ALBANY – Nationally, only 14% of vascular surgeons are women, according to the Society for Vascular Surgery. At Albany Med Health System, more than one-third of vascular surgeons are women, with numbers trending upward.
Vascular surgery encompasses a range of traditional and minimally invasive procedures to treat problems with blood vessels. Common conditions include aneurysms, carotid artery disease, vein problems, blood clots, peripheral artery disease, and leg swelling.
Xzabia Caliste, M.D., chose vascular surgery because of the diversity of the work—she operates on the aorta and repairs vessels supplying blood to the brain, abdominal organs, and the upper and lower extremities. She is certified as a Registered Physician in Vascular Interpretation and trained to diagnose and treat all forms of vascular disease using both traditional open surgery and endovascular (minimally invasive) techniques.
R. Clement Darling III, M.D., chief of vascular surgery, appreciates the team’s higher female representation. “These surgeons were hired for their expertise. They are not only delivering top-quality care to our patients and training our students, but they are also serving as mentors and role models for the next generation of physicians and vascular surgeons.”
Albany Medical Center’s vascular program has a long history of excellence and is renowned worldwide. It was among the first hospitals in the country to be verified as part of the prestigious American College of Surgeons and Society for Vascular Surgery’s Vascular Verification Program. The program’s vascular surgeons pioneered numerous procedures, including those to repair abdominal aortic aneurysms and treat peripheral artery disease.
