Featured Member of the Month (April 2022): Dr. Thomas Wright

Dr. Thomas Wright is the medical director of Laser Lipo and Vein Center. He is one of the first two-hundred surgeons in the nation to become a Diplomate of the American Board of Phlebology (now the American Board of Venous & Lymphatic Medicine). He is also a board-certified surgeon who has been performing cosmetic procedures for over ten years. He was trained in liposuction by the inventor of tumescent liposuction, Dr. Jeffrey Klein.

Dr. Wright was voted by his peers as one of St. Louis TOP DOCS in 2009. He has authored and presented several scientific papers on new surgical techniques for the treatment of venous insufficiency and has received several awards and honors for his original research in the treatment of venous insufficiency. He has received numerous honors including election to the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society, the Patients’ Choice Award, the AMA Physician Recognition Award, and appointment as a Howard Hughes Research Fellow. He is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and is an instructor and faculty advisor of the American Society of Laser Medicine and Surgery as well as a member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery.

Dr. Wright is a certified medical sonographer credentialed by the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography. His research and areas of special interest include venous health, minimally invasive body sculpting techniques and vein treatments. Dr. Wright has been interviewed about cosmetic procedures on local television and was featured on the cover of MD news in May 2010. He is the recipient of the Patients Choice Award 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2915 voted on by patients, an award earned by five percent of the 720,000 eligible physicians nationwide. The AMA awarded him the Physician Recognition with Commendation Award in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015. He was also named Top Phlebologist in the Nation and Most Influential Doctor by healthcare site HealthTap.

How and why did you start practicing in the field of vein/lymphatic care?
My mother had a varicose vein and a venous leg ulcer which was misdiagnosed and mismanaged. She had been seeing doctors who were respected in her community but still received less than ideal care. I realized that there was need for good care of venous disease and its complications and I wanted to do my part to prevent similar medical mismanagement of venous disease.

When you are not at work, how do you spend your time?
I enjoy being outdoors either riding my bike or hiking in nature. I also enjoy gardening.

How long have you been a member of the AVLS and why did you decide to join?
I have been an active member since 2006. I was referred to AVLS by a colleague who recommended the organization wholeheartedly.

In what ways has the AVLS helped you as a vein/lymphatic care provider?
I have learned a great deal over the years from the ALVS Annual Congress, seminars, and fellow members on how to better treat venous and lymphatic disease.

Any advice for your peers new to the field?
Get engaged. The more you participate in AVLS, the more you will get out of it.