TOTAL VEIN CONCEPTS

Life-changing results with less pain, recovery time

by Renee Olmo

Cara Bonawitz, M.D.

With age comes wisdom, but  unfortunately it also sometimes brings varicose veins and a desire to avoid wearing shorts. The statistics say it all: 72% of women and 43% of men will show some signs of a venous disorder  by the time they reach their 60’s. Venous disease can begin at any age.  Factors such as family history, occupation, lifestyle, and pregnancy can affect those already at risk.

Vein health is not something that crosses many people’s minds on a daily basis, unless you are Cara Bonawitz, M.D. Dr. Bonawitz is an interventional radiologist who specializes in vascular medicine. She is also the medical director of Total Vein Concepts, a division of Medical Center Radiologists, located in the Greenbrier HealthPlex.

“It's hard for me not to notice people's legs,” she admits with a smile.  “I would  love to get the word out and tell people how easy it is to get a dramatic change in the appearance and function of their legs.  With bathing suit season right around the corner, now is the perfect time to have this procedure done.  Since many of our procedures are covered by insurance, our staff at TVC will handle insurance pre-approval and billing.”

These before and after photos show the remarkable improvement one month after treatment at Total Vein Concepts.

Originally from Pennsylvania, Dr. Bonawitz earned her medical degree at Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, and then completed a diagnostic radiology residency and interventional radiology fellowship at UNC Chapel Hill.

Dr. Bonawitz was impressed with the level of dedication and professionalism shown by her mentors, and came to the realization that technological innovations were creating the opportunity for interventional radiologists to be in the forefront of patient diagnosis and treatment.

“I just couldn't see myself sitting in a dark room looking at films all day long.  I like being in scrubs, doing procedures and interacting with patients,” she explains. “ I thrive on seeing the immediate and tangible outcomes my clients and I achieve together.  It's a very rewarding profession.  My  work with the team at Total Vein Concepts allows me to focus on an aspect of health care that is of particular concern to women.

“Men are also affected, but, because they may be  less concerned about the appearance of their legs, they are more hesitant to seek treatment.  They tend to present with more advanced disease such as bulging veins, skin discolorations and ulcers.”

According to Dr. Bonawitz, vein disease can start at any age but progresses as you hit your 30's and 40's.  Some people assume that if they lose a few pounds or get more physically fit it will improve their vein problems.  Although that's great for your general health, it won't reverse any venous diseases.  She suggests that women and men alike get a comprehensive baseline evaluation once they start seeing spider veins or having any pain in their legs.  Patti Hunter of Chesapeake knows how true that can be.

“I walked out of the office after the
procedure and went shopping and
chasing after my three kids later that day!”

                               — Patient Patti Hunter

The team at Total Vein Concepts. Clockwise from top: Gerald Dominick, P.A.-C, office manager Laura Tomon, and Cara Bonawitz, M.D.

“I am a total wimp when it comes to pain, so I was a bit nervous about everything. But it was so simple! I walked out of the office after the procedure and went shopping and chasing after my three kids later that day! They were great. I didn’t have to worry about any of the insurance paperwork — they filed everything for me. What really struck me about Total Vein Concepts is their knowledge and expertise about laser surgery. They made sure that I understood the process and then gave me excellent follow-up care. My legs look and feel wonderful.”

“Insurance companies have started to realize the benefit of covering treatment for venous disease,” Dr. Bonawitz points out. “It's more economical in the long run to treat and correct any problem before it gets to the point that it negatively impacts lifestyle, results in loss of productivity at work, or affects overall health.”

Functional vein disease can cause painful leg aches, cramps, swelling, knotting, discoloration and can sometimes lead to blood clots, hemorrhage and ulcers.  It  will only get worse as time goes by.

“We evaluate each patient's vein health by using Ultrasound — we want to know what's going on below the skin's surface in the deeper veins before we treat anyone.  Sometimes spider veins are just spider veins, but sometimes there are underlying functional issues with the veins that can't be seen.  We want our patients to be aware of their overall vascular  health.  Then we can develop a treatment plan based on those results rather than just treating the cosmetic aspect of the disease. Functional vein diseases are covered under most insurance plans - even Medicare covers it.”

“By doing a comprehensive vascular exam and screening on our patients we can treat for the best possible outcome in both a cosmetic and functional sense,” he points out.

Patient Kellam White is quick to praise not just the success of her medical procedures but the environment Dr. Bonawitz and her staff have created.

“I have a high-strung personality, so the staff was great at calming me down, making me laugh, and getting me to relax,” she says. “They work so well together; they’re an excellent team. They never minded taking the time to explain everything so that I would understand exactly what they were doing. You know that you are in very good hands when you’re in their office – they are so skilled and I did not have to worry about anything. I have no scars on my legs and you really can’t tell that I’ve had any trouble with them at all.”

“We use our expertise to treat every patient in the safest manner possible, using minimally invasive, cutting-edge technologies and FDA approved products,” Gerald says. “We know that some of our patients are anxious when they come to see us, so our staff tries very hard to create a warm and comforting environment for them. We want them to relax with music and we go out of our way to ensure that they have a smooth painless procedure. We just finished a remodel of our office to give us more space and to make it an even calmer atmosphere.”

The miracle of modern medicine has given Dr. Bonawitz’s patients a new lease on life. “Maintaining the highest standards of individualized care for each patient is our credo here at Total Vein Concepts,” she says.  “Life-changing results are what I look forward to each day.”