October 16, 2026 | Patient Safety, Plastic Surgery Recovery, Recovery
“Most surgeons do not accept patients from other surgeons, which makes it difficult for these patients to obtain optimal treatment. We are here for patients, and we are available if we can help.”
That is the whole post. The rest is the detail.
Who These Patients Are
“These are patients that have had their procedures done elsewhere. Most commonly they have traveled outside of El Paso. They are locals; they come from and live in the El Paso area or the Southwest. They’ve had their surgeries done throughout the United States, but most commonly in the Florida, Miami area, or in Mexico. After their surgery, they still need aftercare. Whether it is routine or not, they find themselves in a bind because they cannot easily travel back to see their surgeons.”
What My Office Can Do
“We can help patients that have had surgery elsewhere during their post-operative recovery. For a smoother and enhanced recovery, we do offer lymphatic drainage massages after liposuction, LED light therapy with Elixir MD for recovery after facial surgery and body surgeries, IV fluids, IV drips, and peptides. These are all therapies and modalities that can help enhance and speed up recovery after surgery.”
“We also assist patients with their recovery process, wound healing, and how the scars are developing. We can assess for seromas, and do drain removal, suture removal, and overall post-operative care. For scar care, we offer silicone taping, topicals such as Skinuva, microneedling, and laser resurfacing. Patients can also have access to skincare options.”
The lymphatic drainage massage program, Elixir MD and the recovery peptides each have their own page.
What I Will Not Do
“In the early stages, we really cannot revise any of the surgery itself.”
What I Need Before the First Visit
“This part of the treatment can vary widely. Communication with the other surgeon is ideal, but it is not always possible, or desired by the patients themselves. Oftentimes the patient has been in communication with the other surgeon’s office, and they have recommended certain treatments, whether it’s a drain placement or a splint removal after rhinoplasty, suture removals, or even a drain removal.”
“Documentation of the operative report and drain output, as well as any implant cards, is beneficial, but oftentimes not available immediately. And usually it is shared in a detailed fashion by the patients themselves.”
Bring what you have. Do not wait for the perfect file.
When It Is an ER Problem
“The timing of the aftercare is determined on a case-by-case basis and cannot be determined by a set of rules. In terms of when to go to the ER, this is very clear, and the patient should already have these instructions from their original surgeon. This includes any changes in vital signs, such as low blood pressure, tachycardia, which is a high pulse rate, fever, lightheadedness, or fainting; redness, purulent discharge, changes in the color of the drain output, specifically if it becomes white, yellowish, or creamy; a fluid collection that keeps growing, shortness of breath or chest pain, swelling in the legs or tenderness in the calves, a breast that suddenly gets larger and painful, or uncontrolled bleeding.”
Any of those, go to the emergency room. Not to my office, not to a massage.
How It Is Billed
“This is priced depending on the situation. More often than not, we do a package of four visits. But sometimes it can be just a single visit if we’re talking about a simple suture removal or drain removal case. Of course, the treatment is not always medical per se, but more about the recovery, such as patients having their lymphatic massage with our certified massage therapist or LED light therapy for faster recovery.”
Starting prices for the practice are on the fees page.
When Aftercare Becomes a Revision
“In a few cases, surgery may be indicated, such as a hematoma evacuation, a drain placement, or a debridement and closure of a wound. These would be priced as surgical fees.”
“Some patients do come in unhappy with their results and are looking for a revision surgery. This is not possible in the early stages, and patients are usually told to wait until healing has been achieved, which can vary depending on the procedure from three months to a year. For their own particular reasons, many surgeons do not perform revision surgeries on other doctors’ patients. At Southwest Plastic Surgery, I believe that we are here to help patients, and we do perform revision surgeries on other surgeons’ patients, as long as we believe that the results can be improved and that the patient’s expectations are appropriate.”
If you are still deciding where to operate, the flying in for surgery post covers the other half of this.
Why Choose Dr. Agullo
Double board-certified, by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and the American Board of Surgery. Mayo Clinic plastic surgery fellowship. Clinical Associate Professor of Plastic Surgery at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. Castle Connolly Top Doctor for 13 consecutive years. Surgery, aftercare and the med spa recovery program under one roof in El Paso.
Ready to Talk?
Drain, splint, swelling, or a question your surgeon is too far away to answer. Call the office at (915) 590-7900, text us at 1-866-814-0038, or book at agulloplasticsurgery.com/appointments. #StayBeautiful
@RealDrWorldWide on Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat, @Agullo on X, or @AgulloPlasticSurgery on Facebook.
