Vein Specialist

I’m uncertain as to whether I’ve ever been to a dive bar. I guess it depends on the definition. You can’t know what something is unless you define it. Sort of like venous pelvic pain. It needs a definition. Seems like a dive bar may be more interesting, but probably less important.New York City; 1880’s. Bars were opening in basements below street level. Patrons needed to “dive” downstairs to get out of sight and have anonymity. Another origin theory is more nefarious: one is descending into the shady and disreputable segment of society in these bars and its environs. And then, as always, there is the biblical explanation. Ever notice how everything comes back to the Bible? The parable goes that there was a rich man, Dives, who was not a nice person–self-centered and nasty. And a poor man, Lazarus, –benevolent and caring. Both were being judged. Lazarus is exalted to heaven and Dives is banished to hell. I like the descending the stairs origin rather than the parable. Although the idea of descending into a “hell hole” of a bar when walking downstairs encompasses both origins.

And we encompass all that is venous in Vein Specialist. No parables; no going down a flight of stairs; and no shady characters. Well, most of us aren’t shady. Just practical concise information. In this issue we highlight the vain part of a vein practice. We’ve asked our contributors to address a number of issues around this topic. Laser, sclerotherapy, choices for vein treatment are discussed. We also talk about mistakes that have been made before, during, and after sclerotherapy procedures. Special situations are discussed as well, such as treating patients in resource-constrained communities and the partnership between skin issues and vein issues. A summation of AVF’s inaugural Pelvic Venous Disorders Summit is here also. Plus, we have a new feature, Member Spotlight, brought to us by our membership committee. Industry updates from a few of our partners and remembering some of our members who have recently died round out the issue. But AVF is not dying as an organization.

Dive bars are dying for many reasons. Drinking is down. Day drinking is way down. These are probably good things, but not for the dive bars. By definition, dive bars need to offer cheap beer, cheap drinks, and minimal food. The names of most dive bars are possessive proper nouns: Frank’s, Rudy’s, Irene’s Place, Billymark’s, or Smith’s Bar. All survive in New York City.

Bet you didn’t think 5th grade English grammar was going to be in this article: possessive proper noun is basic English. The past participle could also describe many dive bars. The past participle is a verb form denoting a completed action. Think, walked, or learned. or finished. It frequently functions as an adjective with a helping verb such as haveor be.. I have walked. I want to be finished. The past participle is not going the path of the dive bar. It is flourishing in the English language. All over the country dive bars are dying. The egalitarian, seedy, dark dive bar is not what is needed in 2026. People now want clean, brightly lit impersonal places to drink with people like them. Dive bars were always a melting pot of society. Struggling actors, CEOs, homeless people finding solace in the inherently accepting milieu of a dive bar.

We hope you find solace in this issue of Vein Specialist. We are a melting pot of vein specialists from many different backgrounds. We are like the clientele who frequent the dying dive bars: a heterogeneous soup heating up together to provide a cohesive, pleasurable experience when treating vein disease. And dive bars, with their spontaneity, wall stickers, time worn floors, and a history of people that have been there, show their age in a good way. And we help you age gracefully as you manage venous disease. Take a breath and dive in.