27 Complex Aortic Specialists in Five Days: Fieldwork at VEITH
Complex aneurysm repair is a small, specialized field, and many of its key physicians gather in one place each year: the VEITH Symposium in New York. So, when a client needed to hear from them, we went to where they already were.
A device company wanted to understand how physicians choose between off-the-shelf fenestrated and branched grafts, patient-specific and custom-made devices, and parallel graft techniques for complex abdominal and thoracoabdominal aneurysms. It also wanted to know what would encourage non-users to adopt fenestrated technology.
That meant recruiting both experienced complex-anatomy operators and physicians who rarely use these devices. The screener captured experience level, allowing moderators to adjust their probing, while every respondent covered the same core questions.
Interviews were held in New York during the VEITH Symposium, over five days. Each lasted one hour.
The final sample comprised 27 physicians: 22 vascular surgeons, 4 interventional radiologists, and 1 interventional cardiologist. Fifteen were from the US and 12 from Europe: Italy (4), the UK (3), and one each from Sweden, Belgium, Greece, France, and Poland.
Interviews were filmed, giving the client direct access to how physicians reasoned through their choices.
Still, the mix of experience levels delivered a clear finding. A small group of experienced users was enthusiastic about newer approaches, while most physicians treated them with caution and used them mainly in urgent cases.
