Frank J. Veith Life and Career

Frank J. Veith is an American vascular Surgeon. Dr. Veith graduated from Cornell University Medical School in 1955, completed his residency at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital, Harvard Medical School 1956-63, and served as Captain, U.S. Army Medical Corps and Chief, Surgical Service, U.S. Army Hospital, Fort Carlson, Colorado 1960-62.

In addition, Dr. Veith worked with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) on special projects. Frank J Veith is Professor of Surgery, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, and New York University Medical Center NY, NY.

Additionally, he occupies The William J. von Liebig Chair in Vascular Surgery at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. He is board certified by The American Board of Surgery, The American Board of Thoracic Surgery and holds a Certificate of Special Qualification in Vascular Surgery.

In 1993, he received the National Institutes of Health Vascular Disease Academic Award. Dr. Veith has authored or coauthored more than 1,000 original articles and chapters in medical journals, particularly on limb-salvage surgery and more recently the field of endovascular grafting for traumatic, aneurysmal, and occlusive arterial disease.

He is past chairman of the American Board of Vascular Surgery, past President of the regional Eastern Vascular Society, and served as the 50th president of The Society for Vascular Surgery. Frank J. Veith is a pioneer in lung transplantation and limb-salvage surgery.

He is the first in the United States to perform minimally invasive aortic aneurysm surgery (stent-graft procedure) together with Drs. Michael L. Marin, Juan C. Parodi and Claudio J. Schonholz.

Throughout his career, Dr. Frank J. Veith has mentored many young fellows. As a result, Dr. Veith has earned the respect of everyone in the Vascular Surgery U.S. and international communities including China and other developing countries.

Dr. Veith has collaborated with political leaders in our government, legal experts, members of the press and even more important the many patients whose lives he saved.

To those of us who know him intimately, we can openly say that throughout his career he has never deviated from his opinions or philosophies. There is no doubt that Dr. Veith has “gone against the grain” from his elementary school days up until now. Frank J. Veith has been challenged thousands of times by those at the academic level who questioned his research and outcomes and each time Dr. Veith was proven to be right. His accomplishment to the Vascular surgery community is enormous.

His reputation as an educator has earned him the respect to be recognized as an icon. As an educator and leader, Dr. Veith has lectured throughout the globe. His legacy is his work, his moral ethic, his dedication to seeing that Vascular Surgery become its own specialty, and his love and respect for those in his family. Frank J. Veith’s Curriculum Vitae can be found here.

Society for Vascular Surgery Tribute

A Memorable Tribute to Frank J. Veith, MD.View here.

Veith's Views on Limb Salvage

Veith notes revascularization of ischemic limbs, expertise, commitment, and teamwork is required for optimal outcomes in limb salvage. View video here.

Prosthetic by pass surgery can salvage lower limbs. Medscape Published: November 16, 2015. This video highlights the challenges, risks, and benefits associated with prosthetic bypass surgery for lower limbs threatened by gangrene and ulceration. View video here.

Veith's Views on Carotid Artery Stenting

Veith comments regarding carotid artery stenting or CAS, has undergone ups and downs since first introduced in the late 1980'sIn its early years, CAS was greeted with skepticism, particularly by vascular surgeons. Despite this, CAS was increasingly embraced by interventional cardiologists as an extension of their technical skills in coronary stenting procedures.

2007 Carotid Screening Guidelines: Veith reports: Overvalued.Medscape Published March 2007. View Here.
Perspective Carotid Stenting and the History of Disruptive Technology in Vascular Surgery. Medscape Published May 7, 2008. View here.
The Spinning of Crest: Medscape Published: June 14, 2010.View Here.
Carotid Stenting: In my opinion, I discuss the risks and benefits of CAS. Medscape Published March 11, 2010. View here.
Not so Fast! CAS vs. CEA? Medscape Published July 25, 2011 View Here.
Treating Asyptomatic Carotid Stenosis Invasively? My Thoughts? Medscape Published August 4, 2011. View Here.
Carotid Stents vs. Endarterectomy: Separate and Not Yet Equal. Medscape Published February 23, 2011. View Here.
Asyptomatic Patients With CAS: Should We Intervene? Medscape Published September 18, 2013.
New York Times: Can You Do Too Much to Prevent a Stroke? Currently, some experts say, far too many people who are free of symptoms that might herald a stroke are undergoing surgery to ream out carotid arteries that feed the brain, or are having stents inserted in these arteries, than is justified by available evidence.
Critics say these invasive procedures on asymptomatic patients are unnecessary and create a risk of serious complications like heart attack or, ironically, stroke itself, even death, and drive up health care costs by billions of dollars a year. Published: October 15, 2012

A Brighter Future for CAS? I Rendered My Opinion. It’s Up to You To Decide What’s Right for Your Patient. Medscape Published October 26, 2015. View Here.
Outlook for an Upsurge In Carotid Stenting is Bright! Published February 20, 2015 at the Sanctuary of Endovascular Therapy, Kiawah Island, SC. View Here.

Views on Statins

Why the 'Statin Witch Hunt'. Veith takes issue with objections raised by the medical community and lay press about current AHA guidelines recommending the expanded use of statin drugs.href="http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/822145">View video here.

Views Regarding Management of AAA's

The IMPROVE Trial and Other Trials Comparing EVAR and Open Repair of Rupture Aneurysm. Presented and Published February 19, 2016, Sanctuary of Endovascular Therapy. Kiawah Island, South Carolina. View Here.

Great Dialogue with Dr. Thomas Brott at the 2015 VEITHsymposium

EVAR for Ruptured AAAs. Presented at the Sanctuary of Endovascular Therapy Meeting, Kiawah Island. Published November 19, 2014.

Evidence Equivocal But I Am Sticking With EVAR for RAAAs. Medscape Published February 17, 2015. View Here.
EVAR Equals Open Repair for AAA? Look Closer! The OVER Trial. Medscape Published February 27, 2013. View Here.
EVAR Equals Open Repair for AAA? Look Closer! The OVER Trial. Medscape Published February 27, 2013. View Here.

EVAR Technologies 2010 by Frank Veith MD Part 1. Presented at the Sanctuary of Endovascular Therapy, Kiawah Island, Published February 23, 2010.

EVAR Technologies 2010 by Frank Veith MD Part 2. Presented at the Sanctuary of Endovascular Therapy, Kiawah Island, Published February 23, 2010.

Veith: Can Multiple Sclerosis Be Treated Surgically?

Medscape Published February 27, 2013 In this video, Dr. Veith examines the relationship between chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI) and MS and whether balloon dilatation can provide a treatment option. View video here. You must be a registered user of Medscape to view the video. Medscape registration is free! Or if you prefer, you can read the article below.

I am Frank Veith, Professor of Vascular Surgery at New York University and the Cleveland Clinic. Today’s topic is chronic cerebral spinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI) and its relationship to multiple sclerosis. This relationship is based on the premise that narrowing of the major veins in the neck and thorax can increase venous pressure in the brain and spinal cord, and this increased pressure is a major cause of multiple sclerosis. It is further maintained that this condition can be treated interventionally by dilating the stenosis and relieving the venous obstruction.

This is one of the most controversial areas in medicine today, and it became apparent at the November 2012 VEITHsymposium, that there are very strong opinions on both sides of this controversy. Many very reputable, well-established, and prestigious physicians believe that this relationship is real and that balloon dilatation to relieve venous obstruction also improves multiple sclerosis.

Of interest, on the other side of the debate, equally prestigious and well-established investigators believe that the relationship is not real and that therapy with balloon dilatation is overused. There are many reasons for this controversy. One is the nature of multiple sclerosis, which is a disease that has ups and downs, exacerbations and remissions without any therapy, making it difficult to evaluate whether the balloon dilatation improves multiple sclerosis more than what is offered by the natural history of the disease. Another reason that the controversy exists is that patients with multiple sclerosis are often desperate and seek out this therapy even though evidence for the impact of the venous obstruction has not been established.

Some patients with multiple sclerosis don’t have any venous obstruction, and some patients with venous obstruction don’t have multiple sclerosis. So the controversy continues, and it is fair to say that it probably will continue because it is very difficult to organize a randomized comparison of the therapy against some form of placebo. The patients will not give permission to be randomized because they are so desperate that they want the treatment.

This is a very interesting as well as controversial area in medicine, and the controversy will likely continue. We will hear new evidence next year at our meeting in New York in November. It may not be settled in the near future, but it remains an area of great interest to physicians, interventionalists, neurologists, and patients.