Nuestras Estrellas

(“Our Stars”)

Recognizes nominated BIDMC staff for their dedication and contributions in promoting, supporting and advocating for Latino/Hispanic patients within the BID system or in their communities.

Dr. Felipe Collares

A Brazilian native, Dr. Collares completed medical school and radiology residency in Brazil, moving to the United States to finish his training in interventional radiology at BIDMC. Currently, Dr Collares is an attending interventional radiologist at BIDMC, serving as the medical director of the Massachusetts Vein Care Center (http://www.massveincare.com/), our outpatient clinic for patients with chronic venous insufficiency and varicose veins. He was also appointed as director of Quality Assurance for Interventional Radiology and co-director of the Noninvasive Vascular Lab at BIDMC.

Dr. Collares is working to increase awareness and access to medical care for venous insufficiency by the Brazilian population in the Boston metro area. Venous insufficiency and varicose veins is a highly prevalent and undertreated condition that causes significant symptoms affecting the quality of life of these patients. To overcome the language barrier and reach the Brazilian population in Boston, Dr. Collares promotes his work in portuguse on a local Brazilian newspaper offering free consultations in Portuguese and Spanish for latino patients with varicose veins. Latino patients feel welcome and appreciate discussing their problems and treatment options on their native language. Being an expert in venous insufficiency and varicose veins, Dr Collares has also been invited to several meetings in Brazil and Argentina.

In August 2015, Dr. Felipe Collares, Medical Director of Mass Vein Care, HMFP and Co-Director of the Vascular Lab at BIDMC, received the de Groot Award from the American College of Phlebology which allowed him to travel to Berlin, Germany and Bergen, Norway to learn specific and advanced techniques in VenaSeal, a procedure that uses glue to treat venous insufficiency and varicose veins. This procedure, performed in Europe for a few years and recently FDA approved in the US, has advantages over the current thermal ablation options: no need of tumescent anesthesia during the procedure or post-procedure use of compression stockings. Dr. Collares participated in several procedures using this technique and we are pleased to announce that he is the first physician in the Boston metro area to treat a patient with VenaSeal. Congratulations Dr. Collares!

Our HMFP Radiology Practice Sites are members of the Newton/Needham and Brookline Chambers of Commerce. The Newton/Needham Chamber has an extension that is “Women in Networking” and this group kicked the new year off with a “Healthier You” focus. The details are below.

Mass Vein Care and HMFP Radiology participated. We had a table with information on bone density (DXA scans) as well as body composition (Marian Howes spoke to these services). Mass Vein Care also had table information however the Chamber wanted “fun interactive engaging” so…we brought the ultrasound machine and performed complimentary vein evaluations. The fair was 11:30 – 2 pm and we had to turn folks away!

75 Chamber members registered and had the opportunity to visit up to 14 Stations as well as 5 breakout sessions.

Some other participating health/wellness providers included:

• Newton Wellesley Women’s Health – Dr. Stephanie Morris
• BID Needham – Flu Shots – table staffed by Occupational Health Nurse and a member of BID Marketing
• Marathon Sports – Pelvic Floor Health
• Newton HealthCare – Blood pressure checks
• Newton Chiropractic – Posture checks
• The Wellness Room – Stress Reduction and Reiki
• Whole Foods – Cooking demonstrations and provided lunch

Wed Jan 29, 2014 11:30-2 p.m.
West Suburban YMCA
276 Church St., Newton, MA

Get 2014 off to a healthy start at a health fair for women, organized by the Chamber’s Women In Networking Committee. There will be health stations throughout the room hosted by diverse group of the area’s leading alternative and traditional health care practitioners. From BMI (Body Mass Index) testing, to blood pressure, to posture checking, to acupuncture and more.

We’ll help you kick off the new year with practical advice about feeling better, eating better and moving better. We’ll also have a series of short breakout sessions on eating healthier, the benefits of hiring a personal trainer, the top ten ways to reduce your stress today and answers to questions you’re too afraid to ask your doctor.

Visible veins are often fed by veins that are working improperly deep within the skin, this condition is called venous insufficiency. These “deep” veins can only be seen with ultrasound technology and are not visible to the naked eye. In cases where there is an underlying problem, cosmetic treatment with sclerotherapy will fail. Besides disappointment, this results in wasted time and out-of-pocket expense for the patient with no long- term results. In some situations, treatment with sclerotherapy can even be unsafe if the underlying anatomy of the veins is unknown.

So the question is, do you really know what lies beneath the surface? Ultrasound screenings are the best option to really understand and see visually what lies beneath your skin. If you have experienced sclerotherapy treatment but have failed to feel an improvement in your overall leg quality, it might be time to revisit a vein professional and get a better understanding of your vein condition.

Mass Vein Care offers free ultrasound screenings to people interested in treatment options for their veins. These free screenings involve checking for venous insufficiency through ultrasound technique along with a walk through of treatment options best for the patient’s veins. These free screenings have been helpful to people that have had symptoms of leg aching, heaviness, and throbbing, which often comes as a symptom of venous insufficiency. Know what is under the surface of your varicose veins, and make sure you are getting the right option for your vein treatment!

A large population assumes that leg fatigue is a “natural consequence” of getting older, but that isn’t necessarily the case. Chronic venous disease of the legs is one of the most common conditions in the United States, present in up to 60% of the adult population. Of this populace, 20-25% of women and 10-15% of men will have visible varicose veins. Leaving a large number of adults without the visible symptom, often leading them to rule out any harmful condition. Venous insufficiency can often cause symptoms such as fatigue, aching, throbbing, heaviness, cramping, restlessness, and swelling. These symptoms can interfere with any level of daily activity and impact the quality of life. So why live with it?

Now, if you are the percentage that has visible varicose veins do you know what fuels them? Often times, these visible varicosities are “fed by” insufficient veins that are deep within the skin and can only be seen by ultrasounds. These underlying veins that do not work properly need to be evaluated and treated first in order for the varicose veins to be safely and successfully eliminated.

So now that we have covered symptoms and the workings behind the visible varicose veins, we can jump into the types of people at risk. Chronic venous insufficiency is more common in women and adults 50+, but there are significant factors that have nothing to do with sex or age. Factors such as obesity, physical inactivity, smoking, and pregnancy can put individuals at risk. If you suffer from any of the noted symptoms it might be time to take a hold of your life and get tested. Massive Vein Care offers free screening events so that individuals’ who are living with leg pain receive a complimentary ultrasound screening, and start living their lives free of pain and vein disease.