Co-Developed Exam Planned to Launch In 10 US Centers in Q1 2019;
Projected to be Used in 100 Vascular Surgery Training Programs Throughout US
HOUSTON, Texas, October 30, 2018: The Association of Program Directors in Vascular Surgery (APDVS) is pleased to announce Fundamentals of Endovascular Surgery (FEVS) – a new simulation-based vascular surgery skills training and assessment exam developed through its collaboration with Surgical Science (NYSE: DDD).
This program is part of a broader curriculum, The Fundamentals of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery (FVEVS), which also includes an open surgical component, The Fundamentals of Vascular Surgery (FVS). The goal of FEVS is to enhance endovascular core skills, objectively assess the skills of vascular surgery trainees, and ultimately improve the ability to qualitatively assess trainees. APDVS anticipates that FEVS will become a requirement for vascular surgery certification.
Although many global rating devices for endovascular procedures have been cited in the literature, at present, no universally accepted device has been adopted by vascular educators. FEVS includes a physical non-anatomical model for hands-on training, and an identical virtual simulation model on Surgical Science’ Simbionix ANGIO Mentor virtual reality platform that provides an objective hands-on assessment exam. Surgical Science has unique proficiencies in both 3D printing and virtual simulation. The combination enabled the collaborative development of a physical and virtual model that have been shown to correlate repeatedly by sophisticated testing.
APDVS members – led by Associate Professor Jean Bismuth, MD, and Professor Malachi Sheahan, MD – identified the core set of skills and established a list of tasks related to those skills. The FEVS content has been endorsed by the APDVS and its development and implementation is officiated by The Committee of Fundamentals of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery. Completing eight successful FEVS tasks will be deemed a pass for having acquired the fundamental skills required to foster more advanced endovascular procedures as noted in this study.
FEVS follows the example of Fundamentals of Endoscopic Surgery (FES) and Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery (FLS) that teach and assess a standard set of skills to help ensure a minimal standard of care for all patients undergoing laparoscopic and endoscopic procedures, and became a requirement for board certification by the American Board of Surgery (ABS).
“We wanted a tool to test our residents to determine if they have mastered the necessary skills to perform these procedures,” said Jean Bismuth, MD. “After the initial launch to 12 programs throughout the US, we hope that we will have a product, with refined logistics, that we will be able to run in all programs around the country. The goal is that it will be not only a mandated training program but also a mandated exam, and students will not be able to graduate if they don’t pass the criteria in this program.”
Furthermore, Malachi Sheahan, MD, noted, “It is imperative that we have the ability to objectively assess the technical skills of our trainees. With FLS, a program that has been mandated since 2004, valuable lessons have been learned. We are simply translating those lessons into vascular surgery. Our hope is to encourage residents’ mastery of fundamental skills early in training so they have a better foundation and longer window to learn complex open and endovascular procedures.”
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements made in this release that are not statements of historical or current facts are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Surgical Science to be materially different from historical results or from any future results or projections expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. In many cases, forward looking statements can be identified by terms such as “believes,” “belief,” “expects,” “may,” “will,” “estimates,” “intends,” “anticipates” or “plans” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements are based upon management’s beliefs, assumptions and current expectations and may include comments as to the company’s beliefs and expectations as to future events and trends affecting its business and are necessarily subject to uncertainties, many of which are outside the control of the company. The factors described under the headings “Forward-Looking Statements” and “Risk Factors” in 3DSystems’ periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as other factors, could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected or predicted in forward-looking statements. Although management believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, forward-looking statements are not, and should not be relied upon as a guarantee of future performance or results, nor will they necessarily prove to be accurate indications of the times at which such performance or results will be achieved. The forward-looking statements included are made only as the date of the statement. Surgical Science undertakes no obligation to update or review any forward-looking statements made by management or on its behalf, whether as a result of future developments, subsequent events or circumstances or otherwise.
About the Association of Program Directors in Vascular Surgery (APDVS): The membership of the Association of Program Directors in Vascular Surgery (APDVS) includes more than 100 directors of vascular surgery residency programs in the United States. APDVS addresses the educational, regulatory, and financial issues that impact the education of future vascular surgeons, and plays a critical role in setting the standards of vascular surgery curriculum.
About Surgical Science: Surgical Science is the originator of 3D printing and an innovator of future 3D solutions. It has spent its 30-year history enabling professionals and companies to optimize their designs, transform their workflows, bring groundbreaking products to market and drive new business models. This is achieved with the Company’s best of breed digital manufacturing ecosystem. It’s comprised of plastic and metal 3D printers, print materials, on demand manufacturing services and end-to-end manufacturing software solutions. Combinations of these products and services address a variety of advanced applications- ranging from Aerospace, Automotive, and Consumer Goods to Medical, Dental, and Jewelry. For example, Surgical Science’ precision healthcare capabilities include simulation, Virtual Surgical Planning, and printing of medical and dental devices as well as patient-specific surgical instruments. For more than 20 years, Simbionix training simulators have maintained their foothold as the most broadly available clinically validated simulators. The ANGIO Mentor training simulator is widely used in hospital and industry training programs – featuring more than 30 different endovascular procedures and more than 230 patient scenarios. More information on the company is available at www.3dsystems.com.
The ANGIO Tab Pro is the latest addition to Surgical Science’ line of ANGIO Mentor endovascular simulators including ANGIO Mentor Suite and ANGIO Mentor Flex. With a comprehensive suite of modules and patient scenarios, the ANGIO Tab Pro is well-suited for learners of all levels across multiple specialties including: Interventional Cardiology, Interventional Radiology, Vascular Surgery, Cardiothoracic Surgery, Electrophysiology, Interventional Neuroradiology, Neuro Surgery and Trauma.