Minimum Requirements for Certification as a Vascular Centre

• Core disciplines of the Vascular Centre: Vascular surgery, radiology, angiology (alternatively, internists with experience in vascular medicine as an interim solution, if necessary until recertification)
• Structured collaboration with other specialist disciplines such as cardiology, neurology, anaesthesia, nephrology, diabetology, etc.

• >= 800 patients with vascular diseases (outpatients and inpatients), of whom >= 600 have arterial vascular diseases per year
• >= 150 cases of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) or diabetic foot syndrome, of which >= 50 involve critical limb ischaemia per year
• >/= 75 cases of phlebothrombosis, chronic venous insufficiency and/or lymphoedema per year
• Evidence of treatment of >/= 5 cases of inflammatory vascular diseases per year
• Structured management of cardiovascular risk factors and rehabilitation for vascular diseases

CT, MRI, digital subtraction angiography (DSA), phlebography, peripheral Doppler ultrasound, duplex ultrasound of the extracranial, abdominal and peripheral arteries and veins, treadmill ergometry, functional vascular diagnostics (e.g. capillary microscopy, oscillography, TCPO2).

• >= 200 open arterial reconstructions per year
  • of which >/= 30 carotid artery operations
  • >= 20 operations for the treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA, open and EVAR), of which at least 5 are open AAA procedures
  • >= 30 infrainguinal bypass procedures, of which 10 are crural or pedal bypasses
• >= 100 PTAs and/or stent implantations per year (PAVK, NAST etc.)
• Local thrombolysis and/or mechanical thrombectomy >/= 10 per year
• Capability to perform percutaneous vascular occlusion procedures on arteries

• Participation in the quality assurance modules, where required by the regional authorities
• Participation in further quality assurance projects organised by professional associations
• Regular holding of mortality and morbidity conferences
• Written internal guidelines/clinical pathways for the most important vascular diseases (including PAD, diabetic foot syndrome, carotid stenosis, aortic aneurysm, venous thromboembolism, inflammatory vascular diseases)
• Implementation of radiation protection in accordance with statutory requirements

(Partial or) full training authorisation for radiology and angiology (with an exception where applicable if there is no specialist qualification in angiology).
At least 24 months’ training authorisation for vascular surgery. (Unless this is a start-up scheme.)

• Seamless ‘round-the-clock care’ (24 hours a day, 7 days a week) must be ensured for all vascular patients through on-call and/or standby services.
• Provision of prevention programmes
• In the case of cross-sectoral or cross-organisational bodies, specific requirements are placed on structural quality
• A common documentation system should be used.
• An interdisciplinary vascular conference must take place at least once a week, preferably daily. Specialists with decision-making authority must be represented at these meetings.
• Structured internal and external training measures

• Specialists in vascular surgery >= 3
• Specialists in radiology >= 3
• Angiologists (or internists with experience in vascular medicine) >/= 2

The doctors in charge of the relevant departments must be members of their respective professional associations.