History of the Japanese Society for Vascular Surgery

Yoshio Mishima
Honorary Member of the JSVS

Angiology had been divided into various scientific fields such as anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, pathology, internal medicine, surgery, dermatology, orthopedic surgery and others. In this situation, the specialists in these research fields conducted their research activities individually and had few opportunities to exchange their opinions. In 1960, Japanese College of Angiology was established to increase the exchanges of scientific information and opinions among researchers from the international aspect and promote the public education. In Europe and North America, vascular surgery had been established as a therapeutic field of medicine. Japanese surgeons who were interested in this research field went abroad to study the newest manipulation. For the subsequent decade, these young surgeons specializing in vascular surgery came back to Japan and popularized the manipulation which they learned abroad. At that time, this surgical technique was adopted only in a few special medical care facilities in Japan. The young surgeons in their late 30s or early 40s who attended the meetings of Japan Surgical Society and Japanese College of Angiology came to know one another and organized a group to discuss frankly their research activities in the field of vascular surgery. Through these processes, Vascular Surgery Research Group was established. This research group held a meeting once a year. In the evening, after the general meeting of Japan Surgical Society, a three-hour research meeting was held to discuss the important issues such as intractable diseases and complications. In April 1963, the first symposium titled "Angiodysplasia" was held in Kyoto. Vascular Surgery Research Group had the rules which were strictly enforced. The members including honorable professors were to be dismissed from the membership if they did not attend two consecutive meetings without any reasonable excuses. The young surgeons who belonged to the medical care facilities in the place where the meeting of Japan Surgical Society was held were to plan the semi-closed research meeting of vascular surgery. The research meeting of vascular surgery was regularly held in this manner. The number of surgeons specializing in vascular surgery increased significantly by 1989 when the 17th annual meeting was held. In 1990, the research meeting was renewed as the vascular surgery forum. Vascular Surgery Research Group encouraged general surgeons to participate in the research meeting and make a presentation. Furthermore this group recognized the urgent necessity to discuss various vascular surgery related issues such as the introduction of the manipulation of transplantation surgery and microvascular surgery, the application of the manipulation of vascular surgery in the radical operation for malignant tumor of digestive system and the popularization of interventional radiology. In order to provide the opportunity to discuss these issues from the interdisciplinary aspect, Vascular Surgery Research Group altered its conventional policy focusing on the treatment of vascular diseases and fostered a progressive policy covering various fields of medicine which clinically adopted the manipulation of vascular surgery such as transplantation surgery, neurosurgery, digestive surgery, plastic surgery and interventional radiology. In 1992, Vascular Surgery Research Group was replaced by a new integrated society named Japanese Society of Vascular Surgery. The first general meeting of Japanese Society of Vascular Surgery was held on the 20th anniversary of the meeting of former Vascular Surgery Research Group.

The interdisciplinary approach is indispensable for the progress of science. The exchange of opinions and new findings contributes significantly to development of the new scientific fields. Japanese Society of Vascular Surgery, an academic society backed with the Japanese unique concept that is completely different from the Western scientific concept, is expected to be understood by many researchers and take the steady course of development in the future.