Letter to Patients

04/21/2016

Dear Patient,

It took me great courage amidst mixed emotions to announce the closing of Vein Clinic PA. I will continue to serve established patients and assist with transition of care until 5/31/2016. Please contact your Primary Care Provider for a referral, or visit the American College of Phlebology website (http://www.phlebology.org) to find a list of Board Certified Specialists in your area for future vein care needs.

We have made provisions for safe custody of your medical records. Please see reverse (below) for important details and find enclosed authorization form for your convenience.

I started my career as a Physician with a firm belief that excellence in healthcare, highest level of responsibility and above all, love for each patient who came seeking care was my calling. I embraced the quote “A doctor must work eighteen hours a day and seven days a week. If you cannot console yourself to this, get out of the profession.” Many of my patients came with little hope of improvement or with prior unsuccessful treatments. The science of Medicine is not perfect, and the healthcare system is constantly changing. Nevertheless, when I see the countless testimonials, letters from patients, and smiling faces (not just beautiful healthy legs), I know that all the efforts were worthwhile.

Walt Disney once said, “A man should never neglect his family for business.” I feel that over the years I have inadvertently neglected my family and was unavailable for my two kids who are growing up faster than weeds in the yard! It does take a substantial amount of parenting, often “a village to raise a child.” After much pondering, my wife and I have decided to move closer to our extended family.

Thank you for your loyalty, friendship, and trust. It has been an honor and a privilege to serve you. Many patients have told me that my work has changed their lives. The truth is that all the extraordinary experiences and memories have changed mine! Best wishes for your future health and happiness. Never forget that life is a beautiful journey.

Sincerely yours,

Sameer Gupta, MD

Important information regarding your Medical Records

Your medical records are confidential; a responsibility that we have always taken very seriously. We have vetted several options and chosen Clary Document Management as the future custodian of your records. Their contact information is below and also included in the enclosed authorization form that you must complete if you wish to have a copy of your records forwarded.

Effective immediately, all record requests must be submitted to Clary Document management directly. The record retrieval service will be available for seven years ending May 31, 2023.

Contact Information:

Clary Document Management
4730 Quebec Avenue North
Minneapolis, MN 55428
phone: 763.548.1320
fax: 763.548.1325
email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Your Healthcare Benefits and Year-end Tips

It might be hard to believe, but fall is here and the end of the year is not that far behind. This is the time of year where things go from busy to hectic as our schedules fill rapidly with schools, sporting events and preparation for holidays. But this is also an important time to make sure you’re getting the maximum benefit from your health insurance plan.

Deductibles — the money you're required to pay out of pocket before insurance covers all or part of your healthcare services — are becoming more prevalent and more expensive. If you’ve already met your annual deductible or you’re close to it, you may be able to receive medical care at very little or no cost to you! Most health insurance policies calculate deductibles and maximum out-of-pocket expenses based on a calendar year. For instance, all deductibles for Medicare are based on the calendar year. At the beginning of the calendar year, everything resets with new out-of-pocket limits and deductibles.

Another factor to consider is your flexible spending account (FSA). These pre-tax contributions can be used to pay for eligible medical expenses, but they expire at the end of your benefit period and must be forfeited. Taking care of any necessary medical procedures before the end of the calendar year can help you apply your unused FSA funds before they expire.

This is the perfect time to take care of the unsightly varicose veins that cause poor circulation in legs not only affecting your quality of life but also exposing you to complications such as ulcers and clots if left untreated. Doctors’ offices typically experience a heavy demand for procedures towards the end of the year as patients try to maximize their benefits. Fall is a very busy time for us also at Vein Clinic PA. Hence, the sooner you schedule your appointment, the better.

Keep in mind that some insurance plans require a trial of conservative therapy including use of compression stockings from six weeks to as much as three months. Also, you will likely need at least a few visits to provide the long term benefits made possible by modern technology and our expertise. For snow birds, the earlier you start the process, the more likely it is that you will be enjoying the warm weather with “cool” legs when you are in the south.

Schedule your appointment today, and let your insurance policy work for you!

Varicose Veins: It’s Not Just Vanity

While many people recognize varicose veins by the bulging appearance on the lower leg, this is really just a result of the real issue: poor blood flow in the legs.

Veins in your legs are responsible for picking up deoxygenated blood and bring it back to your heart pushing against gravity. Due to risk factors such as genetic predisposition, sitting or standing for prolonged times, pregnancies and aging, some of these veins start to fail, causing blood to pool in your legs. When pooled blood pushes out smaller branches closer to the skin surface, you can see varicose veins from the outside. The culprits, saphenous veins, lie deep within your legs and are not visible from the outside; hence, only an ultrasound can show the full extent of the backflow in your legs.

In the initial stages, the pressure generated from pooling of blood causes the achy, heavy, tired and restless legs that you may experience. There is, however, a possibility of a bigger problem if left untreated. Varicose veins may progress into chronic venous insufficiency causing swelling, discoloration of the skin, blood clots, and sores in legs that do not heal well.

About two-thirds of patients at wound care centers with poorly healing ulcers in their legs actually have chronic venous insufficiency.

These and the myriad of varicose vein complications will improve and likely disappear with current treatments available at Vein Clinic PA. Treating them early not only helps improve the quality of life but prevents further problems and complications. Healthy legs look and feel better.

Best Spider Vein Treatments at Vein Clinic PA

Vein Clinic PA offers the most effective Spider Vein Treatment options currently available, including injection sclerotherapy (the gold standard), ultrasound guided sclerotherapy (used to seal the deeper "feeder veins"), ohmic thermolysis (the revolutionary VeinGogh), and surface laser. Typically we use a combination of treatment modalities to help you enjoy the best outcomes that are long lasting in the fewest visits possible. Learn more about our Spider Vein Treatments and schedule your Free Consultation today!

Life is a beautiful journey and happiness is a way of living it

One of my patients lost her young son to cancer earlier this year. While performing her leg treatments, I was taken aback by the sheer courage, optimism and positive attitude that this wonderful woman exuded in spite of sustaining such a terrible loss. During the conversation she mentioned support of her family, friends and her religious beliefs that helped her through this gut wrenching part of her life’s journey.

When I asked her about how she felt, I expected to hear resentment, anger or sadness. Instead she said she was happy. She had to choose a way of living her life and she chose happiness.

The search for happiness probably predates medicine. Not until recently, a group of researchers came to a conclusion that happiness is “multifactorial.” Based on research performed on genetic twins, researchers reported that each genetic twin had a happiness set point that determined 50% of each twin’s happiness regardless of what else was going on in their lives. Interestingly, 10% of our happiness is considered to be a function of life circumstances, something that we may not be able to control but for which we often adapt or find ways of coping. The final 40% of our happiness is directly in our hands; it is a result of our intentional activity.

As Stephen Covey said, “We are a product of neither nature nor nurture; we are a product of choice because there is always a space between stimulus and response. As we wisely exercise our power to choose based on principles, the space will become larger.”

I attribute the success of Vein Clinic PA to our fundamental principle; take care of the patient. The rest will take care of itself. I have felt so strongly about our principle that we electively discontinued all major forms of marketing in early 2014. We stopped using Groupons, coupons, billboards and other popular forms of advertising. Instead we devoted all our time, resources and our passion to optimizing the patient care experience and outcomes. I am proud to say we have a collection of the absolute best tools, technology and expertise that one can find. From the video communication directly from each exam room to Patient Account Services to electronic medical records, we have created a modern office that seamlessly connects you to all the staff members who may be involved in your care. When you call us, before the phone is triaged the receptionist is able to “see” via video all the sites and key personnel so that your call is not transferred without due diligence. Of course, we have never stopped perfecting the delivery of vein care. As one patient rightly said, “vein is in our blood.”

We have enhanced our spider treatment program to give you a combination of the absolute best treatments that are backed by science, tested and perfected by us. We only offer treatment that actually works. We have also perfected our microphlebectomy procedure where countless patients have enjoyed the removal of unattractive, large surface veins, including varicose veins without the need of general anesthesia, use of stitches or ugly scarring. Patients can have their bulging veins removed in one hour in the comforts of our office setting with no downtime, undue pain or risk of scarring.

The referrals from our patients and the providers in the community have kept our schedules busy. A referral is the highest form of compliment that any doctor can get. I am very grateful to each one of you for allowing us the opportunity to serve you and for the trust in our care; we continue to take this responsibility very serious.

Please have a wonderful summer season. We are only a phone call away if you find that your legs are coming in the way of your happiness!