Chia Chi Kao, MD

It seems in the world of plastic surgery that there are always going to be patients who are happy and those who are not. My experience with Dr Kao mirrors the other 5 star reviews. Over a year ago I was attacked by a dog and had half of my upper lip bitten off. It happened in a small town with no plastic surgeon on call... so the ER Dr did his best to stich what was left of my lip together.
For me.. the Kao Institute felt magical. Every single person was immeasurably kind and I literally felt like a Queen. I live in the midwest and the consideration of an expensive reconstruction was not one I took lightly. I can confidently say it was worth every penny. I'm not finished healing yet (reconstruction is a much longer recovery) .....I'll come back at a year to post my final results. I am grateful to have found Dr Kao .. he gave me back my smile! P.S. He did a lip lift to even out the symmetry so I choose that since there was no category for reconstruction.

I had a breast lift with the placement of an internal bra done back in March, and I couldn't be happier with the results. Dr. Kao is truly an artist. He pays extreme attention to detail and strives for getting as close as possible to perfection - all while maintaining a natural look. He takes great pride in his work, and wants to make sure that you'll be happy with your results post-operation. Not only is his work spectacular, but his personality is too. He is extremely humble and friendly - and gives you the assurance that you're going to come out of his clinic looking like the best version of yourself. I highly recommend him, and will get all my cosmetic surgeries done by him moving forward. His team is also exceptional - everyone made me feel so calm and comfortable before and after surgery. The next thing that I will for sure get done by him is the signature ponytail lift.

Dr. Kao is an absolute magical artist. I live in South Florida where there are lots of great surgeons but came all the way to Santa Monica to have Dr Kao perform my ponytail face lift. From the moment I walked in the beautiful serene surroundings I felt like I was part of a family. The staff took such incredible care to make sure I was comfortable and cared for. Dr. Kao is an absolute talented angel and I couldn't be happier with my results. I continue to return every 3 months to see Dr Kao and my other angel Chrissey who does all of my esthetic services now. I highly recommend Dr. Kao! There is simply no one better! Thank you Dr. Kao, Chrissey, Gayle and the entire team - you have all changed my life !

I can’t say enough about what a talented, amazing, artistic and genius this man truly is! He is simply on another lever. I had a ponytail lift and and upper bleph with him about a month ago and I couldn’t be happier. Best money you will EVER spend! I got to him through “thebeautybroker” Melinda Farina and they both were so helpful. He truly cares about his patients and came to visit me daily after surgery. I can send photos privately if anyone is interested. I have NO visible scars and you need a microscope to see the line above my eyes it’s honestly insane, every one of his stitches is miticulous and with thought.

Dr. Kao is simply the best. I did a consult with several different top surgeons in Los Angeles and Beverly Hills and as soon as I met Kao, I knew I had found my guy. He is an artist and really takes the time to talk about what you are looking for and understand your desired results. I did a boob reduction/lift, lipo fat transfer and the x-lift (a lesser version of his famous ponytail facelift). He spend 5 or 6 hours just sewing my breast scars with a multilayer? stitch---his work is really meticulous--which is exactly what I was looking for. I am 14 days out of surgery and so far very pleased with the results. He has a wonderful team and they have all treated me like a VIP. I will give a follow up post to report back on my final results but so far I couldn't be happier

Dr. Kao is an exemplary surgeon and I feel blessed that he was available for me. The scar revision became a bit more extensive when the doctor discovered a large hernia, but he patiently and expertly repaired it. I felt very well cared for and at ease the whole time. It was a stellar experience from beginning to end. I highly recommend Dr. Kao and The Kao Center!

Dr. Kao is a talented surgeon with gifted hands, a wealth of knowledge and a kind and compassionate heart. His thorough preparation is unparalleled... He invests an enormity of time studying, and planning on how to approach and tackle the case to obtain the optimal outcome and I am so grateful to be his patient. Choosing the right surgeon is crucial and, when under duress, is not an easy thing to do. I am a cancer survivor having been diagnosed with bilateral DCIS on March 31 2016... which began my journey of dealing with cancer. Dr. Kao was not my first plastic surgeon for reconstruction but I am so fortunate to have found him for my second chance... on reconstruction... and he will be my last!!!! When I was diagnosed I immediately began the process of researching and consulting with numerous specialists to make decisions on my treatment plan... this included 4 plastic surgeons all highly recommended by the oncology specialists I was speaking to (regretably Dr. Kao was not one of them).... I made the difficult decision to undergo a double nipple sparing mastectomy with reconstruction, rather then lumpectomies with radiation. While my oncology surgeon who performed the mastectomies - Kristi Funk, MD., worked her magic.... I was not so lucky with my my initial choice in plastic surgeons. I underwent not 1 or 2 or 3, or 4... but 8 - yes 8 reconstructive surgeries with that surgeon between 6/2016 and 6/2017 all under general anesthesia. While I did know going in that the need for multiple reconstruction procedures was not uncommon after mastectomy... no one ever suggested there would be 8 of them. And while with each procedure my original surgeon assured me there would be improvement and that this was the nature of the beast.... unfortunately no improvement followed. The outcome was so horrifying that by the 8th surgery... I would cry each morning when I saw my reflection in the mirror... After so many tries I began to think it was just me.... I was being selfish and should be grateful to be cancer free. Nevertheless I began consulting with other plastic surgeons and after meeting with 3 more plastic surgeons I found Dr. Kao.... who was the first who left me feeling he could improve my outcome. In our initial meeting, Dr. Kao spent nearly two hours with me. He took the time to outline each and every step of the procedures he would perform and what I could expect. He patiently answered all my questions, provided me with detailed explanations of what he could and would achieve, and explained the challenges he and I would face in my second chance reconstruction. His attention to detail, knowledge, and strive for perfection was apparent from our first meeting. I remember leaving his office feeling I had finally found a surgeon who could help improve my reconstruction. During the entire experience, Dr. Kao and Fallon, his patient coordinator. really helped me through the whole process by supporting all my needs. Fallon coordinated the scheduling for pre op, surgery and post op, and was always kind and supportive each time we spoke. And as for my result.... I am now about 8 weeks out.... and Dr. Kao out performed himself and all of the promises and assurances he made to me! His surgical talent is apparent and unsurpassed... with the tools of his trade, he thinks outside the box to achieve outcomes I am convinced no other surgeon could match. As a cancer survivor I am very lucky to have found this surgeon! For those of you who have faced the misfortune of not so attractive outcomes after mastectomies, I highly encourage you to consult with Dr. Kao.

In order to truly comprehend how significantly Dr. Kao has positively impacted my life, let me start with why I sought the help of a plastic surgeon in the first place. I had endured the trauma of a sexual assault at knife point. I turned to food for solace and ended up gaining over 80 pounds. This self-imposed barrier somehow helped me feel safe and protected initially. But eventually I felt imprisoned. It limited me from living life fully. I knew that in order to free myself and move on, I had to rid myself of this excess baggage. It took me almost 9 months but after much discipline following a strict diet, I returned to my normal size. Unfortunately the victory was short-lived and not as fulfilling as expected. When I looked into the mirror, while I didn't see fat anymore what I saw now was sagging skin. I had traded one reminder of the past for yet another. I still didn't look like myself on the outside despite finally returning to who I knew myself to be on the inside. And to make matters worse, the man with whom I'd lived for 23 years was moving out and I would be heading into the unfamiliar world of dating where you only get one chance to make a good first impression. But instead of my face reflecting my joyful nature...irregardless of my smile...the drooping eyes made me look sad. And the thought of getting naked with a man was beyond terrifying. Yet, that was exactly what led to the next step in my journey back to wholeness. While in bed with the man I was seeing, he shared that he was especially attracted to his previous girlfriend's body because she had breast implants. That did it! It was time for me to do whatever I could to be my best self...inside and out. At my very first consultation with Dr. Kao, I knew he was the right plastic surgeon for me. He was understanding and caring. He too wanted me to look like me only better. He focused intently as he assessed my particular needs and honestly and realistically explained what he could do for me. He patiently answered all of my questions and explained his innovative methods which set him apart from others in this field. He looked me in the eyes, was a great listener and was compassionate...all of which gave me confidence and trust moving forward. I scheduled surgery and never looked back. A decision I will never regret. Despite initially thinking I would start with the breasts, Dr. Kao and I together decided to do the face first which ended up being a wise choice. His vision and artistry, high standards, attention to detail and passion about delivering great results are to be commended and he does deliver! He is highly talented and a master...very professional and with the utmost of integrity. I am grateful to have been on the receiving end of his expertise which has been life-changing. Thanks Dr. Kao for being who you are, doing what you do and for helping me reclaim my life :)

I had an Endoscopic facelift, neck lift, eye lift, fat transfer, and laser skin resurfacing in one procedure. Fat and stem cells were endoscopically put all over my face, neck and lips. I wanted to write this review for those folks who are terrified to go overseas and want a natural no one will know you had a facelift and have the resources to pay for the best in facial work. I realize everyone has a different comfort level and price level but wanted to write this review as I think Dr. Kao is amazing at what he does and wanted to share it in this forum. I did a ton of research to find a doctor who would not cut the sides of my face and pull sideways, but a surgeon who would pull my face up and made me look like a better me, and not look like I had any plastic surgery done. I know he works on A list celebrities and that was important to me to have the best of the best.
I am a 49 year old gal in great shape who was very very very wrinkly. My mother is gorgeous but has a lot of wrinkles so I knew my face would only get worse. I am allergic to Botox and other fillers so I was running out of options. My surgery lasted 14 hours and although the healing time took way longer than anticipated, at 3 months out I am thrilled with the results.
Here are my top 10 tips I wish I knew before I had surgery that hopefully will help some of you thinking about a similar procedure.
1) If you don't want anyone to know you are having surgery don't plan anything for a good 8 weeks. I had no stitches that were visible or bruises but I was pretty swollen and didn't look totally amazing until almost week 10.
2) If you live at a higher altitude it takes WAY longer to heal. Less oxygen.
3) Get Bariatric Oxygen as often as you can afford to go, it really helped speed up my recovery once I started and wish I would have made arrangements before my surgery for multiple sessions over 8 weeks.
4) Find a Lymphatic massage therapist, the 2 gals I saw saved me and made my neck feel so much better and truly helped the swelling go down.
5) Have the doc prescribe Diflucan for a potential yeast infection from all the antibiotics, wasn't fun waiting in line at the pharmacist on day 6.
6) Totally avoid salt
7) I found truly lying around and taking it easy the first 4 weeks helped with my healing. If I ran errands or moved around too much my neck would throb and my healing slowed down.
8) Don't have your partner or friends see you at the beginning, find a good after care center that can take care of you at least the first 3-5 days. The one in Santa Monica was key to my initial healing. They don't need to see the 3 drainage tubes I had for a week. Also, I was so thankful to have the first 2 weeks to myself to concentrate on healing.
9) If they are going to do a fat transfer buy compression clothing ahead of time in case you bruise on your thighs and hips.
10) I found eyelash extensions on week 4 helped distract folks from seeing something weird about me to saying Oh you got eyelashes.
I only am posting a before and after photo of my neck as I am pretty private about my procedure. If you want additional info, feel free to contact me. Bottom line, the procedure was way more of a big deal that I realized and it took way longer than I had been told to heal, (with a fat/stem cell transfer it takes longer to heal but lasts longer than a regular facelift) but totally worth it and yes I would do it again, even though it cost the price of a Porshe, having my face look absolutely normal was the most important thing to me and worth every penny I saved.

Dr. Kao seemed disinterested and was uninformative when I had my consultation. The consultation was $500, which I don’t feel is high for a busy doctor. You pay for his time. I would go so far as to say he was rude. He never explained anything, his head resting on his hand like he was bored. I was soooo looking forward to chatting with him. What a disappointment. My estimate was $148,000 (yes that one is supposed to be there). I ended up going elsewhere and I’m extremely happy I did.