SVS Foundation names 7 surgeons to inaugural vascular innovation bootcamp

The Society for Vascular Surgery Foundation selected seven vascular surgeons for the first Enrico Ascher Vascular Innovation Institute Entrepreneurial Bootcamp, set for January through March 2027. The program is designed to help surgeons turn new devices and technologies into products that could improve vascular care and advance toward commercialization.

Why it matters: - The SVS Foundation is trying to speed vascular surgeon-led ideas from concept to market. - The selected projects target major care gaps, including dialysis access, aortic complications and minimally invasive procedures. - The program could help promising technologies move closer to commercialization and patient use.

What happened: - The Society for Vascular Surgery Foundation selected seven vascular surgeons for the inaugural Entrepreneurial Bootcamp of the Enrico Ascher Vascular Innovation Institute. - The selection followed a competitive call for applications. - The eight-week bootcamp is scheduled for January through March 2027. - Lab2Market is partnering on the program. - Eligible participants will have a chance to compete in the Innovation Awards Competition at the 2027 Vascular Annual Meeting, set for June 2–5 in San Diego.

The details: - Jonathan Bath, MD, said the foundation wants to provide entrepreneurial education, mentorship and resources to help vascular surgeons translate ideas into viable technologies. - Bath said the foundation expects the cohort’s innovations to progress toward commercialization and improve patient care. - Rumi Faizer, MD, of Loma Linda University, is working on a compliant aortic stent graft for restoration of management of systolic hypertension. - The technology was developed at the University of Minnesota, which holds the patent for the innovation. - Omid Jazaeri, MD, of the University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School and the University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus, is developing a catheter-delivered temperature-activated non-adhesive liquid embolic for target vessel embolization. - Sophia Khan, MD, of the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC, is using multimodal deep learning to predict aortic disease outcomes to prevent ruptures, dissections and mortality. - Jason MacTaggart, MD, of Nebraska Medicine and Omaha VA, is developing Aquablade, a purpose-built fluid jet catheter for safe aortic septotomy in chronic type B aortic dissection. - Aquablade Vascular developed the technology with Majid Jadidi, PhD, of the University of Nebraska, Omaha. - Katherine McMackin, MD, of Cooper Medical School of Rowan University and Cooper Norcross University Hospital, is developing One Stick, Every Direction, a multidirectional vascular access system for endovascular procedures. - Adam Tanious, MD, MBA, MMSc, of the Medical University of South Carolina, is developing Anchor Sheath through Anchor Medical. - Anchor Medical is a venture co-founded with Ryan Gedney, MD, of The Vascular Care Group. - Mohamed Zayed, MD, of Washington University in St. Louis, is developing HEAL-Graft, a self-healing prosthetic vascular graft for hemodialysis access. - The seven selected surgeons are working on solutions aimed at improving dialysis access, predicting life-threatening aortic complications and advancing minimally invasive procedures.

Between the lines: - The institute is positioning vascular surgeons as inventors and potential entrepreneurs, not just clinical end users. - The bootcamp format suggests the foundation sees business and regulatory readiness as part of innovation, not an afterthought. - The range of projects shows a broad pipeline, with both device concepts and data-driven tools represented.

What's next: - The cohort will go through the eight-week bootcamp in early 2027. - After the bootcamp, eligible participants can compete at VAM27 in San Diego. - The foundation will continue using the institute to support vascular surgeon-led innovation through education, mentorship and industry engagement.

The bottom line: - The SVS Foundation is building a pathway to turn surgeon ideas into market-ready vascular technologies.