The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) held its 2026 Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM26), from June 10 through June 13 in Boston, Massachusetts. The annual meeting offered vascular surgery professionals and associated healthcare professionals the opportunity to learn about and discuss the latest in vascular research. 

Today, we are taking a look at some of that research. Particularly, today’s focus is on peripheral artery disease. Below, we have a curated selection of abstracts presented at VAM26 and published in the Journal of Vascular Surgery’s July issue. Descriptions and conclusions were edited for clarity and brevity.

Peripheral Artery Disease Abstracts from VAM26

Early Burden of Care Following Endovascular vs Open Infrainguinal Revascularization for Peripheral Arterial Disease: Thirty-day Readmission and Reintervention in the ACS-NSQIP

  • Description: Patients with critical limb-threatening ischemia face high risks of perioperative complications and reintervention. The choice of revascularization approach requires balancing lower initial morbidity in endovascular approaches against higher early reintervention rates compared with open bypass. [The researcher team] hypothesize a clinically significant difference in open vs endovascular outcomes, suggesting a greater early burden of care associated with open procedures.
  • Conclusion: According to data from the ACS-NSQIP database, patients undergoing endovascular intervention exhibited greater comorbid disease burden with higher rates of many reinterventions and postprocedural comorbidities. Despite this, their hospital course remains shorter with fewer readmissions compared to open bypass, suggesting a more favorable early burden of care for endovascular patients.

Gender Outcomes in Endovascular Treatment of Peripheral Artery Disease Demonstrate Equivalence in Women

  • Description: Multiple studies have reported that women with peripheral arterial disease tend to present at an older age with more severe disease (critical limb-threatening ischemia) and have a higher risk of adverse events or mortality. Furthermore, women have historically been underrepresented in peripheral arterial disease studies and randomized controlled trials. This study reviews our experience with peripheral arterial disease, specifically endovascular treatment of the femoropopliteal segment, in women.
  • Conclusion: Although previous studies would suggest that women with peripheral arterial disease have worse outcomes compared to men; with a directed approach accounting for gender disparity, outcomes in women can be as good as their male counterparts, if not better.

Temporal Trends in Peripheral Artery Disease Prevalence and Revascularization Patterns in the United States from 2006 to 2024: Insights using TriNetX Database

  • Description: Peripheral artery disease is a growing public health burden affecting 12 million adults in the United States. Prior epidemiologic studies have relied predominantly on international cohorts or United States datasets predating 2015, leaving contemporary peripheral artery disease trends poorly characterized. This study is among the first to use recent national data to examine temporal trends in peripheral artery disease prevalence, stratified by sex, revascularization utilization patterns, and mortality risk over a two-decade period.
  • Conclusion: Over the past two decades, there has been a steady increase in peripheral artery disease prevalence disproportionately affecting males, a nearly four-fold increase in endovascular revascularization utilization rates in symptomatic peripheral artery disease patients, and a significant mortality burden at 10 years in peripheral artery disease patients.

Identifying High-risk Phenotypes: The Influence of Peripheral Artery Disease on Early and Late Outcomes in Open Aortic Repair

  • Description: To evaluate the association between peripheral artery disease and early and late postoperative outcomes following open aortic repair.
  • Conclusion: Peripheral artery disease is a significant marker of increased perioperative morbidity and reduced long-term survival following open aortic repair. These findings underscore the importance of rigorous preoperative risk stratification, optimization of ischemic risk factors, and heightened postoperative surveillance in patients with peripheral artery disease.

Association Between the Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase C677T Polymorphism and Peripheral Arterial Disease: Evidence for a Recessive Genetic Effect From a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

  • Description: Peripheral arterial disease is a multifactorial atherosclerotic condition influenced by environmental and genetic factors. The methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase C677T polymorphism reduces enzyme activity and may impair homocysteine metabolism, a pathway implicated in atherogenesis. However, its association with peripheral artery disease susceptibility remains inconsistent. We aimed to evaluate the impact of the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase C677T polymorphism on peripheral arterial disease risk across different genetic models.
  • Conclusion: The methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase C677T polymorphism is associated with peripheral arterial disease susceptibility under homozygous and recessive genetic models, suggesting a recessive pattern of genetic influence. The modest effect size and sensitivity of the findings indicate that this association should be interpreted with caution.

Trends in Rivaroxaban Use for Symptomatic Peripheral Artery Disease Before and After FDA Approval

  • Description: In August 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved rivaroxaban for patients with peripheral arterial disease undergoing intervention, and the 2024 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Guidelines now recommends rivaroxaban (Class 1A) for the treatment of revascularized peripheral arterial disease. However, limited data exist on rivaroxaban prescribing trends. [The researchers] aimed to characterize temporal trends in the rates of new rivaroxaban prescriptions for symptomatic peripheral arterial disease patients.
  • Conclusion: Despite Level 1 evidence, FDA approval, and guideline endorsement, rivaroxaban is prescribed to only a small fraction of peripheral arterial disease patients undergoing revascularization. The slow uptake of direct oral anticoagulant prescribing as secondary prevention therapy for symptomatic peripheral artery disease highlights the need for continued efforts to promote evidence-based practice and improve guideline-concordant care in this high-risk population.

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