About Us

The History of vascular surgery at NYU:

Vascular Surgery is a young profession. Historically, general surgeons trained in all areas of surgery from the brain, to the heart, to the abdominal intestinal system, and into vascular surgery. It was not until the Korean Conflict that vascular surgery became a specialty unto itself, when Dr. Frank Cole Spencer helped define the role of a vascular surgeon in the battlefield. NYU gained its first notoriety in vascular surgery in the hands of Dr. Spencer. During the Korean Conflict, Dr. Spencer was one of the early surgeons to take special interest in this area of cardiac and vascular surgery. Despite facing possible court-martial for his actions, Dr. Spencer began to salvage extremities of injured servicemen by replacing or repairing severed arteries, instead of amputation.

This sentinel event set the stage for the innovative substrate for vascular surgery at New York University, which developed over the next 50 years. After arriving at New York University, Dr. Spencer immediately found a colleague, Dr. Anthony Imparato, who was one of the early pioneers in carotid disease, and carotid surgery. Ultimately, Dr. Imparato went on to become a pioneer in the training of vascular surgeons. He became President of the national Vascular Surgical Society and remains recognized as one of the founders of the specialty of vascular surgery. Subsequently, two other national society presidents and leaders in vascular surgery have made their mark at New York University as the academic platform from which to teach the world about vascular surgery.

The Division of Vascular Surgery at New York University comprises 10 vascular surgeons and is one of the most distinguished and largest vascular surgery divisions in the United States. The Division maintains leadership positions in all local, regional, and national vascular surgical societies.

We provide vascular surgical services to the Tisch Hospital at New York University, the New York VA Medical Center, and the Bellevue Hospital Center. It is through this full thickness service at the VA Hospital that the Division of Vascular Surgery is proud to serve its country and the armed service veterans of this country who have complex vascular issues as they mature in age. At Bellevue Hospital, the Division of Vascular Surgery at New York University is proud to serve the indigent of the city of New York at one of the largest city hospitals in the United States. As part of a Level 1 trauma team, the Vascular service at Bellevue Hospital is intimately involved in the management and the treatment of complex trauma.