Alan González: “Some patients think that there are prostheses for life”
He is one of the most recognized plastic surgeons in Latin America. In his more than 23-year professional career he has completed more than 18,000 successful procedures. He helped more than 400 women who, at some point in their lives, were victims of abusers who burned their faces with acid, a terrible crime that became popular in Colombia a few years ago and left terrible consequences.
Alan González treats his patients with procedures that have made him famous: breast lifts, face lifts, rhinoplasties, abdominoplasty, liposculpture and breast explantation. But in recent years, many of his patients are looking for something in common: the removal of breast implants, a procedure that has become popular. His philosophy is that “cosmetic treatments are a change of life, a commitment to personal development and a tool for success.”
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Latinas Reales:Tell us a little about that part of your life when you helped the women whose faces were left with acid.
Alan González:
That is the worst crime that can be committed against the integrity of a human being, because the burns are not only serious and deep, but the injury to the spirit and soul of that person is deep and irreparable. What I saw was an aura of hopelessness, patients who remained hidden and revictimized every time they went out into the street. I decided to work with my team on something we call ‘final aesthetic reconstruction’, a silent task until the patients themselves made us known because they saw that this change in their appearance, even if it was in the conformation of the corners of the mouth or the characteristics of the shape of the eye, made them rediscover themselves.
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LR: Women still long to have breast surgery to look better. However, now there is talk of breast explantation. Why has this topic become so important?
AG: A few years ago we realized that over time patients began to present unexplained symptoms that affected their quality of life: joint and muscle pain, chronic fatigue… We call them ‘systemic symptoms associated with implants’. We began to remove the implants and we saw improvement.
LR: Does this mean that, sooner or later, all women who have had breast prostheses placed would have to find a surgeon and undergo an explantation?
AG: The implant is a material external to the body that has wear and tear, both in its contents and in its cover. According to the recommendation of the FDA (Food and Drugs Administration), it is recommended to change them every 10 years, something that has always been the case. What happens is that some patients thought that there were prostheses for life, and that is not the case. You always have to be changing them due to the wear process.
LR: What happens when the implants are removed?
AG: A breast deformity occurs, which requires a reconstruction that some doctors leave as secondary, something I respect, but I prefer to do it immediately to try to reduce the psychological impact of each person and their families when seeing the appearance of a deformed breast. or with loss of projection. This means that explantation can be achieved with good anatomical results and leaving a minimal scar around the areola and not in a T shape.
LR: The novelty is that there are now techniques that allow the prostheses to be removed without having to replace other ones... Tell us about this.
AG: Yes, today there are new surgery techniques without implants, such as BRAR (Breast Reconstruction Anatomical Reduction) that allow the implant to be removed and the tissue rotated in such a way that the neckline is recomposed, the superior projection is improved, the scar is only in L-shaped and the fat in the armpit area is reduced; all this without altering the desired size or reducing it, as the case may be. This allows the patient, among other benefits, to look in the mirror and feel the peace of mind that the scars will be very little noticeable over time.
LR: Many women seek to access plastic surgery services looking for the lowest possible price in the market. What consequences can this bring?
AG: I believe that decisions regarding plastic surgeries should not be based on economics, but on knowledge, experience and meeting expectations, based on the surgical techniques that the specialist and technology can provide to each patient. It is very clear that the costs in the first world are much higher for these types of procedures, but that does not mean that when you have surgery in a country like Colombia, it has to cost much less. It is clear that it is a little cheaper, but it is also clear that the cost will be in accordance with many associated factors: the type of clinic where you have the operation, the number of people that the surgeon has around for a good postoperative period, the experience of the surgeon. specialist, the number of successful cases you have, whether it is a primary or secondary surgery, etc… Let us remember that each failed surgery causes the costs of a new reconstructive surgery to be higher, and that the possibilities of achieving the dreamed result decrease. move away It is a decision that is made with judgment and not with the pocket.
LR: What do you recommend to women who see Colombia as the preferred destination for this type of procedures?
AG: I think that Colombia is an ideal place for this type of surgical interventions, because Colombian surgeons have been achieving more and more recognition worldwide with respect to the knowledge and technologies that we use and, of course, respect for the features, proportionality and the harmony of each body, both in women and men. That is, we are professionals with a lot of experience and a vision of universal beauty.
LR: What would you say has been the moment or experience that has given you the greatest satisfaction in your profession throughout all these years?
AG: For me, it is clear that this specialty is the one that meets all expectations in my life. Because it allows me not only to transform people’s lives based on the gift that God gave me, and the technologies and techniques that I use, but it also allows me to see the changes in the quality of life of each patient. There have been times when someone asks me: ‘Doctor, don’t you get tired of doing this?’ And I answer that it is impossible for people to get tired doing what they love to do. My profession brings me more and more happiness, more peace of mind and, above all, it feeds my spirit to continue giving my best, together with my work team, for the benefit of so many people. And, obviously, with the support of my family, my wife and my children, who understand that the time that I could often dedicate to them I must also dedicate to science and study.