Rhinoplasty is the least forgiving operation in facial plastic surgery. Millimeters decide the result, revision costs more than the original, and the outcome sits in the middle of your face permanently.
Choosing the surgeon matters more here than in almost any procedure. Below are seven San Francisco surgeons worth consulting, with the credentials that actually distinguish them.
What separates a rhinoplasty surgeon from a plastic surgeon
Three things to check before anything else.
Board certification, and in what. The American Board of Plastic Surgery and the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery are the two that matter. Doctors calling themselves cosmetic surgeons may hold neither.
Whether they perform both open and closed techniques. A surgeon offering only one will recommend the one they offer.
Whether they show you the plan first. 3-D imaging is now standard among surgeons doing this seriously, and it separates agreeing on an outcome from hoping for one.
1. Dr. Tanya Judge, M.D.
Double board certified in Plastic Surgery and General Surgery
Dr. Tanya Judge practices at 1199 Bush Street in San Francisco and holds board certification in both Plastic Surgery and General Surgery, which is a broader surgical foundation than most facial specialists bring to the operation.
Training
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery residency at UC Davis Medical Center, 2014 to 2017. General Surgery residency at Temple University, 2011 to 2014, following General Surgery training at New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell, 2009 to 2011. Medical degree from St. George’s University, and a B.A. in Molecular and Cell Biology with Neuroscience from UC Berkeley.
Eight years of surgical residency across three institutions before private practice, longer than the minimum path.
The academic record
Dr. Judge has published peer-reviewed work in the Journal of Pediatric Surgery, Clinical Anatomy and Folia Morphologica, including anatomical research on the subscapular nerves and the cephalic vein. She has presented Grand Rounds at UC Davis on blepharoplasty complications, breast reconstruction technique and wound healing.
Anatomical publication is unusual in aesthetic practice, and it matters here specifically, since rhinoplasty is applied anatomy under a very thin skin envelope.
Approach
Both open and closed rhinoplasty are performed, with technique chosen at consultation rather than by default. Open separates the skin from the framework for precise sculpting. Closed works through incisions inside the nostrils for limited corrections.
3-D imaging is used at consultation so you see the projected result before agreeing to surgery.
Her stated philosophy is that great aesthetic surgery should be imperceptible to a trained eye, achieved through symmetry and balance. She is also a painter, photographer and woodworker, which matters more than it sounds in an operation judged by eye rather than measurement.
What she treats
Nasal asymmetry and deviated septum, dorsal humps and depressions, nose size relative to other features, bridge and nostril width, bulbous or drooping tips. Functional work covers breathing problems, congenital differences and injury repair.
Practical detail
Outpatient under general anesthetic, typically two to three hours. Swelling, bruising and stuffiness usually fade within seven to ten days. Most patients return to work within seven working days, avoiding strenuous activity for four weeks.
Consultations are $200, applied toward treatment. Before and after galleries are published.
Contact: 1199 Bush St, #490, San Francisco, CA 94109. (415) 409-9760.
2. Dr. David W. Kim, M.D.
Double board certified facial plastic surgeon
An internationally recognized rhinoplasty specialist named a 2026 Castle Connolly Top Doctor, a distinction awarded to roughly the top 7 percent of physicians nationally on peer nomination. Covers primary, complex revision and functional nasal surgery. Worth consulting if your case involves prior surgery.
3. Dr. Kenneth Bermudez, M.D.
Board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery
An established San Francisco plastic surgeon covering rhinoplasty alongside facelift and eyelid surgery, with a published gallery.
His own materials make a point worth repeating: board-certified plastic surgeons complete a minimum of three years of plastic surgery residency on top of medical school. Not every doctor advertising cosmetic services has.
4. Dr. Raj Dedhia, M.D.
Double board certified facial plastic surgeon
Over ten years of surgical experience with a stated focus on rhinoplasty and facelift, across more than 10,000 patients.
Facial plastic surgeons train through otolaryngology rather than general plastic surgery, bringing different depth on nasal airway function. Relevant if breathing is part of your concern.
5. Dr. Albert Chow, M.D.
Triple board certified, including facial plastic surgery and otolaryngology
A specialist in complex Asian rhinoplasty and revision rhinoplasty, with a stated emphasis on preserving ethnic characteristics rather than imposing a standard profile.
Ethnic rhinoplasty is a genuine subspecialty. If preserving the character of your features matters, a surgeon who names it explicitly is worth consulting.
6. UCSF Facial Plastic Surgery
Academic medical center practice
UCSF’s facial plastics division performs both endonasal and open rhinoplasty, drawing septal cartilage for augmentation and using ear or rib cartilage in revision cases needing more material. An academic setting suits complex functional cases.
7. Dr. Dino Elyassnia, M.D.
Board certified plastic surgeon
San Francisco practice with a facial surgery emphasis and a stated approach built around preserving individual characteristics.
How to choose between them
Consult more than one. Two or three consultations cost a few hundred dollars and are the cheapest insurance available on a decision this consequential.
Ask to see cases like yours. Not the best cases. Cases with your nasal shape, your skin thickness, your goal. Thick skin behaves differently from thin skin and any honest surgeon will say so.
Ask about revision policy before surgery. Rhinoplasty has one of the higher revision rates in aesthetic surgery, and revision rhinoplasty is a considerably harder operation than the first one. Scar tissue, altered anatomy and cartilage that may already have been harvested all make the second attempt more difficult and less predictable. Ask what happens if you are unhappy for twelve months, before you book.
Ask who performs the operation. Confirm the surgeon you consulted is the one operating.
Check certification independently with the American Board of Plastic Surgery or the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, rather than taking a website’s word.
Be suspicious of certainty. Swelling resolves over twelve to eighteen months and no surgeon can promise an exact outcome. A consultation that guarantees a result is telling you something about the surgeon.
Understand the risks before the consultation, not during it. Every plastic surgery procedure carries risk of bleeding, infection, scarring and revision, and the degree depends partly on the surgeon’s experience. Arriving familiar with that lets you spend the consultation on your case rather than the basics.
Frequently asked questions
How much does rhinoplasty cost in San Francisco?
It varies by surgeon, complexity and whether the work is functional, cosmetic or both. Consultation fees commonly run $150 to $300 and are often applied toward treatment. Request a written quote covering surgeon’s fee, anesthesia and facility charges separately, because a single figure often omits two of the three.
How long is recovery?
Most swelling and bruising resolves within seven to ten days. Many patients return to desk work inside a week and avoid strenuous activity for around four weeks. Final refinement of the tip continues for twelve to eighteen months.
Open or closed rhinoplasty, which is better?
Neither universally. Open gives fuller exposure for precise structural work and leaves a small columellar scar. Closed avoids that scar and suits limited corrections. The answer depends on your anatomy, which is why a surgeon offering both is preferable.
Will insurance cover it?
Cosmetic rhinoplasty is not covered. Functional surgery correcting a documented breathing obstruction may be, in part. Where both are performed together, the functional portion is sometimes claimable. Check with your insurer before scheduling.
What is the revision rate?
Published estimates commonly sit between 5 and 15 percent depending on case complexity and whether the procedure is primary or secondary. Ask any surgeon for their own rate and their revision policy.
Does a facial plastic surgeon differ from a plastic surgeon?
Yes, in training route. Facial plastic surgeons train through otolaryngology and focus on head and neck. Plastic surgeons train through general surgery and cover the whole body. Both produce excellent rhinoplasty surgeons, and the individual matters more than the pathway.
Before you book
Verify certification independently. Consult at least two surgeons. Ask to see cases resembling yours rather than gallery highlights. Get the revision policy in writing.
Rhinoplasty done well is invisible, and that is the point. Individual results vary and no outcome is guaranteed. This article is general information, not medical advice.
