I first met Dr. Marcelo Vera in 1997 when he was treating several burn victims I was representing following the 1996 Millon Air crash in Manta. Over the past ten years Marcelo and I have become close friends, and I have observed him perform at least thirty surgeries and have met at least three hundred of his patients in his office. In short, his work is spectacular.

Marcelo spends much time with his patients before surgery, and is extremely compassionate.  He is also a natural artist--in fact, one of his hobbies is painting and he is very good at that, as well. In the surgical suite he is confident, gentle and careful. He always takes extra precautions to make sure there is no unnecessary bleeding before he closes. I am always amazed that his rhinoplasty patients--unlike those in the United States--wake up from surgery with no bruising or discoloration.  His nurse and anesthesiologist are also highly experienced, and he has a beautiful clinic with state-of-the art instrumentation. His patients always look beautiful and natural, and frankly, better than what I typically see in the U.S.

While Marcelo grew up in Manta, Ecuador, he received a grant to do his plastic surgery residency in Paris, where he learned French while perfoming his residency (He is also fluent in English, Italian and, of course, Spanish). His office often looks like a United Nations gathering; I have seen at one time in his waiting room patients from Germany, Canada, and the United States, and I know firsthand of many United States patients who have brought their friends and family to Ecuador to have Marcelo perform their plastic surgery.

I would not hesitate to have Marcelo perform plastic surgery on me, and I have referred several friends to him, all of whom have been delighted with their results. I would be happy to discuss Marcelo or Manta, Ecuador with anyone interested.

Steven M. Meyers, Esq.

Meyers, Stanley, and Waters

Orlando, FL 32802

407-849-0941

smm@meyersstanley.com

Through a good friend and as a part of the bountiful good fortune I've enjoyed in my life I met Marcelo Vera Mogro several years ago. I enjoy both thinking about and telling the story.

My friend, Steve, wanted me to meet an unusual, superb human being so we traveled from Orlando, Florida to Manta, Ecuador with that specific mission in mind. Marcelo met us at the airport in Guayaquil and we drove north to Manta through ever interesting, verdant countryside and small towns with streets teeming with people instead of cars. Marcello and Steve treated me to laughter, good humor, and their evident mutual respect for more than an hour.

While driving through Portoviejo in heavy trafic, we were hailed by a man riding a yellow scooter. He happily held up the traffic flow while he tore open his shirt to show his magnificent scar to Marcelo and to thank him for the surgery. He promised to pay later. The story unfolds from there.

After numerous reflections about that wonderful first day and our times together since, I've discovered why I admire Marcelo so much. As a general surgeon and plastic surgeon he gave pro bono care to the burned and mangled poor people that Steve defended legally when an American plane carrying roses spewed hot jet fuel, aluminum shards, and jet engines over them late one night. I've been with him when he examines patients and I know his expertise and sensitivity to their place in life and their surgical needs. His Sundays with family and friends and his behavior at a party for young women showed me the breadth and depth of his social integration with every person in his life. When Steve and I were marooned in Manta on 9/11, Marcelo transformed that historical marker into a special experience for me. My upper eyelids now reflect my mental rather than chronological age. He organized and performed the surgery the morning after 9/11 and afterward all of his surgical team, Marcelo, Steve, and I spent the entire afternoon at a delightful seaside restaurant eating, drinking beer, and enjoying each other. I hope these anecdotes show you, the reader, Marcelo's magnificence. He a master plastic surgeon; a delight; a master human being showing by example how to live a large life; and one of my most admired exemplars of human excellence.

Charles R. Stark, M.D., M.P.H., Dr. P.H. 

Cognitive Neuro Sciences
5201 W. Kennedy Blvd.
Tampa FL 33609

dickstark@mac.com