Leo Lapuerta, MD, FACS established the Plastic Surgery Institute of Southeast Texas in 2003 as an on-site, outpatient surgical facility accredited by the AAAASF. His practice describes a private consultation room, an operating room and a recovery room just outside the surgery doors, and its office at 2360 County Road 94 serves patients from Pearland and the surrounding area.
A liposuction plan there moves through four stages, from the first conversation to the point, weeks later, when the last restriction lifts. The outline below follows the practice’s guidance on liposuction for Pearland patients and its general liposuction guidance.
Stage one: the consultation
At the Pearland office, a private consultation and exam room is where patients meet with Dr. Lapuerta, review before-and-after photos and talk through options. For liposuction, he assesses the areas of concern, discusses expected results and decides with the patient which areas need fat removed and how much.
He also checks fit. The practice describes a good candidate as someone in good health, with no serious pre-existing conditions, who carries stubborn pockets of fat despite eating well and exercising. Patients under 60 and those with good skin texture tend to have better outcomes. Weight loss is not the primary goal: the practice cites an average of 5 to 11 pounds and frames the procedure around body contour.
The consultation is also the time to sort out whether liposuction is the right tool at all. Dr. Lapuerta helps patients compare it with a tummy tuck when loose skin is part of the picture. Like any operation, liposuction carries risks, and this conversation is the place to go over them.
Stage two: surgery day
Liposuction at this practice is an outpatient procedure performed under general anesthesia in an accredited surgical facility. Dr. Lapuerta works with physician anesthesiologists, never nurse anesthetists or anesthesia assistants. Surgery lasts between 2 and 4 hours depending on the areas treated, and he can address several areas in one session, which spares the patient a series of separate operations.
The practice uses tumescent liposuction, also called the super-wet technique. The surgeon first injects a solution of saline, lidocaine and epinephrine, which numbs the area, controls bleeding and firms the fat. A cannula then passes through the deposits and suctions them out. The practice describes the removal of those fat cells as permanent.
Before the date arrives, settle the logistics:
- Arrange a ride home. Patients cannot drive for 48 hours after the procedure.
- Plan to recover at home, since the procedure is outpatient. In rare cases involving large amounts of fat from several areas, a patient may stay overnight at the surgical center for observation.
- Clear the first few days of obligations, because the practice asks patients to limit movement and activity early on.
Stage three: the first two weeks
Patients leave in compression garments, which reduce swelling and support healing. Bruising and redness in the treated areas are expected, along with soreness and some lingering effects of anesthesia.
Dr. Lapuerta prescribes pain medication, and many patients move to over-the-counter relievers after the first few days. He also gives wound care instructions to help reduce scarring. The cannula incisions leave small scars that fade over time.
With proper care, the practice says it takes about two weeks for bruising to clear and for swelling and discomfort to subside. His team follows up with phone calls, and follow-up appointments let him monitor the incisions.
Stage four: the weeks that follow
The gym comes back after four to six weeks, with the doctor’s approval. The practice notes that the full recovery can take up to six or eight weeks before every restriction is lifted.
The final shape takes longer to show. Some patients see a change right away, but residual swelling can take several months to resolve. The practice says results can be long-lasting as long as the patient keeps a steady weight through healthy habits, since the fat cells that remain can still expand with weight gain.
The surgeon behind the plan
Dr. Lapuerta has served patients in Pearland and greater Houston for more than 30 years. He is triple board certified, by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, the American Board of Surgery and in Surgery of the Hand, and he has performed more than 30,000 surgical and non-surgical procedures. He also chairs plastic surgery at St. Joseph Hospital in Houston.
For a liposuction patient, those credentials matter at stage one, when the plan is set. The practice offers more than 3,000 before-and-after images for review, and the Pearland exam room is where patients can study the results for the areas they want treated before choosing a surgery date.
This article is for general information only and is not medical advice. Results vary from patient to patient. Consult a board-certified plastic surgeon or your physician about your own situation. Written in partnership with Joseph Lambert, a publicist working with Leo Lapuerta, MD Plastic Surgery.
