The Star: You, at the Crossroads of Your Endovascular Journey
You’ve committed yourself to mastering the intricacies of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) treatment. From femoro-popliteal lesions to below-the-knee navigation, your endovascular skills are building every day. But one challenge remains.
How do you formally demonstrate those capabilities, and how do you benchmark your progress?
Like many vascular specialists and trainees, you may feel that your real-world competence lacks formal recognition. In a rapidly advancing field, practical expertise is essential. Yet until now, there has been no standardised way to validate it.
The Story: A Profession in Need of a Standard 🔍
As endovascular techniques increasingly replace open surgery in PAD care, the European Society for Vascular Surgery (ESVS) recognised the need for a practical, skills-based certification to reflect current clinical realities.
To bring this vision to life, ESVS assembled a dedicated task force led by Kak Khee Yeung, with contributions from Begoña Gonzalo, Luís Loureiro, Theo Bisdas, Igor Koncar and Alberto Settembrini. Together, they developed the PAD Endovascular Certificate, a new initiative designed to support professionals like you.
Their aim is to acknowledge those with the knowledge and hands-on ability to perform basic to intermediate PAD interventions safely and independently.
The journey begins with the pilot certification examination, taking place at the 39th ESVS Annual Meeting in Istanbul, 23 to 26 September 2025.
The Solution: Be a Founding Participant at No Cost 💡
This is your chance to put your skills to the test, gain early acknowledgement, and influence the future of vascular education. The best part? This pilot programme is completely free to join.
The exam includes three components:
- 📝 Written Knowledge Assessment
40 multiple-choice questions in 60 minutes, covering aorto-iliac, femoro-popliteal and BTK disease, radiation protection, and acute limb ischaemia. - 🗣️ Oral Case Discussions
Two structured clinical cases where you will be asked to explain your diagnostic approach, investigation strategy and treatment planning. - 🛠️ Practical Simulation Cases
Two hands-on assessments in scenarios such as iliac, femoro-popliteal or BTK disease, scored across nine practical competencies.
As this is a pilot year, there is no pass or fail result. You will receive a formal attendance certificate and contribute valuable insights that will help refine the final certification process.
Who Can Apply? ✅
You are eligible if:
- You are an ESVS member (Not yet a member? Get a membership here)
- You have basic endovascular experience and can independently treat lower limb disease. Remember, this first edition is free!
- You provide a letter of support signed by your Head of Department
Why This Matters 🚀
You’ve already invested in developing your clinical skills. This is your opportunity to gain formal acknowledgement, grow your professional standing and play an active role in defining future standards of care.
Be among the first. Help define excellence. And shape what comes next in PAD treatment.
You can find more information on the programme and download the curriculum here.
