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Matthew Smeds, M.D., DFSVS, DABS, FACS

Professor, Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery
Department of Surgery

Courses Taught

Course director, APEX-vS (Advanced Practical Exposures in Vascular Surgery)

Education

Fellowship
Vascular surgery, Saint Louis University School of Medicine

Residency
General surgery, State University of New York

Medical School
University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry

Practice Areas

Matthew Smeds is a tenured professor at Saint Louis University and practices at SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital. He has broad clinical expertise encompassing the full spectrum of vascular and endovascular surgery and maintains a particular interest in the development, evaluation and adoption of emerging technologies.

He is the founder and course director of APEX-vS (Advanced Practical Exposures in Vascular Surgery), an innovative yearly national cadaver-based training course utilizing lightly embalmed specimens to provide senior trainees with hands-on experience in both common and complex vascular surgical exposures. The course was developed to address gaps in open surgical training and has become a highly regarded educational program.

Smeds previously served as chief of the Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery and program director of both the Integrated Vascular Surgery Residency and Vascular Surgery Fellowship Programs at Saint Louis University School of Medicine (2017–2021). Prior to returning to Saint Louis University, he was on faculty at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, where he earned tenure and held multiple educational leadership roles.

Research Interests

  • Surgical education
  • Vascular disease outcomes
  • Risk factor modification, particularly tobacco cessation in vascular surgery patients
  • Recipient of the Society for Vascular Surgery's Wylie Traveling Fellowship to pursue research interests
  • Principal investigator on numerous clinical trials, including studies involving:
    • VenoValve for deep venous insufficiency
    • Thoracic and abdominal aortic stent graft technologies
    • Dialysis access innovations
    • Trauma-related vascular devices
    • Peripheral arterial disease interventions

Publications and Media Placements

Smeds has an extensive academic portfolio, with over 150 peer-reviewed publications, invited articles and book chapters, as well as well over 150 regional, national and international presentations on topics related to vascular disease, surgical education and outcomes research. His work spans clinical trials, guideline development, education research and health systems innovation

Smeds is the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Vascular Surgery Cases, Innovations and Techniques (JVSCIT) and serves on the editorial boards of the Annals of Vascular Surgery and previously the Journal of Vascular Surgery. He is a section editor for UpToDate and has contributed to multiple surgical textbooks as an editor and author, including Essentials of General Surgery and Surgical Specialties.

Professional Organizations and Associations

Organizations

  • Distinguished fellow, Society for Vascular Surgery
  • Fellow, American College of Surgeons
  • Member, Society for University Surgeons
  • Governor, American College of Surgeons
  • Consultant and examiner, American Board of Surgery

Committees
  • Executive Committee, Midwestern Vascular Surgical Society (current)
  • Executive Committee, Vascular and Endovascular Surgery Society (current)
  • Society for Vascular Surgery (former)
  • VESS (former)
  • Association for Program Directors in Vascular Surgery (former)
  • Association for Academic Surgery (former)