About us

VASCULAR INTERNATIONAL – our guiding principles, inspirations and goals

For more than 30 years VASCULAR INTERNATIONAL School for Vascular Surgery, has been dedicated to the vascular education for doctors and OR teams, offering optimised and high-quality training, teaching and learning of vascular techniques on lifelike models. “Passion for Education”, ongoing innovation, further development and future orientation guide, inspire and motivate us. Under the aspect of maximum patient safety the guiding principle of VASCULAR INTERNATIONAL is to optimise and develop vascular training and teaching methods to support safe and efficient open and endovascular surgical treatment of patients.

A modern and future-orientated education in vascular medicine requires best qualifications, gained in a very short time. Due to new technological inventions vascular surgeons have to perform most complex surgical interventions – as rapidly, safely and efficiently as possible. All this happens in the face of demographic change and a steadily ageing population.

What does future-orientated, safe and efficient training look like?

VI enjoys an excellent reputation – thanks to our experienced tutors, our excellent technology partners and our industrial partners, who support us in many different ways. VI tutors are also very well-connected with vascular experts all around the world. This international network nourishes the exchange of new ideas and experience and helps us to keep up with the state of the art of technological developments. The lifelike, pulsatile models for leg, carotid and aortic procedures – a new arm model was introduced in 2013 – are constantly refined and extended to perform lifelike practical training. VI can now offer the full spectrum of open and endovascular surgery. Our course programme, our teaching methods and the individual learning success of our participants are also constantly evaluated by scientific studies.

What makes VASCULAR INTERNATIONAL courses unique?

The practical training and the emphasised step-by-step practice of open and endovascular procedures take top priority. Our course participants get enough time for repeated practising and enjoy one-to-one teaching by our experienced tutors.

The courses are divided into basic courses and master classes. Basic but also complex open and endovascular techniques (carotid, aortic and shunt surgery) can be practised on the high-quality models. The structured course models are most effective in the cognitive and associative phases of learning fine motor skills and are excellently suited for target group oriented courses.

VI courses are aimed at junior doctors of various surgical disciplines (surgery, abdominal, trauma, cardiac, paediatric surgery, orthopaedics, plastic surgery, urology, gynaecology and many more) and vascular surgeons prior to the national or European specialist exam (UEMS), but also at experienced vascular surgeons (refresher courses). Moreover, in our theme-centred courses (e.g. open/endovascular therapy of carotid stenosis) we would also like to address colleagues from other vascular subjects, for example radiology, angiology and cardiology. Of course some courses are also suitable for nursing and instrument nursing staff, who may profit from the VI workshops especially regarding the idea of “team approach”.

Our course offer is rounded off by so-called access courses for lower leg arteries and further important vascular fields like the aorta, the vessels of the upper and lower arm for shunt surgery and for the brain-supplying vessels.
In addition to the pleasure and enthusiasm about vascular surgery, VASCULAR INTERNATIONAL School for Vascular Surgery fosters the idea of “team approach” and the willingness to constantly learn innovative procedures.

Recognised worldwide and in high demand

Since 1991, VASCULAR INTERNATIONAL School for Vascular Surgery has held more than 90 national and international courses in Switzerland, Germany and Austria, teaching over 2500 participants from Europe, North America and the Middle East. In addition to the traditional courses in Pontresina, Stuttgart, Zurich and Lucerne, VI hands-on training courses were also held at the annual meetings of the Austrian Society for Vascular Surgery (ÖGG), the German Society for Vascular Surgery (DGG), the European Society for Vascular Surgery (ESVS), the European Vascular Course (EVC) in Maastricht and the US Society of Vascular Surgery (SVS). Many of them have already integrated VI courses into their training programmes. Recent Studies in national and international renowned professional journals including the “Journal of Vascular Surgery” are proof of the excellent training success resulting from VI courses.

VI courses also get the highest possible Credits by UEMS, the highest authority for certifying training courses in Europe. VI courses are a perfect preparation for the European vascular surgery specialist exam of UEMS and qualify participants as endovascular surgeons and endovascular specialists according to the guidelines of the German Society for Vascular Surgery and Vascular Medicine (DGG). Additionally, they certify open surgical and endovascular qualification according to the guidelines of the Swiss Institute for Medical Training SIWF & the Swiss Society for Surgery (SGC).The courses “Vascular Surgery Suture and Anastomotic Techniques” and “Basic Endovascular Techniques” are part of the two-day courses accredited by SIWF and SGC.
The high quality of the courses, based on experienced tutors and on an excellent infrastructure, would not be possible without the commitment und support of our partners from industry. We cannot thank them enough! Together we are developing visions and new ideas – out of passion and conviction for the education and, finally, for the responsibility for our patients!

April 2021
VASCULAR INTERNATIONAL School for Vascular Surgery