Dr. Ramon Angel Robles: Transforming Latina Bodies and Lives

By Ruben Hernandez

When a patient walks into the modern Phoenix offices of Dr. Ramon Angel Robles, what they are first impressed by are the bilingual and courteous nurses and assistants, as well as the contemporary wall décor and waiting room furniture.  The patients have done their research and understand that Dr. Robles is a highly trained plastic surgeon with degrees from prestigious universities and medical schools. What they don’t know are the challenges that he had to overcome in his early life to become what he is today – a highly professional doctor who transforms the bodies and lives of women, and owner of Robles Plastic Surgery.

“I am a humble man. I have to be. I came from humble beginnings, and my Dad demanded that I stay humble, no matter what I do,” Dr. Robles says.  “But being born in Nogales, Arizona, and growing up in south Tucson challenged me to be the best I could be.”

He recalls how his hard-working parents had such a tight family budget that he had to shine shoes across the border in Sonora to earn money to buy candy. He remembers the tough south Tucson neighborhood he later lived in, surrounded by drug addicts and gang violence.

His parents emigrated to Arizona from Sonora, Mexico. His dad worked the cotton fields before landing a copper mine job. He worked his way up to become the operator of a gigantic mine shovel. While his parents did not speak much English, what they did have and instill in their children was a strong work ethic. His dad would stress upon the eight children the importance of getting straight A’s in school. All eight siblings would go on to become skilled professionals in different fields. 

“The odds were pretty much stacked against me. I am what I am today because of my parents,” he says.

Dr. Robles says he specializes in Latina clients because of his bilingualism and special understanding of the Latino culture.

“I speak Spanish and so I can speak to them in terms they would understand. They say they appreciate my background and my work,” he says. 

Dr. Robles is also a medical pioneer, as creator of “The Latina Mami Makeover™ ,” which is a combination of surgical techniques  designed especially for Latinas who have had children.  It involves a breast augmentation, or breast lift, a tummy tuck, liposculpting of the waist and abdomen, and a Brazilian Butt Lift (buttocks enhancement with fat grafts).  He removes fat deposits through liposuction and sculpts the waist, hips, and buttocks.

 “Basically I am correcting what nature has taken away from Latina mothers. I help them improve saggy breasts, loose skin, and stretch marks from their tummy and sculpt their waist and buttocks” says Dr. Robles.  

The doctor uses his artistic talents in both his personal and professional lives. Before each operation he draws the patient’s body before and after, to impress in his mind what the final results will look like. He considers plastic surgery the highest art form, like chipping away from a marble block to create a Venus de Milo statue masterpiece.

Lilly Torres, 41, is one of Dr. Robles’ satisfied patients. She is married and has two boys and three girls. Her oldest son is 21 years old. She says the transformations Dr. Robles performed on her body changed her life.

“Before the procedure, I was skinny and felt lacking as a woman,” she says in Spanish. “After the procedure, I felt 100 percent more realized as a woman. I started to feel more sexy. My family supported me entirely.  My teenage daughter complimented me with, ‘Wow, Mami!!!’ I am totally enchanted with the work of Dr. Robles.”

Asked to describe Dr. Robles with one word, she smiles and exclaims, “Wow!”

Dr. Robles has been practicing in the Valley for 12 years, providing his patients with a rapid recovery and beautiful results. He was trained at the prestigious Aesthetic Center at Duke University Medical Center. He is board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and is a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

He recalls two incidents while attending medical school that led him to become a plastic surgeon. One was a burn patient whose seared face was reconstructed to almost normal. Another was a young patient with Down’s Syndrome.

“The patient’s mother related to me how everyone stared at her son when she took him in public,” Dr. Robles says. “After his face was reconstructed with surgery, she told me ‘Now we can go to the mall without being looked at.’”

The joy of helping the burn patient and the parent had a definite impact on me and my career decision,” he says. “I like being able to affect my patients’ lives in positive, significant ways.”

Robles Plastic Surgery offices are located at 5333 N. 7th St., Phoenix, AZ 85014. His phone number is 602.266.5100. His website is www.RoblesPlasticSurgery.com and his email is, Dr.Robles@Roblesplasticsurgery.com