Dr. Ramón Javier Navarro Ceballos has over 27 years experience as a reconstructive plastic surgeon, he was one of the founders of the Center of Medical Specialties (Centro de Espcialidades Médicas: CEMA), and his office is located on the second floor of that hospital.
Dr. Navarro studied during the 1970’s under the guidance of one of the most prominent plastic surgeons in the world, and most certainly the most renown in all of Mexico, considered as “the Father of Plastic Surgery in Mexico” Dr. Fernando Ortiz Monasterio was Dr Navarro’s mentor and professor.
Dr. Javier Navarro started the conversation stating that nowadays it is absolutely essential for any plastic surgeon to keep updating himself constantly and to go through a process of re-certification every 5 years supported by the National Council of Plastic Reconstructive Surgeons AC (Consejo Nacional de Cirujanos Plásticos Reconstructivos AC) .
DN: This certify is supported by UNAM (Autonomous University of Mexico) and CONAEM (National Board of Medical Specialties).
The National Council of Plastic Reconstructive Surgeons AC is made up of highly respected doctors with an unblemished reputation, people with aboslutely no record of medical malpractice, qualified to evaluate and endorse the examination, that has to be submitted every 5 years for the respective re-certification.
In addition to presenting the theoretical exam, you must demonstrate the number of conferences you have attended, works you have submitted, and research studies you have done, each of these studies, research works and conferences give you a certain amount of points. If you have 250 points by the end of the 5 year period, then you do not have to take the exam.
Once you’ve met this re-certification, you are part of the Board of the Mexican Association of Plastic Surgeons, and your name is on the association directory for the next 5 years.
When a plastic surgeon’s name is on this directory, the patient can be assured of being treated by an absolutely qualified and well prepared doctor, but most of all, updated on the latest trends in reconstructive plastic surgery.
I am also a member of the ASAPS (American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery), only five Mexican doctors are registered with this society, and I’m the only one in Southeast Mexico. To be in this selected group of surgeons, you have to pass an exam, attend a number of conferences, and then you obtain your international pass as active member.
I have been an active member for 25 years; and my name is on the ASAPS website, which is consulted by many American citizens seeking a plastic surgeon outside the U.S.
TYT: How do most of your patients get to know about your services?
DN: In fact 80% of my patients reach me through my website or come on recommendation from other patients.
Now, let me show you that I am also registered on the ISAPS (International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons) directory. In order to be part of this international society, you must be re-certified every 10 years.
As you can see on the ISAPS directory, doctors are listed by country, and this certification allows the active member to perform a plastic surgery procedure virtually in any hospital worldwide.
I would like to show you photographies of some of my surgeries. I have introduced some of my breast surgery methods in Spain, using this kind of procedure, you can prevent more than 70% chance of breast cancer. In my career I have saved more than 60 women from breast cancer.
Similarly, I have presented my work in countries such as England, United States and others.
In one of many cases, I conducted a series of operations on a young man from Campeche who had a serious accident and lost an eye, I completely rebuilt his eye socket, and rearranged the whole face, I used parts from different areas of the body to rebuild his ear, included an artificial prosthesis and today this young man is married with two children.
All of these photographs were published in different medical journals and magazines in Europe and other countries.
I am showing you these photos in order to make clear that a good plastic surgeon is always documenting and publishing his work in order to achieve these international certifications.
TYT: What can you tell us about these “so called” plastic surgeons that are giving a bad name to this profession?
There are many charlatans, not only in Mexico, but also in the U.S. and worldwide.
When you see that someone is advertised as “Aesthetic Doctor”, “Cosmetic Medicine” or “Medical Facials”, instead “Plastic Reconstructive Surgeon”, then you know something’s not right. The charlatan is usually advertised on television, magazines, internet, etc. There is a way to detect these impostors, they are advertised as a person, not for what they do.
Most of these charlatans are drop outs, doctors who could not finish college, could not pass the specialty exams,
or simply left medicine school.
There are several countries where medical authorities are not as exigent as in Mexico or the U.S., where it is easier to obtain medical certifications. Many of these pseudo surgeons took 6 months courses, in which they do not even perform operations.
But yes, it is a reality, these criminals practice surgeries on unwary people and endanger their lives.
A real doctor always thinks of his patient first, and these charlatans only think about money.
TYT: You mentioned that most of your foreign patients come on recommendation, is that right?
DN: That’s right, most of them come on recommendation by their own friends or relatives, or because they found my name on the www.myplasticsurgeoninmexico.com or www.smartbeautyguide.com websites. In some cases, my colleagues abroad (who know me well), recommend me to their patients.
TYT: Do you always operate in the CEMA or do you perform surgeries in other hospitals?
DN: I always operate at CEMA, the facilities are first class, foreign patients are usually very demanding, so I always offer them to operate in this hospital because I can assure them that everything will be fine. The operating rooms are perfectly well equipped, the hospital has two electrical plants in case of an emergency.
Annual reviews by the Secretary of Public Health are conducted in order to verify that the facility meets all the requirements.
It is logical that a person is wary when coming from another country to Merida for a surgery, they come from a different culture and they expect the best, they will find the best at CEMA.
TYT: Are most of your surgeries cosmetic?
DN: Most people are misinformed and they think that a plastic surgeon operates only noses, breasts, buttocks and that is obviously a big mistake, the fact that we are plastic reconstructive surgeons, allows us to rebuild human parts of the body, we reconstruct people.
TYT: What can you tell us about the cost difference between a surgery in Mexico and the U.S.?
Well, it is well known that you can pay a lot less for a surgery in Mexico than in the U.S.; but among other factors, this have to do with the malpractice insurance fee that is required for a physician to practice medicine anywhere in the U.S.
The cost of malpractice insurance, also called medical liability coverage, varies from state to state and by medical specialty. For Plastic Surgeons, we are talking about figures between 15,000 and 60,000 USD a year.
Plastic surgeries are considered a higher-risk because patients are more likely to have complications, and the number of lawsuits against plastic surgeons continue to grow in the U.S., these “legal” situations are affecting significantly not only plastic surgeons, but all physicians and the whole medical system in that country.
TYT: Finally, Dr Navarro, what message would you send to people abroad that is considering coming to Merida for a Medical treatment or surgical procedure?
First of all, I would tell them that in my case, they can check out my credentials at the above mentioned websites. That we count with fully equipped world class facilities. That if they decide to come to Merida for an operation, they will be paying a fair price. And most of all, I would like to tell them that if they come down here for a surgical procedure, they will be treated as a person, not as a Social Security number or insurance policy number.
M.D. RAMÓN JAVIER NAVARRO CEBALLOS
PLASTIC AND RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY
+52(999)927 35 63
+521(999)990 08 99
www.myplasticsurgeoninmexico.com
www.smartbeautyguide.com/select-surgeon/ramon-navarro
C 54 no. 365 x 33 a y av. Pérez Ponce, Col. Centro, CMA consultorio 102,Mérida, Yucatán
Dr. Ramón Navarro is also a member of the Yucatan Health Care Network:
http://yucatanhealthcare.com/cirugia-oncologica-bariatrica-plastica-estetica-reconstructiva
Dr. Ramón Navarro’s Aesthetic Plastic Surgery most common services are:
Reconstructive Surgery
Reconstructive surgery represents one of the two major divisions of Plastic Surgery.
Nose Sugery
Rhinoplasty is the type of surgery that reshapes the nose, and is one of the most frequently performed by plastic surgeons worldwide.
Hair Implant
Hair transplantation is commonly used to treat cases of hereditary baldness (androgenetic).
Face Lifts
Facelifts aim to reverse the aging vectors.
Eyelid Surgery
The eyelid surgery, technically known as blepharoplasty, is a procedure to remove fat, excess skin and muscle from the upper and lower eyelids.
Tummy Tucks
The tummy tuck or abdominoplasty will allow you to remove fat and sagging skin from the abdominal area.
Lyposuction
Liposuction, or lipoaspiration is a sanitary technology used in cosmetic surgery and allowing silhouette remodeled…
Augmentation Mastopexy
Mastopexy is an operation to enhance the fallen chest.
Breast Reduction
Breast reduction or reduction mammoplasty is a surgical procedure to reduce the size of the breasts.
Breast Implants
The breast implant is a prosthesis used in cosmetic surgery to enhance breast size.
For more information about Dr. Navarro’s services, go to:
www.myplasticsurgeoninmexico.com
www.smartbeautyguide.com/select-surgeon/ramon-navarro
Interview by Alejandro Azcárate for The Yucatan Times.
