In Current Vascular Surgery: 42nd Northwestern Vascular Symposium we have brought together 50 national experts from the 2017 symposium to address timely topics and controversies in vascular and endovascular surgery. As has been the tradition, presentations cover the full spectrum of vascular surgery, including changes in management of extracranial cerebrovascular disease, new treatment options for lower extremity arterial occlusive disease, hemodialysis access, improvements in techniques for complex venous disease, and developments in aortic stent graft repair in the chest and abdomen.