SARASOTA, Fla. — [August 31, 2026] — Vascular Wellness Institute, a vascular surgery practice with offices in Sarasota and Bradenton, gives patients across Sarasota and Manatee counties access to the full range of vascular care — from preventive screening through complex open surgery — without leaving the region.
The practice was founded by two fellowship-trained, board-certified vascular surgeons, Dr. Kristian A. Ulloa and Dr. Mariano F. Arosemena. Most patients who come to them need some form of intervention. What the practice works to prevent is the next one.
“Vascular disease can be chronic,” Dr. Ulloa said. “Some of what we do is finding it before it needs treating. The rest is treating it in a way that makes the next problem less likely — because a stent fixes the segment we treated, and it does nothing about the process that narrowed the artery.”
Minimally Invasive and Open Surgery in One Practice
Vascular Wellness Institute performs both minimally invasive and open surgical treatment. That distinction matters more than it might sound. Practices equipped for only one approach tend to recommend the one they can perform, and in vascular disease the right answer depends on the anatomy — the length of a blockage, how calcified an artery has become, how close a vein runs to a nerve.
On the arterial side, the practice performs carotid surgery including TCAR, aortic and peripheral aneurysm repair, lower extremity bypass and angioplasty, limb salvage for advanced arterial disease, mesenteric and visceral artery surgery, and dialysis access surgery. On the venous side it treats deep vein thrombosis, venous obstruction, and thoracic outlet syndrome.
It also treats non-healing wounds, working alongside hospital wound centres, outpatient clinics, and skilled nursing facilities across the region. A wound that will not heal is usually a circulation problem, and the practice can both diagnose the circulation and correct it.
Leg Veins, From Medical to Cosmetic
Leg vein treatment covers a wider range than most people expect, and the practice handles all of it.
At one end are varicose veins and chronic venous insufficiency — the heaviness, aching, swelling, skin discolouration, and ulcers that come from veins no longer moving blood back up the leg. These are medical problems, they get worse without treatment, and they are usually covered by insurance. Treatment ranges from compression through vein closure procedures performed in the office.
At the other end are spider veins and small surface veins treated for appearance rather than symptoms. These are handled by the same vascular surgeons, in the same offices, and they are usually elective and self-pay.
The reason both sit in one practice is that surface veins are often driven by a larger vein underneath. An ultrasound answers that question before anything is treated — which is the difference between clearing veins that stay clear and treating the same leg repeatedly.
The Physicians
Dr. Ulloa is board-certified in vascular surgery, general surgery, wound care, and integrative medicine — a combination held by no other vascular surgeon in the United States. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, a Registered Physician in Vascular Interpretation, and a Certified Wound Specialist Physician.
“Vascular disease does not arise in isolation,” Dr. Ulloa said. “It develops in the context of inflammation, metabolic health, lifestyle and genetics. I pursued the integrative medicine certification because treating the artery without treating the person is only half the work — and the half that gets skipped is usually the half that decides whether the repair lasts.”
Dr. Arosemena is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and a Registered Physician in Vascular Interpretation. He serves as a national faculty proctor for TCAR — transcarotid artery revascularization — training vascular surgeons across the country in the technique, and as a Fellowship Site Director.
The clinical team also includes Marianela Horta Acosta, MSN, APRN, who practiced as a physician in Cuba for eighteen years before training again as a nurse practitioner in the United States. She manages the ongoing medical side of vascular care and sees patients in English and Spanish.
Screening and Prevention
The practice offers non-invasive vascular screening at both offices, including ankle-brachial index testing for peripheral artery disease, carotid ultrasound, and abdominal aortic aneurysm screening. Screenings are interpreted by a board-certified vascular surgeon rather than by a technician alone, and results are discussed at the same visit wherever possible.
The conditions the screenings look for are common and largely silent. Peripheral artery disease affects millions of Americans over 40, most of whom do not know they have it. Carotid narrowing frequently produces no symptom at all until it produces a stroke. Found early, both are usually managed medically rather than surgically.
Access
Vascular Wellness Institute holds hospital privileges at Lakewood Ranch Medical Center, HCA Florida Blake Hospital, and HCA Florida Sarasota Doctors Hospital. The practice accepts Medicare and most major insurance plans, and most new patients are seen within one to two weeks of requesting an appointment.
The practice serves patients throughout Sarasota and Manatee counties and the surrounding communities, including Lakewood Ranch, Venice, Palmetto, Ellenton, North Port, Englewood, Ruskin, and Sun City Center.
About Vascular Wellness Institute
Vascular Wellness Institute is a vascular surgery practice serving Sarasota and Manatee counties from offices in Sarasota and Bradenton. The practice treats the full range of arterial, venous, and lymphatic conditions, provides wound care and limb salvage, performs dialysis access surgery, and offers preventive vascular screening. More information is available at vascularwellnessinstitute.com.
Media Contact
Lori Ulloa, Director of Operations, Communications & Project Management
lulloa@vascularwellnessinstitute.com · (941) 312-6196
Sarasota: 1215 S East Ave, Suite 307, Sarasota, FL 34239 · (941) 312-6196
Bradenton: 6220 Manatee Ave W, Suite 203, Bradenton, FL 34209 · (941) 795-6370