Dino R. Elyassnia, MD

This review is for Dino and the entire team (special shoutout to Nancy, Meredith!!).

Dr. Elyassnia and crew took excellent care of me in 2015. My scars were invisible. The procedure and recovery was flawless. The price was reasonable for the best in SF. I felt supported and cared for throughout.

10 years later I had an issue and the followup has given me faith that there ARE GOOD DOCTORS AND PEOPLE THAT CARE. I know it doesn't always seem like it in this crazy world that we live in, and complicated health care system. Dr. E has proved time and time again that he cares about the patient first. Not $.

For example, engaging with paragraphs of thoughtful responses to answer detailed questions without any confirmed go forward business value. Advising me that someone else might be better specialized and practiced, even though he could absolutely do the procedure (and be better than 99.9999% of all doctors out there). Adapting and advising what is best based upon my mindset (not what he thinks), knowing that how the patient feels is equally or more important than facts alone.

Dino looks at you as a whole person. He thinks downstream and advises from the heart. When you see Dr. E, you become a patient for life. The clinic will always be there to support you (even a decade + later with texts and personal calls on weekends!). I would not hesitate if you are on the fence.

He is an ethical, excellent, perfectionist with the steadiest of hands and a sharp eye for details (the things that matter).

It’s been nearly 2 years since my surgery and it just keeps getting better. -

This review is LONG, so it’s really for those interested. And some advice for those looking for a surgeon and needing to prepare for the recovery. Don’t ask, I’m not going to post my photos publicly here and want my privacy. Dr. Elyassnia has my permission to show partial photos of me at the clinic. So book a consult to see my photos, it will be some of the best money you ever spend. ;)

I was ready at 40 to do something about my tired eyes, almost nonexistent jawline and sagging neck coupled with a growing and dropping double chin. I interviewed several doctors, some in SF, some from LA and NYC and even a few internationally. For one reason or another, these other doctors did not work out, or turned out to not be the best fit. It took me 5 years to find the right place. I had begun to believe that in order to get good aesthetic surgery, I’d need to go to LA or NYC, but I’m so glad I found the Marten Clinic and Dr. Dino Elyassnia- simply the best. They got me where I wanted to be safely and be able to recover in the comfort of my home.

Research:
I’m a creative with a medical/healthcare background, so I knew that getting a classic, natural, masculine result, and doing it safely, I needed it done right the first time. I’m very well-read on plastic surgery, and have an understanding of how a lot of these procedures are done and what you might achieve. As a creative, I’m also keenly aware of proportions of the human face at all the right angles, and where my flaws are, large and small. Unlike other doctors whose egos got in the way or felt it a waste of time to answer my many questions, Dr. Elyassnia did not shy away or make it difficult. He and Dr. Marten are wildly overqualified in every way and association, highly educated, teach and train other surgeons worldwide, and top rated by Newsweek / Castle Connolly. Despite all of this, Dr. Elyassnia and his staff show no ego, are extremely down to earth, no-pressure, and keep a low profile. If you weren’t told, you’d never know they have one of the top clinics in the world.

If you are technically inclined (or have medical training), I might suggest buying a membership to PlasticSurgeryKey online so you can read the technical articles with images by the Marten Clinic, and many world experts in Cosmetic Surgery and Dermatology. It’s not for the faint of heart, but for me, I felt strongly that if I did not have a good understanding of the surgeries and risks, I should not do them. There are also many books out there that a lay person can read for a basic understanding of common surgeries offered. Boy am I glad I did- absolutely life-changing.

Procedures:
To be clear, I look young for my age, and am not elderly, but my neck and jaw looked weak and terrible, and not the strong/masculine appearance I wanted, this was not really about trying to look younger than my age. I could not risk a surgeon that would feminize my appearance or give me a lackluster result. The major surgery I had was an extensive short-scar neck lift with fat transfer. Through a small incision under my chin, they removed both excess superficial fat and deep fat within my neck, shaved down my oversized salivary glands in my neck, and tightened up the muscles in my neck with a platysmaplasty. I probably could not have gotten this complete of a result elsewhere but at the Marten Clinic, where they have pioneered and perfected this combination procedure. I also had an upper/lower blepharoplasty and lip lift, as my long upper lip and shortening teeth was yielding a sad smile and “Mr. Burns” kind of appearance.

Prep and recovery:
I wanted the very best result possible so I followed the clinics instructions as religion. I was less nervous than expected, and they made me very comfortable before the surgery and even had a heated blanket/wrap during surgery, as it is quite cold in the O.R. Of course, the surgery entirely knocked the wind out of me, and it was a few days before I was able to take my first shower with assistance. There was very little pain, and it was easily managed with a half-dose of the painkillers they gave me. Face, eyes, neck and sides tender to the touch, and the stitches tugged sharply if not careful, but otherwise, very easy. I wanted off these meds ASAP and switched to just Tylenol after about 4 days.

Anyone wanting these surgeries needs to be prepared to look like you were hit by a truck. I was ready, but it was still an entertaining shock. My better half was horrified and worried. I became extremely swollen the first week, my entire head and face like a balloon with minor bruising around my eyes and jaw, and 2 surgical drains to collect excess fluids and blood, all wrapped up like a Russian babushka in a surgical bandage. Even my phone was unable to recognize me with the swelling. It was a great relief to get the drains and stitches out after 6 days, and things got a lot better after that. Bruising was minimal, and I could go outside my house for walks at night with a scarf, glasses and “clever disguises” I had the head of a 300lb man though, and was not recognizable. For those getting the neck lift, you are not allowed to bend over, turn your head or let your chin down even to read, so I would strongly suggest getting a foam neck brace. I had one at home and wished I’d started with it sooner, it truly restricts your movement to speed correct healing. My windows are not very private and I had applied a frosted film where neighbors might look in too directly. I would suggest this if privacy is any issue, you will not want anyone to see you like this, and you will be imprisoned in your home/hotel for weeks. Most importantly, never loose your sense of humor, it really saved me, knowing that I looked like an idiot, but was going to improve later.

Diet during recovery was bland and soft, I’d prepared blended soups and smoothies in advance of the surgery, and was so weak after surgery, I could only sip liquids from a straw on one side of my mouth, and graduated to oatmeal and cottage cheese after 4-5 days. No coffee, caffeine, alcohol, salty, or sour foods (all my favorite things!) for a few weeks so as to not stimulate the healing salivary glands. It was not fun but entirely worth it! Coconut water (surprisingly) was my favorite beverage and soothed my throat and kept my electrolytes and thirst in check.

I went back to work after 3.5 weeks, and while the worst was over, I was still quite swollen in the face, and underneath my chin, and it was obvious that something had happened. I attended a party at about 5 weeks and still felt swollen and “chubby cheeked” or puffy, as if I’d gained 20 lbs. For me, it was at least 6-8 weeks before I felt people were not staring at me and wondering what I’d done, a few friends asked. If you have the ability to stay out of the office for at least a month and work from home, I’d strongly recommend allowing yourself to heal at your own pace. The remaining swelling took 6 months to a year before I felt like I was coming into my own again.

Results:
I am so happy with my results- I’d do it again in a heartbeat. I’m glad I was able to save for this surgery and fought for it at home where I had little support or understanding. My eyes are fresh, and slightly larger (more pupil-show) than before and more open, there is no bulging fat pad below my eyes anymore, although minimal before. The shape is improved, somehow. Very subtle, no real visible scars at all. My lip lift is a subtle change, but I now have a more open smile, and can see more of my upper teeth, rather than lower! My neck and jawline is dramatically changed, although no one can really pinpoint what is different, I now have an angle underneath my chin and from the sides of my jaw, and a real shadow line underneath my jawline in photos, even from behind and the sides. I really got the “high and tight” I was looking for, it still feels (comfortably) tight, but my muscles and skin will stretch in time to fill the void. The fat transfers to my face broadened my sharp chin, and widened my jawline to the width of my cheeks, it looks incredible, but natural. The fat transfer is FIRM and feels like muscle underneath the skin. Dr. Elyassnia is really an artist, he understood what I wanted, and helped me achieve a stronger, more masculine look. Subtle enhancements to my very thin lips, and lateral cheekbones, subtle ogee curves to the face- cheek to chin to jaw angle and back. I did need some additional filler in my jaw/undereye/lips after the surgery, which I paid for, but it was worth it, and the fat transfer did almost all of the job permanently.

I look and feel stronger as a man, and most importantly, I look like me. No one attempting surgery should ever try to be someone else, even if we admire or want to improve ourselves. Even my own parents could not tell/comment how I was different (they see me only every couple of years). Friends who see me often say I look great, sometimes they say I look younger, and can’t figure it out, and maybe lost some weight.

Now I’ve been back weightlifting on a dedicated program for over 6 months, and have lost nearly 20 lbs, I have about 15 more to go. The results from my surgery keep getting better as I get leaner. I feel like a million bucks. I’m nearly back to being more the person on the outside I am on the inside and feel great about my age. I wish I had more grey hair, I look too young. Also, a few fringe benefits, I had an eyelid twitch and dry eyes prior to my surgery that lasted nearly a year- it’s gone. I also was diagnosed with sleep apnea just a few months before my surgery, and with the removal of deep neck fat, I have not slept or breathed easier in a long time and feel more rested in the mornings. I’ve had this retested and went from moderate-severe, to less than half of the obstruction I had while sleeping before.

All this said, Dr. Elyassnia and his staff are not just the best, they are kind and tactful, genuine, good folks. Zero pretention; overly modest. If every I hear a friend even suggest that they might want to have some kind of surgery, I pull them aside and tell them they must at least interview at The Marten Clinic, and they can’t believe I’ve actually done anything, maybe a little botox.

Best of luck to you in your research. There are a lot of good doctors out there; you get what you pay for most of the time. Dr. Elyassnia was a clear match for me, and also a few people I’ve sent his way.

Thank you Dr. Dino, Nancy, Helen, Kelly, Desiree who helped make this happen and for putting up with my ridiculous looks and sense of humor while recovering. Lifechanging. Absolutely love you guys!

I've wanted septorhinoplasty since I was 15, and had just decided to go through with it finally, when I first found Dr. Elyassnia (through Instagram). To start, I wanted to fix a very prominent dorsal hump and a bulbous tip. I also wanted to fix my 30% deviated septum and narrow airways, which had made me a mouth-breather for my entire life. At the time of this initial review, I am almost 6 months post op.

CONSULTATIONS / PRE-SURGERY:

I researched doctors from Turkey to Beverly Hills and out of all the consultations I had, I felt the most comfortable with Dr. Elyassnia for how professional, knowledgable and logical he was. It also helped that he was located in SF, right in my backyard, so I can see him at a drop of a hat if I had any need for extra consultations and post-op appointments. I ended up trusting him the most for being able to talk me out of wanting a Bella Hadid nose. He showed me how unnatural her shape was and how unnatural it would look on me. I had previously held off on rhinoplasty for fear of what others would think of me if they noticed what I had done and that insecurity almost matched the insecurity I had about my nose itself. So even though his reluctance had frustrated me at first, after giving it some thought, I knew it was best to do right by the dynamics of the rest of my face and my existing nose structure. Now in retrospect, I deeply appreciate him for his honestly in that moment (especially since Bella Hadid had recently come out saying that she regrets her nose job!!).

Another reason I had held off on this procedure for a while was due to the fear of a botched nose job or a collapsed cartilage. But after speaking to Dr Elysassnia, I felt I didn't need to worry about any of that, given his conservative approach to rhinoplasty.

The main idea of his "Closed Preservation Rhinoplasty" technique is to alter as little as possible in order to preserve the structure of the cartilage, while also delivering good results, aesthetically and internally. Given that I wanted work done on the outside AND inside structures of my nose (a lot of altering), it comforted me to know that deep focus would be put into the structural integrity of my cartilage. He explained exactly what would be done during surgery, gave me clear and concise pre-surgery instructions (no drinking, no ibuprofen, etc) and also prepped me with what to expect in regards to the healing process. Additionally, in the two weeks leading up to the surgery, I had been taking Arnica, bought from Whole Food, 3 times a day for its anti-inflammatory properties. The doctor said he didn’t feel it was necessary since it’s not scientifically backed, but didn’t mind that I take it (I personally think it was a huge contributing factor to my surprising lack of swelling and bruising post-surgery).

I also want to mention his anesthesiologist, who's name I don't remember. He was very kind and had given me a phone call personally, to give me some info on the anesthesia process, and answer any questions or concerns I had. I really appreciated that since I had never "gone under" before.

SURGERY:

My surgery appointment was for 7 AM on January 20th, 2022. Dr. Elyassnia's surgery room is located in the same building and floor as his office. I was given access to a private bathroom so I can change into surgery clothes and have a moment to myself (I was super nervous). Then I was led into a room where I met with Dr E and we aligned once more on what I wanted for my nose - the removal and narrowing of my dorsal hump, a pointier tip and better airways. Then I met with the Anesthesiologist, who gave my Tylenol, Arnica and a third pill meant to act as a sedative. I was also given an injection that I was told was also a slight sedative. For how nervous I was the night before, the morning of, and walking into the door, I felt strangely calm when it came time to lie down on the table, so it must've worked! I don't remember going under and hardly remember being wheeled out of the building. The building is located on a busy street in SF so I remember feeling a little self conscious being wheeled out in a wheelchair and in all my bandages while all these people walked about.

Since I had CLOSED rhinoplasty, it meant that my stitches were all internal. Dr. Elyassnia shaved a little bit of cartilage of the dorsal hump and grafted it to the tip of my nose and to the area between my eyes, since it sat a little too deep. Grafting the cartilages to those to areas made it so that he didn’t have to shave too much off my hump and gave my nose the look of being straight and even slightly sloped. He also narrowed the width around the area of my dorsal hump. All of this combined has made for the very cute, button-nose I have now!

POST-SURGERY

The pain was really bad for the first night only. Afterwards, it was tolerable and only uncomfortable at times. I switched off from taking the prescribed Norco and Extra Strength Tylenol and that sufficed. All pain subsided on the 7th day and the pills weren’t necessary. My swelling peaked on the 3rd day. Only my eyes were visibly red and swollen. At no point, did I experience the black and blue eyes that is common with this surgery. Although, I was surprised to experience some pain in my two front teeth. After some googling, it appears to be caused from the surgery I had on my septum - which has a nerve that runs straight down into the two front teeth. It didn’t help that I was exclusively breathing through my mouth at that point, so the cold air was also painful, for both my teeth and my throat. There were a couple nights that I couldn’t sleep at all - since I had to lie on my back and could ONLY breath out of my mouth, my tongue would slide back and block my airway, which would of course wake me up every time it happened every 20 minutes or so. However, I can say with absolute certainty that all the pain and discomfort was worth it, and I knew it when my cast came off 9 days later and I saw my new nose.

When my cast came off, I had no swelling whatsoever, and Dr. Elyassnia and I agreed that I could go about in public then and there. Getting my stents (silicone tubes inserted in your nostrils to uphold the structure immediately following surgery) taken out was not painful, but very uncomfortable. But the easy and unencumbered rush of fresh air almost made me cry. I had never experienced easy breathing out of my nose ever in my life! I was all smiles for hours afterwards.

Now that I’m almost 6 months post-op, most of my swelling has gone down. I now feel far more photogenic than I ever had and all my friends and family agree that I now have the nose that I should’ve always had. I even feel pretty without makeup, which I never had felt before. And in regards to makeup, I remember feeling so frustrated with how misshapen my nose was since contouring did little to help - now contouring and highlighting actually works on my nose and makes it look even cuter!

(Note for people who are hesitant about getting a nose job because of what people will say - the real ones will only support and encourage you!! When I initially come out to people saying I had a nose job, I explain to them my hesitancy to get a nose job BECAUSE of judgement from other people - it makes them not want to be “that guy”, aka a judgemental @ssh0le)

OVERALL:

Dr. Elyassnia changed my life, inside and out!! 100 out of 5 stars.

My rhinoplasty experience was uncomplicated and everything I wanted. I chose Dr. Dino Elyassnia because of his expertise in closed preservation rhinoplasty and his ability to create a natural look. He was very personable and listened to my concerns during my initial consultation. I am now 6 weeks post surgery and I'm happy with my results! The entire process has been great. I'm so thankful for Dr. Elyassnia, nurse Helen and the office staff for their care.

I want to start this off by noting that I have not had the closed preservation rhinoplasty yet, this review is for my consultation and experience so far. My surgery date is scheduled for early 2021! I am sad I have to wait so long but it is understandable that Dr. Elyassnia is booked until then. Starting to get very excited (and nervous)!

The environment at MCPS was great. The staff there were all friendly and they took excellent precautions for COVID so I felt very comfortable being there. It has been super easy to reach them so far (special thank you to Tiffany for answering questions and working with me to pick a surgery date.) The offices are super clean and stylish, and the artwork in Dr. Elyassnia's office was nice—he had this cool sculpture vase made out of old book pages. You get a sense right away of how much he and the team value aesthetics, which is important to me for choosing a plastic surgeon. Not to mention the offices were very clean and tidy so considering they have their surgical center and recovery rooms on site this is also very important to me.

The consultation itself was great. I am looking for very subtle changes to my nose and appearance and I am confident that it was I will receive with Dr. Elyassnia. He walked me through the process of the surgery, discussed the potential risks, talked about what I like/dislike about my nose, and what end result I was looking for. We had very similar visions of what changes to make, everything was in line with what i want. I've had other consults where the doctors wanted to make changes that I don't like so it was refreshing to speak with Dr. Dino who didn't want to make any unnecessary changes. I also didn't feel pressured at all to schedule anything, in fact, I waited a few weeks after my consultation to even reach out and ask about potential open surgery dates.

I have always been self-conscious about my nose, even though everyone says to me "your nose is fine" "don't change it." But at the end of the day I've obsessed over my nose for so long I figured it was time to just do something about it. I feel silly because I know this is somewhat vain (I mean it's not like I'm a model, I don't make money off my looks haha) but I decided to just go for it and do this for myself and my overall happiness. I am so excited to see my outcome in January but I am also getting nervous about how this will affect me emotionally (will I regret it, will I look like a stranger, etc.) 

I hope this helps anyone out there thinking about taking the first step in your journey! It was a really big deal for me to do this and I am looking forward to sharing more updates every step of the way. 

I've included a picture of my current nose, I'm looking to remove the bump and have a slight curve. The main goal is to improve my profile and have a cuter/more feminine nose.



Updated on 17 Jan 2021:
Updating as I had the procedure on Thursday! Just noting the progress so far for anyone curious about recovery, will include official before and after photos once the splint is removed next week. Hope this is all helpful to those considering a closed preservation rhinoplasty with Dr. Elyassnia! I'll say that the past couple days have been uncomfortable but I think it will all be worth it :)
Day 1
Surprisingly wasn't in so much pain coming home after surgery. I was super groggy all day and was able to take a couple small naps. My eyes were really watery which made it tough to wear my contacts so I spent most of the evening without them in. I could still slightly breath through my nose but my neck was sore, my throat hurt a bit, and i was running hot (temp reached around 99.8) which is normal/expected after a procedure.
Day 2
On the second day after surgery is when i really started swelling, my eyes were puffy so again had a hard time wearing contacts (which unfortunately i can't see at all without so it was a longg day haha.) I still had a sore throat and my body was pretty sore as well, it kind of felt like I had the flu as I had a high temperature and body aching. By this day i couldn't breathe at all through my nose. I knew i wouldn't be able to but it sucks nonetheless as I'm not used to breathing solely through my mouth.
Day 3 & 4
The past two days have been better, my body is feeling more normal no more aches and it's easier to move to the bathroom or get water etc. At this point I pretty much just feel like I have an intense sinus infection or cold. My nose is still completely blocked of course, starting to drive me crazy but its not painful at all. I've been taking the tylenol because my throat still hurts a bit and there is an aching/throbbing pressure in my nose but its not too painful—more uncomfortable. My eyes are way less swollen and i can comfortably wear my contacts, but I have bruising/yellowing around eyes and and getting a bit irritated where the tape on the drip piece is.
Since the day of it is kind of hard to speak because there is a slight pinching when i talk but mostly its like when you try to talk when you have a terrible cold and can't make certain sounds ha.
Eating hasn't been too bad for me, luckily I haven't had any nausea or vomiting so I've kept down my smoothies, oatmeal, yogurt and today some soup (not too hot).

Updated on 22 Jan 2021:
Splint is finally off today, and it looks great! I am thrilled. Overall looks and feels pretty good for 8 days post-op. Pictures from today attached, along with surgical before and after pictures (surgical before and after photos are screen shots I took of the before and after video shot by Dr. Elyassnia—i can post a link to the full video when it is available.) You can see I have some light bruising around my eyes and on my right cheek, and my nose is a bit swollen of course.
After day 4 I started to feel much better. The rest of recovery was pretty much painless, really just felt like a bad cold. The hardest part was waiting all those days to get the splint removed because it started feeling a bit itchy and i was longing to take a nice shower and properly wash my hair ha.
Hope this is helpful to anyone exploring this procedure! I will add more photos as the swelling starts to go down.

Updated on 23 Jan 2021:
Adding some additional before pictures as was requested in the comments. Will post more after pictures once the swelling goes down a bit more and the bruising heals over the next few weeks and months.

I really don't care about bedside manner in a surgeon - I want someone with skilled hands. What a delight to get a highly skilled surgeon with a five star personality, all in one.
Dr. Dino immediately identified what my previous surgeon had not: my double chin was not an issue of fat, but rather over-sized glands. He recommended a short scar neck lift which is really more of a gland shave down than removal of any excess skin. He talked me out of a chin implant as well, taking the time to illustrate with measurements and diagrams over my photos what his trained eye saw at a glance. He felt the one surgery would do enough to give me the properly pronounced and proportionate chin I desired. See for yourself in the pics, but I believe he was absolutely correct.
How do I describe Dr. Dino? Calm, measured, and smart, but also laughs at my subtle humor and jabs back, appropriately. His office is gorgeously chic in a cold sleek way, but he carries absolutely zero pretension.
Am I happy with my surgery? Absolutely. I appreciate most that he properly set expectations around my results, identifying that I would have less fat to act as padding (think a thinner skin look) due to previous neck/chin lipo. Lipo had been the wrong procedure for what I needed - if only I had gone to him first. *sigh*
I can easily and enthusiastically recommend Dr. Dino to any and all. When the day comes many years from today, I hope he is still around to give me my full face lift.

Hi all! I just received a closed preservation rhinoplasty with Dr Elyassnia in San Francisco. I was really amazed and wowed by his technique during my initial consultation. He was very personable, explained why and how he does certain things and it was fascinating to learn about. He started out the consultation after taking pictures, asking me why or why I did not like certain features on my nose. He would then draw out on a picture of me that was printed moments before, what he would update or change. It was a far far better consultation than I had with a previous surgeon who was very apathetic about what I wanted so I was super excited.

I'm currently ongoing through the process and wanted to share here!

The closed preservation rhinoplasty was very new to me and so far my healing journey has been pretty good! I had no bruising at all. Minimal swelling. It's definitely due to the fact that the nose isn't "flipped" open and the pieces all put together like in an open rhinoplasty. He works through the inside of the nose, only pulling out what is necessary and not rearranging as much. I think this helps keep your natural nose structure and might be better for aging.

I get my cast stuff off next week so will have more updates then.

Updated on 4 Dec 2019:
Whooo! 7 days post. I’m so happy it turned out so perfect. And there’s still so much swelling to go down. I went to work today and no one noticed.

I definitely obsessed over my nose the past 7 days (I had too much time on my hands haha) but looking back I had nothing to worry about. I left a lot of the dried blood alone and it definitely distorted my view of my nostrils which made me think they were uneven. But today taking the cast off and cleaning it all up went great, and I’m so thrilled.

So if you’re going through the same I would say give it time and don’t spend too much time worrying about every little thing. Dr. Elyassnia knows what he’s doing and I’m excited to continue to see improvements in the results!

Also the fact that I was able to go to work right after was super great. I’m a big fan of the preservation rhinoplasty he does and highly recommend!! Will post another update in a couple weeks when a lot of swelling has gone down



Updated on 12 Dec 2019:
2 weeks post op! It’s been a busy week and amazing to see how much the swelling goes down even in the span of a few days. I actually flew on Day 8, and all was fine. I got a massage too which was cleared by Dr. E.
I stated to blow my nose gently this week but am super gentle in washing my face and taking my makeup off. My skin was peeling like crazy after the splint came off so I exfoliated a few times gently, and moisturized a bunch. Still not able to completely breath though my nose comfortably at night (as in, take a deep breath) - I’m still swollen inside my nostrils so I’m sure that will go down in the next few weeks.
I really don’t know where else any swelling can go down because I’m so thrilled already! I’m very excited about this whole experience. Another follow up is next week.

Updated on 12 Dec 2019:

My surgery with Dr. Elyassnia was on 6/22/2017. I am beyond satisfied with the results. Dr. Elyassnia is a surgical artist. He is gifted in examining the patient and suggesting what will work best to achieve the optimal results; he is both honest and realistic in his evaluation. I cannot say enough good things about Dr. Elyassnia, his office or staff. His surgical team, the best! His nurse, Helen is always available. My nurse, Lynda, outstanding. I had a Face & Neck Lift; Upper Lip Lift; Laser Resurfacing; Partial Fat Injection. I feel fortunate to be a patient of Dr. Eylassnia's.

Let me start by saying that it's been almost 1 year and I could not be more happier with my results! Dr. Elyassnia is extremely talented, and to me he is an artist as well as a magician how he transformed me. I had visited several doctors before making my decision. After meeting Dr. Elyassnia and having a consultation, there was no question in my mind he was the right choice. He knew exactly what needed to be done to achieve the look I wanted. And his price point was worth every penny for what a transformation I was getting. I got Lipo on my entire torso as well as fat transfer into my buttocks. He did a beautiful job shaping my waist and giving me the perfect size, round buttocks. I now have a perfect hour glass figure that was dream come true. I was extremely nervous going into surgery but Dr. Elyassnia and his amazing team did a great job making me feel secure and comfortable. My recovery was 2 weeks and could resume daily routine very smoothly. All scaring faded very well and now after almost a year, I am extremely happy to share that my body has maintained so well with very minimal exercises. There hasn't been a day that I have not felt so thankful to Dr. Elyassnia. He contoured my body beautifully, and I am so confident carrying myself in anything and everything that I wear. I highly recommend Dr. Elyassnia, and without any doubt I would go to him and follow his advice. Thank you so much Dr. Elyassnia and your team for such beautiful work and making my dream come true!

Hello,
I am scheduled for a septo/rhinoplasty on December 7th in San Francisco with Dr. Elyassnia.
I have a hump and droopy tip that I want removed. I have done plenty of research and narrowed down my search to 3 doctors: Dino Elyassnia, Vladimir Grigoryants, and Afshin Parhiscar. Because of technique, location, and examples of work, I decided to go with Dr. Elyassnia. I am super excited and counting down the days.

Updated on 5 Oct 2017:
Adding photos of what I look like before the surgery.

Updated on 7 Dec 2017:
I woke up early this morning to make it to my 7:15am surgery time. Of course, SF toll plaza and traffic are a killer! I reached there around 7:45am, used the bathroom, changed into my gown, went through a questionnaire with a nurse, and met with anesthesiologist. Everyone asked if I had any questions, but they were all already answered. I met with Dr E once again to go over the desired results. He explained the procedure and what I should expect.

I was not nervous until i realized I would soon be going into the operating room. I received an injection and off we went. I went to the operating room and it finally hit me. Was I really doing this?! I got into a super warm operating bed that was quite cozy. The anesthesiologist started numbing me and putting in the IV. I remember watching her and Dr E. Next think I know it is 3pm and I'm wide awake with quite a bit of energy on a comfy chair. I was taken to the car on a wheelchair, feeling a little awkward with all the people passing by lol. I usually get a lot of motion sickness, so they put a sea patch on me. I had the most normal car ride home. I was talking normally, I was completely aware of what was going on. I did not feel pain, uncomfortable, or sick. I felt a little pressure from the cast but that was it! I remember coming home and opening my house door on my own and walking up the stairs on my own.

I took 1 tylenol at 4pm because I was feeling pressure from the cast. I took 2 more around 7pm to prevent any possible pain. Dr E mentioned I most likely wouldn't need any Ultram and I didn't. There was no real pain. I changed the gauze under my nose around 5pm which had a good amount of blood and again at 7pm which barely had any. I shouldnt need the drip pad tomorrow.

I got home around 4pm, ate some chicken noodle soup and sipped on water and black tea. I stopped eating and drinking 9pm last night. I watched the movie american snipper and spend some time on the computer and with my parents at home. It is 11:50pm and I am still wide awake. The only thing I noticed was that I have been a little forgetful today. I have been keeping my head upright the entire time. Trying to fall asleep but maybe too excited or a little nervous. Trying to figure out how ill get the blood out of my nostrils. Ill call the doctor tomorrow.

Updated on 9 Dec 2017:
Day 1 I did not fall asleep til 230am and woke up at 530am wide awake. I felt normal throughout the day besides my nose a little bit more sore. Throughout the day, I noticed I would get a sharp pain here and there like the stitches were poking me. I woke up with my left eye a little swollen and purple.
Day 2 I woke up three times last night. Ive still been sleeping with two big pillows and on my back. Im a side sleeper, so its a little difficult. My left eye is very swollen and watery. I have been putting cold compress (towel with some cold water) to calm it down. Definitely feeling a lot more tired and sore today. Sleeping a lot more during the day than the past two days.

Updated on 3 Jan 2018:
My nose has been super stuffy and my face has been stiff. I have been changing the gauze under my nose every few hours for up to 4 days. My nose was lightly bleeding for up to 4 days. I am unable to clean my nose, so the gauze caught what it needed to. Around day 3-4 days my left eye got really swollen and the rest of my face got really puffy too. The purple bruises under my eyes (where the tape was) started showing more. I felt like I needed to stay busy so I tried to do very light cleaning/laundry when I could. I was getting tired very quickly. There wasn't a lot of pain. It was more discomfort. I could not yawn at all. It felt like the stitches wouldn't allow it. I took extra strength tylenol for the whole week. I was also taking the constipation pills and antibiotics until it was gone. I was surprised that there was really not a lot of pain. Just discomfort and a little bit of throbbing. I was mostly in bed, working from home. Since day 1, I felt completely normal and did not feel like I required bed rest, even though that's basically what I did. The recovery was pretty easy compared to other reviews I have seen. I really believe that the technique used played a huge part in that. I did not have my nose hammered or shaved which prevented a lot of bruising/swelling. and no scar!!

Updated on 3 Jan 2018:
I went in to get my cast removed. That was probably the most painful part of this whole surgery lol. Just because the tape was really stuck on my sensitive skin. I was really excited to see what it would look like. It looked super cute. I did not look like a new person. My tip was lifted and the bump was mostly gone. The Dr said the bump will still be around for a little while because of swelling. I was surprised to see how the front of my nose looked. It was wider than before which the Dr mentioned beforehand. My nose was much more narrow before. I was super excited to see how it would look in the next few weeks.

Updated on 3 Jan 2018:
My face was still swollen at the time and bruising was there for a full 3 weeks. My nose was still really stiff but I finally started to yawn/sneeze between 2-3 weeks. I went back to work with some bruises on my face. Make up wasn't really able to cover it all up. The only way I looked different is because of the swelling. I started going in front of family/friends and no one noticed that my nose was different. They just noticed some bruising. The surgery was done extremely naturally. I finally got the chance to wear make up and dress up to see how my nose looks. I really like it. When I used to smile, the tip of my nose would drop really low and was slightly crooked. It's totally different now. In between this time, I was cleaning my nose with some Qtips and in the shower. Mucus tends to dry around the stitches and cleaning it can be almost impossible. During this time, I was mostly just waiting for swelling to go down.

Updated on 3 Jan 2018:
The swelling and bruises are finally starting to go away. I feel like my nose looks a lot smaller now. The throbbing has stopped. I tried going for a walk (1/2/18) and my nose started throbbing for a few hours, so definitely cannot do anything active at all yet. The stitches are still there and still can't clean the inside of my nose properly. I am still waiting for the curve on the bridge to show. The bump is still there which really worries me. I am also waiting for the supratip break to show. Those are two things I really wanted and I am getting worried that I did not get that. I will not be doing a revision ever, so I hope the end results are what I wanted. I have my post op appointment on the 8th. I really want to talk to the dr about that. Let's see what he says.

Updated on 19 Mar 2018:
I have been freaking out. I paid so much money for this procedure and am still paying it off. The tip of my nose is hard and swollen like a ball. It's stiff hurts when touched in certain ways. Right next to the swelling, it looks like my nose is dipping in/caving on. This makes me worry about whats going on under my skin? Is something messed up under there? I am self conscious and feel embarrassed thinking people will notice. looks obvious i did something.
My nose still has a bump and hook look. I wanted a curve and there is no curve at all. There is no supratip break at all, which I over emphasized I wanted. It's not what I paid almost $12k for.. at all. Most of the healing was supposed to be done in the first three weeks, so I think Im stuck with this.

Updated on 15 May 2018:
Still noticing a lot of changes. Waiting to see final results.

Updated on 6 Mar 2019:
I kept in touch with Dr. E throughout the year, voicing my concerns. He truly cares about his patients being happy with their results. He responded back to emails quite quickly and ensured I was at ease. I came into the office at my 1 year (Dec 2018) mark to talk about the things I am unhappy about and what my options are. I decided to go through with a second rhinoplasty which is scheduled for Feb 8th.

Updated on 6 Mar 2019:
My surgery is scheduled for 7am. For the last few days, the OR nurse and anesthesiologist called me to prep me by telling me what to expect and to make sure I stop eating at a certain time before surgery. Dr. E and the staff were great once again! I remember being in the operating room and being out in seconds. I woke up a few hours later ready to go home. I was much more nauseous and in pain than the first surgery. My nose was bleeding a lot and I was very uncomfortable. I didn't sleep for the next 3 days because I was in so much pain. I took 500 mg Tylenol every 4 hours for about 4-5 days. My face and eyes were not super swollen but they were swollen for about a week. There was 0 bruising.

Updated on 6 Mar 2019:
I am super excited to see what my nose looks like!!! I hope it's what I want finally. The last week has been pretty uncomfortable. I didn't start sleeping properly until a few days ago. I have been trying to sleep sitting up as much as I could. My nose and skin around it is pretty numb.
After my cast was removed, the first look in the mirror brought the biggest smile to my face. I looked a little different but I was SO impressed by my new nose. I couldn't believe how nice it looked and how it was exactly what I wanted. On the inside, I was jumping with joy. Dr. E did a phenomonal job. My nose was still pretty swollen, so Im excited to see how much it improves over time.

Updated on 6 Mar 2019:
90% of the swelling in my nose is gone. My face is no longer swollen either. Stitches are still in my nose and should fall out on their own soon. I still feel some numbness towards the tip of my nose. So far, I love the way my nose is looking. I see that the profile shape is not as sharp as it was when the cast was removed. It is normal for the tip to drop a tiny bit when settling. Still curious to see how my nose settles in the next few months. The skin on my nose is still peeling a little. I have been cleaning the inside of my nose with Q tips. Finally got most of it clean. I am very happy with my results. I have done a lot of research and feel like not many doctors could have given me the result Dr. E gave me. oh, best of all, NOT 1 SCAR!