More Than Varicose Veins: Meet the Specialist Vascular Team at SVH
When people hear the name Specialist Vein Health (SVH), they often think first of varicose veins. While the assessment and treatment of varicose veins is an important part of what we do, SVH offers something much broader: access to a multidisciplinary team of doctors and clinicians with specialist expertise in vascular and endovascular medicine, arterial and venous disease, vascular ultrasound and interventional radiology.
Our medical team includes four Australasian trained, vascular surgeons, an interventional radiologist, an intensive care specialist with expertise in phlebotomy, a specialist vascular sonographer, and a specialist vascular nurse.
Together, the SVH team provides specialist vascular care across New Zealand, with clinics in Auckland, Palmerston North, Kāpiti, Wellington, Lower Hutt and Nelson, and procedures available in Auckland, Wellington and Nelson.
Our Specialist Vascular Medical Team;
Our medical team brings together specialists from vascular surgery, interventional radiology and intensive care medicine. We are proud to have four vascular surgeons within our team: Dr JK Wicks, Dr Lupe Taumoepeau, Dr Sam Taylor and Dr Elizabeth Suthers.
Vascular surgeons are specialist doctors trained in diagnosing and treating conditions affecting the body’s arteries and veins. Their expertise extends far beyond treating visible varicose veins.
Dr JK Wicks – Vascular & Endovascular Surgeon, Wellington
Dr JK Wicks, MBChB (Otago), FRACS (General Surgery), FRACS (Vascular), is a Wellington-based vascular surgeon who completed fellowships in both General Surgery and Vascular Surgery.
Dr Wicks has extensive experience in vascular and endovascular surgery and the management of arterial and venous disease.
His specialist expertise means patients can be assessed for a broad range of vascular problems — from varicose veins and venous disease to complex arterial conditions.
Dr Lupe Taumoepeau – Vascular & Endovascular Surgeon, Wellington
Dr Lupe Taumoepeau, MBChB (Auckland), FRACS (Vascular), is a specialist vascular and endovascular surgeon based in Wellington.
Dr Taumoepeau trained in vascular surgery throughout New Zealand and Australia and has extensive experience diagnosing and treating diseases affecting both arteries and veins.
Her vascular expertise encompasses far more than cosmetic or uncomplicated vein treatment and includes the assessment and management of arterial and venous vascular conditions.
Dr Sam Taylor – Vascular & Endovasuclar Surgeon, Auckland
Dr Sam Taylor, MB ChB (Otago), FRACS (Vascular Surgery), is an Auckland-based vascular surgeon specialising in conditions affecting the arteries and veins.
He provides modern vascular and endovascular treatment and has a particular interest in minimally invasive, evidence-based approaches to vascular disease.
Dr Taylor provides SVH patients in Auckland with access to specialist vascular assessment and treatment without limiting care solely to varicose veins.
Dr Elizabeth Suthers – Vascular & Endovascular Surgeon, Wellington
Dr Elizabeth Suthers, MBBS (UWA), GradDipAnatomy, FRACS (Vascular Surgery), is a vascular surgeon specialising in the diagnosis and treatment of conditions affecting both arteries and veins.
Her expertise includes modern vascular and endovascular treatment, providing patients with access to specialist assessment and management of a broad range of vascular conditions.
Vascular Care Is About More Than Varicose Veins
Our vascular surgeons’ training allows SVH to assess and treat a wide spectrum of vascular problems.
These can include varicose veins and chronic venous disease, deep vein thrombosis (DVT), arterial disease, peripheral arterial disease and poor circulation, as well as injuries involving veins or arteries.
Vascular symptoms can sometimes appear relatively minor — swelling, aching, changes in skin colour, leg discomfort or wounds that are slow to heal — but they can also be associated with underlying vascular disease.
Having vascular surgeons within the SVH team means patients can be assessed by doctors who understand the entire vascular system, rather than focusing only on the appearance of veins.
Dr Shueh Lim – Interventional Radiology
Dr Shueh Lim, MBChB, FRCR, CCT (UK), RANZCR (Education Affiliate), EBIR, is an interventional radiologist with specialist expertise in minimally invasive, image-guided procedures.
His vascular interests include complex peripheral vascular intervention, deep venous disease and other vascular procedures. At SVH, Dr Lim also treats varicose veins.
Interventional radiology uses sophisticated imaging to guide minimally invasive procedures inside the body, often allowing conditions to be treated without conventional open surgery.
Dr Lim also has expertise in image-guided musculoskeletal injections and Dysport injections for pain management, adding another specialist interventional service available through the SVH medical team.
Dr Laurence Walker – Intensive Care Specialist
Dr Laurence Walker, BSc (Otago), MBChB (Otago), FCICM, is an Intensive Care Medicine specialist who has developed particular expertise in vein medicine and vascular ultrasound.
He has worked in vein medicine since 2012 and is an Affiliate Fellow of the Australasian College of Phlebology and a member of the New Zealand Society of Procedural Phlebology.
Dr Walker works within the SVH team in Wellington and Nelson, providing assessment and treatment for venous conditions.
Specialist Vascular Ultrasound – Darshna
Accurate vascular diagnosis often begins with an ultrasound.
SVH provides specialist vascular ultrasound performed by Darshna, our NZ MRTB Registered Sonographer, who has more than a decade of specialist vascular experience in New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
Vascular ultrasound is a painless, non-invasive test that uses sound waves to examine blood vessels and blood flow. Unlike an X-ray, it does not use ionising radiation.
Depending on the symptoms being investigated, vascular ultrasound can examine both veins and arteries and help diagnose conditions such as deep vein thrombosis (DVT), varicose veins, poor circulation and narrowing or blockage of arteries.
SVH offers a range of vascular ultrasound examinations, including venous and arterial ultrasound, carotid scanning and Doppler pressure studies.
Having specialist vascular ultrasound within our service is particularly valuable because the scan can form an important part of the patient’s diagnosis and treatment planning.
Specialist Vascular Nursing – Roz
Behind our doctors and vascular procedures is another important part of the SVH clinical team: Specialist Vascular Nurse Roz.
Roz has worked as a Registered Nurse for more than 25 years, including 14 years within New Zealand DHBs and the past 11 years with Specialist Vein Health.
She coordinates SVH’s theatre nursing staff and works alongside our doctors and wider multidisciplinary team to support patients throughout their vascular care.
Roz also runs SVH’s private outpatient vascular nursing clinics, providing specialist nursing care for patients with both venous and arterial conditions.
Specialist vascular nursing provides an important link between diagnosis, treatment and ongoing care. Depending on a patient’s condition and treatment plan, this can include education, clinical assessment, wound and vascular care, compression management, treatment support and follow-up.
For patients, it also means having an experienced vascular nurse who understands their condition and can help coordinate their care across the wider SVH team.
Where is Specialist Vein Health?
Access to specialist vascular care shouldn’t depend entirely on living in one of New Zealand’s largest cities.
SVH provides clinics in:
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Auckland
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Palmerston North
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Kāpiti
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Wellington
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Lower Hutt
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Nelson
Our procedures are performed in Auckland, Wellington and Nelson.
This network allows patients to access specialist vascular consultations closer to home, with procedures and further investigations coordinated when required.
We are One Team for Veins, Arteries and Vascular Health
Specialist Vein Health may have “vein” in its name, but our clinical expertise extends across veins, arteries and the wider vascular system.
With vascular surgeons Dr JK Wicks, Dr Lupe Taumoepeau, Dr Sam Taylor and Dr Elizabeth Suthers, interventional radiologist Dr Shueh Lim, intensive care and vein specialist Dr Laurence Walker, specialist vascular sonographer Darshna, and Specialist Vascular Nurse Roz, SVH provides patients with access to a genuinely multidisciplinary vascular team.
Whether you are concerned about varicose veins, DVT, poor circulation, an arterial condition or another vascular problem, the first step is an appropriate specialist assessment, from one of our specialist doctor’s.
At SVH, our aim is not simply to treat what can be seen on the surface. We look at the underlying vascular condition, establish an accurate diagnosis and help patients understand the most appropriate options for their care.
Specialist Vein Health – a multidisciplinary team providing specialist care and guiding you through every stage of your treatment.