Dr. Elias Arous has nearly 40 years of experience as a vascular surgeon, including previously as Professor of Surgery at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Chief of Surgery at Memorial Hospital, and Chief of Surgery at Saint Vincent Hospital. He was named Teacher of the Year for four consecutive years from the UMass Surgical Residency Program, and recipient of the American Heart Association Heart of Gold Award for his work and contributions to the American Heart Association.
Dr. Edward Arous completed his residency in vascular surgery at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and has received multiple honors, including induction into the Alpha Omega Alpha honor medical society and the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Medical Education from UMass Medical School. He later received his masters in public health degree from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Dr. Simosa received his medical degree from the Universidad Central de Venezuela in Caracas, Venezuela and completed a General Surgery Residency at the Medical College of Virginia Hospital, Virginia Commonwealth University and Boston Medical Center, Boston University, as well as Vascular Surgery Research and Clinical fellowships at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School. He is a recipient of the Lester F. Williams Jr., MD Medical Student Teaching Award in Surgery at Boston University Medical School and was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honorary Medical Society.
“The office-based lab is designed with the patient experience in mind,” said Dr. Edward Arous. “In a world that’s increasingly cognizant of customer experience and outcomes, healthcare providers need to meet or exceed patient expectations. Supplementing the reach of large hospital systems with smaller outpatient centers help to deliver treatment more efficiently and contribute to positive patient experiences.”
Offering patient-centric care options outside the hospital can not only serve as a mitigating factor against the transmission of infectious disease, but also helps to balance patient load between facilities and ensures those who need treatment receive it promptly and safely. The Outpatient Endovascular and Interventional Society (OEIS) established a national registry in 2017 that collects data on the safety, efficacy, and quality of the care that outpatient centers provide for patients with peripheral vascular disease and a recent study of that data validated the clinics’ efforts. The survey of nearly 20,000 peripheral endovascular interventions performed in these centers showed strong safety indications with extremely low rates of overall complications (0.62%) and major adverse events (0.51%).
The Vascular Care Group Worcester is located at:
21 Eastern Avenue
Third Floor
Worcester, MA 01605
P: (508) 556-0223
About The Vascular Care Group
The Vascular Care Group (TVCG) is a growing group practice committed to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of vascular disease. The practice brings together decades of expertise among a team of vascular specialists offering unparalleled care in Massachusetts at four full-service vascular care centers and five additional satellite offices, from Leominster to Cape Cod. Their comprehensive services cover a broad range of conditions from non-invasive vascular testing to complex vascular surgeries, including a full spectrum of open and endovascular procedures performed in-office and at affiliated hospitals throughout the state. The care center has united some of the area’s leading vascular experts with a focus on superior patient care.
More information about the practice can be found at https://vascularcaregrp.com/.
HYANNIS, Mass. — The Vascular Care Group (TVCG) is celebrating the eighth-year anniversary of its first vascular care center in Hyannis, MA. TVCG is a fast-growing practice that currently has four vascular centers and five satellite offices, specializing in minimally invasive, outpatient vascular procedures and comprehensive vascular care. Opened in 2013, the Hyannis center has provided the Cape Cod community with state-of-the-art treatments for a wide range of peripheral vascular and venous conditions, and has been an anchor for the outpatient care movement in New England.
Daniel Gorin, M.D., RVT, FACS is the lead physician at the Hyannis clinic, and one of the founding partners of TVCG. He has performed thousands of office-based vascular procedures. He was a charter member of the Outpatient Endovascular and Interventional Society (OEIS) and is a national leader in advocating for outpatient vascular care.
“The last eight years have shown the benefits and staying power of outpatient care for vascular disease,” said Dr. Gorin. “We put the patient at the center of our care model. In addition, our physicians get to work in an environment that lets them focus on what they were trained to do: take great care of patients. This lets us attract the best vascular specialists, ensuring that our communities and our hospitals have top notch vascular care.”
There have been nearly 100,000 visits to the Hyannis center since it opened. Over 16,000 patients have received care in the center, and more that 1,600 procedures have been performed in the outpatient interventional suite. By decentralizing care and managing conditions that do not require treatment in an emergency department, outpatient clinics help hospitals run more efficiently while providing patients with streamlined service. Access to outpatient care also decreases the financial burden on our healthcare system by lowering costs for patients and payer networks.
Furthermore, Dr. Gorin and his team have performed more than 1,600 surgeries at Cape Cod and Falmouth Hospital during this period. “We are committed members of the medical community in Cape Cod. Every day we partner with our hospitals; we provide emergency call coverage and perform surgeries in an in-patient setting whenever that is the best treatment for our patients.”
In 2017 the Outpatient Endovascular and Interventional Society (OEIS) established a national registry to collect data on the safety, efficacy, and quality of the care that outpatient centers provide for patients with peripheral vascular disease. A study was recently published that reviewed the registry data based on nearly 20,000 peripheral endovascular interventions performed in these centers. It showed strong safety indications with extremely low rates of overall complications (0.62%) and major adverse events (0.51%), validating the value that outpatient vascular centers bring to patient care.
To learn more about the Vascular Care Group, please visit vascularcaregrp.com.
About The Vascular Care Group
The Vascular Care Group (TVCG) is a growing group practice committed to the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of vascular disease. The practice brings together decades of expertise among a team of vascular specialists offering unparalleled care in Massachusetts at four full-service vascular care centers with five satellite offices, from Worcester to Cape Cod. Their comprehensive services cover a broad range of conditions from non-invasive vascular testing to complex vascular surgeries, including a full spectrum of open and endovascular procedures performed in-office and at affiliated hospitals throughout the state. The care center has united some of the area’s leading vascular experts with a focus on superior patient care. More information about the practice can be found at https://vascularcaregrp.com/.