Growing up in Canada with a family who had an immense interest in medical science, Dr. Amit Mehta always knew he would have a career in medicine. With a father who has been a practicing Radiologist for 35 years, he was drawn to the profession and wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps. He did not, however, expect to be one of a small number of Radiologists in San Antonio who perform a special procedure known as EVLT, or Endovenous Laser Treatment.
“Going through medical school, I realized that I had an interest in disease processes throughout the entire body rather than restricted to a single organ system. Radiology was a great match as it involved the diagnosis of illnesses of the entire body,” Mehta explains.
He soon found a great interest in vein care and the ELVT technique in particular.
“It is a procedure so elegant that it has revolutionized vein care,” he says.
Mehta, a 35–year–old graduate from The University of Toronto, completed an internship at Tufts University and then went on to do his residency and fellowship at Harvard Medical School (Massachusetts General Hospital). After running a clinic in his native country Canada, Mehta decided to bring his knowledge and experience to Texas. He is now one of the physicians at the Texas Vein Clinic who specializes in Diagnostic Radiology and Vascular and Interventional Radiology.
For many people, varicose veins and spider veins are more of a cosmetic concern but for others, varicose veins can cause aching pain and discomfort, skin discoloration, and tissue death, which may lead to more serious effects. This condition affects almost half of people over the age of 45. The ELVT procedure is minimally invasive and 99 percent effective.
“There is no reason, if you are an appropriate candidate and have this condition, not to have this procedure done given the benefits significantly outweigh the risks,” says Mehta.
Lionel Sosa is one of Mehta’s patients and has had varicose veins for the past 30 years. They started to become worse, so as soon as he was told about this procedure he knew it was something he wanted to try. He was referred to Mehta by a local dermatologist and is very happy with the results he has seen.
“If you follow his instructions to the letter everything will go smoothly,” Sosa says. “Dr. Mehta is the most compassionate and caring doctor, he even calls to check up on me personally from his cell phone, and the staff is so great they become your friends.”
The fact that this procedure takes about 45 minutes, leaves very little to no scaring, and has a 99 percent success rate is what draws in the 10–15 new patients he sees a week. A patient is able to go in to see him for this procedure during their lunch period and leave cured and not having to go back for another treatment depending on the severity.
“Our primary referral base is satisfied friends and co–workers of patients who have come in and had successful treatment,” Mehta explains. They have tried other forms of media to draw in clients, however word of mouth has been the most effective. The practice is growing and we are establishing a reputation for the vein clinic.”
With ELVT, the doctor uses ultrasound to map out the veins, and then a local anesthetic is applied. A thin laser fiber is inserted through a small entry point, usually near the knee and laser energy is delivered to seal the damaged vein. There are other procedure options as well at the Texas Vein Clinic, such as Sclerotherapy, Ultrasound Guided Sclerotherapy, and Ambulatory Phlebectomy.
“We offer a compliment of other treatments, depending on the patients needs,” Mehta says.
While in undergraduate and medical school, Mehta used his passion for medicine and radiology to venture beyond the hospital walls. He was not only a student to the subject but was interested in teaching his findings to others. He ran a lab for computer application and Radiology and spent two summers writing three books on Radiology while studying in Boston, titled “Radiology, the Oral Boards Primer”, “The Internet for Radiology Practice”, and “PACS: A Guide to Digital Revolution”.
He even found the time for humanitarian missionary work, spending one summer at the age of 19 in Hyderabad, India with Child Haven Organization teaching children at an orphanage. He lived there for about three months and taught vocational skills, English, science and math.
“It was hard and an eye–opening experience,” Mehta says.
Aside from all the medical work and charitable efforts, he enjoys spending his downtime with his wife and two children.
“We love to travel both nationally and internally. I even try to squeeze in golf and playing a little guitar when I have the time,” he says.
When asked how he feels about his children following in his footsteps, Mehta replies, “That would be great; perhaps they can find a cure for cancer.”
Mehta’s wealth of knowledge on the subject of medicine and Radiology in particular is evident.He encourages others with an interest in medicine to pursue their dreams.
“Medicine is a long road but it is a worthy process,” he says “Despite the pressures on medicine today, perseverance is key.”
