Rafael Arenas, MD

The best 100% recommend , Dr. Arenas makes you feel very comfortable and explains everything carefully and he is very very honest about the procedure you’re getting done. Dr Arenas has a great team very helpful and always answer any questions you have.

Me realice una braquioplastia con el Dr. Rafael Arenas
Estoy muy satisfecha con los resultados de mi operacion, agradecida por la atencion y sacarme de todas mis dudas.
El Dr. Arenas me explico todo el procedimiento en una manera tan entiendible con gran profesionalismo y como si me conociera de tiempo.
Asi como el Anestesiologo que tambien me visito antes de la operacion dandome confianza enque todo iba a estar bien pues la verdad si estaba un poco nerviosa.
Faty parte del equipo tambien con tanta paciencia siempre estuvo ahi en cada pregunta que tenia.
La verdad excedieron mis expectativas con su profesionalismo, buen trabajo y vasta experiencia.
Altamente recomendado al Dr. Arenas y su equipo de trabajo. Gracias por devolverme la confianza en mi misma.

10/10 Fue mi mejor elección, en todo mi proceso pos operatorio no sentí dolor, el doctor siempre me resolvió mis dudas, antes y después de la cirugía, muy profesional y amable, a lo igual que sus asistentes. Lo que me hice fue una lipo escultura con transferencia de grasa a gluteo y aumento de senos con implantes. Lo mejor de todo es que sus resultados fueron tal cual los quería, por lo tanto estoy muy feliz con ellos.

I got a Mommy makeover with Dr. Rafael Arenas in Jan of 2025 and Im in love with my results. I had excess skin dur to gastric sleeve and I have never looked more amazing than I do now thanks to him. Dr. Rafael and his team have been amazing, his assistant Fatima has also answered all my questions in a timely manner. The entire team is on top of it, I really recommend this doctor. My experience was the best and I had no pain whatsoever.

Words don’t express how appreciative I am of Dr. Arenas and his team. The care I got was above and beyond anything I’ve experienced in the past. It left me feeling completely at ease and confident in my decision.

My in-person meeting about what would be best on my face was really pleasant and educational. My procedure involved rhinoplasty, upper bleph and undereye mini fat graft.

The day of my surgery I was surprised but I wasn’t nervous at all. Between the in-depth tests and talking with Dr. Arenas, I knew I was exactly where I needed to be. While relaxing, waiting for the IV medication one of the nurses came and hung out with me. She was so really kind. My anesthesiologist came in and said hi too.

The pain really wasn’t bad when I woke up. I just felt pressure. After they released me I went back home to my Airbnb. One of the things I loved about Guadalajara is that since they’re one of the top cities in the world for medicine, even your Uber driver is used to seeing people bruised up from surgery. So when you feel better you can totally go to Tlaquepaque and enjoy some really cute shops without feeling too self conscious.

My pharmacist offered to deliver my medicine! This blew my mind, but my friends from Mexico have all said this is a normal thing there. True Southern hospitality. I really appreciated the kindness.

The pain never kicked in. I had a lot of bruising and swelling. That had more to do with my skin type though. The only thing that hurt was- you will snore. You’ll need to breathe out of your mouth more than you expect in the beginning and it will give you a sore throat. But it was all manageable. After about 5 days I could go out for a little bit.

I still am incredibly happy with my results. It’s strange to say but for me one of the best parts of getting this procedure is that my least favorite facial feature became my favorite. The biggest gift is that I no longer see profile photos of me and cringe. After a while you stop thinking about your nose, it’s really nice to have that peace.

I also went from 3-6 sinus infections a year to almost none. I’ve had 1 due to allergies in 3-4 years. And maybe it’s just me but I feel like I can sing better. lol

My upper lids are just as snatched as went I got them done. The stitches were so precise you can barely see the scar. The fat transfer is still doing great. I didn’t think I would be this happy with my face at 46. Thank you so much!

To my Real Self ladies who left great reviews that lead me to this really positive surgery experience, this part is me returning the favor to anyone preparing for a similar surgery. I took these notes as I recovered for you:

It might be tempting because you’re excited right now to buy a bunch of supplies. You might want to save some of that money for DoorDash when you’re craving something random. Mine was wonton soup or berries.

I used: 2 saline bottles, 1 roll of tape, a tiny bit of peroxide, 1 small box of Qtips, Neosporin, mouth wash (it hurts to brush your teeth for a couple days), 1 can of dry shampoo, cough drops, Laneige lip mask, Biotène mouth spray, constipation pills (the pain meds made it a little hard to go, not to be gross but pushing will also hurt). The hospital gave me compression socks.
6 tiny ice packs: smaller is better because if it slides and bumps your nose it won’t hurt as much.

Food: hummus, mac n cheese, finely shredded chicken if you eat meat, smoothies, guacamole, mild salsa, bananas, rice, yogurt, warm not hot green tea, no soda, fast food or fried food. Salt will make the swelling worse.

Using a travel pillow to sleep really hurt me because it would ride up and bump my nose. Rolling a towel and wrapping it around my neck felt so much better. You might want to compare the two before you leave.

If you normally sleep on your side you might like sleeping on the sofa because you can lean into it while upright.

Sneeze with your mouth open. It sounds weird, like how am I going to do this, but once you’re post op it’s super easy.

Don’t bend over with your butt up, squat the first week because more blood to your face will hurt. Trying to wash your hair in the sink will hurt for the same reason. I ended up using the shower and being really careful not to get water on my face.

Nasty things will come out of your nose, but it’s worth it.

Don’t bend surprised if 3 weeks out you still get tired easily.

Yes, your nose will take around a year to fully heal. The nerves at the tip of mine were extra sensitive during this time. The slightest touch felt heavier, but not painful. When my nose fully healed it stopped.

Eyelids:
When my eyelids were really swollen one eye was a little blurry for a week and half. When the swelling resolved my vision was normal again.

The only thing that hurt was getting the stitches out, but this part doesn’t take long.

Fat transfer: this just felt like pressure but never hurt.

After months of research, I finally reached out to Dr. Rafa because I felt the photos of his work were the best. He was the only surgeon I spoke with who genuinely made me feel heard. I have Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), which causes my skin to be extremely elastic. Dr. Rafa understood the purpose of my breast reconstruction. Unlike other surgeons who relentlessly pushed for implants, he candidly informed me that we would never give me implants. Instead, he would actually slight reduce the size of my breasts to prevent sagging in the future. Initially, I had only considered a breast lift, but during our consultation, I mentioned the possibility of “a little lipo” on my belly. Dr. Rafa was honest about the extensive recovery involved in liposuction and emphasized that he doesn’t perform small, superficial procedures just for the sake of it. After careful consideration, we decided to have another call where I was determined to pursue liposuction 360 and potentially transfer the fat to other areas if it made sense. Once I arrived at his office, I could sense his keen eye for creating a natural and proportionate look. Additionally, him being a Virgo, I knew he would be meticulous in his approach ????. So, I placed my trust in him. It almost felt like he was deliberately trying to set my expectations low, but then he simply exceeded them by delivering an incredible result. My breasts are beautiful, without the need for implants, and my condition didn’t even allow for such a shape as a teenager. I was in tears of joy. Dr. Rafa gave me curves, and although I was initially shocked because I had a boxy shape before, I now have actual hips. I’m only a week out, and I know the swelling will continue to decrease. Liposuction isn’t a pleasant experience; it hurts, but the care and attention provided throughout the process are truly exceptional. Carolina, who also spent the night at the hospital with me, visited my Airbnb every morning to perform lymphatic drainage (ouch!) I also made a few visits to the hospital for ultrasound massages, which made a significant difference. If you’re on the fence about a surgeon, this man is a treasure. Even before my surgery, when I visited the cardiologist, he inquired about the surgeon. When I mentioned Dr. Rafa, he smiled and shared that his wife had undergone breast augmentation with him. Especially with lipo 360, post-operative care plays a crucial role in achieving the desired results. If you’re not in GDL, make sure to arrange post-operative care with someone in your local area who can provide lymphatic massage or other therapeutic treatments to assist with swelling and skin tightening. Also wear your Faja. Will add photos soon ;)

First and foremost I would like to thank Dr. Arenas, his anesthesiologist and his entire team. They made me feel safe as they answered all my questions and concerns about the procedure I had done.Specifically they’ve assured that my health and safety was a priority during the procedure which for me means the world. They are professional and ethical in all aspects. If I need any other work done I will surely return to Dr. arenas and his team!

I could not possibly be any happier with my experience with a lower face and neck lift plus brow lift and fat transfer. I had researched many surgeons (in Canada, USA, Thailand, Mexico, and Brazil) and Dr. Arenas was the only surgeon who promptly gave me his opinion and explained what he recommended. He was the only surgeon to not just immediately recommend a full face lift, blepharoplasty, etc. He took the time and really was very patient with me explaining what he recommended and why and also importantly what he didn't feel I needed and why. I would highly recommend Dr. Arenas as a plastic surgeon.

The moment the doctor emails you back you know he truly cares about you. I came from the US and knew going to a place that didn’t speak my language was going to difficult and stressful on top of worrying about surgery as this was my first time, but Dr Arenas made my whole trip a breeze and made me feel so comfortable. He gave me exactly what I was looking for with just sitting down and talking to me. His team is also just as amazing as he is.

This was my second surgery with Dr.Arenas! Him and his staff are amazing! Fatima is always so kind and attentive, and answers any questions and concerns I had. Dr. Arenas has always made me feel extremely comfortable.