Dr. Ali Golshan’s Quest to Restore Hope for Neuropathy Patients
I was especially excited to write this piece because neuropathy is deeply personal to me—my mom has battled it for years. Watching her face daily numbness, burning discomfort, and the unpredictable flares that make even walking painful has been both heartbreaking and infuriating. Like many families, we’ve cycled through medications, specialists, and therapies, often without lasting relief. That’s why the work of Dr. Ali Golshan gives me something rare: genuine hope.
While Dr. Golshan’s stealth startup is formally focused on superficial venous disease, its implications reach far wider—especially for patients with nerve-related complications like peripheral neuropathy. His innovation aims to improve the way blood flows through the lower extremities. And as more research ties vascular dysfunction to neuropathic symptoms, his work may hold the key to reducing pain, inflammation, and progression in millions of patients suffering from chronic nerve issues.
On May 21st, I’ll be hosting a luncheon with Dr. Golshan during LABEST’s MedTech Day at the UCLA Hotel to explore this in more depth.
Dr. Golshan begins by tracing his path from UCLA, where he completed medical school, business school, and interventional radiology training, to his time in private group practice. While this provided valuable experience, he quickly realized he wanted to focus more heavily on outpatient vascular interventions. He joined a group specializing in dialysis access and began introducing superficial venous disease treatments, such as embolization and varicose vein interventions.
Working with high-volume operators and experts like Dr. Zach Ratner, Dr. Golshan honed his skills in treating venous disease. Eventually, he launched his own outpatient practice—Beach Wellness MD—which quickly grew from a single office to multiple clinical locations.
Superficial Venous Disease
While neuropathy and superficial venous disease are distinct, they often coexist in patients with complex circulatory issues, particularly in older adults and those with diabetes. Dr. Golshan’s focus on advancing minimally invasive vascular interventions aligns with a broader movement toward comprehensive outpatient care that could ease multiple chronic conditions at once.
Dr. Golshan defines superficial venous disease as a condition involving dysfunction in the veins that return blood from the lower extremities, leading to symptoms ranging from varicose veins to ulcers. Diagnosis centers around high-quality ultrasound imaging, ideally with experienced technicians who can assess truncal veins, perforators, and anatomical variants with precision.
In most cases, cross-sectional imaging like CT or MR venography is unnecessary, as duplex ultrasound can sufficiently evaluate pathology below the inguinal ligament. For patients with ulcers or suspected deep venous disease, Golshan may perform a venogram and IVUS directly, bypassing the limitations of static imaging.
Treatment Modalities and Clinical Preferences
For those wanting to go deeper, Dr. Golshan has a really informative appearance on Backtable where he discusses the broad arsenal of tools available for venous ablation. For patients with truncal insufficiency, thermal ablation techniques—radiofrequency (RF) and laser—remain gold standards due to their consistency and effectiveness. He prefers RF because of its ease-of-use and tactile simplicity.
For non-thermal, non-tumescent approaches, options include mechanochemical ablation (MOCA), microfoam sclerosants, and glue. Golshan leans toward microfoam and MOCA, citing their adaptability in treating tortuous veins, accessory branches, and complex anatomical variants. He avoids glue, preferring not to leave a foreign body in the patient’s vein when other methods suffice.
The Value of Foam Ablation
A significant portion of the conversation revolves around microfoam ablation. Golshan appreciates its "degrees of freedom," noting that it flows dynamically into branches and perforators, treating a wider venous system than simple catheter-based methods.
However, he cautions about the risk of foam entering the deep venous system, especially with more potent formulations like Varithena. He emphasizes the importance of real-time ultrasound monitoring and conservative dosing, particularly when targeting areas near perforators or in patients with venous ulcers.
How SOLVEIN Was Born: From a Napkin Sketch to FDA Submission
Driven by the limitations of current devices and his own procedural experiences, Dr. Golshan began developing SOLVEIN. Born from a napkin sketch, the device has grown into a fully formed venture-backed startup with patents, a team of engineers, and promising animal data.
SOLVEIN combines mechanical and chemical ablation in a novel way. The device uses a compliant balloon with nitinol wires to gently abrade the endothelium of the saphenous vein while inducing vasoconstriction. The balloon isolates the vein from the deep venous system and allows for aspiration of blood, which otherwise dilutes sclerosants and causes hyperpigmentation.
Once the vein is prepared, a physician-compounded foam—less potent and more forgiving than commercial formulations—is injected through the catheter. This synergistic method enhances foam effectiveness while improving safety and minimizing pain, pigmentation, and DVT risk.
FDA Pathway and Reimbursement Readiness
Unlike PMA devices for life-sustaining applications like cardiac or neuro, SOLVEIN is pursuing FDA clearance via the 510(k) pathway. Since it has a predicate device and falls within the established peripheral intervention category, SOLVEIN can proceed through benchtop and animal testing without a human clinical trial.
Once approved, the device will qualify for existing reimbursement codes, making integration into outpatient clinics more seamless. The on-label indication will cover delivery of physician-determined substances to superficial vasculature, including great and small saphenous veins.
Reflections and Advice for Physician Entrepreneurs
Dr. Golshan gave some powerful advice in his Backtable interview for aspiring medical innovators:
1. File a provisional patent early – It’s affordable and timestamps your idea.
2. Practice good data hygiene – Share selectively and protect your intellectual property.
3. Find experienced mentors – Seek out people who’ve walked the path before and are willing to guide you.
4. Build your network – Go beyond medical circles; attend startup conferences and meet people who can help turn your idea into a company.
As SOLVEIN moves closer to anticipated FDA clearance, Dr. Golshan is hopeful about its potential to reshape treatment for superficial venous disease—giving clinicians greater precision, patients improved comfort, and practices a safer, more streamlined tool.
But for me, this isn’t just a medical milestone—it’s personal. It’s about people like my mom, who live with daily neuropathic pain, often in silence, hoping for something better. Dr. Golshan’s work is a powerful reminder that when clinical expertise meets compassion and entrepreneurial vision, innovation can truly make care more human.
Here are some media appearances I thought were powerfully communicated.