Parker Velargo, MD

MEET DR. PARKER VELARGO

Dr. Parker Velargo MD

Dr. Parker Velargo is a double board certified, fellowship trained Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon. Dr. Velargo is a specialist in cosmetic and reconstructive surgery of the face, nose, eyelids, ears, and neck. In addition, Dr. Velargo has extensive experience in non-surgical treatments of the face and neck, including injectables and laser therapy. Dr. Velargo’s signature facial plastic surgery procedures include faceliftrhinoplasty and eyelid surgery.

Dr. Velargo graduated magna cum laude from Louisiana State University and attended Louisiana State University School of Medicine in New Orleans, where he graduated in the top quartile of his medical school class.

Dr. Velargo knew early on that he wanted to specialize in facial and nasal surgery. After medical school, he trained in Head & Neck Surgery at The University of Tennessee College of Medicine. During his five years of residency, Dr. Velargo had the unique opportunity to train with two prominent leaders in facial plastic surgery, Dr. Phillip R. Langsdon and Dr. John “Mac” Hodges. 

As a result, Dr. Velargo finished his residency (before fellowship) with nearly triple the number of facelift cases than the average plastic surgeon finishing training has. 

This privilege was complemented with extensive experience in advanced surgical management of complex facial injuries at the famous Elvis Presley Memorial Level I Trauma Center at The Regional Medical Center in Memphis, TN. Throughout residency, Dr. Velargo also gained tremendous experience in facial reconstruction following cancer resection at numerous hospitals in Memphis, TN including the world-renowned St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Following his Head & Neck Surgery residency, Dr. Velargo completed one of the most sought after American Academy of Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery fellowship programs in the country with an international leader and expert in facial plastic and nasal surgery, Dr. E. Gaylon McCollough. His fellowship was rounded off with additional mentoring from another prominent leader in facial plastic surgery, Dr. Fred G. Fedok. During this year-long fellowship devoted exclusively to cosmetic and reconstructive surgery of the face and neck, Dr. Velargo mastered a wide spectrum of surgical and non-surgical techniques and procedures.

Dr. Velargo is an international speaker on topics related to facial plastic surgery.  He has also been a presenter at numerous national meetings on topics related to facial plastic surgery.

Additionally, Dr. Velargo is an internationally published expert that has authored multiple peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters.

Dr. Velargo volunteers his works with the humanitarian program Face to Face Unite. Face to Face surgeons volunteer their time by helping improve the visible evidence of patients that have suffered from domestic abuse.

Dr. Velargo and his wife, Leia, enjoy traveling, learning about new cultures, and have a passion for cultural based cuisine and culinary theatre.  They also love spending time with their beautiful and active toddler, Ava.  Dr. Velargo has deep roots in New Orleans Carnival and is a past king (Endymion LI, 2017) and an active member of the Krewe of Endymion as well as the Krewe of Hermes.  He is also a former percussionist for the LSU Golden Band from Tigerland.

Trust your face to Dr. Parker Velargo, a Facial Plastic Surgeon.

 Download Dr. Velargo’s CV →

DR. VELARGO BIO FAQ

I am a New Orleans native who grew up on the Westbank in Terrytown. I attended Brother Martin High School. Following completion of my training, my wife and I established roots in Old Metairie.

After completing my undergraduate studies at LSU in Baton Rouge, I came back to New Orleans to attend medical school at LSU. I spent the next five years in Memphis, TN, for my head and neck surgery residency and then a subsequent year in Alabama for my facial plastic surgery fellowship. Each year I make a point to attend meetings and visit leaders in my field to learn advanced techniques that will ultimately give my patients better care and results.

I only focus on plastic surgery of the face and neck. I am most known for rhinoplasty as well as aging face surgery (facelift, neck lift, eyelid surgery, brow lift, lip lift, and fat grafting). I specifically take pride that my neck lifting and neck contouring procedures are more advanced than any other surgeon in the region. I am the only surgeon in New Orleans specializing in the deep neck lift. Additionally, I’m really proud of the rhinoplasty results I am producing these days. There is so much that I learned over the past nine years in private practice that makes everything I do better.

We want to offer patients a 5-star experience and exceptional results. As they say at Hansen’s Snobliz — “There are no shortcuts to quality”. 

Early on in medical school, I had a significant interest in the complex and challenging anatomy of the head and neck. I also loved surgery and procedural-based medicine. Ultimately, I decided to pursue the highly competitive field of Otolaryngology/ Head & Neck Surgery (ENT). Many people may not realize it, but 25-33% of every ENT training program is devoted exclusively to Facial Plastic Surgery. Where I trained in Memphis, I was lucky enough to train under two very prominent figures in the facial plastic surgery field, and as such, I fell in love with the subspecialty. I really enjoyed helping the trauma patients that came in, critically thinking through cancer reconstruction surgery, and of course, the gratification that came from making patients look and feel better about themselves.

I love coming to work and seeing the positive change (physical and mental) that my work has on patients. I love that I get to utilize my scientific and artistic skills to practice medicine. I also love using my hands on a daily basis to help patients look and feel better about themselves.

I’m constantly learning — visiting other practices, talking with colleagues, going to meetings, etc. I firmly believe that success isn’t something actually achievable. I’m always looking to improve and do better for myself and my patients. 

I’m passionate about food — both cooking and dining experiences. I love culinary theatre. I also love travel, and while I don’t get to travel as often as before I had a young family, I am passionate about the importance of experiencing new cultures and places. 

During my training at the University of Tennessee, I was able to see early on the advantages of an aesthetic-centered practice. I liked the fact that patients voluntarily came to see you, that your intervention often resulted in a near-immediate physical and often emotional change, and that you could actually focus on the treatment and care of your patient without the headache of dealing with insurance companies.

People always say, “things happen for a reason.”  In a moment of uncertainty or disappointment, it doesn’t seem that way. I’ve been rejected, made several business-related mistakes, and had surgical complications. I’ve come to realize that I wouldn’t be where I am now with the knowledge I have without these things happening to me.   

Driven, Honest, Balanced

I had the opportunity to directly train under three past presidents of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery — Drs. Philip Langsdon, E. Gaylon McCollough, and Fred Fedok. Additionally, I directly trained under another legend in the field, Dr. John “Mac” Hodges. I remain close to each of these individuals as they each shaped me in different and lasting ways. In this digital era that we live in, I also consider a couple of other physicians to be mentors, though I have had limited in-person contact with them — Drs. Andrew Jacono and Mike Nayak. Their techniques have shaped many of the current techniques that I utilize in practice — particularly the extended deep plane facelift and deep plane neck lift. 

This journey is not all rainbows and butterflies. In many ways, simultaneously becoming a plastic surgeon and entrepreneur made me a stronger and more patient person. I had no choice but to succeed for the sake of my business and my family, and I knew that if I focused on producing the best results and treating patients like family, I would ultimately “make it” in this field.   

Ultimately, I take great pride in having made a name for myself in New Orleans without riding on the coattails of a more senior surgeon’s reputation. Having patients recommend their family and friends to me after a positive experience is the highest honor and speaks to the care and results I curate for patients. Referrals from other physicians also speak to my positive reputation in the community. Additionally, I am dedicated to advancing my knowledge and techniques through medical education and collaboration with my colleagues across the globe. While tried and true techniques are the cornerstone of plastic surgery, it’s only through modern advances that superior results can be obtained.