Tanya Judge, MD

Dr. Judge is a highly skilled and naturally talented surgeon and, at 15 months out from my rhinoplasty, I am beyond thrilled with the results. For years I had wanted a rhinoplasty but due to cost and the seriousness of elective surgery I just made peace with my nose and learned to love my face until I saw Dr. Judge’s work. She is truly an incredible surgeon who has hit her stride in her career and seems to be firmly in the golden era where mastery meets peak physical condition.

Initially I was very nervous about the surgery, but I am so happy I had a rhinoplasty and even happier that Dr. Judge was my surgeon! She has a clear aesthetic gift, raw talent and is so enthusiastic about surgery and her practice. While many other surgeons let the arrogance of playing god go to their heads, she maintains a perfect balance of curiosity and caring bedside manner that makes her wonderful to work with. Surgery is kind of a scary proposition and she made the process a breeze even for a medically anxious person like me.

She was able to listen to my very vague desires (“like my nose but…smaller?”), advise on the right approach and create a nose so natural that everyone tells me how great I look but can’t put their fingers on why. I read about some people needing time to adjust to their new noses but I never experienced this: it’s like she carved the nose I was always meant to have from the one I was born with. She took years off of my appearance and strangers are shocked when I tell them my real age.

If you’re thinking about choosing Dr. Judge as your surgeon, do it! You won’t regret it.

Dr Judge is the absolute best! I’ve had a decent amount of cosmetic surgery done and none of my previous Doctors was as patient, thorough, warm, and professional as Dr Judge. Her bedside manner is by far the best I’ve ever experienced. She did a wonderful job on my rhinoplasty and under eye fat grafting and I’ve gotten many compliments on them. She truly does care for your well being and making sure you are satisfied with the results. I’ve never had so many post op appointments in my life! And that’s because she wants to ensure you heal correctly and that you are happy. I’m already discussing future procedures with her (Botox, blepharoplasty) and I’m confident she’s the only one I’ll need to consider for these. Even Karen the office manager rocks! Always asking how my daughter is. If you’re considering a rhinoplasty, I highly highly recommend Dr Judge

The short and sweet...
Dr. Judge is probably THE MOST empathetic, funny, talented, caring, intelligent, and down to earth surgeon you will ever encounter. She is worth flying across the world to work with. From the first consultation to your post-op appointments, it is clear her primary goal is her patient's safety and satisfaction. Her office space is beautiful and her team is very warm and welcoming. You won't regret working with Dr. Judge. She will listen to your wants and needs, and help you achieve your goals!
The long and beautiful...
Dr. Judge was the 7th doctor that I interviewed. I spoke with doctors in the Bay Area, Southern California, and the PNW, but as soon as I met with Dr. Judge, I knew she was the one. We started with a 30min virtual consult (due to the pandemic) and then scheduled a 30min in-office consult a week later.
During the video consult, I showed Dr. Judge every tiny thing I disliked about my nose and how I wanted it to look more like my mom's. She listened and then gave me some feedback, which was basically "this is 100% do-able and is going to be pretty easy." Honestly, after the video consultation, I knew Dr. Judge was the doctor for me. Maybe it was because I had already met with so many doctors, but I just had that special feeling, and I felt very confident. I had done all my research on her and I loved other patient's results. So I booked my surgery with her without even meeting her in person first. Crazy, I know, but... I knew.
A week goes by.... during the in-office consult, we again went over what I wanted to achieve and made sure we were on the same page. She explained the surgery in full detail to me and told me what to expect before, during, and after. Rhinoplasty is Dr. Judge's favorite surgery, and she's an artist. I swear, she'd be a famous sculpture in Ancient Greece in another life... maybe she was, who knows.
Alright so now I wait! I have a pre-op scheduled 1 week before surgery, and all I can think about is how ready I am! This is something I've wanted since I was 10 years old, so it's pretty much been on my mind everyday of my life for the last 20 years. Pre-op appointment comes and goes in a flash. We go over everything once again. She tells me to take arnica beforehand, no NSAIDS, cut down on salt, and up the protein in my diet. Dr. Judge also makes sure to ask if you have any questions, which of course I always did after the appointment, but her staff is there to answer your questions promptly via phone or email.
SURGERY DAY! I am so ready. My body is ready. My mind is ready. I have never been so excited, and I feel very prepared. I scheduled my surgery as the Aspen Surgery Center in Walnut Creek (partners with John Muir Hospital which is right next door, very reassuring in case the unthinkable happens). Everyone at this surgery center is having the best day ever. Maybe I just got lucky, but it was like a party in there. Nurses were laughing and dancing around and having a great time. Patients seemed very happy and well taken care of. I felt super safe and ready to go. I got to meet my whole team before going into the surgery room, all of whom I would love to thank immensely in case they ever read this. I got my IV put in and Dr. Judge came and met with me once again, and we went over everything again. I felt so safe, like a family member was taking care of me. Off she went, and shortly after, so did I, off to dream land. I believe my surgery was about 2-3 hours long.
I woke up with two nurses by my side saying "welcome back!" and I was so happy! I wasn't in any pain and I honestly felt like nothing had happened, maybe just that I had a weighted blanket on my face. Dr. Judge came in after about 30 minutes into me waking up and told me how it went. If I remember correctly, I think she said "You did perfectly! We got everything we wanted to get done! Congrats!" Such lovely words to hear from your doctor. It was almost sad to see her leave, but I knew I'd see her in 6 days to get my cast off. A few more minutes and I was ready to go home and start the recovery process...
Recovery... is not so much fun, but I can tell you that it is worth it. There were times during my recovery where I couldn't eat, couldn't sleep, and my throat was as dry as a desert, but honestly, every day brought change. Day 0 (surgery day) was by far the easiest. I popped a pain pill, got home, took my antibiotic, and cuddled up in bed. I didn't sleep much but that was mainly because I had slept through an entire surgery and then some during the drive home.
Day 1 was hard because the swelling really started to kick in, but it wasn't until Day 2 that I really started to feel the discomfort. I can't say I was ever really in pain, just discomfortable. The nasal congestion is like your worst cold x10, and because mine was particularly bad, I asked Dr. Judge for some help the day she called to follow up with me. I went in to see her and she checked the inside of my nose to make sure everything was healing properly, which is was. She then prescribed me something to help me sleep through the night, and by Day 3, I was feeling much better. Everything from there on out just kept getting better and easier.
So here I am! Day 6 with no more cast! My nose is... beyond words. I cried when Dr. Judge held up the mirror for me this morning. I've taken a million photos of my profile even though I'm still swollen and bruised. I can't wait to see the final results, but I'm also so happy with it so far.
And the most important part of it all is: I now feel like me. I don't feel like this person who had this nose that I didn't know where it came from. I feel like I'm finally the version of myself I always thought I looked like. It's such a relief, and such a gift. So thank you, Dr. Judge! Thank you for your expertise and your kindness, for your empathetic listening and your ability to execute exactly what I had always dreamed of.
I'm sure there's so much more I could write, and a lot I'm leaving out, so if you have any questions, feel free to message me on here. I also have a ton more photos of my recovery if you want to see them. I'll post more updated photos as time passes :)
Go follow Dr. Judge on IG @drtanyajudge and see for yourself how amazing she is!

Updated on 27 Nov 2020:
Just wanted to post a quick update since I'm feeling extra confident with my nose! My recovery is going well. I've noticed that the inside of my nose is very itchy and pretty dry, but I keep it as moist as I can in there with saline spray. The dissolvable stitches have been falling out the last few days and I am sometimes still pretty congested, but nothing over the counter medicine can't fix. Still sleeping on my back and slightly propped up, nose doesn't hurt unless I yawn or laugh too hard. Still eating soft-ish foods and have some bruising. Energy levels are at about 60-80% depending on the day. Sometimes going to the grocery store tires me out, other days I feel like I can get a lot more done. Looking forward to being fully healed but also not complaining about getting some extra Netflix and chill time. I have my 3 week post op appointment on Wednesday next week!

Last week, I had a virtual consultation with Dr. Judge. I have wanted a rhinoplasty since high school, and now I am finally ready to make it a reality. I'm beyond excited and glad that I have found Dr. Judge. My impression from the first meeting was that she is very personable, professional, and knowledgeable. She took the time to explain the process of the rhinoplasty thoroughly and address my concerns. After the appointment, I created a 3D image of my face using Crisalix. Dr. Judge quickly sent me back the results the next day, which were great! She did everything we discussed. She showed me two options, with a straight dorsum and a swooped dorsum, since I was unsure of my preference. After seeing the 3D simulation, I was sure about going with a slightly swooped dorsum. I am beyond excited for the in-person consultation scheduled for June 10th.

My experience was great. Even with the surgery being in an area that you may not be comfortable with the doctor put me at ease and answered all of my questions. She was very knowledgeable about the surgery and took the time to find out my specific wants. The surgery was painless and the recovery was less then a doctors appointment. Highly would recommend for this type of surgery.

I absolutely loved my experience with Dr. Judge. I had been wanting a rhinoplasty for years and years, since I was a teen. I finally decided to do something about it, and went in for a consult with Dr. Judge. She was so thorough with how she explained the procedure and she really listened to me. I left the consult with a great feeling and with hope. I went in for a second consult soon after and was amazingly able to schedule my rhinoplasty a week later. I'm 5 weeks post op and I already am in love with my new nose, and I haven't even seen the final result! My nose was a difficult case as I had a very visibly deviated septum; in addition to fixing this, I also wanted a smaller swoop nose. I'm beyond thrilled already. Thank you Dr. J!!!!

Thank you Dr. Judge for giving me the best breasts! I have always had small breasts and even my mom encouraged me to look into my options since she’s known how self-conscious I’ve been about my chest. I really wanted a female plastic surgeon so I checked out a few in California. I live in LA but decided to look in SF as well. Female surgeons are great and Dr. Judge was simply the best for me. I really liked how comfortable she made me feel and helped me make a decision for myself. I wanted a little bit of cleavage and a little bit of side-boob but nothing too big. I didn’t want it to be too obvious that I had a procedure done, just enough to fill out my current tops. The procedure went really well. The first few nights were pretty uncomfortable but nothing that couldn’t be controlled with pain medication. Felt like I had done a million push-ups. The tightness got better by day 4 and it helped to sleep on a couple of pillows. The implants have “settled” now and look like they were meant for my body. They feel soft and look really natural. My incisions are hidden and I love that my bathing suit tops fit perfectly.

Getting plastic surgery is not something that I took lightly. It was a difficult decision and Dr. Judge was there with me each step of the way, guiding me and presenting me alternatives. I know a surgeon can be trusted if they recommend other solutions before resolving to surgery and that is exactly what she did. I received a rhinoplasty and could not be happier with the results! She has truly changed my life. She also has gone above and beyond in following up with me post-operation.

I had no words to describe my experience with Dr Judge. Doctor Judge gives you her confidence and her understanding and honest opinion. I underwent a rhynoplasty. I’m happy with the results. I was anxious of the upcoming procedures but she was so calm and so meticulous describing the procedure that made me so comfortable to chose her as my surgeon. I was please. I always wanted my nose like my moms. People and friends always telling me I didn’t need to change anything. But as many if us we are not happy with some imperfections. Doctor Judge on the other hand gave her honest opinion and understanding, although she complimented me in a sweet and genuine way, she understood my point and worked with me for the best results. I’m so happy to have met her. I highly recommend her.

FIRST, let me start off by saying, Dr. Judge is absolutely amazing!!! Second, thank you to all of the women who shared their stories regarding their tummy tucks, which certainly helped me along my own journey.

After multiple child births, you can see from the photos above, the condition my abdominal area resulted in. Despite giving myself one year to try and transform this on my own, through exercise, diet, organic and homemade moisturizers, I had to come to the conclusion that there was nothing I could actually do to completely rectify what happened as a result of carrying all of my children. So basically, TT surgery was my last resort. And I need to emphasize here that electing to have this surgery was not just about the way my tummy looked, but also because my core was weak. Aftrr having the kids, whenever I would sit up, it felt like my organs were being pushed out of my abdomen area. I was also very self-conscious about the way my tummy looked in clothes, because it still looked like I was 4 to 5 months pregnant. I invested in numerous tummy flattening garments, including waist trainers and compression panties, but when those came off, the problem still persisted.

So after a year of me trying to transform this through exercise, diet, camouflage, you name it, I elected to have surgery. I was initially evaluated by a female surgeon who explained that the TT, in addition to liposuction, would yield the best results for me. Just prior to confirming my surgery date with her, however, I decided to get a second opinion, and that's when I visited Dr. Judge. Not only was Dr. Judge very honest with me, and explained that I did not need liposuction, the cost was also almost half as much as I was going to pay the other surgeon. This was a no-brainer for me! And of course, Dr. Judge and her calm, understanding, and compassionate demeanor is what also made me feel confident that I was making the right decision.

This has truly been a life-changing experience for me, and I am extremely appreciative for Dr. Judge and her excellent skill set. After having the kids, the thought of me ever wearing two-piece swim wear was completely out of the question. But not anymore!!! Prior to having the surgery, I didn't even want my kids to see my tummy (because you know they ask so many questions :) ). And although now, I do have the incision from the surgery, I would MUCH rather have the incision, than what my tummy looked like before the surgery. No regrets here WHAT.SO.EVER!

I wholeheartedly believe that there are medical practitioners who truly find value and purpose in helping others to feel and look their best - those whose skill-set helps others get through, and overcome, the challenges associated with such dramatic physical, and emotional transformations in life... Dr. Judge is definitely one of these medical practitioners.

To anyone considering having this surgery, do what's best for you, and what makes you happy, even if you elect not to go through with it. But if you do, you're in absolutely GREAT hands with Dr. Judge.