HIV positive wanting full lipo and BBL. Can I no have the procedures in the Dominican Republic?

Thank you for your question. If you have your Doctor clearance and it is under control, you can be a candidate for the procedure, I would recommend you to be consulted by board certified plastic surgeon.
Kind regards,Dr. Emmanuel Mallol Cotes.- 

Hello dear, thanks for your question and provided information as well.. This is the surgical procedure that revolutionized cosmetic surgery becoming one of the most performed cosmetic procedures. Subcutaneous tissue or fat is removed in order to contour the body in a way that is harmonious and pleasing to the senses. It can be performed in almost all regions of the body such as the neck, chin, abdomen, back, buttocks, thighs, arms and ankles. Usually done through a small incision in the skin through which a cannula connected to a vacuum is applied, it can be performed alone or in combination with other procedures. After liposuction your body is going to be really swollen for at least 2 to 4 months after your surgery. It is important for you to wear your compression garment for at least 6 months, the first 3 months 24/7 and then the last 3 months at least 12 hours per day for your body get use to not having the faja for so many time. When you remove it, your body can get swollen and also you can have pain. Remember to also compress your body to prevent a seroma which is an accumulation of liquid that has to be drained, it is hard to touch and also really painful. Bruises are completely normal for almost 3 months from surgery, that’s why is better for you to use a bruising cream and apply it all over your body 3 times a day. To prevent bad circulation and swollen legs, use compression socks. Brazilian butt lift can be performed with the same procedure and for a month it will be swollen and it will drop a little bit without losing it’s shape if you use your garment.. If you’re going to perform liposuction on your inner, outer, anterior, lateral, postetior thighs, be careful and consult with your surgeon what’s best for you, sometimes we have more extra skin than fat, that can cause severe sagginess on our legs, which can be only be reversed performing a thigh lift…

There are definitely doctors in the DR that perform surgery on clients that are HIV undetectable. Very important is that you have recent blood tests in your hands that show that you are indeed undetectable and that you have a letter from your physician in the USA. They will ask you to repeat a blood work as well in DR to confirm these results and then it is up to the doctor to decide. There are facilities that have agreements with there surgical staff and even though the Doctor would love to operate on you the staff may say no. But i am sure that you can find doctors in the DR that operate on you. Best of luck 

For patients who have HIV and are considering surgery, I suggest getting a medical clearance from your doctor and making sure your T cell counts are good. Today, we have some excellent treatment for those with HIV.  I also require a medical clearance for patients who have other chronic illnesses.  Surgery, even elective, is a stress, and we want you to be able to heal well. I can say nothing about the Dominican Republic since I live and work in Texas.  Good luck to you.

I'm Sorry to hear this, i have performed over 50 surgeries on HIV positive patients, and only had 1 important complication, it is true that treating infections on HIV positive patients could be a little tricky but that doesn't forbid an aesthetic Surgery. As soon as you are completely stable and with all your blood test up to date, i don't see a reason why not to perform the surgery. You do need to understand that the antiretroviral therapy causes lipodystrophy, or a change in the distribution of body fat. Fat transfers have more risks of infections, and of not accepting the graft, for this reason the gold standard treatment for HIV possitive patients is intramuscular Glutheal implants, there are only a few cases where i will recommend fat transfer on HIV patients, but this need a proper evaluation.Keep looking my dear, there is always light at the end of the tunnel .Best of Luck,Dr. Luis Redondo 

Hi. Interesting quetion. Do you have in your hands the paper from your doctor that say that you are udetectable? .And another question, you suffer from some other disease? 

As surgeons, we are taught and trained to treat all patients as if they have viral infections. It's called universal precautions.There have been successful lawsuits against doctors refusing to perform elective surgery on HIV-positive patients.Personally, I find what you have experienced irreprehensible.I have never nor will I ever deny someone surgery because of HIV status as long as their condition does not create a contraindication and the patient is a candidate for the procedure.I hope there is someone compassionate and willing to help you without having to leave your country.Perhaps the culture regarding HIV-positive patients is different than in the United States. I'm sorry you are experiencing such discrimination.Best of luck,Mats Hagstrom, M.D.