Dr. Carlos Velasco
Your Trusted Plastic Surgeon

The average recovery time for surgery is around 14 days.

While the final results are not yet visible at this stage, if the healing process goes well, it is possible to travel or return to a job that doesn’t involve physical exertion.

It really shouldn’t be the patient’s decision.

It’s the surgeon who has the knowledge and experience to evaluate excess skin, its quality, and the presence of stretch marks. If liposuction is performed when a tummy tuck is actually needed, the outcome can be very poor—resulting in surface irregularities, significant wrinkling, and loose, sagging skin.

No!

No, in laser-assisted liposuction, the laser is delivered through the tip of a cannula to generate heat. After that, the procedure still involves the same fat extraction process as traditional liposuction.

Every time liposuction is performed, it triggers a reaction in the internal tissue—something similar to scar formation. This fibrous tissue gradually replaces fat and makes it increasingly difficult for the cannula to pass through in future procedures.

Ideally, depending on the case, it’s best to undergo one or two well-planned liposuction procedures with a truly experienced surgeon, followed by adopting a healthy diet and regular exercise.

Depending on the individual case, a well-indicated and well-executed plastic surgery procedure can achieve a flat—or not entirely flat—abdomen.

The main factors that cause abdominal projection or a “belly” include:

Intra-abdominal fat accumulation – This can only be reduced through a healthy, balanced diet.

Abdominal muscle laxity – Requires exercise to tone and strengthen the muscles.

Separation of the abdominal muscles (diastasis recti) – This is corrected with proper abdominoplasty techniques.

Fat deposits between the muscles and the skin – This is the area improved through liposuction.

Visceral bloating – Certain foods or poor digestion can cause the stomach to protrude, even in slim patients.

Liposuction does not alter metabolism—either positively or negatively. It simply removes excess fat, and the patient must maintain a proper diet. Essentially, if someone eats twice as much, they will gain twice the weight.

Liposuction is a surgical procedure with well-known risks. When large volumes of local anesthetic are added to treat extensive areas, both toxicity and overall risk increase.

Definitely yes. If you’re offered surgery without an anesthesiologist, you’re being told there won’t be someone specialized in protecting your life and potential adverse reactions during surgery. Only in minor procedures can their presence be dispensed with.

No. A scar will always be a scar. Over time, it changes from a red, thick, textured scar to what should be a mature scar, similar in color to normal skin and smooth to the touch.

Mainly nutritional, genetic, skin type, scar location, general care and finally good surgical technique factors.

There’s no exact age. The advice today is not to wait until you have all the signs of facial aging before the changes are so dramatic.

Depending on your skin type, race, and age, your surgeon may recommend, after age 45, whether you need full surgery, a partial facelift, or a good combination of other non-surgical procedures with your surgery.

It’s usually not a painful surgery at all.

The patient’s main complaint is discomfort from nasal congestion that impairs normal breathing for about two weeks, similar to that of a cold. This improves over time.

The term “plastic surgeon” already includes training in reconstructive and aesthetic surgery.

You must be a physician and surgeon, which in Colombia means a general practitioner, and then complete a four-year specialization.

In Colombia, there is an association that verifies the qualifications of those wishing to join and requires ongoing updates. It is the Colombian Society of Plastic Surgery (www.cirugiaplastica.org.co).

Definitely NOT.

They are a material injected by unscrupulous people that invade many anatomical structures deeply, so that to remove them completely, the muscles, skin, fatty tissue and any area where they have moved would have to be completely amputated.