Dr. Perler trained in general and vascular surgery at the Massachusetts General Hospital. He was named the first recipient of the Julius H. Jacobson II, M.D. Endowed Chair at Johns Hopkins. He has served as Director of the Vascular Noninvasive Laboratory, Founder and Program Director of the Vascular Surgery Fellowship, Chief of the Division of Vascular Surgery & Endovascular Therapy, and subsequently the Vice-Chair for Clinical Operations and Financial Affairs for the Department of Surgery at Johns Hopkins.

Dr. Perler has edited or co-edited 5 textbooks including Rutherford’s Textbook of Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapy. He has authored more than 275 medical journal articles and textbook chapters on the diagnosis and treatment of the entire spectrum of circulatory diseases.

From 2009 to 2016 served as the Senior Editor of the Journal of Vascular Surgery, as well as being the co-founder and Senior Editor of the Journal of Vascular Surgery: Venous & Lymphatic Disorders and the Journal of Vascular Surgery Cases. He has also served on the Editorial Boards of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, Vascular, and the Annals of Vascular Surgery.

He has served as President of the Society for Vascular Surgery, the Southern Association for Vascular Surgery, the Eastern Vascular Society, and the Chesapeake Vascular Society. In 2019 he received the Lifetime achievement Award from the Southern Association for Vascular Surgery
He has also served as the Associate Executive Director of the American Board of Surgery for Vascular Surgery, subsequently the Vice President of the American Board of Surgery.