There is a particular kind of surgeon that the aesthetic medicine world tends to produce quietly and the rest of the world discovers all at once. Dr. Rafael Ramos is that kind of surgeon.
On June 4, 2026, Careaga Plastic Surgery: the Coral Gables practice founded by double board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Daniel E. Careaga and long regarded as one of South Florida's most trusted names in aesthetic medicine announced that Dr. Ramos had joined the team. The addition expands the practice's surgical offerings across facial aesthetics, rhinoplasty, breast enhancement, and facial rejuvenation, and gives patients in South Florida access to a surgeon whose credentials are, by any measure, exceptional.
Dr. Ramos's training reads like a map of the most rigorous programs in American medicine. He earned his medical degree from the Central University of Venezuela School of Medicine in Caracas, where he also completed general and trauma surgery training. He then came to the United States in 2014 and began a path that would take him through some of the country's most respected institutions.
He conducted clinical research in bariatric surgery at Cleveland Clinic Florida and the University of Iowa, followed by advanced surgical training at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. He then completed his Integrated Plastic Surgery Residency at Cleveland Clinic's Main Campus in Ohio, one of the most competitive and comprehensive plastic surgery programs in the world, where he received training in both reconstructive and aesthetic surgery.
The result is a surgeon with more than 20 years of surgical experience, more than 20 research publications and presentations to his name, and a specialization in facial aesthetics that is grounded in both scientific rigor and a genuine artist's sensibility.
The Surgeon as Artist
What sets Dr. Ramos apart is not just where he trained, but what he brings to the operating room that no residency program can teach. Outside of medicine, he paints, sculpts in clay, and plays the piano. He describes these creative pursuits not as hobbies but as disciplines that sharpen the same qualities essential to aesthetic surgery: focus, patience, attention to detail, and an instinct for proportion and form.
It is a philosophy that shows up in his approach to patients. Dr. Ramos specializes in facial aesthetic surgery including facelift, rhinoplasty, eyelid surgery, and lip enhancement, alongside breast augmentation, breast lift, breast reduction, and body contouring. He also brings expertise in non-surgical facial balancing using HA fillers and collagen stimulators: a rarer combination that allows him to approach each patient's goals across both surgical and non-surgical pathways.
His work has been recognized at the highest levels of his field. In March 2025, he received the R.K. Daniels Resident Award at the Rhinoplasty Society Annual Meeting, one of the most prestigious honors in facial plastic surgery. His research has been published in Clinical Plastic Surgery and the Operative Techniques in Orthopaedics Journal, and his presentations have been featured at Plastic Surgery the Meeting in San Diego and the Ohio Valley Society of Plastic Surgeons Annual Meeting.
What Patients Can Expect
Dr. Careaga, who has spent more than a decade building a practice around the philosophy of "Beauty You Can Trust," described Dr. Ramos's arrival in precise terms. "Dr. Ramos brings an exceptional combination of surgical talent, compassion, and attention to detail that aligns perfectly with our practice philosophy," he said. "His expertise in facial aesthetics and breast enhancement procedures further enhances our ability to provide patients with customized treatment plans and outstanding results."
For his part, Dr. Ramos is clear about what he believes successful plastic surgery actually requires. "I never want patients to feel like they are simply another appointment in a rushed process," he has said. "Every individual comes to us with unique goals, concerns, insecurities, and expectations, and I believe the best outcomes begin with truly listening. My goal is not only to deliver exceptional surgical results, but also to ensure patients feel heard, respected, supported, and confident throughout every step of their journey."
That philosophy — patient, meticulous, deeply individualized — is the thread that runs through everything Dr. Ramos does, from the operating room to the consultation, from the canvas to the keyboard.
A Meaningful Homecoming
There is something worth noting about the geography of Dr. Ramos's career. He was born and trained in Venezuela, built his academic and surgical reputation across the American Midwest, and then returned to Miami — a city that shares his roots, his language, and the particular energy that draws people back even when they have every reason to stay somewhere else.
Careaga Plastic Surgery serves patients from throughout South Florida, across the United States, and internationally, offering care in both English and Spanish. The addition of Dr. Ramos deepens that reach and adds a surgical voice that is both globally trained and locally grounded.
For patients considering facial aesthetics, rhinoplasty, or breast procedures in South Florida, Dr. Ramos's arrival at one of the region's most established practices is news worth paying attention to. Consultations are available through Careaga Plastic Surgery's Coral Gables office at 220 Alhambra Circle. For more information, visit careagaplasticsurgery.com or call 305.960.7511.
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