The address is 2360 County Road 94, Suite 104, in Pearland. That is where Leo Lapuerta, MD, Plastic Surgery keeps an office and an accredited on-site surgical facility where many of the practice’s surgeries take place. For a Pearland patient considering a tummy tuck, the consultation and the operating room can sit under the same roof, in Pearland itself.
Proximity is a convenience. The decision still rests on the answers a patient gets at consultation. The questions below cover the facility, the surgeon, the operation and the weeks after, with the answers Dr. Lapuerta’s practice gives.
Questions about the facility
Is the operating room accredited, and who owns it?
Dr. Lapuerta owns and operates a QuadA (AAAASF) accredited surgical facility. At the Pearland facility, the practice says, the recovery room sits right outside the surgery doors, so patients do not travel far between the operating room and recovery.
Who gives the anesthesia?
Most tummy tuck cases take place under general anesthesia. Dr. Lapuerta works only with physician anesthesiologists, never nurse anesthetists or anesthesia assistants. It is a fair question to put to any surgeon, and the answer should be specific.
Does the surgeon hold hospital privileges?
Dr. Lapuerta holds hospital privileges in the Memorial Hermann network, at HCA hospitals including The Woman’s Hospital of Texas, and at St. Luke’s Houston Medical Center. He also serves as Chairman of Plastic Surgery at St. Joseph Hospital in Houston.
Questions about the surgeon
Is the surgeon board certified, and in what?
Dr. Lapuerta is triple board certified: by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, the American Board of Surgery, and in Surgery of the Hand. He trained at Stanford University and UT Southwestern Medical School, completed general surgery training at St. John’s Hospital in Detroit, and finished a plastic and reconstructive surgery fellowship at St. Joseph Hospital in Houston.
How much experience does he have, and can I see it?
He has more than 30 years of experience and more than 30,000 surgical and non-surgical procedures, and his practice keeps more than 3,000 before-and-after images. According to the practice, patients at the Pearland office can view before-and-after photos and watch informational videos during their visit. In Dr. Lapuerta’s view, a board-certified surgeon’s experience with the specific procedure, in cases and in years, is the best determinant of an outcome patients are pleased with.
Can I have the consultation in Spanish?
Yes. Dr. Lapuerta is a native Spanish speaker, fluent in English, and his support staff speak both languages. As he puts it: “I find we all feel most comfortable and best heard when we are able to communicate in our native language.”
Questions about the operation
Which version of the tummy tuck fits my abdomen?
The practice offers a mini tummy tuck for minimal excess skin below the navel, a full tummy tuck that treats the lower abdominal skin envelope and repairs the muscles, and an extended tummy tuck for loose skin that wraps into the sides. Targeted liposuction may be added at the waist or flanks. Ask the surgeon to explain which one the examination supports and why.
Should anything be combined with it?
The practice lists combinations with breast lift, breast augmentation, breast reduction, liposuction and thigh lift, and it performs the tummy tuck as part of a mommy makeover. Combination surgery makes sense when the abdomen is one part of a larger post-pregnancy or post-weight-loss picture.
Questions about the weeks after
How long is recovery, and what will I need at home?
The practice’s summary lists a recovery time of two to three weeks for a tummy tuck, with a first follow-up at one week. Expect tightness and swelling in the first days, short walks, and lifting restrictions that matter most after muscle repair. The practice’s preparation advice asks patients to arrange help at home, set up a recovery area, and fill prescriptions before surgery.
Where will the scar sit?
The main scar runs low across the abdomen near the pubic hairline, placed to sit beneath underwear or swimwear, often with a second scar around the belly button in a full tummy tuck. Scars look more obvious early on and mature over time with good aftercare and sun protection. Like any surgery, a tummy tuck carries risks, and a Pearland patient should leave the consultation knowing which of them apply to her own anatomy and health history.
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.