Inside the Pearland Practice Where Dr. Leo Lapuerta Operates

In 2003, Leo Lapuerta, MD, FACS, opened The Plastic Surgery Institute of Southeast Texas, an on-site outpatient surgical facility with AAAASF accreditation. His practice describes it as part of its Pearland office at 2360 County Road 94, south of Houston.

For patients in Pearland and nearby communities, that setup puts the consultation room, the operating room and the recovery room in one building. The practice’s overview of its Pearland office describes how the space works, from the front door to the recovery room.

A surgeon with long local ties

Dr. Lapuerta has provided plastic surgery in Greater Houston and Pearland for more than 30 years. He is triple board certified, by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, the American Board of Surgery and in Surgery of the Hand, and he serves as Chairman of Plastic Surgery at St. Joseph Hospital in Houston.

Several of his recognitions carry a local stamp, among them Living Magazine Best Plastic Surgeon and Best Place for Botox, awarded in multiple years in both the Houston and Pearland/Friendswood editions. Houstonia Magazine has named him a Top Houston Plastic Surgeon in multiple years.

The front of the office

The practice describes a reception room painted in calm colors, where staff greet patients as they arrive. It says it works to keep appointments running on time, a detail that counts for anyone fitting a consultation into a workday.

Consultations take place in a private consultation and exam room. Patients there can review before-and-after photos, drawn from more than 3,000 images of his work, and watch informational videos. Breast patients can handle silicone and saline implant samples under Dr. Lapuerta’s supervision.

Rhinoplasty patients can use photo imaging to preview how their nose might look after surgery. Imaging serves as a planning and conversation tool, and results vary from person to person. The practice says Dr. Lapuerta takes the time in these appointments to answer questions, give feedback and propose a treatment plan.

Surgery and recovery under one roof

The operating room sits inside the same facility, and the recovery room is located just outside the surgery doors. Dr. Lapuerta owns and operates the facility, which holds QuadA (AAAASF) accreditation, and he works with physician anesthesiologists, not nurse anesthetists or anesthesia assistants.

The practice argues that an accredited on-site facility offers patients peace of mind, privacy and convenience that multi-specialty facilities do not. Before patients leave, staff walk them through post-op and follow-up care instructions. The full process includes consultations, pre-surgical meetings and follow-up appointments, and the practice says it aims to give patients a friendly face and helpful answers at each step.

For a business reader, the model is worth noting. A surgeon who owns the facility controls the setting where his patients have surgery and recover, and he takes on the responsibility of meeting accreditation standards for it. Every operation still carries risks, and patients should discuss them during the consultation.

What patients come in for

The practice lists a broad menu for Pearland patients. Breast procedures include augmentation, lift, reduction and revision. Facial surgery covers facelift, neck lift, eyelid surgery and rhinoplasty, among others, and body procedures include tummy tuck, liposuction and mommy makeover. Injectables such as Botox and fillers are offered, along with procedures for men, including gynecomastia surgery.

Rhinoplasty gets extra attention. The practice says the operation generally takes 2 to 3 hours and that most patients return to work in three to five days, and it notes that in some cases a nose job can help open blocked nasal passages.

Dr. Lapuerta’s guiding view on choosing a surgeon applies here as well. He holds that board certification plus experience with the specific procedure, measured in cases and years, is the best determinant of an outcome patients are happy with.

Pearland is one of several offices. The practice also lists locations in Houston, Katy and Piney Point, but for a patient living in Pearland, the address on County Road 94 is the one where the consultation room and the operating room share a building.

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.