Tag: PAD

PERIPHERAL VASCULAR DISEASE (PVD)

Posted on by Angelica Rodezno

Peripheral vascular disease, sometimes referred to as PVD, in the legs or lower extremities is the narrowing or blockage of the vessels that carry blood from the heart to the legs.

Dr. Polyxene G Kokinos, founder of San Jose’s South Bay Vascular Center and Vein Institute is a board certified general and vascular surgeon who specializes in treating patients who suffer from this condition. For 24 years, Dr. Kokinos has dedicated her practice to helping South Bay patients regain their circulatory health by bringing advanced surgical solutions to complex vascular problems. Having treated over 20,000 Varicose Vein patients, Dr. Kokinos understands both the aesthetic as well as the complex side of her field and is recognized one of the regions most respected surgeons.

Recent advances in both imaging and medical device technology has revolutionized the practice of Vascular Surgery. Of particular interest to Dr. Kokinos is treating vessels in the deep venous systems, as well as the treatment of peripheral vascular disease. Having performed hundreds of these procedures, Dr. Kokinos has found that many of her patients, being properly treated and educated are able to make great strides to regaining their health and quality of life.

Recently, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published a patient educational bulletin that Dr. Kokinos shares with her patients as part of re-educating them to live a healthier life and to recognize the symptoms of Peripheral Vascular Disease. As part of her continuing efforts to educate her patients, she wanted to share this handout, written and published by the CDC for patients following her blog to read.

Please click on the link below to receive this CDC authored bulletin in the hopes that you too can begin to live a healthier life and become aware of the signs of peripheral vascular disease.

https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/pad.htm?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fdhdsp%2Fdata_statistics%2Ffact_sheets%2Ffs_pad.htm

If you or anyone you know suffers from peripheral vascular disease call today to schedule an appointment at 408-376-3626.

SEPTEMBER IS PAD AWARENESS MONTH

Posted on by Angelica Rodezno
What is Peripheral Arterial Disease?
Peripheral artery disease (PAD), also known as claudication, poor circulation, vascular disease, or hardening of arteries, is a chronic, life-threatening circulatory condition. PAD causes narrowing or blockage of the vessels that carry blood from the heart to the legs. The primary cause of PAD is atherosclerosis, or the buildup of plaque in the arteries. This occurs when arterial inflammation, cholesterol, calcium and scar tissue build up, forming plaque that clogs the arteries and slows blood flow to the legs. The more plaque that builds up on the inside walls of the blood vessels carrying blood from the heart to legs and arms, the more the arteries lose flexibility and narrow, putting patients at greater risk.
Risk factors for PAD
Smoking
High blood pressure
Diabetes,
High cholesterol
60+ years old.
PAD patients are at high risk of developing critical limb ischemia (CLI), a chronic condition that results in severe pain in the feet or toes, even while resting. Complications of poor circulation can include sores and wounds that won’t heal in the legs and feet. Left untreated, the complications of CLI could result in amputation of the affected limb. PAD patients are also at greater risk for heart attack and stroke. Studies have found that the total annual US costs for patients with PAD exceed $21 billion, including nearly $10 billion for hospitalizations. In Medicare alone, one study estimated spending on PAD accounted for more than 2% of all Medicare spending. PAD has been identified by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) as a priority area for comparative effectiveness research. One study suggested that endovascular therapy appears to be the least costly option in the short-run for patients with PAD.
Symptoms Blockages can restrict blood flow to the muscles, causing muscle cramps, tightness or weakness, especially during activity. In the early stages of PAD, patients may not experience any symptoms. If PAD is not treated, though, blockages may continue to grow and restrict, or even completely block, blood flow.
Common symptoms include:
Leg pain when walking
Muscle pain or cramping in legs and calf triggered by activity
Leg numbness or weakness
Coldness on lower leg or foot
Sores on toes, legs or feet that won’t heal
Change in color of legs
IF YOU OR ANYONE YOU KNOW SUFFERS FROM ANY OF THESE CONDITIONS WE CAN HELP! CALL US TODAY AT
408-376-3626 TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT.

DR. KOKINOS HONORED AS A SPEAKER AT THE 2017 AMERICAN VENOUS FORUM

Posted on by Angelica Rodezno

Dr. Kokinos was recently honored at the American Venous Forum in New Orleans as a expert on the treatment of deep venous disease. Her groundbreaking research on the Correlation of Transabdominal Ultrasound with IVUS in Diagnosing Iliac Vein Stenosis adds to the growing body of medical literature in the evolving field of deep venous pathology and treatment. Congratulations Dr. Kokinos on your recent honor.

ACHING TIRED OR HEAVY LEGS?

Posted on by Angelica Rodezno

DR. KOKINOS SELECTED TO PRESENT AT THE AMERICAN VENOUS FORUM

Posted on by Angelica Rodezno

Dr. Kokinos will be presenting an abstract on her clinical research regarding iliac vein compression at the national American Venous Forum in New Orleans early next year. This meeting is the largest venous meeting of the year, and is sponsored by the Society for Vascular Surgery.

Dr. Kokinos has been recognized nationally as an expert on May-Thurner’s Syndrome, or iliac vein compession. This problem can cause symptoms of (predominantly) left leg swelling, heaviness, aching, deep venous clots, and non-healing ankle or leg wounds. She has performed more intravascular ultrasound exams and stents of the deep venous system than any other doctor on the West Coast in the last year. She will be presenting her clinical research on using regular ultrasound, done by the specially trained registered vascular technologists in the ICAVL accredited Institute for Vascular Testing to diagnose this fairly common but widely underdiagnosed issue. Previously, patients needed to get CT scans which used significant amounts of radiation and contrast for the diagnosis. This problem is not only seen because of a common anatomic situation, but also often as a result of an undiagnosed blood clot (DVT) in the iliac or femoral vein after orthopedic, back, or gynecologic surgery.

If you have one leg that is more swollen or painful than then other, or have had a leg blood clot in the past, please call us at 408-376-3626 or visit us at www.southbayvascular.com.

SOUTH BAY VASCULAR CENTER IS “TAKING A STAND AGAINST AMPUTATION”

Posted on by Angelica Rodezno

18 Million Americans Suffer from Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD). Left untreated, PAD can lead to amputation. Each year 160,000 amputations are performed as a result of peripheral arterial disease.

South Bay Vascular Center and Vein Institute is Taking A Stand Against Amputation. Dr. Pineda and Dr. Kokinos recently attended the “Advanced Orbital Atherectomy Course in the Treatment of Complex PAD Below the Knee” at Metro Health Hospital, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. This course was led by Dr. Jihad Mustapha, a thought leader in the field of critical limb ischemia. The techniques included using alternate access sites (using the arteries at the ankle and foot for access), instead of using the traditional groin site. The course also included treatment of arteries in the foot, with the main goal being on limb preservation and amputation prevention. To date, Dr.’s Kokinos and Pineda have performed more procedures using pedal access than any other surgeons in the greater San Francisco Bay Area, and are recognized as leaders in this area.

The practices expounded by Dr. Mustapha and his team are the same techniques and principles the vascular surgeons at South Bay Vascular use in their care and treatment of PAD. These include: identification and aggressive medical management of risk factors, minimally invasive interventions when indicated, and continued surveillance to detect issues before they become clinically apparent.

At South Bay Vascular, we do use alternate sites frequently, and by using this approach, decrease the rate of groin complications and the length of time that the patient has to remain flat after a procedure. Furthermore, with our growing population of diabetics and patients with kidney disease, we are better equipped to manage critical limb ischemia and prevent amputations. This course is in support of our focus on taking care of patients at risk of losing a limb.

If you or a loved one is diabetic, has kidney disease (is on dialysis), or has been told they need an amputation, please contact us for a consultation with one of our surgeons and together we will Take A Stand Against Amputation.

DR. KOKINOS APPOINTED AS NEW WOUND CARE DIRECTOR AT O’CONNOR AND ST. LOUISE HOSPITALS

Posted on by Angelica Rodezno

Polyxene Kokinos MD, a Board Certified Vascular and General Surgeon of South Bay Vascular Center and Vein Institute was named today as the new medical director of the O’Connor and St. Louise Hospital’s wound care clinics. Dr. Kokinos brings over 25 years of vascular surgery experience to her new position as medical director and is recognized as a national expert in the treatment of peripheral vascular and arterial disease. Dr. Kokinos has a special interest in the treatment of lower extremity and deep venous disease and is recognized as one of the country’s leading experts in this area. Currently, Dr. Kokinos serves as the Chairman of the Cardio Vascular department at Good Samaritan hospital in San Jose. and is honored to accept her new medical directorship at O’Connor and St Louise hospitals.

Highly sought after as a speaker, over the past 4 months Dr. Kokinos has presented her research in deep venous disease at the OEIS national meeting in Miami, Fl.; Western Vascular Society in Colorado Springs, Co; Northern California Vascular Vascular in San Francisco, CA.; and has recently accepted an invitation to speak at the nations largest gathering of Vascular Surgeons at the American Venous Form of the Society for Vascular Surgeons scheduled for New Orleans, Louisiana in Feb of 2017.

Together with her Vascular Surgeon Partner, Dr. Carlos E. Pineda, Dr. Kokinos is excited to expand the current wound care practices at O’Connor and St. Louise Wound Care Clinics to include a specific focus on Chronic Limb Ischemia and Limb Salvage. To this extent, her experience using intravenous ultrasound (IVUS) to help diagnose and to treat deep venous disease, together with her experience delivering state of the art minimally invasive treatments for deep venous disease promises to be an exciting time as she works to transform these regional wound care clinics into world class centers of excellence.

Congratulations Dr. Kokinos on this new appointment.

WHAT IS ENDOVENOUS LASER THERAPY?

Posted on by Angelica Rodezno

Endovenous Laser Ablation (EVLT), a treatment for varicose veins, is an advanced, highly effective treatment for varicose veins. EVLT works by using targeted laser energy to close off problem veins, thus relieving the symptoms and appearance of varicose veins and restoring healthy, attractive legs. This treatment is ideal for large varicose veins, including the greater saphenous veins.

The EVLT™ Procedure is minimally-invasive and virtually pain-free. While surgical vein treatment methods can cause scarring and other side effects, the laser energy used in EVLT minimizes risks and complications. Laser energy is delivered directly to the target vein to shrink the walls, which eventually causes the vein to close. Blood flow is diverted to other, healthy veins, eliminating the varicose vein bulging, discoloration, and pain.

EVLT is performed as an outpatient procedure, usually in less than an hour, with only local anesthesia. This means that recovery time is dramatically reduced. Most patients can resume normal activities immediately following treatment, while enjoying superior clinical and aesthetic results.

SOUTH BAY VASCULAR CENTER LAUNCHES NEW WEBSITE

Posted on by Angelica Rodezno

South Bay Vascular Center and Vein Institute is pleased to announce the launch of their new website. The new site is designed to offer patients an easy to read, customer friendly option for interacting with our practice. Our goal with the new site is:

  • To provide our patients and prospective patients a more complete understanding of our practice; who we are and what we do.
  • To help educate our patients on the available options for the diagnosis and treatment of their vascular medical issues.
  • To improve our customer service for patients by giving them the ability to submit their insurance information on line, in advance of their visit, in an effort to both streamline their visit and to verify coverage.
  • To provide a portal through which patients can download all of their check-in and registration documents, as well as their pre-operative and post-operative medical instructions directly from the website.

South Bay Vascular Center and Vein Institute is proud to celebrate its 20th year serving the patients of Silicon Valley, South County and beyond. With the opening of our new angiography suite in Campbell, CA. our practice continues to be on the cutting edge of Vascular medicine. Advancements in medical imaging and devices have enabled our surgeons and interventional radiology partners to treat circulatory issues in our new state of the art center in ways that were never before possible, greatly enhancing our ability to serve the vascular surgery needs of our patients.

Dr. Kokinos, a nationally recognized ABMS Board Certified General and Vascular Surgeon, and her staff are pleased to meet and to discuss treatment options for all your vascular related issues. If you suffer from leg swelling, non-healing ulcers and wounds, experience complications following cosmetic vascular procedures (varicose and spider veins etc) have been diagnosed with a Blood Clot or DVT, we are here to help.

Don’t continue to suffer alone…we can provide guidance and help when you feel like there are no answers to your medical condition. Give us a call to discuss your treatment options and we can help you “Get your life back.”