50 Years of Vascular Surgery at the Southwestern Surgical Congress: Evolution of a New Specialty

Abstract

The inaugural meeting of the Southwestern Surgical Congress in Houston, Texas, in September of 1949 barely predated the modern era of vascular surgery. The Southwestern Surgical Congress, with an avowed purpose ‘‘to stimulate and promote the progress of surgery in the states comprising the organization,” has played a prominent role in disseminating new knowledge, techniques, and technology in the field of vascular surgery. Many of the pioneers in vascular surgery resided in the territory of the Southwestern Surgical Congress and were not only members, but also contributed to its scientific publications. Another characteristic of the Southwestern Surgical Congress, that of contributions of scientific publications by both “town and gown,” has been well exemplified in the vascular arena during the first half century of its existence. We will look at the development of the field of vascular surgery through the eyes of the publications of the Southwestern Surgical Congress in 2 periods. The initial years provided us with the techniques, technology, and early experiences leading to a solid understanding of the repair of blood vessels. The second era started around the later years of the Vietnam conflict when many young, experienced, vascular surgeons returned to their communities with new skills in operating on all segments of the vascular tree. Speaking at the Midwest Vascular Society in Chicago in