By assembling a multidisciplinary team of clinicians interested in the treatment of varicose veins, we aim to achieve both academic and clinical excellence. We feel that the management of venous disease is a specialized field that has long been neglected in SA. The assessment and understanding of venous disease is complex, thus needing a dedicated multidisciplinary team approach. We offer therapie
s apart from open surgery ( laser, radiofrequency ablation, foam sclerotherapy, ambulatory phlebectomy) that has been the gold standard treatment in the rest of the world in the last 10 years, but has not been available in South Africa. These therapies offer pain-free, non-surgical and very effective treatment of venous disease. These therapies are offered as in-room procedures, not requiring hospitalization. Our aim is thus to revolutionize the assessment and treatment of varicose veins and venous ulcers in Port Elizabeth. VNUS procedure: under sedation and local anaesthetic, a catheter is inserted into the varicose vein at the level of the knee and advanced to the groin. The catheter is carefully positioned under ultrasound guidance and the vein is destroyed using high frequency waves. Foam sclerotherapy: a special foam chemical is injected into veins causing the vein walls to stick together. This leads to destruction of the vein over the next few weeks. Ambulatory phlebectomy: specialized hooks and needles are inserted under local anesthesia and ultrasound guidance to remove veins. Venous surgery and stripping: this traditional therapy will be offered to selected patients who are a high sedation risk, or whose anatomy is not suitable for the above procedures. This is done under general anesthetic and requires hospitalization. Our Specialist are:
Dr MC Ah Kun - MBBCH (Wits), DCH (SA), DA (SA), MPhil (Sports Medicine)UCT, PDD(UWC). ( Anaesthetist/Sedationist)
Dr Maresa Ah Kun qualified in 1999 from the University of the Witwatersrand with an MBBCh. She obtained a Diploma in Anesthetics in 2003 from the College of Medicine (SA). She obtained a diploma in Conscious Sedation from the University of the Western Cape in 2009 ( PDDGA). She also has a Diploma in Child Health (DCH(SA)) which she obtained in 2002. She has a Masters degree in Sports Medicine from the University of Cape Town which she obtained in 2007. She has exclusively practiced Anesthetics since 2003 in the UK and South Africa, and has performed well over 10000 anesthetic cases during this period
Dr C Govind, MBCHB(Natal), FCS (SA), DMAS,FMAS (Specialist Surgeon)
Dr Chetan Govind is a South African qualified general surgeon with an interest in vascular and laparoscopic surgery. He has a fellowship with the College of Medicine of South Africa (FCS(SA)), which he obtained in 2003 and has been in private practice since 2005. He has a Diploma and Fellowship in Laparoscopic surgery from The World Laparoscopy Hospital ( FMAS, DMAS). He has received training in varicose vein surgery through the European Endovenous Forum Hands On Workshop (EVFHOW) in Cyprus
