Cosmetic surgery articles

Dr. Ricardo L. Rodriguez discusses plastic surgery and medicine.

  • Types of anesthesia used in Cosmetic surgery

    Monitor used to track vitals during anesthesia .

    Some of you may have read my posts on why I like to do Breast augmentation under IV sedation. I also do IV sedation for all major and combined procedures. Naturally, some patients are anxious because they don’t want to feel anything, but they are attracted to the idea of not undergoing general anesthesia. There is also some confusion as to what exactly is IV sedation. This is understandable because there are many levels of sedation. I will explain the different levels so you can make a more informed decision when discussing this with your surgeon or anesthesiologist. In cosmetic surgery, we often refer to the three distinct choices: local,  IV or General anesthesia.

  • Plastic Surgery Virtual Consult in English, Spanish, or French

    A bronze text on a black background: Step twp, taking photos.

    Dr. Ricardo Rodriguez, a Yale trained plastic surgeon has been offering Virtual consultations for several years. Patients can discuss surgical possibilities with Dr. Rodriguez before taking the trip to Baltimore for an office consultation. Consultations can be performed in english, spanish, or french , as Dr. Ricardo Rodriguez is fully trilingual. Watch his virtual consult video and make your appointment now.

  • Bochox – The new Botox

    A box of Bochox

    For years I have been saying that the Brow lift is your Botox detox. However, there is a new competitor on the horizon. Bochox is the new Botox. Read Dr. Rodriguez’s CosmeticSurg Blog to find out more.

  • Tom Cruise plastic surgery – Did he have it?

    A frontal photo of Tom Cruise's head.

    Just a few nights ago I was getting milk at the convenience store, and on the checkout line I saw another one of those countless celebrity Plastic Surgery magazine covers. This one caught my attention because it shows pictures of Tom Cruise with a very pronounced left lower eyelid bag, then poof!, its gone. Or is it? Therein lies the story of smiling, fillers, and what makes a person look younger.

  • ASPS delegation to China

    The logo of the American Society Of Plastic Surgeons.

    I have just come back from a two week trip to China. It was organized by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), and a group of us from all across the United States went and met with plastic surgery colleagues from Beijing, Guilin, and Shanghai. We visited military hospitals, public hospitals, private hospitals, as well as surgi-centers. China is in the midst of a great transformation. To give you a sense of how great the transformation is, Shanghai alone has…

  • Multiple cosmetic procedures at the same time – common!

    A collage of a patient's body, showing her before and after Tummy tuck and Breast augmentation procedures.

    If you think that multiple cosmetic procedures are only for the rich and famous, think again! The ASPS (American Society of Plastic Surgeons) says that 38% of all patients have multiple procedures in the same operative session! It is increasingly common for patients to have multiple cosmetic procedures at the same time. In our Baltimore office, common plastic surgery procedure combinations including…

  • Surgery and symmetry

    A drawing of a woman's shoulders, neck and head.

    Every once in a while I get an unhappy patient complaining that that her results are “uneven.” Unless the patient has been counseled beforehand that perfect symmetry is virtually impossible to achieve, she will be very upset, as most patients expect surgery to make things perfectly “even.” Most patients know not to expect perfection, but I have heard people say, “I knew it wasn’t going to be perfect, but this is UNEVEN.” Indeed, the surgeon himself expects and wants symmetry, but rarely gets it. Why is this?

  • How it got to my head to become a doctor

    Dr. Ricardo L Rodriguez.

    When my mother was pregnant, my dad said (or so I was told): “I will put a scalpel in his hands when he is born”. Now that’s a scary thought. Well, whatever… as my kids say. But I can tell you that my most early memories have to do with medical stuff. The earliest memory of a real event is at my grandfather’s hospital bed. It is my only memory of him. The whole place; however, struck me forcefully. It was quiet, whereas in Puerto Rico everything else was always noisy. The hallways were long and empty, whereas I was always floating in a family crowd, or a “herd”, as my daughter says. Looking outside I saw a courtyard with a fountain. Somehow I got the impression that in that place something big and hidden was happening and that it had something to do with me. It was awe inspiring.