The Angiology, Vascular and Endovascular Surgery Department at Hospital Clínic has been research-oriented since its inception.
It has been a pioneer in aortic endovascular surgery, becoming the first centre in Spain to implant an endoprosthesis to treat aortic aneurysms in 1997. It has also focused on population studies on the results of endovascular surgery and the benefits of centralization, demonstrating a reduction in mortality and hospitalization time. It is currently participating in the inclusion of patients in multiple national and international multicentre studies related to aortic endovascular treatment (TIGER, HERCULES, Aortic Trauma Foundation and among others).
It has also analysed and pioneered the evaluation of new endovascular techniques in both clinical and in-vitro settings (visceral or hypogastric parallel stent techniques), as well as new applications and new endovascular devices. In addition, the professionals in the Department are leading several lines of research on the analysis and evolution of aortic anatomy in 3 dimensions after endovascular treatment, the usefulness of new postoperative analysis devices, and comparative fluid dynamics and physical studies in visceral fenestrated endoprostheses. This activity has enabled the Department to lead the creation of the European Society for Vascular Surgery's clinical practice guidelines for descending thoracic aortic pathology.
In the field of vascular access, where the Department is a national and international reference centre, it has focused on pre- and intraoperative mapping studies, the treatment of specific complications (such as arterial aneurysms), studies on the usefulness of postoperative exercises in maturation (conducting randomized studies and laying the foundations for the recommendations in the current guidelines), and has been a pioneer in the analysis of new devices, percutaneous accesses and vascular prostheses. The involvement of professionals in this field has led to collaboration in the drafting of clinical practice guidelines on vascular access, both nationally and in Europe.
The Department has initiated lines of research in carotid surgery and is, for example, the only centre outside the United States participating in the CREST-2 trial, one of the largest multicentre studies analysing the benefits of surgical or endovascular treatment of asymptomatic carotid stenosis.
