D. Eugene Strandness Memorial Lecture: Foresight 2020: Creating the venous vision

Abstract

Thank you for the very special privilege to deliver the 18 Strandness Memorial Lecture. Gene Strandness was truly a unique, great leader who pioneered what I consider to be the single greatest advance for venous disease that has ever occurred. The ability to image the veins so easily and safely provided the exact means we needed to study the veins repeatedly and to deepen our understanding of their function and their dysfunction. This provided the accurate tool that was appropriate to the venous system because it can be done with no pain and no risk. He not only was able to see the potential for this technology but also had the leadership ability to gather a superb team around him to investigate and promulgate its development and the charisma to convince the world they should follow suit. In addition to his professional achievements, he was a special person with qualities of integrity and intellectual honesty combined with an intense focus on where he wanted to go and the strength to take on all comers in order to get there. For me, he was a rare combination of professional leader, an intense competitor, a warm family man, and a loyal personal friend. In deciding what to address in my talk today, I finally decided to try to imitate what Gene Strandness did so well—He said what was on his mind as clearly and simply as he could and always had the courage of his convictions. The title of this talk “Foresight 2020: Creating the Venous Vision” is meant to suggest there is value to be had by taking the time to engage in a process to improve our management of venous disease in the immediate future. I believe true progress in venous disease is entirely feasible if we set our sights high enough. And, if progress is going to occur, it will probably develop from the minds of members of this audience today. Venous disease is a very important subject that has attracted far too little attention compared to the impact it