Each year increasing numbers of foreigners come to Brazil for plastic surgery. This is due to several factors:
Brazilian Plastic Surgery is recognized worldwide. Pioneerism and a large number of internationally renowned Brazilian professionals have disseminated our procedures beyond our geographic borders.
The large number of esthetic surgeries has led Brazil to alternate with the USA as leader in the world ranking. This allows professionals to maximize the development of their skills.
The equally large number of reparatory surgeries allows for the development of this specific and fundamental ability from the time of the surgeon’s training phase, which is, thus, hands-on from the very beginning.
The wide miscegenation of races in Brazil has rendered a population which, always subject to difficulties, has learned how to develop and capitalize on their creativity and abilities. It has led to the development of a unique flexibility which allows for the adaptation to a variety of situations. The Brazilian versatility, creativity, and ability to adapt to the uncertainties in their daily lives have yielded a success in Plastic Surgery similar to that won by our soccer players.
The friendliness and hospitality of the Brazilian people, added to the countless natural beauties, offer the opportunity to combine rest, tourism and Plastic Surgery.
The reduced value of the Brazilian currency compared to currencies such as the Euro or the Dollar allows patients to enjoy a wonderful vacation and at the end the benefit of their long wished-for plastic surgery.
Internet technology allows for on-line consultation, regardless of distance.

It is very common to hear from our visitors: It seems like I’m in Europe, but with more human warmth. . . This is because of the state’s recent immigration from the Old World.

The cities of Santa Catarina are less populous and calmer than those of most other Brazilian states. The state’s climate is subtropical, with better-defined seasons than farther north, very well-suited for the recovery from surgery.

Here you can enjoy urban, paradisiacal, or deserted beaches, with or without waves, warmer or colder water, in the environment of subtropical forests or of white dunes with their typical low vegetation. You can enjoy the mountainous landscape of cities where time seems to have stopped and German or Italian are still spoken on the streets, or even ecological parks with their vast biodiversity and thermal waters. You can enjoy a typically Brazilian beach in the morning and spend the night on small farms in the mountains that take the imagination to small cities of Switzerland, with a delightful climate and even snow flurries on the coldest days of winter.

This is one of the most frequent questions asked: Is it safe to travel to Brazil? Unfortunately problems with crime have increased in the most populous cities of the world. This is also the case in the cities with over 1,000,000 inhabitants here in Brazil. However, it is not what is happening in our state. In Santa Catarina the cities are calm and you can enjoy your vacation in the safety of an easy-going and hospitable environment.

Another frequent question is regarding the fear of having surgery done. While still a medical student, I thought I would be unable to pursue a career in surgery, as one drop of blood and its characteristic smell and I was on the floor. Then an older professor explained to me that he wouldn’t trust a surgeon who did not understand and respect the suffering of a fellow human being. . . Thus, he discouraged the most courageous students from pursuing a surgical career because he said that he preferred more cautious doctors concerned about their patients’ well-being to courageous butchers . . . I grasped the meaning of what was expressed to me on that occasion and several years later I began the long road toward surgery.

Fear preserves the physical integrity of a human being; thus, it is understandable that a normal human being should have this kind of feeling. Our surgical procedures are based on a philosophy of minimal aggression, which means aiming at the best possible esthetic results within a margin of safety in which full advantage can be taken of the patient’s capacity for recuperation, providing for a surprising recovery with enviable esthetic results. A surgeon who does not operate within the philosophy of minimal aggression submits his patients and himself to unnecessary risk on a daily basis. Thus, in the interest of your integrity and our own, we take all possible measures to ensure your safety, thus preserving our own as well.

Unfortunately, there is very little about this topic in books on Plastic Surgery. It is easier to find in books on philosophy, based on doctrines of cause and effect and observation of nature.

Unfortunately as well, many of our colleagues persist in following the practice, induced by the request of ill-advised patients, of carrying out two or more surgical procedures to take advantage of the anesthetic. . .

The more surgery is carried out, the more anesthetic is needed, and the greater the trauma and the risk become. This seems obvious, but unfortunately it is not widely disseminated. It became clear to me when I observed that patients who underwent one procedure would come back saying it had been easy and that they would do it again, while those who underwent two would say the opposite. And remember, this is regardless of the surgeon; it is statistical data: after 5 hours of surgery, the chances of deep vain thrombosis are approximately 30% greater than after a shorter surgery. This is serious and can lead to very serious complications. Why not avoid this, then, and have a better recovery and better esthetic results?

Obviously, every surgical procedure involves some level of risk; however, with minimally invasive procedures these risks can be kept to a minimum. From a surgical point of view, everything that can be done to minimize surgical aggression is taken seriously. This includes the care taken in handling the tissues, improvement in materials, lessening of scars, greater results with smaller incisions and the use of all that technological advancement can offer, together with the experience of innumerable surgical procedures throughout many years of practice.

From the anesthetic point of view, we adopt the same philosophy of minimal aggression. Anesthesia is administered only to the exact spot to be operated. This reduces the amount of anesthesia and, thus, the risk. With loco-regional blocks and local anesthesia, together with intravenous sedation, our risks are reduced to almost those of going to the dentist. Of course, this statement should be taken with the moderation that a surgical procedure requires, although it is becoming more and more possible to combine comfort during the act of anesthesia with intraoperative safety. This is especially important considering that many patients do not express fear in relation to the surgical procedure itself, but only in relation to the risks of anesthesia. How to reduce this fear and the risks themselves? Through minimal aggression in anesthesia as well!

Nevertheless, we cannot forget that surgery is not futility and anesthesia is not perfume; rather, both are subject to perhaps imponderable risks. God has allowed us to play with free will, but it is up to us to use it responsibly.

You do not need to receive general anesthesia to remain unconscious. Today there are very safe and effective drugs that can be administered intravenously to make you sleep, under the observation of an experienced anesthesiologist. When the procedure is over, the effects of the drug also cease and you awaken without the “hangover” of general anesthesia.

All of the surgeons are licensed by the Brazilian Society of Plastic Surgery, the only agency responsible for the education and qualification of plastic surgeons in Brazil.

CLAUDIO FERNANDEZ NOGUEIRA
PLASTIC SURGEON – TECHNICAL DIRECTOR
Born in Santos, in the State of São Paulo in 1963, Dr. Claudio moved to the State of Rio de Janeiro in 1982, graduating in Medicine from the School of Medical Sciences of Volta Redonda (Escola de Ciências Médicas de Volta Redonda) in 1987.
He finished his residency in Plastic Surgery in the year 1991 at the Marcílio Dias Naval Hospital (Hospital Naval Marcílio Dias), having interned at the Clínica Ivo Pitanguy, among others.
Dr. Claudio moved to Florianópolis in 1991 and began his medical practice at the Joana de Gusmão Children’s Hospital (Hospital Infantil Joana de Gusmão), the Governor Celso Ramos Hospital (Hospital Governador Celso Ramos), the Hospital de Caridade, the Carlos Correia Maternity Hospital (Maternidade Carlos Correia), and the Regional Hospital of São José Homero de Miranda Gomes (Hospital Regional de São José Homero de Miranda Gomes), where he began as coordinator of Plastic Surgery and then became the first Head of the Plastic Surgery Service after it was dismembered from General Surgery.
Dr. Claudio had his medical degree ratified and validated in Madrid, Spain on December 16, 2005, in accord with the Real Decreto 285/2004, under the name Claudio de Barros Fernandez, this being his name under his Spanish nationality.
With the medical and administrative experience acquired through the years, on May 7, 1999 he inaugurated the Clínica Young Soul.
Full Member of the Brazilian Society of Plastic Surgery (Sociedade Brasileira de Cirurgia Plástica)
Member of the Brazilian Society for Burn Injuries (Sociedade Brasileira de Queimaduras)
Health Professional Member of the Surfers Medical Association, California, USA
Member of the Department of Plastic Surgery of the Catarinense Association of Medicine (Associação Catarinense de Medicina)
Member of the Editorial Board of the journal Arquivos Catarinenses de Medicina
First President of the Brazilian Society for Burn Injuries – Santa Catarina Region
Head of the Plastic Surgery Service of the Regional Hospital of São José Homero de Miranda Gomes until 1999
Plastic Surgeon of the Governor Celso Ramos Hospital
Technical Director of the Clínica Young Soul since 1999
DR. CRISTINA HELENA FOGAÇA VICARI NOGUEIRA
PLASTIC SURGEON
Born in São Leopoldo (in the State of Rio Grande do Sul) on April 12, 1973, Dr. Cristina received all of her education in the State of Santa Catarina, concluding her Course in Medicine at the Federal University of Santa Catarina (Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina) in Florianopolis in 1998.
She then moved to Rio de Janeiro, where she concluded her residence in Plastic Surgery at the Marcílio Dias Naval Hospital, in addition to internships at the most respected centers, such as the Clínica Ivo Pitanguy, the National Institute for Cancer (Instituto Nacional do Câncer - INCA), the Fluminense Clinic of Plastic Surgery (Clínica Fluminense de Cirurgia Plástica), the Clínica Rômulo Mêne (with specific training in peeling methods), the Center for the Treatment of Labiopalatal Fissures (Centro de Tratamento de Fissuras Lábio-Palatais - CEFIL), and Plastic Surgery Emergencies at the Souza Aguiar Municipal Hospital (Hospital Municipal Souza Aguiar).
In 2002 she concluded the Post-graduate Course in Esthetic Medicine of the Souza Marques Technical-Educacional Foundation (Fundação Técnico-Educacional Souza Marques), affiliated with the Brazilian Society of Esthetic Medicine (Sociedede Brasileira de Medicina Estética).
She presently practices as plastic surgeon in Florianópolis at the Joana de Gusmão Children’s Hospital, where she specializes in the treatment and rehabilitation of children with labial and palatal fissures, and at the Governor Celso Ramos Hospital, where she does reparatory plastic surgery in general.
At the Clínica Young Soul, in addition to her activities as plastic surgeon, she practices in the area of Esthetic Medicine and coordinates all related consultation, including Esthetic Physical Therapy.
Member of the Brazilian Society of Plastic Surgery
Member of the Brazilian Society for Burn Injuries
Member of the Brazilian Association of Surgeons (Colégio Brasileiro de Cirurgiões)
Intensive training in deep peeling methods (fenol light peeling)
Specific training in Laser Therapy
Plastic surgeon at the Governor Celso Ramos Hospital

With Internet technology, it is easy to schedule an appointment for online conversation. At the moment, the available tools are MSN Messenger and Skype. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Claudio call (55)(48)99830868 and with Dr. Cristina (55)(48)91018675. During this call we will schedule a virtual appointment. It is best to speak and schedule appointments directly with the surgeons, as we generally hold virtual consultation in the evening Brazilian time (GMT -3). To facilitate the virtual appointment, it is best if you have available a web cam, loud speakers, and a microphone. Possible languages for communication, in addition to Portuguese, are English, Spanish, and French.

In general after two weeks it is sufficient to hold virtual conversations as we did for the first appointment, and generally it is only necessary to give orientation about possible edemas, ecchymoses, erythema (reddening) of scars, etc.

In general it is not necessary to remove the stitches, as they will be only on the inside and absorbed by the organism. However, this depends on each case and will thus be kept in mind.

The official language of Brazil is Portuguese, but Spanish and English are frequently spoken as well. Still, there will be someone in charge of your arrival, who will meet you at the airport and take you to your lodging. If you prefer something like a small cultural exchange, this can also be arranged. Further information can be obtained with qualified travel agencies or with the surgeons themselves.

We carry out all surgical procedures within the area of plastic surgery. Shortly we will make the surgical information available in English, French, and Spanish. For the moment we suggest consulting the procedures of the sister associations of the Brazilian Society of Plastic Surgery – SBCP Brazil www.cirurgiaplastica.org.br. In English you can check the item surgeries in www.surgery.org ou www.plasticsurgery.org; in Spanish www.secpre.org; in French www.sofcep.info/sofcep.asp.

Details about every surgery are provided by the surgeons; however, shortly we will make them available in your own language.

There are many certified hotels and inns; however, we also offer Home-Care in our own lodging facilites (Photos, link). If you are interested, we can also provide someone to care for you during the first days after surgery.

The surgeries are carried out in the day-hospital system at our Clinic. We meet all the strict requirements of the health safety agencies.

Although it is the object of many questions before surgery, this topic generally frustrates sadists and masochists alike. In spite of the occasionally extensive movement of the tissues, the occurrence of pain is infrequent and when it occurs, it is generally only during the first or second day(s) after surgery and easily relieved with simple analgesics.

This depends on the surgery, but in general, after one week you will be ready to return to your country.