nikolas chugay introduced the procedure in the u.s.our years ago, after first seeing it done in latin america. >> i thought, you know, this is a good way to help people lose weight quickly. our first stitch is already in. i am just going to put four knots on it. make sure it stays in there. >> he said the way it works was, if you eat solid food, your tongue rolls back and it would cause pain. >> reporter: chugay says lysander is his 81st patient as he pioneers the process here, in what is arguably the plastic surgery capital of the country, southern california. but, that's nothing compared to body-conscious venezuela. one clinic in caracas has stitched patches on more than 800 tongues. is the goal of the tongue patch so that your tongue hurts when you swallow food? >> it's a pattern interrupt. when patients want to swallow food, they realize, "hey, i cannot do that." that's why i have this patch here. so it reminds them. >> reporter: but, you're sewing a foreign object into somebody's mouth. is that healthy? >> well, it's not unhealthy