C. Christopher Pittman, M.D., FAVLS, FACR
Dr. Pittman is a Diplomate of the American Board of Venous and Lymphatic Medicine. Venous and Lymphatic Medicine is the AMA designated specialty dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of vein disorders. Dr. Pittman is highly trained in the latest vein treatment technology and techniques. There are less than 1000 physicians in the USA who hold this certification.
As a board-certified Vascular and Interventional Radiologist or minimally invasive endovascular surgeon, he is uniquely qualified to treat your vein problems quickly — with little or no discomfort — using no scalpels, incisions or stitches. Many vein care practitioners claim minimally invasive surgery expertise with little or no training. If your vein specialist doctor does not offer ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy, in many cases, your vein problem will not be treated properly or completely.
As a board-certified Diagnostic Radiologist, Dr. Pittman is uniquely qualified to both perform and interpret your ultrasound exam, which is the gold standard for diagnosing vein diseases and also the roadmap for creating your individual and customized vein treatment plan. A poorly performed or interpreted ultrasound exam will lead to less than optimal treatment outcomes. Many physicians seek further training to perform (RVT and RPhS) and interpret (RPVI) vascular ultrasound exams. However, Dr. Pittman is qualified to both perform and interpret medical images by virtue of his training as a Diagnostic Radiologist. Radiologists have the most in depth training and experience in the performance and interpretation of medical images.
Dr. Pittman is a magna cum laude graduate of the University of Florida and was elected to membership in Phi Beta Kappa. He earned his medical degree from the University of South Florida College of Medicine, scoring 99th percentile on the national medical board exam. He was permitted to waive a first year internship and immediately began a residency in Diagnostic Radiology at St. Louis University Medical Center followed by consecutive, dual fellowships in Interventional Radiology and Vascular Radiology at the University of California – San Diego Medical Center.
Dr. Pittman is an Affiliate Assistant Professor, Department of Radiology, University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine and founded the Vascular and Interventional Radiology fellowship training program at the University of South Florida College of Medicine in 1996. He has served as principal investigator for a Vascular and Interventional Radiology clinical research trial and has published numerous peer-reviewed journal articles including a book chapter on how to prevent complications during minimally invasive, image guided procedures in Complications in Diagnostic Imaging and Interventional Radiology, Third Edition.
Dr. Pittman is an active and proud member of the American College of Phlebology (ACP) and at the national level he serves on the Board of Directors of the American College of Phlebology and represents the ACP as Delegate to the American Medical Association.
The American College of Phlebology is the premiere association for physicians working in the field of phlebology in the United States. Dr. Pittman served on the Executive Committee and Board of Directors of the American College of Phlebology Foundation from 2014 to 2017. Dr. Pittman is the ACP Chairman of the Healthcare Advocacy Committee and a contributing author to Healthy Veins…Healthy Legs: A Patient’s Guide to Phlebology, a publication of the ACP. He has served as an invited speaker and presenter at the American College of Phlebology’s Annual Congress and at the 2013 XVII World Meeting of the International Union of Phlebology (UIP) and the 2018 UIP World Congress of Phlebology.
At the state level, Dr. Pittman is Immediate Past President of the Florida Medical Association Political Action Committee (FMA PAC). He has served on the Board of Governors of the Florida Medical Association, serves on the FMA Council on Medical Services and Health Care Delivery Innovation, and he is Past Chair, Advisory Group on Health Information Technology.
In our local community, Dr. Pittman is Past President of the Hillsborough County Medical Association.
He is also a member of the Society of Interventional Radiology, American College of Radiology, Florida Radiological Society and the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society.
Dr. Chris Pittman grew up in Clearwater, Florida and is a 20 year cancer survivor. An accomplished outdoor roller skater, he was a public and patient relations representative on skates sponsored by Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital in St. Louis while a resident physician. When not practicing medicine and advocating for patients and physicians on a local, state and national level, he enjoys spending time with his wife, Karen, and their four children.