RECOVA & Dr. Bunke Featured in SD Voyager

RECOVA & Dr. Bunke Featured in SD Voyager

Meet Dr. Nisha Bunke of La Jolla Vein Care

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Nisha Bunke.

Dr. Bunke, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I was the first physician in the U.S. to hold a fellowship specifically in venous and lymphatic medicine. What drew me in to this specialty was the misconception that varicosities were only a cosmetic issue, even though 1% of the population has or will have an active venous leg ulcer. And, the old mentality in medicine is that you don’t do anything until you need surgery. I saw a need in this field to educate both patients and physicians on the solutions.

The advances in technology also attracted me. Treatments are more effective; safer and recovery is faster. La Jolla Vein Care is now the leader in non-invasive treatments in Southern California.

In the beginning of my work after completing several years of residency and a Fellowship, I had three jobs: I was running three major vein centers; one at the UC San Diego Health Care System, I was seeing all the veterans with venous disease at the Veteran Affairs Medical Center in San Diego, and I was the CEO of La Jolla Vein Care, which at the time was a growing medical practice. In addition to patient care, I had teaching responsibilities as a Clinical Instructor and was involved with research.

I made the transition to just being the CEO full time for La Jolla Vein Care when I knew we could take control of the entire treatment process. This meant making it less bureaucratic for the patient, providing fewer barriers to treatment and making the experience more personalized. We offer the entire spectrum of treatment and technology, so it is a one-stop shop for our patients.

Soon into this full-service model, I realized that more and more patients were asking what they could do for bruising, and their post-procedure experience became important to me. I always recommended arnica, but I wanted to provide the best formula of ingredients for healing, including menthol, bromelain (which is derived from pineapple) and other anti-inflammatories. I started working with pharmacies to formulate a new product; I tried different versions on patients and tweaked it over the years. The result after an eight-year optimizing process is my newest product, RECOVA.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I don’t see obstacles; I just see solutions! This is my personality. There was definitely time, commitment and sacrifice, and a lot of hard work. There were a couple of years I did not pay myself so that the clinic could get on its feet. I love giving my patients a personalized experience, and because of this, I still give out my cell phone number. But, I am trying to learn how to balance my life and not be on call all the time. This is still a struggle.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with La Jolla Vein Care – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Very few people specialize in venous disease. Most vascular surgeons spend time on arteries, and others dabble in veins. Veins are our focus. I have a very specialized background and we are all experts in the most recent technology.

I am most proud of my staff. They are good people, good to each other, and go above and beyond for our patients. It took about two-three years to find the right combination of staff, and I’m proud to say that we have achieved it. I love the one-on-one experience we give our patients; they get a concierge medical experience without having to pay a concierge fee. And, each room has Netflix available!

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
We are growing as a team and a practice, serving more patients than we have in the history of our clinic. We are also poised to bring on the latest in technology like using a new mediation to inject the veins and make them shrivel up and eventually dissolve. We combine this with radio frequency technology to eliminate vein problems without ever having to do surgery. We have also made some types of vein removal painless. Treatment is safer, more effective and less invasive than ever before.

Pricing:

  • RECOVA Post-Surgery Cream $78
  • RECOVA Tinted Arnica Cream $92

Contact Info:

  • Address: 9850 Genesee Avenue, Suite 410
    La Jolla, California 92037
  • Website: http://recovacream.com 
  • Phone: (858) 550-0330

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