Tag: Vascular Surgeon

COULD THAT LEG PAIN BE PERIPHERAL ARTERY DISEASE

Posted on by Angelica Rodezno

Dr. Polyxene (Polly) a vascular surgeon located in San Jose, CA specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of peripheral artery disease. In private practice for 24 years, Dr. Kokinos has served the South Bay Community as an independent physician for her entire career and has built her practice by delivering exceptional outcomes and by providing hope for patients suffering from complex vascular disease.

Graduating high school at 14 years old, Dr. Kokinos enrolled at Barnard College (Columbia University) and after finishing in 3 years, earned a coveted spot in Columbia University’s prestigious medical school by the time she was 16 years old. Finishing medical school at 20, Dr. Kokinos was accepted at UCSF Surgical, the top ranked general surgery residency program in the world. Seven years later, Dr. Kokinos was accepted into Washington University in Saint Louis, the number one ranked Vascular Surgery fellowship training program in the United States. Finishing her training at 29 years old, Dr. Kokinos was the youngest board certified vascular surgeon in the country. Continuing her unmatched reputation as a vascular surgeon, Dr. Kokinos continues to be recognized by her peers as a gifted clinician, Vascular Surgeon and overall leader in her field.

Experience matters when it comes to your health. In private practice for 24 years, no other vascular surgeon in Northern California can claim the depth and breath of vascular surgery experience nor the specialized facilities needed to treat complex vascular disease that Dr. Kokinos can share. Unmatched in her experience and capabilities, Dr. Kokinos offers hope when others say there is none.

Unlike doctors leaving Big Box Medical Systems (Kaiser, PAMF, Stanford, Sutter) to enter private practice in search of financial payouts, Dr. Kokinos has spent her entire career focused on the “Why” behind an illness. Rather than simply treating the symptom, Dr. Kokinos takes the time to understand a patients symptoms so that her patients have real solutions to living a healthy life. Instead of a medical career driven by production metrics and profitability, Dr. Kokinos has built her career around a patients needs and not an institutions needs

Of particular interest to Dr. Kokinos is the diagnosing and treatment of peripheral arterial disease and chronic limb ischemia. As the only vascular surgeon in the South Bay to own and operate their own state of the art nationally accredited ambulatory surgery center and full time vascular ultrasound laboratory, Dr. Kokinos provides unmatched care for her patients suffering from this disease. Dedicated entirely to the treatment of vascular disease, Dr. Kokinos’ surgical suite has the most advanced imaging and device technology found anywhere in the world.

Partnering with the community to provide the best information possible, Dr. Kokinos encourages anyone suspecting to be suffering from PAD to read the following article. Published by her peers at Harvard University Medical School we believe this article can help our patients better understand the symptoms of PAD. After reading this article, if you or anyone you know suffers from or thinks they may be suffering from Peripheral Artery Disease we encourage them to schedule an appointment at 408-376-3626 to discuss their symptoms. In the meanwhile, we hope you find the following article educational.

https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/could-that-leg-pain-be-peripheral-artery-disease

PERIPHERAL ARTERIAL DISEASE (PAD); EARLY RECOGNITION AND REFERRAL TO A VASCULAR SURGEON

Posted on by Angelica Rodezno

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 18 million people in the United States suffer from Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD), a common circulatory problem in which narrowed arteries reduce blood flow to the limbs. Estimates suggest that anywhere from 12 to 20 percent of individuals over the age of 60 are living with PAD. Approximately 160,000 to 180,000 of the estimated 18 million Americans with PAD will undergo a limb amputation as result of PAD-related condition this year, resulting in lower quality of life, high medical costs, and shorter life expectancy.

But even with these alarming numbers, APPROXIMATELY 3 OUT OF 4 AMERICANS are unaware of PAD Symptoms.

Severe PAD symptoms include:

  • Leg pain,
  • Wounds on the toes or feet,
  • Gangrene and
  • A loss of leg mass compared to the rest of the body.
  • Individuals are at greatest risk for PAD if you have high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or diabetes.

Dr. Polly G Kokinos, a board certified Vascular and General Surgeon in Campbell, CA. is recognized as one of the regions foremost authorities in the diagnosis and treatment of PAD. With offices in both Campbell and Gilroy, CA. Dr Kokinos has dedicated her entire career to serving the South County community as an independent physician and as a pioneer in the evaluation and treatment of patients suffering from Peripheral Arterial Disease.

Unburdened by the productivity metrics, financial benchmarks and administrative red tape commonly found in Big Box Medical Systems, Dr. Kokinos has focused her entire career on providing exceptional vascular care building her practice one patient at a time. Her Campbell Surgery center, a nationally accredited Vascular Surgery Center of Excellence, is entirely dedicated to treating patients suffering from complex vascular surgical disorders. Unlike a traditional hospital or university operating room, Dr. Kokinos’ surgery center is entirely dedicated to addressing vascular issues ensuring that she has the most advanced imaging and device technology available anywhere in the world.

Unfortunately, even with all of her skill experience and technology, many patients don’t find Dr. Kokinos until its too late. Many patients go under diagnosed or undiagnosed until it is too late and their medical condition has declined to the point where no one can help. In this circumstance patients lose limbs, suffer unnecessarily and become an incredible burden on their family and loved ones. In the worst cases, patients can die if their leg wounds are left untreated.

In an effort to help front line medical doctors better evaluate and diagnose peripheral arterial disease Dr. Kokinos has spoken extensively to the Primary Community Care Team (Internists, Podiatrists, Orthopaedic Surgeons) in the management of lower extremity arterial and venous disease. As is the case in most instances, early detection of peripheral arterial disease has a dramatic impact on the success of any future treatments.

Bridging this educational gap was the topic of a recent talk Dr. Kokinos was honored to give in March of 2020 to a group of Northern California primary care physicians. The focus of this talk was to help primary care and referring physicians better understand the etiology (the cause of a disease or condition) its diagnosis, management, and referral strategies for peripheral arterial and venous disease.

The key takeaways from her talk are outlined below:

  • Prevalence of PAD and Venous Disease have reached epidemic proportions.
  • Peripheral Arterial and Venous Disease are both associated with high rates of disability and death.
  • Identifying arterial disease early may improve a patients quality of life and allow early medical and surgical interventions to lower the risk of critical limb ischemia and amputation.
  • Identifying venous disease can greatly improve a patients quality of live and lower their risk of dying from this disease.
  • Despite greater awareness, PAD and Venous disease are still under-recognized and under treated.
  • Due to the complex nature of vascular disease, an evidence-based multidisciplinary approach is essential to early assessment, proper diagnosis and optimal treatment
  • Minimally invasive endovascular techniques now enable vascular surgeons to treat significantly higher numbers of patients with a lower complication and death rate
  • Appropriate referrals to specialists must be emphasized if physicians are to continue to improve the lives of patients with PAD

Her underlying message to the audience was that primary care physicians are a patients first line of defense. Helping patients achieve better outcomes requires early recognition and management on the part of the primary care physician and that early referral to a vascular surgeon is essential to the successful outcome of advanced treatments.

If you or anyone you love suffers from any of the symptoms outlined in this blog, we would be honored to speak with them to discuss their symptoms. Call Dr. Kokinos’ office at South Bay Vascular Center to schedule an appointment at 408-376-3626.

DR. POLYXENE KOKINOS…AN INDEPENDENT COMMUNITY VASCULAR SURGEON SERVING SOUTH BAY RESIDENTS FOR 24 YEARS

Posted on by Angelica Rodezno

For 24 years, Dr. Polyxene (Polly) Kokinos has worked in the greater San Francisco Bay Area community as an independent vascular surgeon, dedicating her time to serving patients suffering from vascular disease.

With offices in both Campbell, CA and Gilroy, CA Dr. Kokinos has worked with over 25,000 patients helping them as they suffer from circulatory illnesses and the impact of their disease. From the most delicate to the most complex surgical care, Dr. Kokinos’ and her staff have remained independent community physicians, offering patients an alternative to the “Big Box” medical systems of Santa Clara, San Mateo and Alameda Counties (Kaiser, PAMF, Sutter, Stanford) by offering unmatched personalized care and innovative surgical techniques to advance the care and treatment of her patients.

“We offer hope when others say there is none” is more than a simple message crafted by a marketing agent. It is at the core of everything we do and is the reason why we our facility operates in the most personal way available…

One Patient, One Doctor, One Nurse

South Bay Vascular Center and Vein Institute, located in Campbell, CA is the only fully accredited privately owned state of surgery center in the South Bay dedicated entirely to the practice of Vascular Surgery. Here, Dr. Kokinos provides unmatched vascular surgical care using cutting edge imaging and device technology that no other vascular surgeon or institution in the area can offer as she continues her pioneering work in the treatment of vascular disease.

Recognized by her peers as a national expert in the care of complex vascular disease, Dr. Kokinos is highly sought after as a speaker at national and international vascular surgical conferences and educational symposia. On March 4 2020 as part of her ongoing commitment to her community, Dr. Kokinos spoke in San Mateo, CA. addressing a large group of her peers as an invited guest of Global Education Group and Educational Awareness Solutions under a grant from Philips Image Guided Therapy. Her topic was “The Essential Role of the Primary Community Care Team in the Management of Lower Extremity Arterial and Venous Disease”

Her talk focused on Vascular diseases, “Including peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and venous thromboembolism and their prevalence in the US. When unrecognized or inadequately treated, these disorders may be life threatening and disabling. The therapeutic an diagnostic landscape for vascular conditions is rapidly evolving; yet there remains an unmet need for more awareness among healthcare professionals and patients.” As a recognized expert in her field, Dr. Kokinos was asked to address these topics with her peers, offering solutions and answering questions and was honored to present at this event.

As an independent community surgeon, Dr Kokinos isn’t forced to achieve the “productivity” targets or revenue targets that are by design a part of “Big Box” Medicine. Her practice has always been one of service to her community and as such continues taking emergency vascular call at Good Samaritan Hospital, O’Connor and El Camino Hospital’s in the Silicon Valley. She has served as the chair of vascular surgery at Good Samaritan Hospital in San Jose, Headed the wound care clinic at Good Samaritan, O’Connor and St Louis hospitals and continues to treat patients at the O’Connor Wound Care Clinic.

As an independent community physician Dr. Kokinos focuses her work on providing cutting edge care in the treatment of the most difficult vascular problems. Free from “corporate” medicine Dr Kokinos’ practice is dedicated to finding the “Why” you are suffering so that you have “real” solutions to living a healthy life. At South Bay Vascular, our first job is to listen. We take the time to fully understand your symptoms so that we can provide the best possible solutions to get your legs and your life back…and that’s what she has been doing for over 24 years.

Unlike Big Box medical practices where doctors see the patients on their “list” every morning, Dr. Kokinos must earn the trust and respect of everyone she sees. She’s knows each and every one of her patients by name and everyone who comes in to see Dr. Kokinos gets her cell phone to call if they ever have a problem. It’s what she does and what she’s always done, building her practice patient by patient, referring physician by referring physician for the past 24 years.

If you or anyone you love suffers from vascular disease, we would be honored to meet with you to discuss your symptoms. Please call our office 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.

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.

SOUTH BAY VASCULAR ANNOUNCES THE OPENING OF THE SOUTH BAYS ONLY DIALYSIS ACCESS CENTER WITH FULL TIME VASCULAR SURGERY COVERAGE

Posted on by Angelica Rodezno

South Bay Vascular Center and Vein institute is pleased to announce the opening of the South Bay’s only Dialysis Access Center with full time Vascular Surgery Coverage.

The new dialysis access center is the only full service access center of its kind in the South Bay. By offering full time vascular Surgery coverage the new center provides an unmatched level of care not found anywhere else in the South Bay. Dialysis access complications are treated quickly and effectively enabling dialysis patients to return to their dialysis sessions with minimal disturbance to their lives. Complications encountered in dialysis can be completely treated by qualified surgeons without the need for secondary referrals and or delays in the treatment of clotted or failed grafts.

The new center has an on-site accredited full service vascular lab to assist patients in the rapid and accurate diagnosis and treatment of any complications associated with dialysis access.

We can be reached toll free at 1-855-WE-D-CLOT

WHAT IS VASCULAR ULTRASOUND*

Posted on by Angelica Rodezno

The medical specialty of vascular technology utilizes diagnostic ultrasound to generate images of blood flow within the veins and arteries. Ultrasound uses high frequency sound waves, similar to the sonar that a ship uses to detect structures beneath the surface of the water. Vascular ultrasound can also be known as a Doppler or duplex study. For example, if your physician wants to make sure that you do not have a blood clot in your leg, he or she might order a venous duplex or venous Doppler examination.

Vascular ultrasound procedures are noninvasive, meaning they do not require the use of needles, dyes, radiation or anesthesia and are, therefore, relatively painless and harmless.

The information obtained through vascular ultrasound examinations is extremely helpful to physicians in diagnosing a variety of conditions related to cardiovascular disease, disorders of the heart and blood vessels. Early detection of life-threatening vascular diseases is possible through the use of noninvasive vascular testing techniques performed within vascular facilities.

Vascular ultrasound’s reliability in diagnosing conditions related to heart disease and stroke is encouraging as we strive for ways to reduce the more than 500,000 lives lost in the United States each year to these disorders. However, it is critical that the public realizes there are many facets that contribute to an accurate diagnosis based on vascular ultrasound examinations. These factors include the skill of the technologist/sonographer performing the examination, the type of equipment used, the background and knowledge of the interpreting physician and quality assurance measures. In fact, poor ultrasound examinations often lead to inconvenient, redundant studies, misdiagnosis and even unnecessary tests or surgery.

*Taken from the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission Website