The concept of a dedicated cardiovascular centre and whether this is best for optimal patient care was the topic of a lecture delivered by Alan Lumsden (Houston, USA) at the 2023 Vascular Societies’ Annual Scientific Meeting (VASAM; 22–24 November, Dublin, Ireland).
Speaking to Vascular News, the chief of cardiovascular surgery at the Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center at Houston Methodist Hospital stated succinctly that “it really depends upon the environment and the structure” at any given institution and that “like most things, it comes down to personnel and who you can work with.”
Lumsden outlined some of the highs and lows of his experience trying to implement dedicated cardiovascular centres over the course of his career. He shared that the cardiovascular centre he has created at Houston Methodist has so far been “very successful from a clinical standpoint and a research and education standpoint,” which he attributes to it having been a “blank sheet of paper” when he arrived.
Lumsden did admit, however, that he is “not naïve enough to think this is for everybody.”
