Meet Hamilton Vein Center’s Sarah Elkadiri!

Posted on 05-23-2013

Sarah Elkadiri

When you’re in the business of helping feel better, it truly is a team effort and nothing is more satisfying than hearing compliments about our staff from our patients. And when you have compassionate, engaging people like patient coordinator, Sarah Elkadiri, on your team, we know our patients are in great hands!

Patient Coordinator Sarah Elkadiri

Q. What do you do at HVC and how long have you been here?

A. I started working as an intern here at Hamilton Vein October 22, 2012 while finishing up my double masters in business administration and health administration at the University of Houston Clear Lake.

Now I’m a patient coordinator whose responsibilities include scheduling and coordinating treatment plans, explaining billing documents and treatment plans. Basically it’s my job to ensure each patient is informed and educated about all aspects of their treatment. I love people so building relationships is right up my alley!

Q. How did you get into this field?

A. I love people and helping people so initially I was accepted to a dental school. Once there, I could tell it wasn’t the fit for me because it was very hands-on and I really couldn’t interact with the patients! For someone who loves to communicate, I knew I had to find something else healthcare related.

That something else was discovered when a friend of mine worked in the admin department of a hospital. So I thought I’d give that avenue a try — and I loved it!

Q. What do you love most about your job?

A. I love to see change, results. Since I communicate the most with our patients, you really get to know them. And it’s thrilling to see their progress as they go through treatment.

I love how the patient coordinators help the patients create their own little “Hamilton Vein family” — if there’s a particular PA, doctor or nurse they like to see each time, we make that happen for them. We do everything we can to accommodate schedules and special requests so our patients feel comfortable every step of the way.

Q. What do you like most about your job?

A. Being a patient coordinator let’s me do two things I love to do: talk and work with people! We see people walk in with some pretty serious, debilitating vein problems and because my desk is right near the exit, I get to see their happy, smiling faces when they go out.

You just don’t realize what an impact you’ve made. The patients end up loving us so much! They bring us gifts, home-baked goodies, and so many compliments and thank you notes.

Q. Any patient story that really sticks out in your mind?

A. When I first started, there was a lady who walked in with a walker during the early stages of her treatment and when she walked out later — she started dancing and singing, “Look at me! I can move now!” It was so moving.

Q. Where are you from?

A. I was born and raised in Houston. My parents are from Badhdad originally but moved to the States in 1980.

Q. Share a special patient story

A. A couple of months ago I had a lady call and tell me how much her legs hurt and all the pain she was in. She was terrified to come in, thinking it would hurt, even the consult. I talked to her for at least 20 minutes explaining that the consult is completely painless, what it was, and that once she came in the she would find out what was causing her pain.

She did come in and after her consult she sat down with me so I could go over her treatment plan and billing information. I assured her that now that she knew what was going on and that there was a plan forward in place, she could relax. She was in the best place to get treated. She was so relieved after that. That made me feel great.

After she was done with treatment she sent a handwritten note to Dr. Hamilton, saying things like “I was the patient. But your staff was patient with the patient. Sarah and your staff worked so hard to accommodate my schedule.” I love that she took the time to write a note. That is so meaningful.

Q. Tell us something people don’t know about you. Do you have a special talent? Lived somewhere exotic? In a band?

A. This might be too revealing, but I’m a HUGE Backstreet Boys fan.

I’ve seen them every time they come to Houston and I have been known to travel to their concerts. I’m the girl holding up signs that say “Marry Me!” My favorite is Brian Littrell. I’m also a Spice Girls fan.

Oh, and I sky dive.

Q. What’s your guilty TV pleasure?

A. “Revenge” is just addicting. And I love to hate the “Kardashians” — which I have to watch when my husband’s not around.

Q. What’s your favorite place to eat or go in Houston?

A. There’s this awesome hole in the wall Vietnamese restaurant in midtown — Cali Sandwiches. I ate there almost every day when I worked downtown. You MUST go there!

Q. If you won the lottery, what would you do?

A. Pay off student loans! For sure. And travel the world. Travel, travel, travel. Guess I’d have to buy a jet!

Q. What is your dream vacation?

A. I really want to go to Bora Bora/ Thailand

Q. What do you like to do on your days off?

A. Pamper, get nails done, massage, guilty pleasure TV, family time.

Q. Any exciting news?

A. I’m gonna be a new mom! I’m due in November and this baby is going to be in “time out” as soon as it’s born — so not making mommy feel good right now! But we are very excited!

Dr. Hamilton on The Wellness Hour with Randy Alvarez. Aired Sunday, May 12, 2013.

Posted on 05-13-2013

In categories In the Media Patient Education Ultrasound Vein Conditions Vein Disease Vein Treatments

In case you missed Dr. Hamilton on the Wellness Hour yesterday, make yourself comfortable and listen in on this enlightening conversation that covers everything from vein treatment myths, like how vein stripping IS NOT how veins are treated today; the various types and degrees of vein disease; the debilitating effects of progressive vein disease (decreased quality of life, pain, leg ulcers), patient success stories, and more.

A Mother’s Day Special! Dr. Hamilton Appearing on the Wellness Hour with Randy Alvarez

Posted on 05-10-2013

In categories In the Media

As you recuperate from one too many rounds at the Mother’s Day Brunch buffet, tune into KTRK, ABC13, Sunday at 1 p.m. and catch Dr. Hamilton on the Wellness Hour with Randy Alvarez.

Fair warning: Discussions with Dr. Hamilton about vein disease invariably mean he’ll use visuals to show the progression of the disease. Some are quite unsettling but necessary to show because so many people think their skin problems –especially those with flaking, itching, dry, and even ulcerated skin — are dermatological problems or related to some other medical condition — when, many times, it’s vein disease.

Click on the image to view Dr. Hamilton’s interview with Mr. Alvarez from January 2011.

Live Ultrasound with Dr. Fox on Great Day Houston

Posted on 05-08-2013

In categories In the Media Ultrasound

Hamilton Vein interventional radiologist, Dr. William Fox, discusses the three main types of patients seen in our offices and the variety of symptoms caused by underlying vein disease. Ultrasound gives our vein specialists a clear, inside look at vein flow to determine if venous reflux is happening or not. If it is, vein disease is present and at work enlarging and weakening veins, causing them to bulge, ache, wreak havoc on the skin, and more. In this segment, Dr. Fox performs a live ultrasound on KHOU employee, Peggy, to show how non-invasive it is and to discuss the painless, quick recovery, immediate results, no downtime vein treatments that are available to treat vein disease. Dr. Fox will be heading up Hamilton Vein Center — Kingwood, starting May 14th!

great day houstonvein specialists

Lots of Ladies Discovered They Have Vein Disease Last Weekend!

Posted on 04-25-2013

In categories Community Ultrasound

Last weekend it was all about the ladies at the Ultimate Women’s Expo at Reliant Center — and we were right in the middle of it! Dr. Hamilton and a vivacious crew of fabulous Hamilton Vein RNs had a blast, meeting lots of ladies and performing free ultrasounds.

In particular it was a great opportunity for us to reach out and spread the word about vein disease. We got such a kick when people would stop by our booth and say, “Oh, well I don’t have vein disease.” We’d then ask to ultrasound their legs, and, more often than not, they did have it — much to their surprise!

ultimate women's expoultrasoundVein Disease

ClosureRFS™. The Only Treatment for Incompetent Perforating Veins.

Posted on 04-23-2013

In categories Vein Conditions Vein Disease Vein Treatments

As vein specialists we need the ability to treat every aspect of vein disease and, lucky for you, there is a minimally invasive treatment for every vein that can be affected by vein disease, including perforator veins — the “connecting streets” on the leg vein superhighway.

The job of perforating veins is to connect the superficial, surface roads — the saphenous veins — to the main highway — the deep, femoral veins — that make up the leg vein superhighway.

There are two saphenous veins in each leg — the great saphenous and the small saphenous. When vein disease is present in either one or both of these veins, a simple vein ablation procedure will heat the vein and close it. The body naturally responds to this “road closure” by rerouting blood to healthier, deeper veins.

This rerouting happens through the perforator veins — the “connecting streets” between the deep (femoral) and superficial (saphenous) veins.

However, if a perforator vein becomes diseased and blood is not able to flow properly through its “one-way system” conditions such as edema, skin discoloration and leg ulcers can develop. According to Dr. Hamilton, people with leg ulcers and diseased perforator veins experience the most challenges. Due to consistent low oxygen levels and high venous pressure, blood can seep into superficial veins and alter the surrounding skin tissue as well. Circumstances that can cause skin to ulcerate — developing into ulcers that can become very hard and severe.

Hamilton Vein Center performs the only FDA-approved treatment for diseased perforator veins.

The ClosureRFS™ Stylet is the only endovenous device approved by the FDA for the treatment of incompetent perforators.

Continue reading →

ClosureRFSClosureRFS Styletedemaleg ulcersperforator veinsskin discolorationVein Disease

Vein Vanishing Creams — Worth the Hype?

Posted on 04-18-2013

In categories Healthy Lifestyle

You’ve probably heard the radio spots – a lady calls in to cancel her vein treatment procedure. When asked why, she excitedly proclaims she’s been using a vein vanishing cream – and it worked!

As vein specialists, this sounds like quite a claim – because it might lead people to believe that the creams “cure” varicose veins and other related vein disease symptoms. And that’s not quite the case.

On certain levels, vein creams containing the ingredient, Diosmin or Diosmin 95®, offer varying stages of relief from the symptoms associated with varicose veins – like feelings of tiredness, heaviness, and achiness. Diosmin 95 (the 95 means it contains 95% diosmin and 5% hesperidin) is an FDA-approved ingredient clinically proven to strengthen veins by prolonging the neuromediator activity in the vein. (Quick biochemical tutorial: Neuromediators are chemicals that are released by the nerve endings that cause the vein to contract and relax.) Breakdowns and below average levels of neuromediators are what lead to the vein becoming too relaxed. Continue reading →

herbal supplementsvein creams

Busting Vein Myths — Chicago-style

Posted on 04-16-2013

In categories In the Media Patient Education Vein Disease

It’s so encouraging to see that other vein specialists across the nation are helping to get the word out about vein disease and busting the many myths people still have about veins and vein treatments. We recently came across this video clip out of Chicago that hits the same points Dr. Hamilton and the entire Hamilton Vein Center vein specialist team want everyone here in Texas to know.

Think you have vein disease or are experiencing the symptoms of vein disease? End the guessing game today with a call to 281-565-0033 to schedule your free vein consultation and screening. You can book online too.

We know veins and know how to treat them painlessly and easily to make you feel better now.

Stop By and See Us at the Ultimate Women’s Expo

Posted on 04-12-2013

In categories Community

Calling all the ladies!

Next weekend, Reliant Center will become the center of the female universe when the Ultimate Women’s Expo rolls into town, and we hope you’ll join us!

For two gorgeous days women are invited to come indulge, connect, pamper and better themselves from hundreds of vendors, including us! With one in three women affected by vein disease, we hope you’ll stop by booth #728 and get a mini-vein consultation performed by one of our ultrasound experts. While you’re there, gals who register for a full vein consultation and screening at one of our seven area locations can register to win a free sclerotherapy session for you or a friend ($450 value)!

womens' expo speakers

This year’s keynote speakers are Sherri Shepherd, Emmy Award Winning Host of The View, on Saturday, April 20, and Emmy award winning actress and Queen of Daytime Drama, Jeanne Cooper, on Sunday, April 21.

Specially priced tickets are available online and at the door. Reliant Center is located at One Reliant Park, Houston, TX 77054.

Stop by BOOTH 728 and let us know you’re there! We’d love to see you!

Great Day Houston Segment: Patient with Venous Dermatitis

Posted on 04-05-2013

In categories In the Media

Vein disease isn’t just bulging veins and spider veins. Oftentimes it’s more stealth and chameleon-like in the way it presents itself. As in the case of Hamilton Vein Center patient, Lou Ann Zeeches who thought her pinkish rash was a skin problem. When the discoloration became deeper, Lou Ann asked her doctor about it and, lucky for her, he recognized it as a symptom of vein disease and referred Lou Ann to Hamilton Vein Center in Sugar Land. During her visit, an ultrasound confirmed that she had vein disease and she was diagnosed with venous dermatitis. She had a vein treatment, which put an end to her problem with no downtime whatsoever for her! Call 281-565-0033 to schedule your complimentary vein consultation and screening today!