Extremely Professional, Focused on Safety, Best Experience :-) Dominican Republic, DO

Relax Recovery House is among the best recovery houses in the Dominican Republic and trust me there are not many left. I originally went to the DR in April 2016 to get surgery with one doctor and because of that doctor and her team's lack of professionalism I ended up stranded outside of the recovery house the first day. The recovery house was closed since they didn't have any patients coming for another week and there was no one there to meet me. Soraya is the owner and when the driver called her to let her know she had a patient standing outside of the house at 11pm (which no one told her about or booked) she hopped out of the shower, threw on clothes, and rushed to meet me no questions asked). She greeted me with a warm welcome and a hug like she had known me for years, she called her staff so they would come the next day, and she stayed with me overnight making sure I had anything I needed.I didn't end up getting surgery (long story & a blessing in disguise) but they still treated me like a princess up until the day returned home.
I did end up having surgery May 2016 (with Dr. Ulerio *check him out, he's the best) and I went back to relax recovery house this time around. I got the same warm welcoming treatment by Soraya and her staff and it felt great to know I was in the best hands during my recovery.Relax recovery is a small house and to make sure they deliver the best quality service they only accept 4 patients at a time. They have a 24 hour nurse available, 24 hour kitchen staff, they have hospital beds for added comfort, and they have a driver that will pick you up/drop you off at the airport and can take you to and from appointments.Millie is the nurse and she is wonderful! She does everything she can to make the patients feel comfortable and she is very diligent with medication administration and dosing schedules. Angela is the cook and aside from the fact that her cooking is great, she goes out of her way to make sure the patients are comfortable and satisfied. Josefine is the weekend nurse who is also amazing, all of the Relax recovery staff provide motherly-like care and it is easy to tell they genuinely want you to feel better.I would recommend relax recovery home in a heart beat , please be cautious of cheaper recovery home offers as they are usually inadequately staffed with people who are not going to be able to help you in case of an emergency. The risks and complications aren't only possibility during surgery, recovery is what will make or break you and having the utmost care is key, especially if a complication arises. If you chose to go with someone else atleast make sure they provide airport transportation, its not like the US where taxis are generally safe. You can really put your life at risk by getting in a vehicle with any random person that identifies as a taxi driver outside of the airport. Take it from someone who is from the Dominican Republic, has family there, and travels there twice a year. I don't want to come across as patronizing or rude but tourists make some really dumb decisions when going abroad for these things and you need to remember you are gong to a foreign country where they might not speak your language, where delinquents are on the look out for your money or valuables, and where being a tourist makes you that much more vulnerable. Im not saying you should suspect of every person you come across, but definitely be proactive and take care of yourselves ladies.

After a bad experience at other clinics (or should I say butcher shops), Im glad I put my procedure on hold until I did more research. It was a blessing in disguise that I couldn't have my procedure the first time because Dr. Ulerio and his team are top-notch and I am very lucky to have found them.

Dr. Ulerio is simply among the best surgeons in the country and I would recommend him to anyone in a heartbeat. he's not the type of surgeon thats going to take your money, cut you up, and send you on your way, he will give you a thorough, honest evaluation of what would work best for your body type and he will explain it in terms you understand. He is also really focused on safety and won't put someone at risk by trying to do too many procedures at the same time.
Dr. Ulerio shares Plastimedic (clinic/practice) with a few other surgeons and Just by walking into the clinic you can tell what a huge difference it is compared to other places (like CIPLA and CECIP to name a few). The clinic is beautiful, clean, and each surgeon has their own very uniquely designed office to work in comfortably. You're not going to walk into chaos/yelling/socializing in hallways, there is always pleasant music playing, comfortably air conditioned, there is private parking with a very nice valet, its very welcoming overall.
Communication is key; Dr. Ulerio and his staff are extremely professional and communicative. When I woke up after surgery I was pleasantly surprised that my family had been receiving updates all along. Everyone from he doctor , his assistant, the massage therapist, and the nurses was extremely accommodating and checked in on me daily. * and continue to do so :-)

I had liposuction on my abdomen and back because those were the areas where I had to have fat removed to improve my shape. Everyone has a different threshold for pain so In my opinion it definitely hurt ( gym workout soreness all over) but it wasn't excruciating (I also had a good combination of antibiotics/pain meds). In my personal experience the most uncomfortable part was wearing the garment because I hate wearing tight clothing but it gets better.

Im officially two weeks post-op and Im only sore around the stitches (I have a few stitches where they had to open the skin to insert the cannula and remove fat). The swelling has gone down significantly (Im wearing the garment comfortably on the 3rd setting (The day after surgery we struggled with getting it on the first setting). The massages are uncomfortable because the area is tender but I feel better after each massage so get all of your massages .

Ill post before/after pictures soon as soon as i get someone to get good angles.