title: The American Board of Vascular Surgery and the law: fact and fiction.
abstract: The need for the establishment of an independent American Board of Vascular Surgery (ABVS) remains controversial. The controversy involves both medical and legal issues. These issues include medical malpractice, the attempt to create a "monopoly" by vascular surgeons, and the hospital credentialing of surgeons to perform vascular procedures. In this article, the legal impact of an independent ABVS on the filing of medical malpractice suits against vascular surgeons is explored. In addition, the legal criteria necessary to establish a monopoly, as well as criteria for hospital credentialing, are also reviewed. The results of this legal analysis are, first, that the establishment of an independent ABVS may well lead to a decrease in the number of frivolous lawsuits filed against vascular surgeons. Second, the establishment of an ABVS does not constitute the creation of a monopoly. Finally, hospital credentialing should not, and will not, be directly affected by the establishment of an independent ABVS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Section of Vascular Surgery, William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, MI, USA. OWBMD@aol.com
authors.forename: O William
authors.initials: OW
authors.lastname: Brown
mesh_terms: D003406:Credentialing / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D008318:Malpractice / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D013043:Specialties, Surgical / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D013044:Specialty Boards; D014481:United States; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*