Gallbladder surgery (cholecystectomy) is usually the recommended treatment solution for someone suffering from painful gallstones or another form of gallbladder disease that would be fully resolved by the organ’s removal. Your gallbladder is a non-essential organ that stores and delivers an essential digestive fluid — bile that’s produced by the liver...
As one of the most common abnormal skin growths, cysts are benign (noncancerous) bumps that develop just below the skin. Like lipomas, another common benign skin lump, most cysts are painless, grow slowly, and move easily under gentle pressure. Unlike lipomas, however, cysts are more vulnerable to infection and inflammation. Two types of...
Every year in the United States, surgeons perform over a million hernia repair procedures. About four in five of these corrective surgeries are done to repair an inguinal hernia, the kind that occurs in the inner groin area and affects men more often than women. Inguinal hernias may be the...
About one in four adults in the United States have varicose veins, or dark, rope-like leg veins that twist and bulge just beneath the skin. Chronic venous insufficiency, a common and largely silent condition that doesn’t cause obvious symptoms until it’s more advanced, is the primary underlying cause of most...
After the initial relief of finding out that the worrisome bulge in your groin or the nagging “muscle strain” in your abdomen was actually a hernia all along, you’re probably wondering: now what? Unfortunately, a hernia won’t heal or go away on its own, and only surgery can repair it....
If you’ve developed an abnormal lump just beneath the surface of your skin, you’re not alone — unexplained soft tissue growths are fairly common, especially among middle-aged people and older adults. At Precision Surgery and Advanced Vein Therapy in Glendale, Arizona, our board-certified general surgeon Johnny L. Serrano, DO, FACOS,...
Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States — about 9,500 people are diagnosed with it every single day, and one in five Americans can expect to develop it at some point in their lives. Fortunately, skin cancer is almost always curable when it’s caught...
The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered dramatic changes throughout everyday life — and in the medical community as well. Not only are providers across the country postponing elective procedures, but many are also encouraging people to avoid in-office appointments to reduce their risk of exposure to this highly contagious coronavirus.But what...
Gallstones are extremely common, affecting up to 15% of adults in the United States — or nearly 25 million men and women — at any given time. In many cases, these hardened deposits of cholesterol and bile are small enough to remain asymptomatic and unproblematic. But for the hundreds of...
From ordinary moles, freckles, and liver spots to subcutaneous lipomas and cysts, human skin is prone to developing a wide range of benign (noncancerous) growths. Harmless skin growths are exceptionally common, and virtually everyone develops them to some degree as they get older. For an estimated one in two adults,...
Varicose veins are incredibly common, affecting more than one-third of adults in the United States. For many people who develop them, varicose veins are unattractive, uncomfortable, unwanted, or all the above. Luckily, varicose veins are also highly treatable — at Precision Surgery and Advanced Vein Therapy, board-certified general surgeon Johnny...
A hernia can occur anywhere on your abdominal wall, but most appear in the lower abdomen, or groin. Known as an inguinal hernia, this small, painless lump can quickly become a large, uncomfortable bulge that causes shooting pain every time you cough, bend, or lift something heavy. Because inguinal hernias...
It can be a huge relief to find out that the abnormal lump beneath your skin is a benign growth rather than a cancerous tumor. Being diagnosed with a harmless cyst or lipoma may be a bit of welcome news, but it may also leave you wondering: what are these...
Many people who’ve experienced the severe pain that’s possible with gallbladder problems are happy to consider surgical removal if that’s what it takes to ease their discomfort. And sometimes removal is the only effective treatment when this tiny organ, which partners with your liver to help digest fatty foods, malfunctions....
If you’ve got hemorrhoids, you’re not alone — in the United States, nearly three in four adults develop mild hemorrhoids from time to time, and approximately one in two adults past the age of 50 experience persistent hemorrhoids. Hemorrhoids may be common, but they’re also highly treatable. As a board-certified...
It can be disconcerting to find an abnormal lump growing just beneath the surface of your skin, even if it’s not very large or painful. Fortunately, newly developed bumps aren’t always a sign of cancer — in fact, plenty of irregular growths turn out to be completely harmless. Lipomas are...
Permanent male birth control — also known as a vasectomy — is the contraceptive method of choice for more than 50 million men in the United States. An additional 500,000 American men decide to have vasectomies each year. A vasectomy is nearly 100% effective at preventing pregnancy, making it one...
With more than a quarter of a million new cases each year, breast cancer is the most frequent cancer diagnosis in the United States. Statistically, this means one in eight American women — or about 13% of females — will develop the disease at some point in their lives. Breast...
A lipoma is an abnormal fatty bump that typically develops within the subcutaneous layer of fat just beneath the skin. As one of the most common benign soft tissue growths, lipomas are not cancerous and aren’t likely to become malignant as time goes on. Given that most lipomas are small,...
Most babies aren’t born with moles, but most people have a few — or even dozens — of these small pigmented spots by the time they’re adults. As the most common skin lesion, moles often emerge during childhood; people with fairer skin tend to develop more moles as time goes...
Large, bulging varicose veins may be common — about one in four adults in the United States has one — but sprawling networks of smaller spider veins are even more prevalent: as many as four in five Americans develop these distinct surface veins somewhere along their legs. If unwanted spider...
Every organ in your body has its own unique function and purpose, but not all of them are vital to your continued health or survival. In fact, plenty of people lose non-vital organs to disease or injury without suffering ill health consequences. You can live without one of your lungs...
If you’re considering having a vasectomy, you’re in good company — every year, over half a million men in the United States opt to take total control of their reproductive health with this permanent and highly effective form of male contraception. And if you’re like most men, you’d prefer your...
Protruding blue varicose veins and sprawling red spider veins are incredibly common, affecting tens of millions of adults in the United States at any given time. Prominent veins can be hard to live with, especially if they’re large, eye-catching, irritating, or all of the above. Luckily, you don’t have to...
Maybe you were lifting something heavy the first time you felt a sharp pain in your groin, or perhaps you were just bending down to tie your shoes. If you’re like most people, you probably thought you merely pulled a muscle. In most cases, this symptom is actually the tell-tale...
If a vein in your leg is a prominent dark blue color, if it bulges against the surface of your skin, or if it looks swollen, twisted, or rope-like, it may have become varicose. Varicose veins are common, affecting more than one in five adults (23%) in the United States...
Skin tags are harmless, benign growths that seem to pop up in the most inconvenient areas of your body, such as your neck, armpits, and eyelids. Although they’re not usually cause for alarm, they may bother you for cosmetic reasons or because of discomfort, especially if they easily rub on...
If you have unsightly varicose veins in your legs, you might be wondering why you have them, but friends and family members don’t. Experts aren’t completely sure why the walls of some people’s veins stretch, or why the valves in particular veins become faulty, causing blood to pool and veins...
Hernias don’t go away on their own; surgery is the only way to correct the problem. And, once you’ve had hernia surgery, you’ll want to take steps to prevent another one from occurring. In many cases, lifestyle changes go a long way in helping you avoid another hernia surgery in...
After you notice a small, moveable, dome-shaped growth on your skin, you first make sure it isn’t cancer or another serious condition by getting it evaluated by a physician. When you learn that the growth is something called a sebaceous cyst, you’re happy that you’re cancer free, but you now...
Not a fan of the bulging, blue veins on your legs? You’re not alone. About 20 percent of all adults experience the discomfort and embarrassment of varicose veins at some point in their lives. Varicose veins aren’t just a cosmetic concern though. In fact, untreated varicose veins can increase your...
You’ve seen them before – squiggly lines spread over the legs like tiny lines on a roadmap. To most people they’re known as spider veins, but, in the medical community, we call them varicose veins. So the next question obviously is, what are varicose veins? Varicose veins are a common...
While warmer weather means the rest of the country is gearing up for ocean visits, picnics, and outdoor runs, we in Arizona are bracing ourselves for the scorching summertime heat. With an abundance of sunshine, staying cool becomes a battle of man versus nature. Quick trips outside suddenly turn into...
Here at Advanced Varicose Vein Treatment Center, we know that physical improvement has become a common occurrence in the 21st century. From hitting the gym to going under the knife, building your self-confidence can be easy, and having healthy, younger looking legs can play a key part. At our center,...
