Meet Dr. Gradman

Wayne S. Gradman, M.D. is a graduate of Harvard Medical School and received postgraduate vascular training at UCLA Medical Center and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. He is board certified in Phlebology, Vascular Surgery, and General Surgery. After many years of practice at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Dr. Gradman now dedicates all his time to venous disorders at the Beverly Hills Vein Center.

Dr. Gradman is  a member of both the American College of Phlebology, which focuses on the treatment of varicose vein problems, and the American Venous Forum, the nation’s most prestigious organization dedicated to the study of venous disorders.

He began pioneering research in endovenous closure of the saphenous vein over twenty years ago. Gayle Anderson of KLTA-5 Los Angeles featured Dr. Gradman and the Beverly Hills Vein Center on its morning Torso Turnover program on September 28, 2004. Both Los Angeles-based television station ABC-7 and Dr. Bruce Hensel, medical reporter for NBC-4, filmed Dr. Gradman as he demonstrated the Closure© procedure and discussed its application to individuals suffering from varicose vein disease. LA Magazine, Woman’s Day magazine, and Ms. Fitness magazine have featured him in articles on EVLT – Varicose Vein laser treatment. Dr. Gradman discussed the “Economy Class Syndrome: How to prevent deep vein thrombosis during air travel” on KCAL-9 and KFWB radio in November 2006. He is often heard on ESPN’s Weekend Warrior regarding athletes and their vein problems.

Board Certifications

• American Board of Venous and Lymphatic Medicine
• American Board of Surgery
  • Vascular Surgery
  • General Surgery

Professional Affiliations

• American Venous Forum
• Fellow, American College of Phlebology
• Fellow, American College of Surgeons
• American Society for Vascular Surgery
• Southern California Society of Vascular Surgery
• Western Vascular Society

Awards, Lectures & Publications

In 1998, Dr. Gradman received the Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching from the Department of Surgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. He lectures internationally to physicians and the public, and has published many articles on the treatment of varicose veins and other vein disorders.

His recent lecture engagements and publications include:

• “Endovenous saphenous vein ablation in patients with acute isolated superficial-vein thrombosis” Phlebology, 2013. (Link to full article)
• “Femoral Vein Transposition” in Atlas of Vascular Surgery, 2012
• “Varicose veins and other common chronic venous disorders.” Continuing medical education lecture at Torrance Memorial Hospital presented in November, 2008.
• “Phlebology-State of the Art in 2007″. Lectures presented at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center February 2007 and St. George Hospital, London July 2007.
• “Adjunctive saphenous vein ligation with laser obliteration: Is it ever necessary?” Annals of Vascular Surgery, 2006.
• Program Chair, American College of Phlebology, 18th Regional Meeting, Denver 2004
• Tumescent Anesthesia for Varicose Vein Procedures, American College of Phlebology, 18th Annual Congress, Marco Island, Florida, November 2004
• Fundamentals of Ultrasound Examination for Practitioners, American College of Phlebology, 18th Annual Congress, Marco Island, Florida, November 2004.
• “Roller Coaster Reflux,” Phlebology 19(3), 2004.
• ELAS (Laser) Practicum, Toronto, August 2002.
• “What’s new in vein treatments”. Presentation at the Regional meeting of American College of Surgeons, Santa Barbara, CA. January 2004.
• “Combined Closure and Trivex for Treatment of Extensive Varicose Veins Secondary to Great Saphenous Vein Reflux: A Review of 25 Patients,” American College of Phlebology, 15th Annual Congress, La Quinta Mirage, California 2001. (Dr. Gradman no longer uses Trivex because of the need for general anesthesia and its unpredictable incidence of permanent skin staining.)
• “Venoscopic Obliteration of Variceal Tributaries Using Monopolar Electrocautery: Initial Experience.” J Dermatologic Surg Onc 20; 1994. (Not a recent article, but the first to propose closing the saphenous vein with internally applied heat. This technology has all but replaced vein “stripping” in the United States.)
• “Venoscopy in Varicose Veins Surgery.” Chapter in Haimovici, textbook of Vascular Surgery, 1995. (Also not recent. Dr. Gradman was the first person to look down the saphenous vein to document what diseased valves really look like.)

For many years Dr. Gradman was the sole vascular surgeon creating dialysis shunts for the children of Children’s Hospital, Los Angeles. The Hospital recently honored him for his contributions in this challenging field on behalf of these needy children. The plaque reads:

“Dr. Wayne Gradman
In acknowledgment for many years of
excellent and caring service
to our pediatric hemodialysis patients
The Division of Nephrology
Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles”

Personal Notes

Dr. Gradman’s hobbies include classical and jazz piano. He has performed numerous solo piano concertos with the Los Angeles Doctors Symphony. He served many years as President of the Los Angeles Music Guild, the city’s premiere chamber music society.

He has been married to Susan for more than 40 years and has two sons, Andrew and Eric.