More than 40 million Americans have varicose veins. Although they typically aren’t something to worry about, if you experience pain, swelling, or other uncomfortable symptoms, a procedure like sclerotherapy or phlebectomy may be necessary. As a board-certified general surgeon specializing in minimally invasive varicose vein procedures, Dr. Johnny L. Serrano...

A hernia occurs when increased abdominal pressure—from heavy lifting, obesity, chronic coughing, constipation-related strain, or something else—causes a weak area within the abdominal wall to split open. This allows the underlying tissues and/or internal organs to push through and form a visible bulge just beneath the skin.  Hernias are very...

Pregnancy, excess body weight, older age, and chronic constipation are top risk factors for hemorrhoids — or swollen, enlarged rectal or anal veins that are itchy, irritating, sensitive, and uncomfortable. Also known as piles, hemorrhoids can be: Internal, concealed within the inner lining of your rectum External, appearing just beneath...

Many of the women and men who seek varicose vein treatment at Precision Surgery and Advanced Vein Therapy in Glendale, Arizona, are middle-aged or older. Why? Inescapable age-related changes make varicose vein formation more likely later in life, especially in the presence of other major risk factors.   Still, board-certified general...

Skin cancer is the most common cancer by far: Every day in the United States, more than 9,500 people find out they have some form of the disease; every year, more Americans are diagnosed with skin cancer than all other cancers combined.    As a board-certified general surgeon who offers excisional...

You recently discovered a small, symmetrical growth just beneath your skin. It’s painless and soft; pressing it with your finger feels “springy” and shifts slightly. After some sleuthing on the web, you’re sure you have a lipoma. Or wait, maybe it’s actually a cyst?  Anytime you notice abnormal skin growth,...

Excluding skin cancers, colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer diagnosis — and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths — among men and women in the United States.   Fortunately, the death rate from colorectal cancer has been declining among middle-aged and older adults for several decades. Why? Largely...

Lipomas and cysts share many similarities, starting with the fact that they’re two of the most common benign subcutaneous skin growths — or noncancerous lumps that develop just beneath the skin. It makes sense that people often confuse the two since both are typically: Small, soft, and “springy”  Painless and...

Gone are the days when invasive surgical vein stripping was the only way to treat unsightly, uncomfortable, or otherwise unwanted varicose leg veins. With today’s advanced, ablative vein removal options, you can get rid of problematic varicose veins without surgery.  As a seasoned varicose vein expert who specializes in minimally...

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...

Hemorrhoids are an incredibly common problem that millions of adults in the United States can expect to deal with at some point in life, especially with age. In fact, experts estimate that one in two Americans over the age of 50 have hemorrhoids at any given time.       Often referred to...

You’ve decided you’re done having children (or you don’t ever want to have them), and you’re ready for permanent birth control — otherwise known as a vasectomy. While you like the idea of never having to worry about an unplanned pregnancy again, you don’t really like the idea of having...

A torn or split earlobe may happen gradually, after many years of heavy earring wear, or it may happen instantly when a baby’s tight grip or an over-the-head sweater catches an earring and traumatically pulls it down through the small fleshy lobe.     Fortunately, you don’t have to live with an...

Finding a small, soft, pliable lump growing just beneath your skin is worrisome, but it’s even more concerning if that unusual bump is painful, inflamed, or oozing pus.    While it can be an enormous relief to learn that your abnormal growth is a harmless cyst and not a cancerous tumor,...

As a board-certified general surgeon in Glendale, Arizona specializing in minimally invasive gallbladder removal surgery at Precision Surgery and Advanced Vein Therapy, Johnny Serrano, DO, FACOS, fields many questions about this routine procedure.  One of the most frequent inquiries he receives about an upcoming cholecystectomy is: Will I have side...

When you first noticed the round, fatty mound growing just beneath your skin, you probably wondered what it could be, why it developed, and how it might affect your health. But your worries eased when you were diagnosed with a simple lipoma — a common, harmless growth that doesn’t require...

Skin can develop various lesions, ranging from birthmarks, freckles, and moles to liver spots, rashes, and acne. These harmless marks, patches, bumps, and growths are very common — virtually everyone has them at various points in life. For one in two adults, benign dermal growths emerge in the form of soft, hanging “skin...

You don’t have an insect bite or an allergic rash, so why has the skin over your leg veins become swollen, tight, and itchy? Persistently itchy leg veins are an early warning sign of chronic venous insufficiency (CVI), a common form of venous disease that occurs when: Lower extremity circulation slows Blood...

Gallbladder removal surgery (cholecystectomy) is the treatment of choice for painful gallstones. It can also be the right treatment solution for other common gallbladder issues, such as chronic inflammation or bile duct problems.  Given that your gallbladder isn’t a vital organ, Dr. Johnny L. Serrano, our board-certified general surgeon in Glendale, Arizona,...

About one in three adults in the United States have varicose veins. But these distorted, bulging viscosities aren’t just a cosmetic issue; often, they’re one of the first outward signs of venous disease, also known as chronic venous insufficiency (CVI).  As a board-certified general surgeon in Glendale, Arizona, who specializes in varicose vein treatment at Precision...

Maybe you were lifting something heavy or straining with constipation when you first felt that sharp, searing pain in your groin or abdomen, or perhaps you were just in the midst of a major coughing fit. Initially, you may have thought you only pulled a muscle. But watching your “pulled...

About one in three adults in the United States has varicose veins. While some people never treat these prominently swollen and abnormally twisted leg varicosities, many women and men decide to have them removed with one of the many minimally invasive treatment options available today, such as:  Visual sclerotherapy Ultrasound-guided sclerotherapy Radiofrequency ablation In certain...

A lipoma is a benign (noncancerous) soft tissue tumor that develops just beneath the skin. Made mostly of fat cells, this abnormal, rubbery growth can appear almost anywhere on the body. The average lipoma is painless, small, grows slowly, and doesn’t require treatment.  But sometimes, a lipoma may grow — and keep...

Up to 35% of adults in the United States have varicose veins, or bulging, purplish leg veins that appear twisted, knotted, and swollen just beneath the surface of the skin. Anyone can develop varicose veins, but you’re more likely to get them if you’re older, female, overweight, or spend a lot of...

Gallbladder surgery (cholecystectomy) is the go-to treatment solution for painful gallstones or another problematic form of gallbladder disease. As a non-essential organ, your gallbladder can be safely removed to put an end to painful symptoms and protect your long-term health.  Dr. Johnny L. Serrano, your board-certified general surgeon in Glendale, Arizona,...

Cysts are abnormal, sac-like growths filled with fluid, protein, skin cells, or other substances. These common growths can develop almost anywhere, including inside your body or just beneath your skin. Most cysts are benign (non-cancerous), painless, and slow growing. Although the average cyst doesn’t require treatment, a cyst that’s very large...

Millions of adults have varicose veins, or enlarged, bulging leg veins that look like twisted, dark blue or purple cords just beneath the surface of the skin. Conspicuous leg veins can be difficult to live with — particularly if they’re unsightly, bothersome, painful, or all the above.  Luckily, you don’t have...

If you’ve been advised to have corrective surgery for your hernia, you’re in excellent hands with Dr. Johnny L. Serrano, your general surgeon in Glendale, Arizona. As a board-certified specialist who uses minimally invasive hernia repair techniques whenever possible, he strives to minimize tissue damage, reduce the risk of infection,...

You may not have heard of lipomas until you were officially diagnosed with one, but these round, fatty lumps are among the most common benign (noncancerous) growths that develop beneath the skin. In fact, millions of people worldwide — or an estimated 1 in 1,000 adults — have at least one lipoma somewhere on...

Finding out that you need to consult a general surgeon about your medical condition can feel like a formidable task: If surgical treatment is the right way to improve or restore your health, you want to know you’re in the best hands possible.  Board-certified general surgeon in Glendale, Arizona — Johnny...

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...

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,...