Rhinoplasty is one of the hardest operations in cosmetic surgery to get right, and one of the hardest to undo. Bone, cartilage and skin all have to heal into a shape that still works as an airway. Revision is possible, but it is more complicated than the first surgery, and most surgeons will ask you to wait six to twelve months before considering it, so that the swelling has fully settled and they are working with a stable result.

That is why the choice of surgeon carries more weight here than in almost any other facial procedure. San Francisco has plenty of experienced nose surgeons. The real differences between them come down to training route, preferred technique, and the type of cases they handle most often. This guide covers who practices in the city and how to work out which one suits your nose.

How we built this list

We kept the criteria simple and checkable:

• The surgeon practices in San Francisco or the immediate Bay Area.
• Rhinoplasty is a stated focus of the practice, not one line on a long cosmetic menu.
• Credentials and before-and-after work are publicly verifiable.

One thing to be clear about: the surgeons below appear in no particular order of skill. Outcome quality in rhinoplasty depends heavily on the specific case, and a surgeon who is ideal for a revision may not be the obvious pick for a straightforward hump reduction.

San Francisco rhinoplasty surgeons at a glance

Top rhinoplasty surgeons in San Francisco

Dr Tanya Judge

Dr. Tanya Judge is a double board-certified plastic surgeon, certified in both General Surgery and Plastic Surgery, running a practice on Bush Street in San Francisco where nose surgery sits alongside her other facial work. Her rhinoplasty page is unusually specific about process, which helps if you like knowing what you are signing up for.

She performs both open and closed rhinoplasty and discusses which one fits your case during the consultation rather than defaulting to a single technique. The practice uses 3-D imaging at that appointment, so you see a projection of your nose and face before you commit to anything.

The surgery itself is an outpatient procedure under general anaesthetic and usually runs two to three hours. Pre-operative instructions and any lab work forms are issued around two weeks ahead. Most patients typically go back to work within seven working days, with strenuous activity off the table for a full four weeks. Consultations are $200, applied toward the cost of treatment. Individual results vary.

Dr David W. Kim

Dr Kim is a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon whose practice centres on advanced rhinoplasty. He handles primary cases, complex revision work, and functional facial surgery from a Francisco Street address in San Francisco.

Dr Evan Ransom

Dr Ransom is a board-certified plastic surgeon specializing in facial procedures, based on Sutter Street. His practice concentrates on cosmetic facial surgery, with rhinoplasty, facelift and eyelid surgery as the core offerings.

Dr Raj Dedhia

Dr Dedhia is a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon on Hyde Street with over ten years of surgical experience, focused on rhinoplasty and facelift surgery. He is a diplomate of the American Board of Otolaryngology and the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

Dr Albert Chow

Dr Chow holds board certification in three areas: plastic surgery, facial plastic surgery, and otolaryngology. That combination shows in his case mix, which covers cosmetic work alongside functional procedures such as septoplasty and turbinate reduction. His practice notes that most of his patients have open rhinoplasty, performed under general anaesthesia, and that the surgery can take four to six hours.

Dr Michael Kulick

Dr Kulick is a board-certified plastic surgeon practicing on Sutter Street. He completed his residency at Stanford University Medical Center and is affiliated with California Pacific Medical Center. Rhinoplasty is one part of a broad surgical practice rather than his sole focus.

Dr Dino Elyassnia

Dr Elyassnia is a board-certified plastic surgeon in San Francisco whose work spans facial procedures including rhinoplasty, eyelid surgery and facelift. His stated approach leans toward preserving the features that make a face recognizable rather than standardizing them.

UCSF Facial Plastics

The academic option. UCSF’s board-certified surgeons handle nose reshaping, revision and refinement, and can combine rhinoplasty with septoplasty or endoscopic sinus surgery where breathing problems or chronic sinus infections are part of the picture. They also take reconstructive cases such as birth defects and broken noses.

How to choose the right rhinoplasty surgeon

Check the board, not just the certification

Two different training routes lead to nose surgery. One runs through plastic and reconstructive surgery, the other through otolaryngology and facial plastic surgery. Neither is better. What matters is that the surgeon is certified by a recognized board and that you know which one. The certifying boards publish verification tools, so confirming a claim takes a couple of minutes.

Ask how many rhinoplasties they do a year

Total years in surgery tells you less than volume in this one procedure. A surgeon doing rhinoplasty weekly has seen more variations in nasal anatomy than one doing a handful a year alongside body work. Ask the number directly. Reluctance to answer is itself informative.

Look for before-and-after cases that resemble yours

Scrolling a gallery of good-looking results is not the same as finding proof. Look for patients whose starting anatomy matched yours: similar skin thickness, similar hump, similar tip. Thick skin and thin skin behave very differently after surgery, and a surgeon whose portfolio is all one type may not be the right fit. This step also grounds your expectations, and the psychological effects of cosmetic surgery depend heavily on how closely the outcome matches what you pictured going in.

Ask which technique they recommend and why

Open rhinoplasty uses a small incision across the strip of tissue between the nostrils, giving the surgeon a full view of the framework underneath. Closed rhinoplasty works entirely through incisions inside the nostrils and suits more limited changes. A surgeon who offers both and can explain the reasoning for your particular nose is a stronger sign than one who does everything the same way.

Takeaway

Use this list as a starting shortlist, not a verdict. Booking two or three consultations is normal, and the fees are worth it for the comparison alone. Pay attention to whether the surgeon listens to what you actually want, shows you cases like yours, and is honest about what surgery cannot fix. The right choice is the one whose past work looks like the result you are picturing.

FAQs

• How much does rhinoplasty cost in San Francisco? It varies widely depending on technique, complexity and whether functional work is included. Most practices quote after an in-person consultation rather than publishing a flat price, and consultation fees are often credited toward the surgery.
• How long does rhinoplasty recovery take? Swelling, bruising and stuffiness generally settle within the first week to ten days. Many patients return to desk work in roughly a week, with strenuous exercise avoided for about four weeks. Subtle swelling in the tip can take a year or longer to resolve fully, and individual recovery varies.
• What is the difference between open and closed rhinoplasty? Open rhinoplasty involves a small external incision between the nostrils, which lets the surgeon see and reshape the underlying structure directly. Closed rhinoplasty is done through incisions inside the nose only, leaves no visible external scar, and is generally used for smaller adjustments.
• Is rhinoplasty covered by insurance? Purely cosmetic rhinoplasty is not. Functional surgery to correct breathing problems, such as septoplasty, is sometimes covered if properly documented. Many cosmetic practices do not accept insurance at all, so confirm before you plan around it.

Robert Haynes, a psychology graduate from the University of Hertfordshire, has a keen interest in the fields of mental health, wellness, and lifestyle.