BACKGROUND: The proportion of arterial and venous diseases is increasing due to shifts in population. Therapy is based on conventional vascular surgery and conservative endovascular methods. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Based on data from the Federal German Statistics Office and the Federal Chamber of Physicians, information was gathered on primary vascular diseases, active special vascular groups, surgical qualifications, and surgical clinics. Additionally, the status of vascular surgery at university clinics and non-university clinics with more than 900 beds was assessed. RESULTS: In 2004, 413,763 patients with primary vascular disease were treated in 1846 German general hospitals. More than 70% of these patients were handled in vascular surgical or general surgical clinics, and operations were performed in 50% of cases. There exist independent vascular surgical departments in 213 hospitals. Thirty-three university clinics at 38 locations showed a total of six independent vascular surgery clinics (16%) and seven partially independent sections (18%). Vascular surgery is done within cardiac surgical departments in ten clinics and in general surgery department in 15 clinics. In contrast, there are independent vascular surgical departments in 39% and 53% of non-university clinics with more than 900 and 600-899 beds respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Vascular surgery has been established in hospitals as an independent speciality. This development must continue in general surgical and university clinics.     «

BACKGROUND: The proportion of arterial and venous diseases is increasing due to shifts in population. Therapy is based on conventional vascular surgery and conservative endovascular methods. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Based on data from the Federal German Statistics Office and the Federal Chamber of Physicians, information was gathered on primary vascular diseases, active special vascular groups, surgical qualifications, and surgical clinics. Additionally, the status of vascular surgery at university...     »