The best candidate for Plastic Surgery is an patient in good general health who has reasonable expectations about his or her appearance. During your consultation (or Virtual Consultation instead) with Dr. Luis Suarez, we will be discussing your goals and concerns to make a realistic assessment about your expectations for Plastic Surgery or Bariatric Surgery.

All surgical procedures involve risk. At CER Hospital our licensed surgeons have the experience and expertise to help you highlight your natural beauty with minimal (or none) complications. It is important to follow all doctor's pre-op and post-op instructions carefully to be sure that you are prepared for getting the results your expecting.

During your consultation with Dr. Luis Suarez be prepared to discuss:

• Your goals for your appearance
• Your complete medical history
• Your current prescription medications, including vitamins, herbal supplements, alcohol, tobacco and drug use
• Evaluate your general health status and any risk factors
• Discuss your options
• Examine and measure different parts of your body (depending which procedure are you looking for)
• Take photographs
• Recommend a course of treatment
• Discuss likely outcomes of surgery and any potential complications

In preparing for your surgery, you may be asked to:

• Get lab testing or a medical evaluation
• Take certain medications or adjust your current medications
• Stop smoking
• Avoid taking aspirin, anti-inflammatory drugs and other supplements as they can increase bleeding and bruising
• In some other procedures, you may have to reduce your Body mass index (BMI) before you have your surgery

You will need to arrange for a friend or family member to drive you to and from surgery, and to stay with you the first night following surgery to assure your safety.

The body mass index (BMI) is the relationship between your height and weight expressed as an number. BMI is used to determine whether a person is a healthy weight for their height.

The higher your BMI is the more likely you are to have health problems that are related to your weight, such as diabetes, heart disease, and joint problems. The ideal range for BMI is from 20 to 25. A BMI over 25 is termed as being overweight and over 30 is termed as being obese.

There can be a higher risk of surgical and anesthetic complications if you have a BMI over 30. If you lose even 5 to 10% of your weight, this could reduce some of the risks associated with anesthesia.

Generally, body contouring Plastic Surgery procedures such as Liposuction, Abdominoplasty, and Lift procedures (thigh lift, body lift, arm lift) are reserved for people who are within 15% to 20% (or 20 to 30 pounds) of their goal weight. These procedures are not intended as Bariatric Surgery. If you have these surgeries and later lose a lot more weight, you may have to redo the surgery.

Plastic Surgery is NOT a substitute for losing weight through other means, such as diet and exercise or Bariatric Surgery. Generally, a person with a BMI over 30 (obese) is at greater risk during any surgery. There is a greater chance of a complication from the procedure and from the anesthesia. As noted before, obesity is often linked to diabetes, circulatory problems, and other health issues, which are further complications for surgery.

Yes. Every of our patients have transportation service available, just let it know to your Patient Coordinator, so we can organize your transportation from the San Diego Airport to CER Hospital. If you need transportation from Los Angeles International Airport you will have an extra charge.

It depends on the procedure but an average time of a Plastic Surgery is between 2-4 hours, sometimes the doctor has to extend the time of surgery with specific patients that have a certain health condition.

Most of our patients that undergo Face or Breast Surgeries are able to return to their homes in the same day of the procedure, although there are body procedures that need more time for the patient to recover, in those cases it is recommended to stay at least 1 night at the hospital.

The ideal time of recovery before getting back to work is at least two weeks, in some cases, when your job doesn't need a lot of physical effort or movement, you could get back to it in one week but with certain restrictions and special care indications.

All bodies are different so recovery time varies depending on the natural features of the patient body, but in most of the cases you could see the final results in a period of 6 months.

As long as you feel is the right time to go. We often suggest our patients to stay in the area for enough time to get their post-op appointment with Dr. Suarez seven days after. However, you may go back home once you’re discharged from the hospital and keep in touch with your Patient Coordinator so she can answer all you questions or concerns.

The most comfortable clothes that you have available will be perfect for this day, you could wear comfy pants, buttons or zipper tops and sweaters with sneakers or flip flops.

Every patient is different and responses to Plastic Surgery may vary. Your doctor will advise you of how much pain to expect and provide you with medication to minimize discomfort. Also he will inform you about reasonable expectations for recovery time and scarring concerns for your procedure type during your consultation. If you have any concerns you may also ask your Patient Coordinator to help you as soon as possible.

After your surgery is complete, once the anesthesia has worn off, the business of recovering truly begins. You will remain in the recovery room for approximately one hour before being transferred to the post surgical care area. If you are an outpatient, you will be discharged by the nurses when your condition is stable, usually about two to four hours after your procedure is completed. You must be accompanied by someone who can drive you home.

It is very important that you limit your activities for the first days after having your surgery and do not forget to taking the pain medications and antibiotics prescribed.

When recovering at home, it is important to know when to notify your Patient Coordinator of any complications that may arise after surgery. The following signs and symptoms are warnings of possible complications and should be reported to your Patient Coordinator immediately:

• Sudden increased pain in the area of surgery
• Sudden persistent swelling at the surgical site
• Numbness in any extremity
• Fever greater than 101.5 degrees
• Redness of incision or surgical area
• Wound separation or infection
• Poor scarring of the area
• Drainage or bleeding from the incision
• Fluid accumulation (seroma)
• Persistent nausea or vomiting
• Inability to urinate after surgery
• Any other unusual symptoms that concern you

Be sure to contact your Patient Coordinator if you have any unusual symptoms or other concerns.