1- Of society and its purposes
Created in 1986 as a non-profit scientific society under the initiative of Dr. JM Capdevila (Princes of Spain Hospital (Bellvitge)), the initial project included relevant professionals in the field of vascular surgery as founding members, such as Dr. Teodoro Lázaro (12 de Octubre Hospital), Vicente Paredero del Bosque (Jimenez Diaz Foundation), Albrecht Kramer (Hospital Clínico, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile), Edwin Beven (Cleveland Clinic) and Ramón Berguer (Wayne State University, Detroit).
As indicated by its acronym and its statutes (see attached file), its main purpose is to facilitate communication and the exchange of similar experiences among experienced or aspiring specialists who share Spanish as their common language of expression. It currently has 534 members from 21 countries.
As stated in Article 3, the Association carries out the following activities:
To promote the exchange of knowledge among those practicing vascular surgery. 2. To promote multicenter studies. 3. To establish and recommend diagnostic and/or therapeutic protocols for certain pathologies. 4. To study and propose systems to improve the quality of care. 5. To recommend alternative training programs in vascular surgery that provide a high level of qualification. 6. To organize conferences and seminars. 7. To publish a periodical publication in Spanish as the official spokesperson for the Association. 8. To carry out all activities agreed upon in accordance with these Statutes and that contribute directly or indirectly to the achievement of the social objectives.
2- Of the Conventions
Held every two years, the CVHH conventions aim to promote the exchange of knowledge, experience, and cultural diversity among vascular surgery specialists from various centers and groups in Spain and Latin America.
Although this date has different connotations depending on the hosting country, they are usually symbolically made to coincide with Hispanic Heritage Day, October 12, with the exception of the Miami Convention which was held from April 22 to 25, 2002 as a result of the situation in the United States following the attacks of September 11, 2001. Since its inception, the following Conventions have been held: I Convention. Barcelona 1998, II Convention. Buenos Aires 1990, III Convention. Guadalajara (Mexico) 1992, IV Convention. Estoril (Portugal) 1994, V Convention. San Juan, Puerto Rico 1995, VI Convention. Santiago, Chile 1997, VII Convention. Santiago de Compostela 1999, VIII Convention. Miami 2002, IX Convention. Cartagena de Indias 2003, X Convention. Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 2005, XI Convention Monterrey (Mexico) 2007, XII Convention Cusco 2009, XIII Convention Granada 2011, XIV Convention San Juan de Puerto Rico 2013, XV Convention Quito 2015, XVI Convention Madrid 2017, XVII Guadalajara (Mexico) 2019, XVIII Convention Valladolid 2021, with the XIX Convention scheduled for Puerto Varas (Chile) October 10-13, 2023 (See programs at CVHH.org)
Although the format has changed slightly over time, the presentations are structured into panel discussions, oral and panel contributions, invited and keynote lectures by the society's president, and a joint panel with other Latin American societies. Since its inception, there have been two awards for the best scientific contributions: the Edwin G. Beven Award for the best clinical research presentation, and the José Goyanes Award for the best basic research presentation.
3 – From the journal Annals of Vascular Surgery/Annals of Vascular Surgery and Peer Review (Hispanic Edition ). Founded in 1986 by Drs. Ramón Berger (Detroit) and Eduard Kieffer (Paris), Ann Vasc Surg is currently published by Elsevier on a bimonthly basis. It is the official publication of CVHH, the French-Language Society of Vascular Surgery, the Brazilian Society of Angiology and Vascular Surgery, the Vascular and Endovascular Surgery Society, the Southern California Vascular Surgical Society, Vascular Interventional Advances (VIVA), the Vascular Society of India, the Florida Vascular Society, and the Georgia Vascular Society. It features the following sections: Clinical Research; Basic Research; Clinical Cases; Reviews; Developments in Endovascular and Endoscopic Surgery; Selected Techniques; Historical Notes; Editorials; and Letters to the Editor. ( https://www.annalsofvascularsurgery.com/ ).
4- From the Hispanic-American Vascular Specialist Exchange Network
At CVHH, we are identifying potential members of a network of Hispanic vascular surgery specialists who work in various centers in Europe and North America. The goal is to facilitate their interconnection in a network that facilitates training placements and exchanges with physicians from Spanish-speaking countries. Designing a scholarship program to effectively promote this mobility is one of CVHH's main objectives.