Success stories
Dr. Kaufman's patients are extremely satisfied with his expertise, the VNUS Closure® procedure, and their results. Here's why...
"I have had problems with varicose veins most of my adult life. In 2006 I underwent the endovenous laser ablation procedure. While the procedure itself was not that bad, I was left with a massive bruise on my inner thigh stretching from knee to groin that lasted nearly a month, and there was a fair amount of pain for the better part of two weeks. Unfortunately, the procedure failed, and there was no improvement in the bulging, swelling, and aching after standing at my job all day.
In 2010, I consulted with Dr. Steven Kaufman. He spent a lot of time going over my history, and offering me treatment options. I had the VNUS Closure procedure done on a Friday morning. It was a virtually painless event. There was no pain, swelling or bruising afterwards. I went out to lunch afterwards, and resumed working that weekend with no ill effects. It was so easy that I had the other leg done the following week. The worst part of the entire procedure was wearing the compression stocking, but fortunately that was just for the weekend.
I am in the unique position of having had both procedures, and there is no comparison. I would recommend the VNUS Closure procedure any day above the laser. It was so much easier and the results are well worth it.
Many thanks to Dr. Kaufman and his staff! I'm glad I made that phone call."
Linda Keller, Fort Collins
I just wanted to say thank you for all the help you gave me by curing my vein problem which ended the reoccurence of the veinous ulcer on my left ankle. I had the ulcer for over nine months and the wound clinic at Northern Colorado Medical Center said there was nothing more that they could do for me and I would just have to learn to live with it.
I was fortunate enough to find Dr. Yanagi at the Wound Healing Clinic at Poudre Valley Hospital, and she recommended you, Dr. Kaufman. You found the perforator in my left leg and closed it off, and I have not had any problems since then, which is over three months ago. The pain is gone, my leg looks much better and I do not have to wear support hose anymore. I am so grateful to you for finding the problem and taking care of it. Dr. Kaufman, thank you so very much.
Barbara Barthol, Greeley, Colorado
"After 29 years of teaching, I was rewarded with a wonderful case of spider veins on both legs. As if teaching was not reward enough, I was now permitted to wear jeans or slacks year around because the dark patches of the spider veins were so embarrassing. To make matters worse, I was living in Phoenix during this time.
After I retired and moved to Fort Collins, my gynecologist noticed my legs and told me that if I was interested in having the spider veins removed that I should see Dr. Kaufman. It took me a few months to work up the courage but I finally made an appointment for a consultation. From the very moment I met Dr. Kaufman his demeanor and relaxed manner of talking made me feel completely at ease. He explained the options that were available to me and suggested what he thought should be the best course of action to give the best results. He suggested I should select to undergo sclerotherapy, although he did say that because of the severity of the veins that I should not expect them to be totally eliminated.
After undergoing an ultrasound to eliminate the possibility of having venous reflux, I scheduled my first appointment to start sclerotherapy. After following Dr. Kaufman's advice, I am now perfectly happy and satisfied with the results of his treatment. Once again I am able to wear shorts and enjoy the summer weather. I like to say that ‘Before I visited Dr. Kaufman I was oh so vain. But after he performed his magic, I am now vein free and loving it.’"
Barbara Connolly, Fort Collins, Colorado
"When I met with Dr. Kaufman, he clearly explained the differences in treatment methods, showing me pictures and diagrams, and suggested trying different procedures on each leg. First, I had laser surgery on my left leg, and a couple of weeks later, I had the Closure® radiofrequency procedure on my right leg.
Well, my recovery was much faster with the radiofrequency surgery. The Closure® was much less painful than laser surgery, and there was less swelling and bruising. With the radiofrequency surgery, I was able to walk on my right leg and resume my normal, everyday activities within a day or two of the Closure® procedure.
Throughout both procedures, I was comfortable and felt the staff and Dr took good care of me. In fact, Dr.Kaufman said if I had any problems, to just call him and he gave me his cell phone number. I thought that was very considerate of him. He's very caring towards his patients, always gives them the opportunity to call him, even if it's after hours.
Those leg vein procedures were done nearly two years ago and the results are great! I don't have any unsightly varicose veins anymore, or pain or discomfort. It wasn't until I had the surgeries that I realized how much pain and discomfort I had been enduring. I have recommended Dr. Kaufman already and would definitely recommend him again."
Wendy Givens, Fort Morgan, Colorado
"I have had problems with extremely big, bulging, grotesque veins in one of my legs since I was 22 years old. I am a single woman and have been embarrassed to wear anything but long dresses or pants for 20 something years. My son's dermatologist referred me to Dr. Kaufman. I met with him and he spent a lot of time explaining the Closure® Procedure to me in detail and explained everything that he would do. I decided on the spot to go ahead with the procedure.
I was very apprehensive about having this done and bothered his office staff on a daily basis. Everyone was very supportive and patient with me. On the day of the procedure I was extremely anxious. Dr. Kaufman and his staff put me at ease and in less than an hour, the procedure was done and I was on my way home. Everything that Dr. Kaufman told me about the procedure for my leg veins was on target. He is honest, caring and straight forward. I was absolutely amazed. I didn't feel any discomfort whatsoever. I had this vein procedure done on a Friday and on Saturday was shopping on the Pearl Street Mall (for shorts!)
I can't say enough about how great it is to finally be able to wear shorts and skirts and not feel like a freak. I have been dating a lot lately and every man that I have been out with tells me what pretty legs I have. I just smile and think about how Dr. Kaufman and how the varicose veins treatment and Closure® Procedure literally changed my life. My only regret is that I didn't do this years ago."
Amy Mullins, Loveland, CO
"To say that Dr. Kaufman and his staff are great would be a huge understatement!
I am somewhat of a high-maintenance patient and I have been completely happy with the professional, compassionate care that I have received. From my very first visit, I knew I was in good hands.
My initial reason for seeing Dr. Kaufman was purely cosmetic. Spider veins were beginning to be unsightly, so getting rid of them was my plan. Wondering "what is the best treatment for spider veins" I consulted Dr. Kaufman. He first wanted to make sure there were no other underlying problems. The ultrasound showed that I would benefit from a vein closure procedure before taking care of the spider veins.
This of course, was not part of my "get beautiful legs" plan and I had some anxiety about it. Dr. Kaufman was completely understanding of my fears and explained everything thoroughly. The procedure did not in any way compare to what I had conjured up in my mind; it was over quickly and was painless. After a short recovery, Dr. Kaufman took care of my spider veins and I couldn't be happier!"
Lori Scott, Fort Collins, Colorado
"Varicose veins have been a problem for me since I was 18. I work in retail and am used to being on my feet for eight to ten hours a day. I had had vein stripping done by another doctor, which I would never do again. It was very painful and I couldn't go back to work for almost two weeks.
When I went to see Dr. Kaufman, I was having severe pain in my right leg from my varicose veins. At our first consultation, he was very thorough and explained how the new VNUS Closure® procedure could help me. It was much less intrusive than the vein stripping and required only a local anesthetic.
I had the procedure done on a Friday and within days, I was back at work and back to my normal active lifestyle -- horseback riding, running, hiking, going to cardio classes. I have not had any more pain in my leg, and the vein doesn't protrude anymore.
The results have been great! The Closure® procedure was much less invasive and much less painful than the vein stripping. I would do the Closure® again a million times before doing the vein stripping again! In fact, I have recommended Dr. Kaufman to two of my friends and they have already had the procedure done and are happy as well."
Kasey Jordan, Fort Collins, Colorado
"I had swollen ankles and really large, grotesque veins in my legs. I had checked out different approaches, including the laser technique, but went to Dr. Kaufman since no one in Cheyenne offers the Closure® procedure and Dr. Kaufman is the most experienced at it - he's performed many of them. I felt better knowing he's had so much experience. Besides, I knew and trusted Dr. Kaufman since he had removed my gall bladder previously.
The worst part of the whole procedure was getting the local anesthetic - I hate needles. It was quick and painless. When it was all done, I went out to lunch and had a glass of wine with my husband!
The Closure® procedure has eliminated the swelling in my ankles and all of the larger veins in my legs. My comfort level is a lot better and I'm back to wearing my fun, holiday socks!
Dr. Kaufman really cares individually about his patients, and he's honest and straightforward. He even gave me his personal cell phone number to call if there were any problems."
Judy Kallal, Cheyenne, Wyoming
"I had varicose veins in my lower leg that started to bulge out. They were getting worse and began to ache when I was on my feet a lot. The support hose I started wearing sure screwed up wearing shorts in the summer time! I wasn't happy with the pain and discomfort these veins were causing in my legs and I didn't like the way they looked.
My primary care physician recommended Dr. Kaufman to me since he was the only Fort Collins area physician using the Closure® procedure. She was impressed with the results he was getting.
I decided to schedule a consultation with Dr. Kaufman. He diagnosed venous reflux, and explained how he could help me. After some research on my own, I felt comfortable with him and his competent support staff, and decided to go forward with the procedure.
I was a little apprehensive the day of the surgery, but Dr. Kaufman explained what he was going to do and talked to me throughout the procedure, explaining each step. He always took the time to answer my questions thoroughly and in a way that I found satisfactory.
The bottom line is I'm really pleased with the procedure and wouldn't hesitate to do it again! I was on vacation in Jamaica recently, and it was really nice wearing shorts again!"
Pete Lagoni, Fort Collins, Colorado
"We feel very fortunate to have found Dr. Kaufman - he was wonderful. I had a 2.5 cm vein aneurysm in my right upper thigh, and Dr. Kaufman was even able to fix that with the Closure® procedure. Everyone had said that I would need vein stripping and major surgery, but Dr. Kaufman was able to do a phenomenal job with the Closure® procedure.
Dr. Kaufman's bedside manner is exceptional. He's very personable and spends a great deal of time talking to you and explaining everything. He made us feel totally comfortable and we quickly developed trust in him because of his thorough explanations. I chose the Closure® procedure because I wanted to avoid surgery, general anesthesia, vein stripping and the bruising associated with laser; there is no bruising and pain with the Closure® procedure.
I had this done on a Friday and on Monday went back to work! Dr. Kaufman's staff called to check on me after the procedure. We felt totally protected and cared for. Our overall experience was absolutely fabulous - the highest you can rate it!"
David and Kathy O. Steinmetz, Fort Collins, Colorado
"My gynecologist referred me to Dr. Kaufman because of the huge, popping ugly veins I developed in my legs after my pregnancy. My legs were always the one thing I really liked about my body but all of a sudden, they became ugly and made me feel really old.
Dr. Kaufman explained that I was a good candidate for the VNUS Closure® procedure. It sounded great and was much less invasive than the other procedures I had heard about.
I'm totally pleased with what he did! The veins that he worked on have not come back and it's been a few years now. I was so embarrassed about my legs before, but now, I'm not.
Dr. Kaufman has a very family-friendly office (I was able to bring my daughter into the office with me) and his staff is great. Dr. Kaufman himself is so accommodating — he really cares.
Let me tell you, what he does works!"
Kaarin Valvur, Fort Collins, Colorado
To learn more about our modern and traditional treatments, see Treatment Options.
See Next Steps to learn more about the consultation and treatment experience.
Please call 970-498-VEIN (8346) to schedule a consultation.
More Success Stories...