In 2018, the well-respected Dr. Lucie Beaupré, Ottawa’s leading authority on the diagnosis and treatment of venous diseases, a.k.a phlebology, transferred her popular vein clinic to the Ottawa arm of Medicart. Medicart is a reputable network of clinics across Ontario and Quebec. It offers high-quality vein care to patients of all ages, as well as a variety of aesthetic treatments. These include a selection of life-enhancing, pain-free injections, including hyaluronic acid (fillers), neuromodulator (Botox), and, for hair loss and facial rejuvenation, platelet-rich plasma (PRP).
“I chose Medicart because of their expertise in leading medico-esthetic clinics,” explains Dr. Beaupré. “When meeting with the owners and managers, I was very impressed by their mission statement. We shared the same managerial, clinical, and personal values.”
The respect, says Medicart Ottawa’s Medical Director, Dr. Jason Leclair, is mutual.
“If you’re going to work in phlebology, you couldn’t ask for a better mentor than Dr. Beaupré,” he acknowledges gratefully. “The most important lesson she has taught me is what it means to be an expert. If you’re going to do something, you should strive to be the best. That means continuing to learn as the field develops and not being afraid to add to or change your practice when research or evidence or experience suggests it’s time to do so.”
Photography by Nicolai Gregory
As proof, Medicart has recently integrated the state-of-the-art VenaSeal procedure, allowing them to treat large, high-pressure veins that would have required surgery in years past. Miniscule amounts of medical-grade glue are used to hold the walls of the vein together, stopping then redirecting blood flow to the healthier veins. Dr. Leclair and his colleagues are also furthering the industry through applied research, which they’ll soon be sharing at the Canadian Society of Phlebology’s Annual Congress.
The majority of Medicart’s clientele are women. Because of hormonal factors such as pregnancy and menopause, women develop more varicose and spider veins than men. These unsightly annoyances are largely hereditary and often, a lifetime situation. Until the late 1980s, the standard North American treatment was stripping surgery i.e. partial removal of the vein. Fortunately, at that same time, Dr. Beaupré was studying in Paris. At l’École de Médecine de Paris and the Pitié Salpetriere Paris hospital, her eyes were opened to the more progressive, less invasive European approach: sclerotherapy, wherein veins are collapsed by way of injections. The success rate, pain-free nature, and convenience of this ambulatory (i.e. outpatient) procedure begged for a foothold in Canada.
“I recognized that I could have a direct impact on the well-being of thousands of women at home,” recounts Dr. Beaupré, “helping them to achieve healthier and better-looking legs. Patients could be vain by getting rid of their veins!”
Inspired, Dr. Beaupré went about setting up the first-ever vein clinic in the Ottawa-Gatineau area. “I had licenses to practice medicine in both Quebec and Ontario,” she explains, “so I could offer bilingual services on both sides of the river. Many doctors were skeptical of the need for this service on such a large scale but enough were open-minded to start referring patients.”
Since that momentous day in 1989, the Dr. Beaupré Vein Clinic grew from a four-person operation to the most well-known clinic of its kind in the area. And as the practice evolved, so did its methods: Doppler technology that sourced problems via ultrasound was introduced and became the norm to better assess and treat veins not visible to the eye. Then, of course, the clinic underwent its biggest change to date: the amalgamation with Medicart.
For all of its exemplary emphasis on best-in-class treatments, research, and the rigorous in-house training of its practitioners and staff, what distinguishes Medicart Ottawa most is another value it shares with Dr. Beaupré: a genuine appreciation for the patient and client.
“Patients aren’t just veins,” says Dr. Leclair, who enjoys a dual practice as a family physician and is the Director of Education Services in Inpatient Family Medicine at the Ottawa Hospital’s Civic Campus. “They are people with lives, stories, and sometimes complex medical issues. I love the variety of people that I deal with in family medicine, and that sentiment carries over into my duties in phlebology. As a result, our patients can look forward to friendly and professional care from the moment they walk in the door to when they check out.”
Adds Dr. Beaupré, who still puts in time at the clinic, “We all keep in mind that the patient’s well-being comes first. Patient satisfaction remains our number one goal.”
By Dan Lalande
