Clinical Component

Navigating the Clinical Component

This role centers on a broad vascular surgery practice with a near-even split between open and endovascular work. You would treat the full range of vascular disease across a large referral region, with the schedule and case focus shaped in large part by your own preferences. The department's design emphasizes procedural volume, strong OR access, and manageable call.

Patient Population and Disease Scope

The Acadiana region carries a high prevalence of vascular disease. The practice treats a wide spectrum, including:

  • Abdominal aortic pathology
  • Carotid artery disease
  • Lower extremity arterial disease
  • Venous disease
  • Hemodialysis access needs
  • Trauma program support and general surgery education

Procedural Mix

The practice runs roughly 50 percent open surgery and 50 percent endovascular procedures. Typical case distribution:

Category Share of Cases
Lower extremity arterial disease 25%
Carotid 20%
Dialysis access 20%
Venous 15%
Aortic 5 to 15%
Other/trauma 10%

Office-based procedures include mediport removal and select venous procedures. Two interventional nephrologists are available to manage dialysis catheter and access maintenance needs at the vascular surgeon's discretion.

  • Required: All basic vascular procedures for non-intracranial, non-thoracic vascular disease
  • Plus, not required: Thoracic aortic care
  • Referred out: Thoracoabdominal aneurysms

Schedule and Volume

Schedule is built around physician preference, balancing clinic and procedural time.

Setting Time Allocation Daily Volume
Clinic 1 to 2 days per week (15 to 20% of time) 20 to 35 patients
OR/Cath Lab Remaining time, typically 1 to 2 blocked OR days 3 to 5 cases

OR availability for emergency care is strong.

Call

  • 1:4 vascular surgery call rotation
  • No general surgery call
  • On every fourth weekend
  • Taken from home
  • Called back to the hospital 1 to 2 times per weekend day, rare on weekdays

APP Support

Advanced practice providers are available across clinic, OR, and inpatient settings, with utilization based on physician preference.

  • Option to use APPs for clinic care, inpatient care, and intraoperative support
  • APPs take some call coverage; clinic care is directed by a physician
  • APPs do not admit patients separately from their supervising physician

Inpatient Care

  • Vascular surgery inpatient volume: 157 patients, average length of stay 3.36 days
  • Vascular surgery patients are preferentially admitted to two dedicated hospital units
  • The hospitalist team admits many emergency room and multisystem patients and is available for consultation and medical co-management
  • New inpatient consults are assigned to the vascular surgeon on call for the day

Collaboration and Service Lines

  • Strong relationships with cardiology, nephrology, podiatry, wound care, and interventional radiology
  • Peripheral vascular work is also performed by cardiology
  • A strong referral path exists from podiatry and wound care teams

Teaching and Research

  • General surgery residency program on site, with vascular surgeons contributing to resident education
  • The greater Ochsner system supports research
  • The Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI) is used across the system

Growth Opportunities

  • Further develop the aortic care program
  • Establish outreach clinics in neighboring communities
  • Leadership opportunities available

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