Page 16 - Mecklenburg_Medicine_March-2018

Independent Physicians of the Carolinas
Independent Physicians of the Carolinas is a nonprofit 501(c)(6)
membership organization whose mission is to create public awareness
of medical doctors not employed by a network or hospital system and
to provide educational programs and resources to physician members
and their administration. Visit us at IndependentPhysicians.org.
Join Oncology Specialists of Charlotte (OSC) on Saturday, March
24 at the 5th Annual Fight for Air Climb, hosted by the local chapter
of the American Lung Association.
OSC’s Clinical Nurse Manager, Valarie
Shepherd, serves on the planning
committee and has personally tested
the “climb,” rallied sponsorships and
formed a team. This climb features 50
floors and 883 steps in the stairwell
of The Vue in uptown’s Fourth Ward. Since its inception in 2014, the
Charlotte Climb has raised more than $250,000 to support the mission of
the American Lung Association. To register for the Fight for Air Climb,
visit www.ClimbCharlotte.org.
Peter Ford, MD, at Vascular Solutions PC, is pleased to announce
new modalities of care are available for patients with leg vein problems.
As of January 1, Medicare (and most commercial insurance
companies) began covering the VenaSeal closure system
(CPT #36482), a new, minimally-invasive, FDA-approved
method to treat superficial vein problems in the legs by
administering a thin column of medical adhesive along the
Ford length of the target vein, which seals the problematic vein. The
procedure is done in the office, typically takes 30-60 minutes, is virtually
painless and allows immediate return to work and sports activities.
In addition, Medicare (and many commercial insurance companies)
have started covering Varithena (CPT #36465), a new, minimally-
invasive, FDA-approved method in which a specially-formulated
microfoam is administered via a micro-catheter into the target vein. This
procedure is done in the office, is virtually painless and allows fast recovery.
Vascular Solutions PC has been chosen to be a Medtronic Center of
Excellence and serves as the regional training site for the new Venaseal
closure system.
Charlotte Gastroenterology & Hepatology is proud to be the
presenting sponsor, along with Novant Health, for the Colon Cancer
Coalition’s Get Your Rear in Gear 5K. The event on Saturday, March 3
at Independence Park will raise funds to provide life-saving screenings
for those in the local community who may not be able to afford them.
Get Your Rear in Gear kicks off Charlotte Gastro’s recognition of colon
cancer awareness month in March.
March also is National Nutrition Month. Charlotte Gastro offers
nutritional counseling at the Mooresville, Huntersville, Ballantyne and
16 | March 2018 • Mecklenburg Medicine
Randolph Road offices with Mary Magee, MS, RDN. Magee joined
Charlotte Gastro in November. She has more than 20 years of experience
focusing on medical nutritional therapy and empowering patients to
improve their quality of life through positive lifestyle changes while
promoting balance.
David Draughn, MD, owner of Vein Specialists of the Carolinas,
is featured as a Charlotte Healthcare Leader in this month’s issues of
Good Housekeeping, Redbook and Woman’s Day. The
newest innovations concern the deep venous system, once
thought to be “off limits.” Iliac Vein obstruction, May-
Thurner Syndrome, was considered rare. We now know it
Draughn was just rarely considered, and rightfully so, as venography,
even now, is just not sensitive enough. The new gold standard
of diagnosis is IVUS, Intravascular Ultrasound — an ultrasound probe
inside the veins. Venous stenting may be very effective when symptoms
are uncontrollable by other measures. Chronic pelvic pain is common in
women; many may be suffering from PCS, pelvic congestion syndrome,
due to distended varicose veins in the pelvis with standing or sitting and
occurring during or after intercourse. Venography with coil embolization
and sclerotherapy of the varicose veins can be very successful. Vein
Specialists of the Carolinas is proud that all of these groundbreaking
technologies and treatments are available in its new AAAHC Accredited
Office-Based Surgical Center and IAC Accredited Venous Ultrasound
Lab. Draughn says, “I’m so excited about this new frontier. All I do is
veins, all day, every day.”
Nelsa Ciapponi, MD, recently has completed a Functional Medicine
program from the Institute for Functional Medicine and is now a certified
practitioner. She is in a new office at 11220 Elm Lane in the Ballantyne
area and is accepting new patients. Visit www.optimalhealthmed.com for
more information.
Advertising Acknowledgements
The following patrons made Mecklenburg Medicine possible.
Atrium Health.........................................................................................19
Carolina Asthma & Allergy Center......................................................18
Carolina Neurosurgery & Spine Associates..........................................4
Charlotte Eye Ear Nose & Throat Associates.......................................4
Charlotte Radiology.................................................................................3
Flagship Healthcare Properties............................................................ 13
LabCorp..................................................................................Back Cover
Novant Health...........................................................................................2
Oncology Specialists of Charlotte....................................................... 17
Parsec Financial........................................................................................3