Featured Member of the Month (Jan. 2023): Mark Melin

M. Mark Melin, MD, FACS, RPVI, FACCWS, is a surgeon and Medical Director of the M Health Wound Healing Institute (South Campus) and an Adjunct Associate Professor in the University of Minnesota Surgical Department. His interests and educational niches include management of lymphedema/lymphatic stasis in the wounded patient, the endothelial glycocalyx, adjunctive micronutrient and bionutrient application to wound care, diosmin Micronized Purified Flavonoid Fraction (MPFF), polygenic abnormality impact upon wound resolution, wound pH and biofilm management, and emerging technologies in wound products and wound technologies. He participates in the educational activities of the Wound Fellowship program, under the direction of the University of Minnesota PMR Department (Chair Dr. Leslie Morse and Fellowship Program Director Dr. Sandy Rosenberg), with the first Fellow initiating training in August 2022. The HBO Fellow from Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC), Minneapolis, initiated a shadowing program in the Wound Healing Institute in August 2022 (HCMC Program Director Dr. Thomas Masters).

Additional interests, educational efforts, presentations and research include human physiology and adaptability in the weightlessness of space travel and its translation to improving patient cares on terra firma and achieving nominal human function in environmental extremes and the extremes of healthcare. He joined the Aerospace medical association (AsMA) and the Space Surgical Association (SSA) in 2021. He is published and a presenter at conferences on this topic and co-Directs the Space Forum with Heather Hettrick PhD (Professor, Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale), and Kelli Ogborn-Kedis (VP of the Space Foundation), a Societal function of AVLS (American Vein and Lymphatic Society), initiated in 2021.

He became the Medical Director of Eva Medtec in September of 2022. Eva Medtec is the creator of Neuroglide, a system of automated therapy devices which provide effective, convenient, and sustainable medical devices for pain management options. Neuroglide is Class II FDA approved, emulating manual lymphatic drainage (MLD). Research is ongoing for Neuroglide therapeutic benefits and detailing the mechanisms of action from the lymphatics to cellular level.

He joined VitaSupportMD as a Senior Medical Advisor in November of 2022, in an effort to educate and further research the benefits of Micronized Purified Flavonoid Fraction (MPFF) for vein, lymphatic and wound therapeutics as part of a standard of care.

He resides in the suburbs of Minneapolis, Minnesota with his wife of 33 years, Cindy; they have 4 grown children who attended Wheaton College (Wheaton, Illinois) and 3 daughter in-laws. 2 children and a daughter in-law are in medicine, as a urology resident and 2 in medical school: Medical College of Wisconsin and Liberty University College of Medicine. They have 3 rescue dogs and many books.

How and why did you start practicing in the field of vein/lymphatic care? 

Vein treatment is standard education in vascular surgery training. Lymphatic? Pure serendipity! And such great fortune.  Maximizing wound outcomes requires an in-depth knowledge of lymphatic anatomy and physiology and understanding options for lymphatic stimulation and countermeasure application. I must compliment and sincerely thank Drs. Gloviczki, O'Donnell, Rockson, Olszewski, Zaleska, Suami, Steve Dean, Alan Hirsch, Caroline Fife, Karen Herbst, Mike Davis, Eno Ebong, Robyn Smith, Heather Hettrick, Frank Aviles, Eva Sevick and her NIRFLI team (and all of their personal mentors) and the many CLTs for leading the charge to educate us and cover the gap that exists yet in the medical school curriculum.

When you are not at work, how do you spend your time?

With my lovely and dear wife Cindy of 33 years, walking our rescue dogs, reading, connecting with our 3 married kids and spouses and daughter Grace finishing college at Wheaton in Chicago. And we would camp nearly every weekend in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area of northern Minnesota (or Glacier, or Grand Tetons, or Jasper, or...) in an ideal retirement.

How long have you been a member of the AVLS and why did you decide to join? 

I joined in 2019 (should have been sooner!). The decision to join was based on the passion and vision of leadership that shared and continues to share joy and vision for compassionate care based on sharing education, encouraging collaboration, and supporting research.

In what ways has the AVLS helped you as a vein/lymphatic care provider? 

In practice now for 3 years in a pure wound clinic/surgical capacity, and 20 years of wound care total, AVLS has accelerated my understanding of wound care management and improved outcomes by maximizing vein and lymphatic management from a holistic, systemic, personalized manner. I would strongly encourage all wound care providers across the nation to join AVLS as members - your patients and clinic staff will greatly benefit from the education and collaborative relationships. Remember, the vast majority of lower extremity wounds have a component of venous and or lymphatic pathology contributing to both occurrence and recidivism rates; AVLS physicians, CLTs, and providers will provide you the depth of education in venous and lymphatic cares not available in any other national Society or wound care courses.

Any advice for your peers new to the field? 

As above, if you are in wound care, join AVLS as a member. Wounds require not only arterial flow, but functional venous and lymphatic vasculature to close chronic skin wounds.

What resources does the AVLS provide that would benefit them? 

Wound Care is now a General Session offered yearly (thank you to Dean Bender and leadership for creating and growing this opportunity). This lymphatic-specific education is invaluable given very few medical schools, residencies, fellowships currently emphasize lymphatic therapeutics and in-depth education. With Societal, member, and Wound Care provider engagement, we can positively contribute to medical school/residency/fellowship core curriculum changes and ideally, in time, create and support ACGME Board subspecialty Fellowships in both Wound Care and Venous Lymphatic Medicine. We are responsible for leaving a legacy that improves demographic care; Board subspecialty Fellowships in both of these critical educational and care pathway domains are the next near-term logical step to improve our nation's healthcare provisions.