Bruce R. Hoyle, M.D., is an active member of the The American College of Phlebology (ACP).The ACP
was originally founded in 1985 as the North American Society of Phlebology by Dr. Anton Butie to bring together physicians and surgeons from diverse specialties who share an interest in the diagnosis and treatment of peripheral venous disease.
The College is interested in all aspects of venous disease, but especially in teaching the most dramatic innovation in everyday phlebology: the effective and cosmetically acceptable treatment of varicose vein disease in all its forms.
History of the American College of Phlebology
Fourteen founding members were present at the initial organizational meeting in Encinitas, California on August 4th, 1985. Between that time and October 1987, six Educational Forums were held. These were short meetings lasting only a few hours, in which lectures dealing with basic phlebological subjects were given. The Educational Forums were held in
California, where the Society started.
Educational Forums eventually expanded into Special Regional Symposia. These Symposia now last a full day, are professionally organized and are held in major cities across the United States. Lectures on the basic subjects in phlebology are given, as well as demonstrations of Doppler and other diagnostic methods, laser and light-source treatment and
also endovenous occlusion techniques.
In 1997, the Society voted to change its name from the North American Society of Phlebology to the American College of Phlebology. This was felt to more accurately reflect the broadened scope and improved quality of the educational sessions sponsored by the Society.
Annual Congresses
In February 1988, the Society held its 1st Annual Congress in San Diego, California. In February 1989 the 2nd Congress followed, this time in New Orleans. Along with scientific papers, a large part of these Congresses was devoted to didactic lectures on basic phlebology. The 3rd Annual Congress was held in Phoenix, Arizona, in February 1990. This
time several practical workshops were added. The 4th Annual Congress, featuring an international faculty, was held in 1991 in Orlando, Florida. Our 5th Annual Congress, held in San Francisco, California, was followed by a one-day course for physicians who wished to review their phlebology technique. Our 6th Annual Congress was held in Orlando, Florida
and became the first back-to-back meeting coordinated with the American Venous Forum. The Congress was preceded by a one-day Symposium entitled "Phlebology Review `93". All subsequent congresses have followed the same format. The 7th Annual Congress was held in Maui, Hawaii 1994
The 8th Annual Congress was in Fort Lauderdale, Florida 1995.
The 9th Annual Congress was held in February 1996 in San Diego, California For the first time, multiple separate tracks were used for both the pre-congress workshops and for the congress itself.
The 10th Annual Congress was held in November 1996 in Washington, DC. For the first time in several years, the ACP congress was not held back to back with the annual meeting of the American Venous Forum.
The 11th Annual Congress was held in November 1997 in Palm Desert, California. Topics included new research and basic science of venous disease, advances in the diagnosis and treatment of venous ulcers, in the treatment of telangiectasias, in venous surgery and ambulatory phlebectomy and in sclerotherapy, laser and light source treatment of
telangiectasias/varicose veins, individual case presentations and lymphedema.
The 12th Annual Congress was held November 15-19, 1998 in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico. Instructional courses in a wide variety of topics offered the opportunity for informal discussion in small groups with a panel of international experts.
The 13th Annual Congress was held in November 1999 in Scottsdale, Arizona. Over 500 people attended this congress with nearly 200 attending the Pre-Congress Symposium. A special one-day symposium for Allied Health Professionals was also well attended.
The 14th Annual Congress was held in November 2000 in Atlanta, Georgia while the 15th Annual Congress was held in La Quinta, California, in November 2001.
