Wound Healing and Venous Diseases Clinic

UT Physicians Wound Healing and Venous Diseases Clinic is the clinic where physician faculty members of The University of Texas Medical at Houston provide Hyperbaric medicine, wound care and lymphedema management services including:

• Consultations for leg ulcers, diabetic foot ulcers, lymphedema and varicose veins with or without leg ulcers
• Treatment of symptomatic varicose veins with radio frequency ablation
• Transcutaneous oximetry for non-invasive assessment of peripheral arterial disease
• Skin perfusion pressure for non-invasive of assessment of peripheral arterial disease
• Ultrasonic debridement of wounds
• Punch biopsy for non-healing wound assessment
• Coordination of home health nurse or physical therapist rendered wound treatment modalities
• Nurse-only bandage changes (following physician consultation) in clinic for patients who do not qualify for home health

Initial consulataions for patients needing hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) treatment of chronic wounds are done at UT Hyperbaric Medicine, Wound Healing and Lymphedema Management. Patients receive HBO treatment at Memorial Hermann – Texas Medical Center hospital.

Appointments

For appointments, please call 832-325-7214 or request an appointment online.

If you need to cancel an appointment, please call 832-325-7214 and give us at least 24 hours notice.

In most cases, we cannot accommodate walk-in patients. The best way to see a doctor is by scheduling an appointment.

Urgent, After-Hours and Emergency Care

If you have an urgent medical need, please call 832-325-7214 and a triage nurse will assess your medical need. If medically necessary, you will be worked into a physician’s schedule the same day.

For after hours care, please call 832-325-7214 to reach the physician on-call.

In case of emergency, please call 911 or go immediately to the nearest hospital emergency room.

Insurance, Payment and Billing

UT Physicians is a preferred provider for most managed care plans. We will verify your insurance coverage prior to your office visit.

We will file your insurance claim for you. You will be responsible for co-payments, co-insurance and deductibles at the time of your appointment. We accept cash, checks and all major credit cards including American Express, Visa, MasterCard and Discover. If you do not have medical insurance, payment in full is due at the time of the visit.

For billing questions, please call Patient Services at 713-500-3500.

Nurse Line and Routine Requests

If you have an urgent need, please call 832-325-7214 to speak with a nurse. The nurse will relay information to your physician.

Calls for routine requests are returned within 24 hours. Requests for urgent medical care are returned the same day.

Test Results

Unless otherwise specified by your physician, you will receive written notification by mail or the nurse will contact you with test results. Please allow 7-10 days for most test results.

Prescriptions

For prescription refills, please call your pharmacy.

Referrals

Your insurance plan may require referral paperwork or other authorization for visits to specialists. Please contact your primary care physician or insurance company for more information.

UT Total Varicose Vein Treatment Program

Varicose Veins

Half of all Americans over age 50, and two-thirds of women over age 60, suffer from varicose veins. The problem is far more than cosmetic. The pain, swelling and leg fatigue can really discourage an active lifestyle. Severe varicose veins can even cause chronic infections and skin ulcerations.

Varicose veins generally occur when the valves fail in the primary leg vein, which is called the greater saphenous. Those valves are supposed to push blood back up towards the heart. But when they can’t do the job anymore, the blood pools up in the veins. Women with more than two children and people who work on their feet such as nurses and teachers are particularly at risk. Heredity and obesity are also factors.

Do you experience discomfort, swelling, and varicose veins?

If so, you may be suffering from superficial venous reflux disease. Approximately 25 million people in the United States suffer from this condition. Venous reflux, often the underlying cause of varicose veins, frequently forces people to dramatically change their lifestyles, especially when they have standing professions and can no longer tolerate being on their feet all day.

Treating Vericose Veins

In the past, the only surgical treatment available was removing the saphenous vein, a painful and barbaric procedure that required a general anesthetic and weeks of recovery. Today we have minimally-invasive office procedures that can alleviate the problem in minutes.

VNUS® Closure

The breakthrough is catheter technology, the same kind that is used for heart interventions. Under a local anesthetic, a catheter, about the thickness of a spaghetti noodle, is inserted into the vein to heat it from within and seal it off, rather than removing it. The doctor pulls the device through the vein, using either radiofrequency (RF) energy to heat the vein walls and cause them to collapse inward on themselves. Once the vein is sealed, the body automatically re-routes blood flow through healthier vessels and normal circulation is restored. The varicosity symptoms quickly dissipate and the sealed vein is eventually absorbed by the body.

The speed and comfort of this new technique are amazing to our patients. VNUS® Closure uses RF energy to seal a typical 45-centimeter length of vein (about 14 inches) in three to five minutes. The only discomfort the patient feels is a couple of needle sticks. The procedure is so simple that it can be performed in our clinic under a local anesthetic and takes less than an hour. We encourage patients to get up and walk immediately after the procedure. Most return to normal activity the very next day. Pain and fatigue disappear almost instantly. The swollen veins begin to deflate in a week or two.

VNUS® Closure is an outpatient treatment that is covered by most major health insurers.

Sclerotherapy
Sclerotherapy involves the use of a very fine needle to inject a solution called a sclerosant directly into the veins. The solution causes the lining of the vein wall to swell, which eventually seals off the blood vessel and prevents blood flow.

Sclerotherapy is an in-office procedure with little or no recovery time. Larger veins are usually treated first. The physician uses a syringe with a tiny needle to inject a small amount of sclerosing (hardening) solution directly into a vein. The solution then causes the vessel to become irritated and swell shut, prohibiting the blood from reentering the vein. When the needle is withdrawn, pressure is immediately applied to the area. The skin may be kneaded to help disperse the solution and reduce bruising. Each vein may require several injections and most disappear in two weeks to two months.

Sclerotherapy is an outpatient treatment that is covered by most major health insurers.

Microphlebectomy
Occasionally, veins near the surface of the skin are too large to treat with sclerotherapy (which may cause brown pigment spots with larger veins close to the skin surface) and are too small to treat with the VNUS® Closure. In these cases, microphlebectomy is sometimes recommended to treat unsightly or painful leg veins close to the skin’s surface. With microphlebectomy, varicose veins are removed through a series of small punctures, which leave virtually no scars. This technique differs significantly from vein stripping and should not be confused with that procedure.

Microphlebectomy It is often used in conjunction with sclerotherapy to reduce the pressure in the smaller telangectatias and spider veins resulting in more efficient sclerotherapy. Microphlebectomy can often completely treat varicose veins on the leg with little or no recovery time with an excellent cosmetic result.

Microphlebectomy is an outpatient treatment that is covered by most major health insurers.

Put an end to the pain and unsightly appearance of varicose veins. Call us today to learn about the treatment options that are best for you.