Research, QI and Education
The Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery at UTHSC is a rapidly growing academic research center with a strong focus on vascular trauma, complex endovascular innovation, pediatric vascular surgery, and outcomes-based quality improvement. Our division brings together a multidisciplinary team of fellowship-trained vascular surgeons, trauma specialists, and physician-scientists and has an active culture of inquiry that encourages fellows and residents to participate meaningfully in ongoing investigations. Every fellow is required to participate in at least one QI project as a part of ACGME requirements.
Our major research interests include:
Training at the Elvis Presley Trauma Center - one of the busiest Level I trauma centers in the country—positions UTHSC as a national leader in vascular trauma research. Ongoing projects explore:
- Blunt thoracic aortic injury (BTAI) patterns and outcomes
- Traumatic thoracic aortic coarctation (TTAC) as a newly recognized clinical entity
- Emergent TEVAR strategies and grading system refinements
- Limb-threatening vascular trauma and reconstruction algorithms
- Orthopedic–vascular injury sequencing and decision-making
Our team published landmark findings identifying Traumatic thoracic aortic coarctation as a distinct subset of BTAI requiring immediate endovascular repair - research that is influencing updates to national SVS guidelines.
With Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital serving as the region’s only Level I pediatric trauma center, UTHSC has built one of the largest and most diverse clinical experience datasets in pediatric vascular trauma. Active studies include:
- Injury patterns and mechanisms in pediatric trauma
- Endovascular therapy utilization in children (17% at our centers - among the highest reported)
- Operative decision-making in pediatric vascular trauma and multidisciplinary management
- Long-term patency, function, and psychosocial outcomes
Our UTHSC pediatric vascular trauma research has been presented at national and international meetings, including the Society for Clinical Vascular Surgery, European Society for Vascular Surgery, and the International Aortic Summit.
The division is deeply committed to data-driven quality improvement, with projects spanning:
- Limb salvage strategies and predictors of amputation
- Surveillance after pediatric and adult traumatic bypass
- Revisiting the MESS score to improve extremity salvage prediction
Our faculty hold prominent roles in surgical education, guideline development, and global vascular surgery. Dr. Mitchell regularly delivers invited lectures at international trauma, aortic, and endovascular conferences and is a contributor to the 2025 European Society for Vascular Surgery (ESVS) Clinical Practice Guidelines on the Management of Vascular Trauma—the premier guideline document for the field.
UTHSC faculty are also published in Seminars in Vascular Surgery and other major journals in areas including competency-based assessment, surgical leadership, and innovation in vascular trauma management.
Collaborate with us!
At the cutting edge of Vascular trauma and Pediatric vascular research, our goal is to enhance patient care and define management guidelines in these under-studied populations. We warmly welcome any research interest, including short term research positions.
Over the years we have presented nationally and internationally, including vascular annual meetings, southern vascular association, western vascular association, vascular and endovascular surgical society, American surgical association, American college of surgery and many more.