Ossama,

I am sure that you are working for a highly qualified Cardiologist. However,
please do not include all Vascular Surgeons in you statement that Vascular
Surgeons are not capable of interpreting vascular studies. Who do you think
does the reading for most Vascular Tests? What makes you think that a
Vascular Surgeon would not be capable of making an interpretation. If I knew
that a Vascular Surgeon was incapable of reading a study I would not work
with him/her. I am sure other Vascular Sonographers feel the same.

I have had the privilege of working for a number of great Vascular Surgeons
over the past 11 years, and during that time every Vascular Surgeon could
interoperate any study placed before them without difficulty. After all, if
a Vascular Surgeon could not interpret a study would you allow them to
perform surgery on you or your family? In regards to Vascular Surgeons not
being able to scan, most Vascular Surgeons I worked with could pick up a
transducer and scan as well as any Sonographer, most even better. Several
were RVTs as well as MDs. You know, most Vascular Surgeons are very
smart!!!!

It is my opinion that if the ECHO and Vascular Laboratories combine, it is
best for the Cardiologist to interoperate the ECHO scans and for a Vascular
Surgeon to handle the Vascular end of things. I get the impression that you
feel Vascular only involve Carotid exams.

Roger Hull, RVT, RVS


----- Original Message -----
From: "Ossama Youssef." <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, November 28, 2002 10:38 AM
Subject: Re: COMBINED ECHO/VASCULAR or ULTRASOUND VASCULAR


> John,
> I run a cardiovascular laboratory in a major New York city hospital under
the supervision of a prominent cardiologist. This cardiologist also has a
cardiovascular laboratory in his private practice that is accredited not
only in echo but also in extracranial, venous, arterial, and visceral
vascular ultrasound. In my view, this trend toward combined laboratories is
a positive one, primarily because it is the cardiologists who will likely
oversee these combined entities. Why do I think this is positive? Because
cardiologists are more skilled at scanning and ultrasound interpretation
than vascular surgeons will ever be. Also, the other technologists and I who
work with our cardiologist were vascular technologists before we were
echocardiographers, and it was the cardiologist who brought us to a high
level of technical and interpretation skills. I really can’t imagine a
vascular surgeon teaching an echocardiographer to do vascular.
>     I also suspect that having combined laboratories will raise the bar in
the profession—it is true that today it is difficult to find a sonographer
who is highly skilled in both modalities. And when you do find one, you’ll
have to pay him or her well enough to match his or her qualifications and
skills. I think that the demand for diverse and high level skills, combined
with a willingness to pay for them, will increase the value and
attractiveness of the profession.
>
> Ossama Youssef, BS, RVT
> Clinical Cardiovascular Supervisor
> Cabrini Medical Center
> New York, NY
>
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