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I had heaviness, [leg] pain, a lot of movement in my legs, which they call ‘Restless Leg Syndrome,’ and it would bother me at night mostly.  And since I’ve been coming here, he’s done a great job on me, a great job!

Now I can ride in a car or plane without the aching that was before.  I sleep much better.  I don’t have restless legs or aching, so it is great that I can sleep without moving my legs all the time.  I’m so glad and I can walk without hurting.

The treatments were very easy.  I didn’t have any pain, and I was very comfortable with the way the doctor did [the treatment].  I didn’t feel anything.

I came here because you’re right here in St. Joe.  I didn’t have to travel 30 minutes to Kansas City.  I’ve been to two different [clinics]and this [Alsara Vein Clinic] is the best.  I think it’s much better.  [You’re] friendlier than the other places I’ve been.  The doctor is very, very nice, very kind, and he explains things thoroughly.  I really like him.

I have inherited this vein disease from my mother and my father.  My mother had her [veins] stripped at least two times that I know of.  She always had trouble with her legs.

I started noticing them in my sixties because I walked about five miles every day.  I think that helped the circulation in my legs. But then I got kind of sick and I couldn’t get up and do what I normally did, and my legs really started hurting.  It was very uncomfortable.

The doctor was very thorough.  He would explain things so you could understand them He would take time to answer your questions.  It was excellent.  Recovery was excellent.  You have a little bruising sometimes but that all went away, it was very satisfying.

I was on a plane ride last year and my legs didn’t ache or anything like they had before.  I can walk the dog a little farther now. He wants to go, so I got right behind him, and my legs are not hurting while I’m walking him.

My whole experience with the clinic has been wonderful.  I would tell everybody to come here.  The staff is wonderful.  The doctor is wonderful.  I just really like it here.

He’s a very kind doctor, he’s very concerned about how it feels, ”are you uncomfortable", he’s very concerned about how you are taking the treatment.  So, [I’m] very satisfied with him.  Dr. Gupta was very easy on me.

I love the staff.  They’re so friendly and helpful.  I have a lot of fun with them when I come.  I’m very satisfied.

I would absolutely recommend this clinic to people with vein problems.

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I was born and raised in St. Joseph. I work at Missouri Western State University. I have two children and six grandchildren.

I had had pain in my leg for quite some time. I had been to my primary care doctor and [was] told that I had phlebitis. They would give me medication and it would never completely go away. It finally got to the point that I began to worry whether or not I had a blood clot, because it was very sore to touch and it was a bit warm. So I went to an urgent care clinic and was told ‘no, it’s not a blood clot’ and sent home. And I just felt like there was something else going on.

And so – after my friend had been here and had such a great experience – I thought maybe this is what I need to check out. So I made an appointment and came in for a consultation and, sure enough, two blood clots were found the day that I was here.

The two big things that I noticed with my problems that I had in my leg were: it was very painful to touch. It would also be sore in that area. Sometimes, when I walked, I would have pain. And then at night I had terrible leg cramps, and I would have restless legs. They would be twitching all the time.

The pain in my leg would bother me quite a bit when I would be driving or sitting for a long period of time. And I have to travel a lot for my job. And there were times my leg would just be so sore just sitting in the car.

Well, when I first heard about it from my coworker, and she was explaining how you had helped her and what a positive experience that she had had, I started thinking ‘you know, maybe that’s what I really should check into and see if that might be able to solve my problems. If I came to you, I could find out for sure what was going on with my leg. And so, of course, I was a little apprehensive coming, and I was apprehensive with the treatment, but honestly, it was not a big deal at all, and it was so worth doing it.

I would say that my experience from the first time I walked in the door until now has been very positive. Everyone has been very professional. The staff I consider friends, as well as the people who are taking care of me. Dr. Gupta has been excellent in educating me and making sure that I was comfortable. And I’ve always been encouraged to be back in touch if I have any concerns about any issues with my legs.

The outcome from my treatment has been that I am able to go to sleep at night knowing that I am not going to wake up with any cramping in my legs. I have no problems with the restless legs anymore, and it’s just nice to be able to relax. The biggest change it’s made is that I am able to sleep at night, and get a good night's sleep, and not have to worry about waking up because of cramping.

Not only would I recommend that someone with vein problems come here, but I have recommended someone with vein problems come here. We were having a conversation about the problems in my legs and the problems in her legs, and she hadn’t really considered that it could be a vein issue. And since then, she has gone for treatment, as well, so.

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I’m a cardiovascular tech and I’ve had some leg and feet issues ever since I was about 18 years old. And so, throughout the years, I have tried to find what the issue was; what was causing the problem. That is when I learned about your clinic.

Many treatments that I have tried, we went into lab work to x-ray, we’re never able to find the problem in anything. I had waited several months, kind of let things go to see if my doctor would end up doing any more testing. That was another great reason whenever I came here for my consultation, that we were going to go further here. Once you guys did my ultrasound, that is when Dr. Gupta said that I had some issues and he wanted to try the treatment. I have a lot of relief in my legs now.

Once I was billed with my insurance, I was very surprised that there was little cost to me.

I was a little bit nervous whenever I made the appointment and we were going to continue with the treatment. But the more that Dr. Gupta explained to me with very great detail, I felt more and more comfortable, and I was ready to make the appointment and go further with it. My first impression that I had after Dr. Gupta had said that we were going to try the laser procedure, that I felt a little bit of relief and I had great hope that I would be able to be active again.

Actually, for the treatment – laser procedure – there was no pain, [a] quick recovery, and I also had quick relief of all of the symptoms that I was experiencing. I would say, once the recovery process – about after 3 days – I could tell a difference. I would say, give it about one week, and I felt a major relief. The main thing after the treatment that I can tell that has helped the most is I don’t feel as if I’m an elephant standing on two little feet. All the pressure is gone and the weight has come off of my legs. It feels extremely good!

During the laser treatment, I guess “mosquito bites” is a good example for [the initial numbing pin pricks]. They were small. There weren’t many. Once you had the complete numbing process, there was nothing that you could feel. During my recovery, after we had the treatment here at the office, everyone – the staff – helped me get my leggings on so I could leave, and I went on about my Friday evening to a painting class. There was no downtime.

[Before], it was just a lot of the restless leg. I felt like my legs were numb. I felt like I needed to get up, walk around, get some movement. There’s a lot of difference, anywhere from being in the car rides to just doing your normal activities, or me being at work just standing for long periods of time. [Now], a lot of it is gone.

Between Dr. Gupta and his polite bedside manner, and the staff – they’re great too, I’ve recommended and I’ve told people about your office. It’s a great place. Helped me a lot. I can say, Dr. Gupta will sit and talk to you and explain everything thoroughly to help you feel more relaxed about the treatment that you’d be having.

I have a feeling, if I would not have had the procedure done, that I would still be at home trying to avoid a lot of activities, not getting out there and doing as much as what I could be doing or what I had been doing, so, it’s just been a big relief to me.

VenaSeal™ is a relatively new varicose vein treatment option. Recently featured on The Dr. Oz Show and approved by the FDA, VenaSeal™ involves the use of a medical adhesive (medical grade superglue – cyanoacrylate) that seals the diseased veins from the inside.

Varicose veins are caused when veins in the legs fail, allowing backflow of blood. The blood pools in these veins causing them to enlarge and stretch. These veins occur deep inside the leg, and can only be seen with the help of an ultrasound. The branches of varicose veins pick up the extra volume of blood and may appear under the skin as bluish-green ropy veins or spider veins.

Over the past few decades, treatment options have evolved from aggressive techniques, such as surgical vein stripping, to minimally invasive techniques, such as thermal ablation using a laser (Endovenous Laser Ablation) and Ultrasound Guided (foam) Sclerotherapy.

Almost all modern treatment options work by closing the unhealthy veins from the inside. Once the diseased veins have been successfully sealed shut, the body absorbs them over time, while the flow of blood is restored through healthy veins, improving circulation. These treatments are performed in the comfort of an office setting and do not require any downtime.

VenaSeal™ accomplishes the task of shutting down unwanted veins using medical-grade superglue, cyanoacrylate. Patient comfort is taken to a whole new level with VenaSeal™ while maintaining the high efficacy of treatments such as thermal ablation. It requires only a single injection, sparing patients the unpleasant sensation of multiple needle pricks. There are no large incisions, and only a small application of local anesthesia is necessary, with minimal swelling, no bruising, and zero risks of thermal burns or nerve injury. This allows for fewer visits and increased cost savings. Even better, there may not be a need to wear compression stockings with this procedure. Most insurers, including Medicare, offer coverage for this procedure. Contact Alsara Vein Clinic at 816-396-0245 to set up a Consultation today.

Please describe your experience with us:

Front Desk staff:

Very attentive.

Ultrasound Technologist:

Very good.

Provider/Doctor/Nurse Practitioner:

Explained everything to me, very good.

Call Center/Patient Service Center:

Very good.

What made you choose us?

Heard from a friend.

What symptoms were you experiencing?

Poor circulation in legs. Varicose veins.

How were you affected by your legs previously? What couldn't you do? How has that changed now?

Had lot of heaviness, hurt at night. Now so much better.

What improvements have you seen in your legs?

A lot. They don't hurt and my circulation seems like it's a lot better.

Additional Comments: What did you appreciate? What makes us different than other medical clinics? What could we have done better to exceed your expectations? What changes would you like to see?

I appreciated the staff, very friendly. The technicians that did Ultrasound were very professional & explained what they were doing. Dr. Gupta did a wonderful procedure on my legs. I am so thankful.

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My name is Tracy Clements and I’m from around here, about 30 minutes from here. I suffered several injuries from a car accident years ago, and I recently found out about this place [Alsara Vein Clinic], and I wanted to come here and see oof they could help.

What were your symptoms? How did they affect your daily life?

I was having CVI (Chronic Venous Insufficiency), swelling of the legs, heaviness of my foot and my lower leg, and a lot of tiredness, heaviness, but also ulcers and skin breakdown. Actually, I was having these pains and these symptoms for years and years, and I neglected to treat it or take care of it because I thought that was the way it was suppose to be and that was just something I was going to have to deal with because of the care accident I was in. My car accident was in 1993 – twenty-eight years ago.

But, my Primary Care… after several bouts with Cellulitis and trying to fight it off with antibiotics, we were having some success, but we continued to revert back to the Cellulitis two [or] three times-a-year.

How did you hear about Alsara Vein Clinic?

And that’s when she recommended that I come to see Dr. Gupta at Alsara Vein Clinic, and she thought that would be a much safer and reliable source for more of a permanent fix on my leg. And I followed her advice and came in for a [free] consultation.

What was your first impression of Alsara Vein Clinic?

I was extremely impressed with not only the staff but Dr. Gupta, himself, was very knowledgeable and patient with me. And they let me know that there could be a lot of relief and [that] there was help. And that made me feel just great about coming here.

How did you feel during the treatment?

I was, um… during the treatment – the mapping and the treatments – they were almost pain-free for me. And I have a unique situation with my leg versus a lot of people: I’ve had a lot of broken bones and hardware put in my body and my veins are really messed up. And it wasn’t near as scary or painful as I thought it would be, so it worked out really well.

What are you able to do after treatment that you couldn’t do before?

The leg swelling has minimized almost… probably 90%. I’m not having the breakdown that I did with my skin, or the ulcers. And I’m also… the heaviness of my legs, the Restless Leg Syndrome does not bother me anymore. And my legs before coming here were so sensitive and sore, just the slightest touch would hurt – and, now, they’re not like that at all. It’s gone. It’s amazing. It really is.

How would you describe Dr. Gupta?

Dr. Gupta: his way of handling a patient is amazing. He has knowledge beyond what I… and I’ve been around a lot of doctors and a lot of medical stuff in the last twenty-eight and a half years, and by far he is one that is… he’s incredibly intelligent but he’s patient, and he goes the extra effort to explain things to you. And he will lay it out for you before they do anything, you know, and it’s just amazing the results you get from it. He makes you feel comfortable, and, he doesn’t make you feel comfortable; you are comfortable with that. We did the VenaSeal™ – the glue – in my [veins], and I recommend it. It’s literally painless, and it’s helped out; it’s helped me tremendously. I would recommend the VenaSeal™ and I would recommend Dr. Gupta and Alsara Vein Clinic 100%.

How was your insurance coverage?

I had no insurance issues at all. It was covered 100%. And I was informed early on – my first visit – that the staff here would work to utilize my insurance and let me know if there were any problems before we went any further, and, if they could, make accommodations as to help however they could with the insurance.

What was your impression of the staff at Alsara Vein Clinic?

From the first moment I arrived here at the facility and you walked in the door, I felt the staff was very accommodating, very friendly. The place is amazingly clean and comfortable, and it’s very user-friendly here. You feel right at home. And it’s not crowded. And you don’t feel like a number here – you feel like a person here. And I think that’s very important to people that are already coming in here nervous, and uninformed, and unaware of what’s going to happen, and that all disappears pretty much at the front door when you come in.

How did you feel after your treatment?

After treatment, I feel… I’m pretty much pain-free when I leave here. And from then on, I mean, it’s amazing – it’s night-and-day difference, it really is. It makes you feel like ‘Why didn’t I come here before? Why did I wait so long to come here?’ There is help out there, and don’t wait.

Would you recommend Alsara Vein Clinic to family or friends?

I would definitely recommend someone to this facility, to Alsara Vein Clinic. I have, actually, recommended a couple of people, and I hope they don’t wait, like I did. Pain is a serious problem, and it doesn’t have to be. We can make it go away, and that’s what you guys do.

– and bikini contests!

Where did summer go? It seems like only yesterday the snow had finally melted, after a prolonged winter, and here I am talking about fall. In fairness, this summer was an extraordinarily busy time for us at Alsara Vein Clinic. We saw more new patients in July than any other month in the past. Every one of my staff members worked extra, long hours to ensure each patient received top-notch care, even in the face of increased patient volume and the numerous urgent requests to see a patient the same day.

I am humbled by both the confidence that numerous referring providers have in our care and the trust of patients who refer family and friends. For example, Jim*, a 76-year-old gentleman, came to Alsara Vein Clinic after exhausting all options at hospitals and other clinics in the area. With a tracheostomy collar in place, he was unable to talk and breathe at the same time, yet he had much to discuss. After providing his medical history, he cleared his “airway trash”, drew a deep breath, and concluded by saying, “I am hanging by the last straw. My neighbor across the street advised me to come to you. You took care of him when he had no hope that anything could be done.” Since then, the topic of his conversation has been anything but medical. Taking swift breaks to inhale, he seemed more interested in talking about his friends, family and his many aspirations although, as he politely stated, “I realize that I won’t be able to participate in a bikini contest anytime soon!”

Later that week I saw Tom**, a 58-year-old, who had avoided seeking care as he was sure that leg amputation was going to be the only option available, given the advanced stage of chronic venous insufficiency in his leg. It seems that every clinic day has its fair share of patients with swelling, severe leg cramps, and restlessness. We also see many male patients with clots, bleeding, and poorly healing sores in their legs, all of which are features of advanced, chronic venous insufficiency.

A detailed duplex ultrasound scan (Mapping) provides us with a “road map” of all the key veins in the legs. The goal of every treatment modality is to get rid of the underlying varicose veins and restore proper blood flow by routing blood to the healthy veins. The new, modern, minimally invasive treatments allow us the opportunity to eliminate the diseased veins safely and effectively with very little downtime; these are also much safer than surgeries used in the past. Over the last 10 years, further advancements have occurred in our understanding of venous diseases and the options available to treat them. For instance, the latest 1470 nm laser used at Alsara Vein Clinic offers a 40-fold improvement in energy absorption, compared to older generation lasers, resulting in even less bruising and discomfort. All treatments including Endovenous Laser Ablation and Ultrasound Guided Sclerotherapy are performed in the comfort of the office setting and patients can resume normal activities immediately.

I feel very fortunate for the technology and scientific knowledge backed by the experience of successfully treating thousands of patients over the past decade. Although participating in a bikini contest is not completely ruled out for Jim*, I suspect that he will put his legs to much greater use in the years ahead!

Concerns about your legs? Call Alsara Vein Clinic at 816-396-0245 to set up a Consultation today.

Sam Gupta, MD, MPH

* Jim is an actual patient of Alsara Clinic and has graciously given permission to use his quotes, story and images.
** Tom – his name changed to protect confidentiality.