Dr. Luis Rios, awarded Allergan’s Black Diamond status for breast augmentation, is a natural when it comes to breast procedures. “Because of the experience of my training and years of practice, I feel very comfortable handling the most complicated and difficult cases involving breast implants. It’s very natural for me,” says Dr. Rios, McAllen’s Favorite Plastic Surgeon nine years in a row. “It’s a natural talent I have, to translate my evaluation and those ideas in my head into what I can do in the operating room and get long-lasting results. It feels natural to me, but that could be because of the amount of time I have spent clinically studying breast anatomy.”
What is breast augmentation?
Breast augmentation is a surgical procedure to enhance the aesthetic appeal of the female breast. Be it a size or shape enhancement, the normalization of the difference in size between breasts, or the restoration of a breast after a mastectomy, Dr. Rios customizes every procedure to fulfill the patient’s aesthetic goals. To that end, Dr. Rios also offers breast lifts, breast reductions, breast reconstructions and is available to evaluate those patients who have had breast surgery in Mexico.
What happens during surgery?
The procedure is fairly straightforward: an implant is inserted behind mammary tissue to affect the size and shape of the breast. There are several kinds of implants, several methods for insertion, and a few more options for placement. Dr. Rios will assist you in making the right choices for your aesthetic goals based on your preferences, lifestyle, anatomy – and Dr. Rios’ experience of thousands of successful procedures. For more information on how the procedure is performed and what to expect, please watch our educational presentation on this page.
Dr. Rios’ history and experience with breast augmentation
Dr. Rios, Edinburg High’s valedictorian, and a Harvard graduate has been clinically studying breast anatomy since his first days in medical school.
“I started my study of breast anatomy with breast biopsies. From there, I learned mastectomies. Then as a general surgeon, a lot of the cases involved breast disease,” says the former Chief Resident of Surgery at UC Davis. “When I went into plastic surgery, what I most wanted to do was reconstruction. So for two years, I concentrated on breast reconstruction. It’s been a progression in understanding the anatomy.”
Dr. Rios attributes the consistency of his results to his work on reconstruction and his training. The former Chief Resident Plastic Surgeon at Tulane University advises his fellow Texans to carefully check the credentials of any doctor they are considering. According to Dr. Rios, your surgeon should be certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and have hospital privileges for all the procedures they perform.
“It’s just a common-sense safety precaution and provides for a consistency of care that makes my patients feel comfortable. You should expect your plastic surgeon to have hospital privileges and the experience. When you come here for a breast procedure, your surgeon has all this experience not only in his aesthetic practice but from his general surgery. Because I have the expertise in breast reconstructions, it is a lot easier to evaluate patients. I can visualize and understand the maneuvers I need to do, so I get consistent, highly predictable results and a lot of very happy patients. Why would you go anywhere else?”
Combining surgeries
Dr. Rios also performs breast augmentation in combination with other procedures. Often, the outcome of one procedure can be enhanced by another, and when it’s safe and indicated, Dr. Rios can combine the procedures into one surgical period and one recovery period. A popular combination procedure is the Mommy Makeover, which usually involves a breast surgery, like a lift or augmentation and a contouring procedure like liposuction or a tummy tuck. Sometimes all of the above. During your consultation, Dr. Rios will review the treatment options that are right for you.
The recovery process
After the procedure, you may be permitted to go home after a few hours of closely monitored recovery at his private surgical facility. Some patients choose to spend the night at an apartment that we provide at no additional charge. In most cases, you will be released to the care of a responsible adult, usually a family member or friend. If you decide, you might want to even hire a professional caregiver. In either case, in the 24 hours following the procedure, you should be closely cared for. However, you should be on your feet within two days after the surgery.
Recovery time varies patient to patient, but typically patients can return to work in about a week. Immediately following the procedure, swelling and soreness are quite typical, but medication can be used to manage soreness and pain associated with swelling. In about seven to ten days after the operation, Dr. Rios will remove the stitches, and by the fifth week swelling should subside, though many patients note the swelling subsides much sooner. Strenuous or intense physical activity should be restricted until the swelling subsides. It will take longer for the incision scars to fully heal and fade.
Revisions and reconstructions
Dr. Rios gladly welcomes revision cases from his south Texas and Rio Grande Valley community. “My Dad was a plastic surgeon, and he didn’t see patients for revisions. He thought, if we offer it, people would say ‘do it for cheap in Mexico. If it goes bad, Dr. Rios can fix you.’ He didn’t want to encourage that,” says Dr. Rios, recounting his father’s experience as a plastic surgeon in Edinburg.
“My feeling is, this is my opportunity to be a hero. I think if a patient went to Mexico, got a bad result and we give them a great result, they are going to tell their friends not to go to Mexico in the first place. They are going to tell them to see Dr. Rios first. I see it as a chance to educate the community,” says Dr. Rios, winner of the McAllen Chamber of Commerce Best Small Business Award. “Sometimes these patients are embarrassed, and I say, ‘Don’t be. Let’s see what we can do. Let’s see if we can salvage this situation.’ And when we can, it’s so rewarding to see them happy.”
Call today to schedule a consultation with Dr. Rios to speak with him in person about your augmentation options and the results you can expect from his breast augmentation procedure.