Dr Luke Matar

About Dr Luke Matar

Varicose veins have been a personal problem for Dr Matar, his father and his sisters.

As someone who has personally suffered from varicose veins, Dr Matar understands first-hand the impact that aching, restless, heavy and uncomfortable itchy legs can have on daily life.

His experience as both doctor and patient drives a commitment to vein treatment done well — not just an alternative to vein-stripping surgery, but the right technique for each patient, performed with meticulous attention to detail. Despite being an early adopter of cyanoacrylate (glue) closure and co-author of the national consensus on its use, Dr Matar now choses endovenous laser ablation as his first-line treatment based on the outcomes he has seen and emerging evidence in the literature. He audits his own results and continually refines his techniques in light of that data, the latest research, and dialogue with leading vein specialists in Australia and overseas.

Dr Matar has trained with experienced and internationally recognised vein doctors in Australia and overseas, regularly travelling interstate and abroad to learn from and exchange insights with established figures in the field.

His training in phlebology began in 2011 with UK phlebologist Professor Mark Whiteley, founder of The Whiteley Clinic and a pioneer of endovenous and perforator vein techniques. He went on to train with a number of other recognised vein specialists, including

• Professor Kurosh Parsi (NSW)
• The late Professor Ken Myers (VIC)
• Dr Mark Malouf (NSW)
• Dr Andrew Stirling (TAS)
• Dr Loius Loizou (VIC)
• Dr Chris Lekich (QLD)
• Dr Chris Ragg (Berlin)
• Dr David West (UK)
• Dr Ron Bush (USA)

For Dr Matar, vein treatment is also personal. Venous disease runs in his family, and he has been a patient himself — undergoing endovenous laser treatment on two occasions, as well as ambulatory phlebectomy and foam sclerotherapy. That first-hand experience shaped how he approaches treatment. Drawing on it, he developed a refined technique combining ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy with ambulatory phlebectomy — using ultrasound guidance through both the treatment and vein-removal stages — which he termed ultrasound-guided foam phlebectomy (UGFP) and presented at The College of Phlebology International Veins Meeting in London in 2017.

Dr Matar is committed to providing high-quality, individualised care, aimed at the best possible outcome for each patient. To that end he continually reviews and refines his treatments in light of new research, his own clinical outcomes, and the insights he gains from treating patients and from discussion with colleagues and mentors

He is undertaking research into the neglected and overlooked association between restless legs and varicose veins, he has spoken at national and international conferences and is a regular contributor to where he tries to educate other medical professionals as to the importance of venous disease and the modern treatments that can now be offered to alleviate suffering.

In addition to this, he regularly attends national and international conferences and liaises with leading international “opinion leaders”; he recently presented 5 original papers and was invited as a speaker on the topic of “Innovations in Vein Treatment” at the 2018 UIP meeting in Melbourne.

Advanced Vein treatment technology

At The Vein Clinic, Dr Matar uses modern, single-use radial-fibre laser systems for endovenous laser ablation.

Laser technology for vein treatment has advanced considerably. Earlier lasers used shorter wavelengths (around 810–980nm) that target haemoglobin in the blood, while current systems use longer, water-specific wavelengths delivered through radial-tip fibres rather than older bare-tip fibres. This generation of equipment is associated with less post-procedure pain and bruising and a more comfortable recovery.

When preparing foam for sclerotherapy, Dr Matar uses a nitrogen-free gas mixture (oxygen or carbon dioxide with oxygen) rather than room air. Room air is commonly used in many clinics, but the nitrogen it contains dissolves poorly in blood, whereas carbon dioxide and oxygen dissolve far more readily. Dr Matar makes his foam with a nitrogen-free (Oxygen or carbon dioxide and oxygen) mixture, which is more biocompatible and has been associated with fewer minor side effects such as transient visual disturbance. He adopts this as a precaution, particularly for patients with a history of migraine.

Why our treatment planning is different

Many clinics plan varicose vein treatment from a sonographer’s worksheet. Dr Matar works differently. As a radiologist as well as a phlebologist, he scans each patient himself at the planning stage — the live, three-dimensional view lets him assess what every vein segment needs and match the right technique to it, whether endovenous laser, ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy or phlebectomy. The same doctor who studies your anatomy on ultrasound is the one who plans and performs your treatment.

Research and Contributions to Vein Care

Dr Matar contributes actively to phlebology — the medical field dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of vein disease — through research, publications and presentations at national and international meetings.