Kelley, San Antonio, TX
“Some say I’ve gone over to ‘The Dark Side,’” says the wry smile from across the table.
“But all I can say to that is I love doing vein work and I find it to be very challenging and incredibly rewarding.” And then he laughs, “even though my Cardio friends don’t fully understand it when I tell them this. They tell me I’ve sold out, but vein work is highly technical and requires skills that I didn’t come to the table with initially. Using ultrasound in my procedures was completely foreign to me!”
Like many physicians looking into the possibility of adding vein treatment procedures to their existing practices, Dr. Kelley discovered that for him, it wasn’t something to take lightly. “Dabbling in this arena may sound great at the start – ‘maybe I can take on a few patients here and there and see how it goes’ – but you quickly find that you’ll have to commit to this new line of work or you’re just not going to see the payoff, financially or emotionally. You have to decide, at some point, whether you are going to embrace it fully or you’re going to move on. I quickly came to realize that there’s no such thing as ‘dabbling’ with veins if you want to be successful.”
Dr. Kelley, a former cardiothoracic surgeon from San Antonio, Texas, who has transitioned to full-time vein specialist, plans to sit for the Phlebology Boards. “I first thought about buying a laser and using it when the opportunity arose, but after taking the Diomed course, I wanted to know more about this new technology I was going to be using. It made me a little uneasy to be wielding this new sword without really understanding its capabilities. I started delving into the physics behind the machine and began to realize that this was truly fascinating and completely new to me. It made me reconsider the reasons I had initially decided to make this commitment. I wanted to do it right; to be an expert and to be excellent at what I’m doing.”
But then, Kelley isn’t your average overachiever – he really doesn’t have time to waste on indecision. Not only did he decide to take the plunge and commit to providing quality vein care, but swimming in the new waters of endovascular disease diagnosis and treatment had to fit in with his other career – serving our Nation as an Admiral in the Naval Reserve. “Even though I find I have to juggle my time and efforts more carefully while learning this new medical segment, one thing is clear … I love what I’m doing and I don’t take any of these positions lightly.”
Kelley further explains that, for him, the key to getting up to speed quickly has been to learn from, and closely follow the advice of experts in the field. “Sadick, Min, Almeida, Zimmet, Vanderpool … I’ve spent time with all of them and they are masters in this industry and great teachers. Their breadth of knowledge is astounding to me and I cannot say enough about how important their teachings are to me.” Kelley has joined the ACP and has attended the IVC and several other conferences to learn as much as he can. In fact, it has opened up other doors through which his practice can advance even further. “I have an immense interest in skin care and overall skin health. Today, I just finished an intensive course with Dr. Omaji in Beverly Hills, who has given me another educational tack to follow within skin care and dermatology. Taking on this new endeavor just naturally fits into what I’m now doing – educating and treating patients with unhealthy skin and providing solutions for the care of our largest organ.”
What is, one of the greatest benefits to this new, improved juggling act in Kelley’s opinion? “Getting to see my patients’ smiling faces and have them tell me how much of a difference I have made in their lives – both physically and emotionally.” Instead of the rugged schedule of cardiothoracic surgery and all of the stress that it caused on his personal life and health, he now has the opportunity to build relationships and rapport with patients for which treatment not only means less pain, but helps improve their emotional state. He also says that meeting patients face-to-face instead of lying on an operating table in critical condition makes for a much more fulfilling experience because, ironically, his new patients actually seem more appreciative. “My patients come out of this with a healthier, more aesthetic appearance. We often forget how important something as little as wearing shorts or skirts might be for someone’s self-esteem and confidence – especially in Texas in the summer!”
So, does the man behind that wry smile ever have time for himself? “Of course! I take my wines very seriously. Once, I owned a boutique wine shop where I was literally ‘wined and dined’ by winemakers from around the world. You’ve got to take time to enjoy the finer things in life. And of course, now that I’m not living my life on-call or in the OR, I can also take the time to reflect and appreciate the real reason I went into medicine in the first place … to make a difference. It’s very satisfying.”