Plastic Surgery Doesn’t End When the Procedure is Over

Surgery doesn’t end when the procedure is over—and that’s the part most people don’t hear enough about. San Diego plastic surgeon Dr. Hector Salazar explains why what happens after can be just as important as the surgery itself.

Follow-up visits are a critical part of healing safely and confidently, not just a formality. He walks through what to expect during recovery, why open communication with your surgeon matters, and which warning signs should never be brushed off.

Dr. Salazar shares how to choose the right surgeon, from board certification and hospital privileges to the years of training required to manage complications if they arise. He explains why not every provider offering cosmetic surgery has the same level of expertise and why safety should always come before cost.

From recovery houses and local support to the realities of medical tourism, Dr. Salazar emphasizes the importance of having a real safety net in place, because feeling supported shouldn’t stop once surgery is over.

Links

Plastic Surgery Practice, After Outpatient Cosmetic Surgery, They Wound Up in the Hospital or Alone at a Recovery House

NBC News, When a cosmetic surgery chain arrived, lawsuits alleging shoddy care followed

Learn more about patient safety

Read more about San Diego plastic surgeon Dr. Hector Salazar-Reyes

Listen to our previous episode, What NOT To Do During Recovery After Plastic Surgery

Learn about the best hotels in San Diego if you’re considering traveling to see Dr. Salazar

Learn from the talented plastic surgeons inside La Jolla Cosmetic Surgery Centre, the 12x winner of the San Diego’s Best Union-Tribune Readers Poll, global winner of the 2020 MyFaceMyBody Best Cosmetic/Plastic Surgery Practice, and the 2025 winner of Best Cosmetic Surgery Group in San Diego Magazine’s Best of San Diego Awards.

Join hostess Monique Ramsey as she takes you inside LJCSC, where dreams become real. Featuring the unique expertise of San Diego’s most loved plastic surgeons, this podcast covers the latest trends in aesthetic surgery, including breast augmentation, breast implant removal, tummy tuck, mommy makeover, labiaplasty, facelifts and rhinoplasty.

La Jolla Cosmetic Surgery Centre is located just off the I-5 San Diego Freeway at 9850 Genesee Ave, Suite 130 in the Ximed building on the Scripps Memorial Hospital campus.

To learn more, go to or follow the team on Instagram

Watch the LJCSC Dream Team on YouTube

The La Jolla Cosmetic Surgery Podcast is a production of The Axis:

Theme music: Busy People, SOOP

Contents of this video:
00:00 Intro
00:58 What happens when you get a complication after plastic surgery?
03:40 What are the red flag symptoms after surgery?
04:56 Post-op care in the first 72 hours
09:04 Texting photos and videos vs. visiting in person during recovery
11:10 Board certification of plastic surgery and patient safety
16:27 How complications escalate and why timing matters
20:06 Cost vs. safety in cosmetic surgery
21:51 Hospital privileges and why they matter
28:32 Traveling for surgery & medical tourism
34:24 One rule for staying safe
37:56 Outro