It’s almost cliché to say that AI will have a major role in the care of patients in the field as throughout all of medicine, but the early research in the vascular arena is exciting.

It is an exciting time to be an endovascular specialist.

New technologies and innovations are shaping how clinicians approach the diagnosis and treatment of endovascular diseases, some with the potential to revolutionize patient care and outcomes. 

The 2025 International Symposium on Endovascular Therapy (ISET), to be held February 2-5 in Hollywood, Florida, will bring together innovators and experts from around the globe to discuss and debate some of these exciting new techniques and procedures. 

We have come a long way since Charles Dotter, the father of interventional radiology, performed the first percutaneous angioplasty of infrainguinal arterial occlusive disease in the 1960s. It’s almost cliché to say that AI will have a major role in the care of patients in the field as throughout all of medicine, but the early research in the vascular arena is exciting.

Contemporary research in AI is demonstrating the potential to predict clinical outcomes of specific procedures, allowing one to select the most appropriate procedure for a specific patient. For example, I’ve learned of research using AI to analyze the aortas taken from individuals who have suffered a ruptured AAA, and based upon this tissue and AI interpretation the investigators believe they can predict which 3.5 cm AAA is likely to rupture and therefore should be repaired, and which 8 cm will not, and can be followed.

There are several other areas of potential enhancement of endovascular practice, including:

• 3D printing may allow the production of stents and stent graft specific to an individual patient’s anatomy;
• Robotics may allow more precise catheter placement;
• The continued development of bioabsorbable stents offers tremendous promise in reducing restenosis rates after treatment of arterial occlusive disease;
• Developments in nanotechnology may allow delivery of bioactive agents into disease territories;
• Advances in imaging systems will benefit endovascular therapeutic interventions through improved intra-procedural decision-making; and
• New developments in wearable monitoring technology, perhaps using AI, may allow real-time assessment of an individual patient’s vascular health and the performance of an endovascular intervention.

In my view, the successful endovascular specialist, or vascular surgeon, of the future must have a passion for the science and challenges of the discipline. This begins with the best training you can possibly achieve. You need to be continually curious, constantly reading the literature, attending educational meetings, and being aware of the latest advances and innovations in the field to benefit your patients.

I firmly believe there is no substitute for in-person education, like ISET. In-person educational meetings allow not only for attendees to learn of the latest advances but also provide an unparalleled opportunity to learn from the back-and-forth, give-and-take, and pros and cons articulated by experts in the field who can authoritatively address emerging data and knowledge. 

I hope you will join me at ISET. While there, you will have access to cutting-edge techniques, hands-on training, and the latest research, as well as valuable networking opportunities and exposure to new industry innovations. 

For more information or to register, visit hmpglobalevents.com/iset.

Dr. Bruce Perler is Vice Chair Emeritus for Clinical Operations and Financial Affairs; Chief Emeritus, Division of Vascular Surgery & Endovascular Therapy; Director of the Noninvasive Vascular Laboratory; and Julius Jacobson II Professor of Surgery, all at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. View his full Q&A in Vascular Disease Management.