For patients who live more than two hours from the office of Leo Lapuerta, MD, FACS, the first meeting with the surgeon can happen by phone or FaceTime. The trip to the Houston area comes later, once there is a plan worth traveling for.
That sequence shapes how an out-of-town cosmetic surgery trip comes together. Below is a planning timeline built on the practice’s guidance for out-of-town patients, with the questions a traveler should settle at each stage.
Stage one: the remote consultation
A remote consultation lets you meet Dr. Lapuerta, describe your goals and hear his initial thinking before you buy a plane ticket or book a hotel. Dr. Lapuerta is triple board certified, by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, the American Board of Surgery and in Surgery of the Hand, and has more than 30 years of experience.
Use the call the way you would use an in-person visit. Ask how many times he has performed the procedure you want, where the surgery would take place, and what the recovery looks like for someone who has to travel home afterward. His practice has more than 3,000 before-and-after images available for patients, so ask to see examples relevant to your procedure.
Have your medical history, medication list and any records from past surgeries ready before the call. A surgeon planning an operation from a distance needs the same background he would gather in the office.
Spanish-speaking patients have an advantage here. Dr. Lapuerta is a native Spanish speaker, fluent in English, and his support staff speak both languages, which makes a phone consultation easier for families who prefer to talk through medical decisions in Spanish.
Stage two: letting the staff coordinate
The practice says its staff has experience coordinating what out-of-town patients need to prepare for surgery. That help covers the cosmetic, medical and financing sides of scheduling. The staff can also assist with travel plans, hotels and overnight care assistance if you want it.
Take them up on the offer, and ask specific questions:
- Which office or facility will I go to for surgery, and which for any visit before it?
- Do you have hotels you work with near that location?
- Is overnight care assistance available for my procedure, and how do I arrange it?
- Which pre-operative tests or paperwork can I complete at home before I travel?
The practice lists offices in the Houston area, including Pearland, at 2360 County Road 94, Suite 104, as well as Houston and Katy. Confirm the address before you book lodging.
Stage three: the stay
The practice asks patients who live more than two hours away to plan on staying in the immediate area for 24 to 72 hours after surgery. The exact length depends on the procedures performed, so a single procedure and a combined plan may call for different hotel bookings.
Build your travel dates around the longer end of that range until the surgeon tells you otherwise. Changing a return flight to come home earlier is easier than scrambling to extend a stay after an operation. If you can, bring a companion who can handle meals, medications and errands during those first days.
Dr. Lapuerta operates in a QuadA (AAAASF) accredited surgical facility that he owns and runs, and he works with physician anesthesiologists rather than nurse anesthetists or anesthesia assistants. He also holds hospital privileges in the region, including the Memorial Hermann network, HCA hospitals including The Woman’s Hospital of Texas, and St. Luke’s Houston Medical Center. Out-of-town patients can ask how those privileges would come into play if a hospital stay became necessary.
Stage four: before you head home
All surgery involves risk, and some questions matter most once you are far from the surgeon. Settle these before your trip ends:
- When will I next need to see the surgeon in person, and can any follow-up happen by phone or video?
- Who do I call if something concerns me after I get home?
- Which activities, including the trip itself, should wait, and for how long?
Write the answers down and keep them with your discharge instructions. On the drive or flight home, that page will be more useful than anything you remember from the recovery room.
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.