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Stem Cell Grafting
Stem cell grafting involves applying stem cells to a chronic wound to stimulate regeneration and accelerate healing. This treatment is typically considered after initial wound care methods, such as dressings and debridement, have not led to sufficient healing. Dr. Golshan and his team will evaluate each case individually to determine when advanced therapies like stem cell grafting are appropriate.
Stem cells release growth factors that promote new blood vessel formation, reduce inflammation, and trigger the repair of damaged tissues. This approach is especially effective for wounds that haven’t responded to conventional care.
After evaluating your wound and determining advanced therapies are appropriate and other forms of treatment have been explored for a sufficient period of time, it may be deemed necessary to use stem cell grafting. In this instance, stem cells are applied to the wound bed and covered with a protective dressing. Healing progress is monitored closely in follow-up visits.
Biologic Dressings
Biologic dressings are advanced wound coverings made from natural materials, such as collagen or cellular tissue, or engineered biosynthetic materials that support the body’s healing processes.
They help maintain a moist, protected wound environment while delivering biological signals that encourage tissue repair and reduce inflammation. Some even contain living cells to accelerate healing.
The Georgina Health team will first prepare the wound (often through gentle cleaning or debridement) and then apply the biologic dressing directly. The area will be secured and monitored during follow-up visits to assess healing progress and adjust care as needed.
Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT)
Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT), also known as wound vac therapy, involves placing a sealed dressing over the wound and applying controlled suction through a vacuum device.
The negative pressure draws out excess fluid, reduces swelling, improves blood flow, and helps close the wound. It also keeps the wound environment clean and promotes the growth of healthy tissue.
A soft foam or gauze dressing is placed into the wound and sealed with a special adhesive drape. A small tube connects the dressing to a vacuum pump that gently applies suction. You’ll typically wear the device continuously between dressing changes, which are done every few days.
Debridement
Debridement is the medical removal of dead, damaged, or infected tissue from a wound. This process is essential for creating an environment that allows healthy tissue to grow and the wound to heal effectively.
Removing non-viable tissue reduces the risk of infection and inflammation, improves circulation to the wound bed, and stimulates the body’s natural healing response. It also prepares the area for advanced treatments like skin grafts or biologic dressings.
Depending on the wound and your comfort level, the Georgina Health team may use a scalpel, forceps, specialized dressings, or enzymatic agents to gently remove dead tissue. Local anesthesia may be used if needed. The area is then cleaned, dressed, and monitored for signs of healing.
Geniculate Artery Embolization
Geniculate artery embolization is an innovative and minimally invasive procedure that can be used to treat symptoms from knee hemarthrosis and knee osteoarthritis. This outpatient treatment is performed by a qualified interventional radiologist, like Dr. Ali Golshan, a leading vascular expert who specializes in nonsurgical vascular treatments.
In geniculate artery embolization, precise imaging guidance is used to block capillaries around the knee joint. This causes blood flow to be reduced and leads to immediate and long-term pain relief to the affected joint. This procedure is a great option for some people who are looking for effective treatment, without having to undergo invasive surgery.
For this procedure, a fine needle is used to make a small puncture near the groin. Unlike invasive surgery, no incision is needed and no general anesthesia is needed.
Through the needle, a small catheter, or hollow tube, is placed in the arteries around the knee, using precise imaging guidance. Once in place, the treating physician is able to inject tiny particles which embolize, or block, the capillaries around the lining of the knee joint.
The embolization causes a reduction in blood flow, which can resolve bleeding into the knee joint from knee hemarthrosis and reduce inflammation from osteoarthritis. For many people, this treatment offers immediate relief and long-lasting resolution of pain and inflammation.
The procedure usually only takes between 45 minutes to an hour and a half. Patients are able to go home the same day as the procedure.
Prostate Artery Embolization
Many men over the age of 50 experience an enlarged prostate, also known as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Prostate artery embolization (PAE) is an, cutting-edge treatment for BPH that is effective, minimally invasive and carries a lower risk for sexual side effects than other treatments for BPH.
PAE may be a good choice for men who have been diagnosed with BPH and don’t want to have more invasive surgical treatments and have found that prescription medications don’t help control symptoms.
Prostate artery embolization is a procedure performed by an interventional radiologist on an outpatient basis, which means that patients can go home the same day, with no need to stay in a hospital.
During the procedure, the interventional radiologist releases microscopic beads into the arteries that feed the prostate gland in order to block blood flow causing the enlarged prostate to shrink.
The treatment requires only a tiny incision in order for the treating physician to reach the artery. Because the procedure causes only mild discomfort, general anesthesia is not used. Recovery for most people is very quick, with only a few days of reducing activities before returning to normal routines.
After PAE the enlarged prostate decreases in size and most men see a great improvement in urinary symptoms.
Pelvic Congestion Syndrome
Dr. Golshan offers procedures to shut off damaged veins so you experience reduced or eliminated symptoms. It’s a minimally invasive treatment that prevents the faulty veins from enlarging with blood.
During the procedure, Dr. Golshan uses X-ray imaging and contrast material to visualize the blood vessels. If the venogram demonstrates abnormal pelvic veins they are closed off with the insertion of a coil into the abnormal vein. This is a minimally invasive procedure done in the office that takes less then an hour with the patient going home shortly there after. There is no use of general anesthesia and the patient may resume regular activities the following day. We recommend no strenuous physical activity for a few days following the procedure.
Most patients are able to resume normal activities after one week.
To learn about your treatment options for pelvic congestion syndrome, call Georgina Health or schedule a consultation using this website.
Uterine Fibroid Embolization
Uterine Fibroid Embolization (UFE) is a non-surgical treatment for symptomatic uterine fibroids. Symptoms associated with uterine fibroids can include: heavy bleeding, painful cramping, pelvic bloating, and urinary frequency. At times symptoms can be managed with medication. But when medication and conservative treatment are not effective UFE offers an excellent minimally invasive, uterine preserving, treatment option.
In 9 out of 10 cases, women who undergo UFE experience significant improvement in their symptoms. Uterine fibroid embolization has many benefits over surgery, including:
- Preservation of the uterus
- Nonsurgical and minimally invasive
- Fewer complications than surgery
- Reduced recovery time
Alternatively, uterine fibroids can be treated with surgery – either a myomectomy in which just the fibroid is removed or a total hysterectomy to remove the entire uterus.
UFE involves the insertion of a thin catheter into an artery near the fibroid’s blood supply. The catheter releases small particles that block the small blood vessels feeding the fibroid, so the growth is deprived of nutrients and cannot survive. Dr. Golshan performs more than 1,000 vascular procedures per year and is experienced in uterine fibroid embolization. The procedure is effective for multiple fibroids.
If you have symptomatic uterine fibroids, consult Georgina Health to learn about your options for noninvasive uterine fibroid embolization. Call the office or request a consultation online.
Radiofrequency Ablation
Varicose veins are not surface deep. The root of the problem begins a few centimeters beneath the surface of the skin.
Proper treatment does not begin at the surface but addresses the root cause. Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is an FDA approved vein treatment. This procedure entails inserting a tiny catheter into the diseased vein under ultrasound guidance. The RFA catheter uses heat energy to seal the diseased vein shut internally. To prevent discomfort during the procedure saline mixed with lidocaine (tumescent anesthesia) is injected along the path of the vein to be treated. RFA seals the leaky vein with diseased valves shut. The blood reroutes up healthy veins and the branch varicose veins shrink with time. Symptoms including: swelling, pain, cramping can also improve.
You do not need to alter your diet or medications prior to the procedure. Post procedural care involves: application of a compression wrap to the treated leg for 48 hours. You should refrain from exercise for 2 days after the procedure. The compression wrap can be removed and normal activity can be resumed 2 days after the procedure.
It is typical to experience bruising and mild to moderate discomfort after the procedure. Anti-inflammatory medications like ibuprofen can help with the pain (unless you have a contra-indication to their use).
You will need a follow-up ultrasound after the procedure.
Varithena®
Varicose veins are not surface deep. The root of the problem begins a few centimeters beneath the surface of the skin. Healthy veins have valves that shut and keep the blood moving up towards the heart. When these valves fail the blood pools in the vein and pressure builds up. Over time branches of the vein swell leading to varicose veins at the surface. But other symptoms associated with leaky (incompetent) veins can include: swelling, pain, cramping, restless legs, skin discoloration, bleeding and ulcers.
Proper treatment does not begin at the surface but addresses the root cause. Varithena is an FDA approved vein treatment (mix of CO2 gas and Polidocanol a medical detergent) that is injected into the vein with leaky valves under ultrasound guidance. This leads to the leaky vein with diseased valves healing shut. The blood reroutes up healthy veins and the branch varicose veins shrink with time. Over time symptoms of swelling, pain, cramping can also improve. We apply compression to keep the medication in the diseased vein and apply a compression wrap afterwards.
The day of the procedure you can eat your regular diet and take your regular medications. You come into the office and lay down on the exam table. We clean the skin with alcohol and numb it with lidocaine. We access the vein under ultrasound guidance with a tiny needle and inject the Varithena. We wrap the leg with a compression wrap which stays on for 2 days. There is no heavy exercise for those 2 days after the procedure (no activity more strenuous than walking). After two days the wrap comes off and you can resume all normal activities. The entire process takes 30 minutes.
You will likely have some aching after the procedure for a few days. This is usually mild. Advil or other NSAIDs (anti-inflammatories) help if you are not allergic or do not have other contraindications to NSAIDs.
You will return for a follow up ultrasound approximately 1 week after the procedure.
Sclerotherapy
Emsculpt
Are you looking for a way to burn fat, sculpt your abs, and lift your buttocks? How about a body contouring treatment that doesn’t require surgery and delivers fantastic results? Learn what Emsculpt® is all about, and what it can do for your shape.
Emsculpt® is a body-contouring treatment that’s FDA-cleared and clinically proven to tighten and define muscle as it burns fat.
Ali Golshan, MD, is highly regarded for his impressive medical skill and expertise as a double board-certified interventional radiologist and vascular expert who specializes in nonsurgical vein treatment. He’s also well-known for his dedication to providing safe, effective, and medically sound care to patients at his busy practice, Georgina Health, in the Beverly Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles, California.
Find out why Emsculpt meets Dr. Golshan’s exacting medical standards for body contouring.
Emsculpt is an electromagnetic device that contours the bodies of men and women. The treatment is equal to doing 20,000 crunches or squats in 30 minutes. Emsculpt is an advanced body-sculpting treatment that slims the stomach and sculpts a beautiful backside. The procedure has been named as the world’s first noninvasive butt-lift procedure.
Emsculpt delivers electromagnetic pulses that drive your muscles to contract repeatedly during a session. You get results much faster than you could ever get on your own; the results of Emsculpt are just not possible through voluntary contractions. The procedure strengthens your muscle fibers at the deepest levels. You drop fat, gain muscle and tighten up sagging or slack areas to get a toned look.
The rapid muscle contractions also cause your muscles to release chemicals that break down fat in the treatment areas. You drop fat and tighten up sagging or slack areas to get a toned look.
After a free consultation to determine if Emsculpt is right for your goals, you schedule your session. When you arrive for treatment, you lie comfortably on an exam table and the technician hooks you up to the Emsculpt machine. You simply relax as the electromagnetic pulses target your muscle fibers and start the muscle building and fat-burning process in your buttocks and abdomen.
Emsculpt isn’t painful at all. You will feel like you’ve had an intense muscle workout afterward, however. You can go right back to all of your regular activities after a session, too.
Emsculpt doesn’t replace exercise, but enhances your results of living a healthy lifestyle. While the treatments stimulate activity in your muscles, they don’t replace the comprehensive health and physique benefits of regular weight-training and cardiovascular activity.
Optimal results are usually achieved after four 30-minute sessions, scheduled over the course of two weeks. You’ll start to notice your results in 2-4 weeks as your body starts to reconstruct in response to the electromagnetic therapy. Peak results are seen 6 weeks after the 4th treatment session.
For more details about Emsculpt, schedule an evaluation with Dr. Goshan at Georgina Health, today. Call our office or request an appointment online.
Balloon Angioplasty and Stenting
Did you know that minimally invasive balloon angioplasty, atherectomy and stenting can restore adequate blood flow to your legs and stop the calf pain, ulcers, and other complications associated with peripheral artery disease (PAD)? Read on to learn more.
Like the arteries carrying blood to your heart and brain, the vessels that supply blood to your arms and legs (peripheral arteries) can become clogged with fatty deposits on the inner walls (plaque).
Balloon angioplasty, atherectomy and stenting are minimally invasive procedures that may be used to open narrowed arteries and restore adequate blood flow to the areas affected by PAD.
Ali Golshan, MD, is a top-rated vascular specialist and with busy practices across California and Florida. Dr. Golshan is well-known for his expertise in treating peripheral artery disease (PAD). He’s happy to provide information about how balloon angioplasty, atherectomy and stenting are used to treat PAD.
PAD affects the arteries outside of your heart and head. Most common in the arteries supplying blood to the legs, PAD can also cause problems in the arms and abdomen. Symptoms are typically gradual in onset and increase as the blockage worsens.
PAD symptoms affecting the legs may include:
- Loss of sensation, numbness in the affected extremity
- Cramping muscle pain that can worsen with activity
- Slow or non-healing sores on the feet and lower legs
- Lack of hair growth on the legs
The discomfort related to PAD occurs in muscles and not joints. You may develop symptoms in one or both hips, thighs, and/or calves.
As the affected artery narrows, blood flow decreases, and tissue damage occurs that may lead to ulcers and even amputation.
The underlying causes of PAD are the same as those linked to coronary artery disease (CAD) and both fit under the umbrella of atherosclerosis. Thus, if you have one, your specialist may suspect the other is at play as well.
These risk factors include:
- obesity
- smoking
- diabetes
- hypertension
- high cholesterol
- renal failure
Balloon angioplasty for PAD is a nonsurgical, minimally invasive treatment that’s used to open narrowed or blocked peripheral arteries.
A tiny needle is inserted into your artery, generally in your hip area, and a flexible tube (catheter) is inserted through the needle into the artery.
Using specialized X-ray imaging (fluoroscopy) we cross the blocked artery.. Then angioplasty is performed, a balloon is inflated, opening the blocked artery and allowing blood to flow normally again. If required, stenting also takes place at this time.
Stenting is often recommended to help hold a weakened artery open. A stent is made from wire mesh that’s tube-shaped and open on both ends. Stents reinforce blood vessel walls at an area of previous blockage.
You can expect to remain under medical observation for a few hours following the procedure but balloon angioplasty and stenting are outpatient procedures.
For a nonsurgical treatment solution that can eliminate your symptoms of PAD, schedule an appointment with peripheral artery disease specialist Dr. Ali Golshan at Georgina Health, today.
Peripheral arterial disease is a serious condition, and you may not realize you have it until your arteries are damaged. It’s also associated with other dangerous chronic conditions. Knowing and managing your risks can help you avoid PAD.
The arteries around your heart are your coronary arteries and the ones in your neck that supply blood to your brain are your carotid arteries. The others are your peripheral arteries, which can be affected by peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Most often, PAD affects the arteries that go to your legs and feet, but it can affect others as well.
At Georgina Health, Dr. Ali Golshan is an expert in diagnosing and treating vascular conditions, including PAD. If you have any of the risk factors we describe below or you’ve noticed symptoms, contact us so we can help you identify lifestyle changes and treatments that can help you control your symptoms and slow or prevent worsening of the disease.
PAD occurs when a fatty substance called plaque builds up on the walls of your arteries. Over time, the plaque causes your arteries to become stiff and narrow, which makes it more difficult for the blood to flow through them.
This stiffness and narrowing of your arteries is called atherosclerosis, which can lead to other serious health problems. For example, if you have PAD, you may also have plaque buildup in your coronary arteries and a far higher risk of cardiovascular disease.
Symptoms of PAD don’t often develop until there is severe blockage of your arteries. In fact, 50% of people with PAD don’t have any symptoms. The most common symptom is leg pain, also called claudication, when walking. You may feel an intense pain in your calf when you walk, severe enough that you have to stop. Other symptoms include:
- Leg numbness or weakness
- Ulcers on your toes or feet
- Cold limbs
- A change of color in your legs
Lifestyle factors have a large impact on the likelihood of you developing PAD and can help reduce your symptoms if you already have it. If not controlled, these factors can raise your risk of developing PAD.
Your age
The older you are, the greater your risk of PAD. The rate of PAD in the general population is 10-15%, but in people older than 70, it’s 15-20%.
Smoking tobacco
Smoking raises your risk for a whole host of health issues, including certain cancers, diabetes, and heart disease. People who smoke are 2-6 times more likely to develop PAD than those who don’t smoke. Not only does smoking make it more likely you’ll develop PAD, it also makes the symptoms you feel worse.
Hypertension
Untreated high blood pressure, also called hypertension, can put a strain on the arteries in your arms and legs. This strain can lead to narrowing of your blood vessels. When your blood vessels are narrowed from hypertension and you have plaque buildup, PAD is more likely.
Diabetes
There are many reasons to control your blood sugar when you have diabetes. One key reason is that it can cause damage to the walls of your arteries, and that damage can make it easier for plaque to build up.
High cholesterol
Cholesterol is a type of naturally wax-like fat. Cholesterol in moderation is integral to the process of many bodily functions. If there’s too much cholesterol in your blood, though, it can contribute to the development of PAD.
The first step in treating PAD is to make simple, healthy lifestyle changes. For example, quitting smoking, exercising regularly, and eating a healthy diet can help prevent PAD and can help ease the symptoms if it’s already developed.
When lifestyle changes don’t relieve your symptoms or if your PAD has progressed too far for them to be effective, Dr. Golshan may recommend diagnostic studies, medication, or one of the following procedures:
- Angioplasty and stenting
- Atherectomy
- Laser atherectomy
- Bypass surgery
If you have pain in your calves when you walk, or you have the risk factors above, consider booking an appointment at Georgina Health and let Dr. Golshan determine your risk of PAD. You can request an appointment online or simply give us a Call.