California Facial Plastic Surgery Center

Welcome to my website.  If you are reading this introduction, you most likely have little  knowledge of me and my practice.   I would therefore like to give you an introduction. 

You might want to know why you should explore this website further or contact my office for an appointment and consultation.

To summarize what I have to offer is EXPERIENCE AND RESULTS.

Since starting my private 1971, I have acquired a broad experience in facial plastic surgical procedures including hair restoration surgery.  Like many Internet plastic surgery websites, I  emphasize experience, certification,  skills and strong reasons why you should see  the practitioner who owns that website.  I offer experience that few can match. Please see information about my extensive education and training, and long list of certifications here.  When others refer to their expertise, education, and certification, it is because of  surgeons  like myself  who are the teachers , lecturers and writers of the articles that give their knowledge in training  others.  Having a level of knowledge is one thing, having the hands-on experience  is another.

I also want to emphasize that we have an in-office accredited surgical facility that is surveyed every three years by an independent accrediting body, the Institute for Medical Quality.  What this means to you is that surgery can be performed even under general anesthesia within our office.  Our office surgery center has been present at my present location since 1977 and we have an extremely high safety record.  It has been shown that rates of infection are much lower in office surgical facilities than in hospitals due to the fact that we operate only on healthy people.  The same is true for serious complications.

What does an accredited office surgery do for you?

1. Compare costs.  We annually update our costs in comparison with local outpatient surgical facilities and we can usually deliver procedures with lower total costs.
2. The safety of an accredited office compared to a non accredited facility cannot be compared.
3. The convenience of the surgeon and staff being no more than 40 feet away at any time after surgery.
4. Privacy in a small office facility is much more likely to be preserved.

Our office facility surgery is probably the longest established one in Northern California and has worked efficiently and effectively for me all these years.The office is in an older building across from Oakland's Summit Alta Bates Medical Center.  I take pride in having an unpretentious and efficient office that has a minimum of distracting expensive decorations, but gets to the point of providing safe, effective, and experienced service to our patients.

Educator

I hold the rank of Clinical Professor at the University of California Medical School in San Francisco.
I have authored numerous scientific and technical papers, textbook chapters and lectures have been interviewed and featured in the media. I have been honored by my clinical appointments and awards given by my peers such as the F. Mark Rafaty Award by the AAFPRS, and the Manfred Lucas Award by the ISHRS (for lifetime achievement.  

I take great pride in my teaching experience and of those who I have taught and influenced. Amongst my past fellowship trainees include Randall Swenson MD of Salt Lake City , John Frodel MD , Richard Shaler MD, Ira  Papel MD,  Richard Moss MD, Jeffrey Epstein MD, Linda Chiu MD, Michael Macdonald MD, Jason Swerdloff MD, Min Ahn MD, Andrew Denton MD, Brook Seely MD,   Alexander Ramirez MD,  Douglas Sidle MD, Gary Petrus MD, David lewis MD,  Kevin Ende MD and Sumit Bapna MD. I am also very proud of informal training and influence on Russell Kridel MD and Daniel Rousso MD. both of who have become  presidents of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery as has been the record of Dr. Papel.

Rhinoplasty (Nasal Surgery)

I have performed over 2000 nasal surgeries dealing with almost all types of noses. I was the first surgeon to routinely perform open (external) rhinoplasty in California (1981) introducing the technique to many of my prominent colleagues such as Ronald Gruber MD.

Facial Rejuvenation Surgery

I perform a full range of facial rejuvenation procedures having been amongst those who pioneered the short flap, minimally invasive face lift introduced to me by Dr. Richard Webster in the 1973. This operation, which now goes by all kinds of commercial names by many practitioners and groups, remains the mainstay of my facial rejuvenation philosophy. Eyelid lifts, forehead/brow lifts, neck lifts and chin augmentations are often performed with the basic cheek-neck lift. There are many variations on the theme along with other ancillary procedures Such as deep skin resurfacing) that vary with the needs of a particular patient. Facial fillers , microdermabrasion and Botox are provided in our facility but in my opinion are no substitute for a facelift. They serve the purpose of correcting those things that surgery does not correct and are no substitutes for surgery.

Hair Restoration Surgery

No more than a handful of surgeons in the world can claim a greater breadth of experience then I have had in hair restoration surgery, going from plug grafts to flaps to scalp reductions to expansion, mini grafts, micro grafts, and now, for the past 14 years, follicular unit grafting.  The experience I have had with all of these modalities has allowed me to exercise a broad range of judgment as to what might work for you as the individual patient.

Hairline Lowering/Forehead Reduction Surgery

My background in facial plastic surgery and hair restoration surgery puts me in a unique position in regard to doing this procedure, usually performed on women.  I will make a claim, and leave others to contest it, that I have the greatest experience and expertise with the procedure of lowering the female hairline with a direct advancement procedure.  (Please see section on hairline lowering/forehead reduction.)  I have performed hundreds of these procedures and find quite a bit of variation from person to person in their anatomy and desires, and therefore each operation involves individual planning and variation in the exact technique.  I recently, for educational purposes, made three videos of this procedure.  As I examine them and study them, I find that these were three significantly different operations to accomplish the same goal.  Therefore, if you are considering this procedure, I cannot state the exact plan without seeing, examining, and talking to you.

Through the Internet, we can get a good idea of what we might want to do and I have a routine of exchanging information and having telephone consultations before being seen and potentially scheduled for surgery.  The majority of my patients for this operation come far from the San Francisco Bay Area and we have to take this into consideration.

Read more about Dr. Sheldon Kabaker