2012-03 MEGA March.indd - RGV Cosmetic Surgery Vein Care

6
• March 2012 •
MEGA DOCTOR
Predestined to be a Medical Surgeon
By Roberto Hugo Gonzalez
Mega Doctor News
W
hen
Dr.
Filiberto
Rodriguez, Jr. was
growing up, it was
very clear to him what he wanted to
be when he grew up. Surrounded by
dedicated doctors in his family, his late
mom Margarita graduated from medical
school in Monterrey and later in the
U.S. she obtained a Ph.D. in nutrition
and prevention. She was very involved
with the community and as a matter of
fact she founded the Annual “Heart of
the Valley” Health & Wellness Fair in
conjunction with the McAllen Chamber
of Commerce. This year, when the event
takes place in November it will celebrate
29 years of existence.
Dr. Filiberto Rodriguez, Jr. was
born in Washington, D.C. where his
father, Dr. Filiberto Rodriguez-Salinas,
was beginning his surgical training in
the U.S. after graduating from medical
school in Monterrey. His father is a
brilliant thoracic surgeon in South Texas
as well.
Dr. Rodriguez, Jr. graduated
magna cum laude from McAllen Memorial
High School in 1991, he attended the
prestigious Princeton University, where
in addition to his premedical studies, he
received a double major in Economics
and Latin American Politics. “I was then
awarded a full academic scholarship to
attend the University of Virginia School
of Medicine – a program famous for its
intense hands-on training of medical
students,” he told Mega Doctor News.
After medical school, Dr.
Rodriguez, Jr. was selected into the
nationally recognized surgical residency
program at Stanford University where
he completed nine years of extensive
General, Thoracic, and Cardiovascular
surgical training.
During this time he also
completed an intensive post-doctoral
research fellowship in the Department
of Cardiothoracic Surgery where he
published 36 manuscripts, presented
over 49 presentations at international
conferences, and received numerous
awards including funding from the
National Institutes of Health, The
American
College
of
Surgeons
Scholarship for the Study of Surgical
Wound Healing, and the American Heart
Association Vivian Thomas Award.
His training as a cardiovascular
surgeon at Stanford University was in
preparation to return to the Rio Grande
Valley to work with his father, this was
before he decided to switch into plastic
and cosmetic surgery. “Despite my
passion for heart surgery and my initial
desire to follow in my father’s footsteps,
I ultimately chose to pursue training in
plastic and cosmetic surgery,” he said.
It was during his one-year
fellowship in the prestigious plastic implants or liposuction; patients seeking
surgery program at UCLA Medical Center, minimally invasive facial rejuvenation;
that he found a
true calling in
aesthetic
and
cosmetic surgery
working
with
the most grateful
patients of his
career. “Learning
from my father’s
experience,
I
knew that I would
be faced with the
most challenging
cases upon my
return to McAllen
and
the
Rio
Grande Valley,
It
is
important to note
that Dr. Rodriguez
is one of the few
plastic surgeons
in the country that
has
undergone
additional, formal
fellowship
training in a
Dr. Filiberto Rodriguez, Jr. Photo by Pollux Castor Inc.
cosmetic surgery
board
certified
fellowship through
the American Academy of Cosmetic and all patients from the 40s into the 80s
Surgery at the Body Sculpting Center in with varicose vein disease.
“Although the cosmetic surgery
Scottsdale, AZ.
“When my father introduced me component of my practice is nonto Dr. Thomas A. Clark, it was a natural fit insurance and exclusively fee-for-service,
for me to join Dr. Clark treating varicose the varicose vein component of our
vein disease,” he said. Although he has practice remains almost 100% covered by
worked with Dr. Clark since 2009, he insurance,” he said. He pointed out that
returned home to the Rio Grande Valley unfortunately, most patients and doctors
full-time only eight months ago, and remain unaware that varicose veins
in December of 2011, his new practice are more than a cosmetic concern, that
became RGV Cosmetic Surgery and Vein varicose veins can underlie more serious
medical problems, and that insurance
Care.
Aside from their expertise in carriers do cover these treatments.
One of the greatest challenges
varicose vein disease, Dr. Rodriguez, Jr.
specializes in beautiful body contouring Dr. Rodriguez, Jr. has experienced as
procedures such as abdominoplasty, a surgeon and as a person was when
breast
enhancement,
liposculpting, he suffered a serious neck injury while
and gluteal augmentation, as well as working as a cardiac surgeon. Suddenly
facial rejuvenation. “We have offices in he found himself needing an urgent spine
Harlingen and Brownsville, and have surgery and cervical fusion (similar to
recently opened our north McAllen/ Peyton Manning from the Indianapolis
Edinburg office at Del Prado,” he said.
Colts – a potentially career-ending
In addition, his wife, Dr. injury).
As a result of this injury, he was
Samira Mohamed, is a board-certified
gynecologist who has now focused her forced to spend a full year recovering,
practice with RGV Cosmetic Surgery waiting for his neck bones to fuse properly.
and Vein Care treating varicose vein He and his family was not even sure if he
disease and cosmetic gynecology.
would be able to return to surgery at all,
Because of the structure of and his neurosurgeon strongly advised
his practice, they are able to take care him against returning to cardiac surgery
of a great variety of patients – from to avoid any further injury.
women in their 20’s & 30’s seeking
“This experience caused a major
breast augmentation, liposuction or butt shift in my attitude towards medicine.
augmentation; 30-50 year-old women Being a patient reinforced the importance
looking for a “mommy makeover”, of communicating clearly with my
which combines breast augmentation/ patients and helping them through the
breast lift surgery with a tummy tuck to difficult process of undergoing surgery
create a dramatic result; post-bariatric and being a patient,” he said. Once it
patients needing arm lift, body lift, or became clear that he would return to
thigh lift surgery; men seeking pectoral the practice of surgery, Dr. Rodriguez,
Jr. decided to focus on happiness in his
life and work. “This helped me decide
to pursue a career as a cosmetic plastic
surgeon instead of a cardiac surgeon or
even a reconstructive plastic surgeon –
I wanted to work with happy patients,
to help make people happier about
themselves, and personally live a
happier and healthier life with my
family.”
Today, RGV Cosmetic Surgery
and Vein Care, is the Rio Grande
Valley’s premier cosmetic surgery and
vein care center. He told Mega Doctor
News that it represents the natural
evolution and growth of the RGV Vein,
Laser, and Aesthetic Clinic, which was
founded 10 years ago in Harlingen by
Dr. Thomas A. Clark, a cardiovascular
surgeon who pioneered cardiac surgery
in the Rio Grande Valley in 1978.
According to Dr. Rodriguez,
Jr., when Dr. Clark decided to retire
from cardiac surgery 10 years ago; he
chose to focus his vascular expertise on
the treatment of varicose vein disease,
to which he remains exclusively
dedicated.
One of the most unique
components of their practice is the
boutique and high-level of specialized
care that their patients receive. Dr. Clark
remains a board-certified cardiovascular
surgeon, and Dr. Rodriguez, Jr. is a
board-certified surgeon with specialty
fellowship training in cardiovascular
surgery, plastic and reconstructive
surgery, and cosmetic surgery.
Dr. Rodriguez, Jr. recently
married Dr. Samira Mohamed, whom he
has known since childhood growing up
in McAllen. “We have been blessed with
a baby girl, now eight months old,” he
said.
Dr. Samira Mohamed, who also
recently moved back home to McAllen
to be close to her family after her years of
study and advanced training in some of
the nation’s most prestigious institutions,
made the decision to return home
especially with the birth of their baby girl.
For the readers that are first
learning about Dr. Rodriguez, Jr., he
is the son of Dr. Filiberto RodriguezSalinas, a pioneer thoracic surgeon in
South Texas. “My father inspired me to
become a surgeon, and he inspired me to
become not just a surgeon, but the best
possible surgeon with the best possible
outcomes and best possible training. He
was an incredible role model,” he said.
Dr. Rodriguez, Jr. remembers
that he was 10 years old when they
moved to McAllen because his father
started the cardiac surgery program
in 1983. For him it was inspiring to
accompany him on rounds in the hospital
and to see so many people that he helped
in the operating room.
“Before he started cardiac
surgery in McAllen, heart patients would
have to travel to San Antonio or Houston
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