CONSULTANT PLASTIC SURGEON
BIOGRAPHY
Dr Ricardo is a renowned Consultant Brazilian Plastic Surgeon with extensive experience in plastic surgery in Brazil, the United States, Europe, and Dubai. He has been performing high-quality cosmetic and reconstructive surgery for over 30 years, always with a warm bedside manner, professional integrity, and a commitment to patient safety. The core mission of Dr Ricardo is to advance quality patient care and safety by encouraging high standards of training, ethics, physician practice, and research in plastic surgery.
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The largest organizations of board-certified plastic surgeons in the world, at the forefront of quality and reliability, are the Brazilian Society of Plastic Surgery (SBCP), the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), and the Royal College of Surgeons (FRCS). Dr Ricardo is certified by these prestigious societies and is the only plastic surgeon in the UAE to have achieved this notable designation, which designates him as an elite member of the plastic surgery community worldwide.
"Do not be confused by non-official-sounding boards' certifications in cosmetic surgery, and do not choose your plastic surgeon by hearing about them on television, through an advertisement, or from social media influencers, usually paid by them to convince you. This does not necessarily mean they are the best for you. Also, don’t trust “celebrity doctors” who say they performed thousands of surgeries in a short period after completing their training; most likely, they are not telling the truth. Always have in mind that most of the "sought-after celebrity plastic surgeons" know very well how to promote themselves; they are not necessarily ethical, skilled, and experienced doctors.”
​International Experience
Dr Ricardo obtained his Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery in 1988 from the Pontificia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS) School of Medicine, Porto Alegre, Brazil, the best private medical school in Brazil. This was followed by a residency in general surgery at the Portuguese Beneficence Hospital, and after completing two years of general surgery training, Dr Ricardo was selected for the highly competitive Saint House of Mercy and Image Hospital plastic surgery residency training program in São José do Rio Preto, São Paulo, Brazil.
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During his training in plastic surgery, he performed a wide range of cosmetic surgeries, large volumes of hand and peripheral nerve surgery, head and neck cancer surgery, body and lower limb reconstructions, treatment of burns, skin cancer surgeries, and craniofacial trauma and microsurgeries. Dr Ricardo completed his training in plastic and reconstructive surgery and microsurgery in 1994, and that same year, he obtained his certificate as a Specialist in Plastic Surgery from the Brazilian Society of Plastic Surgeons, the Brazilian Medical Association, and the Brazilian Federal Medical Council.
Dr Ricardo then returned to his hometown, Porto Alegre, and in 1995 was appointed Head of the Department of Plastic Surgery and Burns Patients at the Lutheran University of Brazil (ULBRA) Hospital Complex and Clinical Professor of Plastic Surgery in the undergraduate and postgraduate programs at the same university. In 1998, he was awarded the title of Consultant Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon (Membro Titular) by the renowned Brazilian Society of Plastic Surgery after passing comprehensive oral and written exams.
At the Lutheran University of Brazil (ULBRA), Dr Ricardo played many roles in teaching, administrative, and leadership positions, such as founder member of the school of medicine, member of the team responsible for elaborating the school of medicine curriculum, the physician in charge for the plastic surgery project of the school of medicine, member of the permanent didactic- pedagogic evaluation committee of the medical school, head of the medical school mentors, the physician in charge for the implantation of the plastic surgery department and burns centre and tissue engineering of the university hospital and mentor of the post-graduation programs in orthopaedics and general surgery (reconstructive plastic surgery).
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After having taught the latest techniques in plastic surgery to hundreds of students and residents and carried out over 10000 cosmetic and reconstructive surgical procedures, Dr Ricardo left his 15-year position at Lutheran University of Brazil (ULBRA) where he built his career and relocated to Dubai in 2009 where he has been performing surgeries in patients from the UAE, the Gulf Region, and other countries from Europe, Africa, and Asian ever since, enjoying a reputation as one of Dubai’s most progressive, approachable, respected and internationally renowned plastic surgeons.
Professional qualifications and memberships
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Consultant Plastic Surgeon by the Brazilian Society of Plastic Surgery
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Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
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Specialist in Plastic Surgery by the Brazilian Society of Plastic Surgery
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Specialist in Plastic Surgery by the Brazilian Medical Association
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Specialist in Plastic Surgery by the Brazilian Federal Council of Medicine
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International Correspondent Member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons
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Member of the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery
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Member of the International Society of Plastic Regenerative Surgeons
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Member of the Federación Ibero Latinoamericana de Cirurgia Plastica
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Member of the Emirates Plastic Surgery Society
Dr Ricardo has lectured at several international scientific meetings, and as a Consultant Plastic Surgeon (Membro Titular) of the Brazilian Society of Plastic Surgery, he serves on the board of advisors that shapes the future of the most important and renowned plastic surgery society in the world.
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Devoting time to helping children with congenital defects has always been one of Dr Ricardo’s priorities; he participated in several missions, mostly in Central and South America, performing hundreds of reconstructive surgeries. He also served as a reconstructive plastic surgeon in a non-profit organization in Brazil dedicated to helping women with breast cancer.
Philosophy of care
In Dr Ricardo’s opinion, for new procedures to be considered legitimate, they should be deemed successful and useful in a respected peer-reviewed publication. This is the opposite of what most plastic surgeons do today: they offer new, miraculous procedures with interests other than their patients' well-being. Dr Ricardo believes that being a great plastic surgeon involves a mixture of meticulous technique, expert knowledge, and an extraordinary level of follow-up care, beyond the expected.
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When you choose surgery with Dr. Ricardo, you are choosing him as your surgeon. This seems obvious, but it is not. In many large clinics with the called “celebrity doctors”, you may deal with one surgeon during the consultation, but another surgeon will perform your surgery, and you won't even know that. Dr Ricardo will be by your side through your surgical journey, always responsive, caring, and available to you.
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Avoiding operating on anyone and everyone, and respecting minimal selection standards, are mandatory in Dr Ricardo’s philosophy of care. He frequently declines to perform surgery if the patient is not an appropriate candidate or if he is not confident he can achieve the results the patient intends. That is professional integrity.
For many patients, having plastic or reconstructive surgery means confronting very intimate insecurities. To most effectively articulate your aesthetic goals, it is important to work with a surgeon you trust and have candid, open lines of communication with him. Dr. Ricardo’s primary focus is ensuring that every patient feels comfortable and confident before moving forward with the surgery; because of this, he takes his time getting to know you and your concerns and addressing any questions you may have about the process. You will never feel rushed or pressured into making decisions. Achieving your aesthetic goals is a collaborative process, and Dr. Ricardo wants to be part of your team every step of the way.
If you want the tell-tale signs of your surgery to go unnoticed while obtaining natural-looking, “not done” results, then you can appreciate Dr Ricardo’s philosophy, innovative surgical approach, and relentless pursuit of perfection and beauty.