ABSTRACT
Contemporary vascular surgery has evolved slowly over many years with notable exceptions that catapulted new paradigms into clinical practice. Most landmark contributions occurred during the last half of the 20th century, resulting from a better understanding of the physiologic consequences of vascular disease, the availability of heparin anticoagulation, the introduction of synthetic grafts, development of noninvasive testing, improved anatomic imaging, and the maturation of technical skills from simple vascular ligations to complex open surgical and endovascular procedures. Although vascular surgery had its beginning in many other disciplines, it has evolved into an independent medical specialty with a defined body of knowledge and established standards of practice. The history of vascular surgery is best addressed by reviewing four specific time periods: antiquity to the end of the 19th century, the early 20th century, the last half of the 20th century, and the early 21st century.
