Choosing a Facial Plastic Surgeon in Austin
During a recent consultation in my Austin office, a patient told me I sounded very confident about what I do, and she asked why. I had to stop and think about it for a minute. It’s a fair question, and I think the answer can help you when you’re choosing your own surgeon.
I’m a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon, and I’ve been in practice outside of training for about ten years (as of 2026). But my confidence didn’t take ten years to build. Most of it came from the way I was trained.
Where My Confidence Comes From
A Residency With One Resident a Year
I did my residency in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery at the University of New Mexico. The program took only one resident per year. Most programs take at least two, often more.
That matters because surgical training runs on case logs. Every operation you take part in gets recorded. When several residents share the same cases, the experience gets spread thinner. With one resident per class, I got more of them. We have to submit our case logs for fellowship applications, and fellowship directors shared with me that our program consistently logged more cases than any other residency they had seen.
We also had a large group of faculty, and we rotated with outside surgeons who practiced specialties the university didn’t offer.
An Underserved Region
New Mexico is about as underserved as it gets. Patients came in from West Texas, southern Colorado, and eastern Arizona. There was also no plastic surgery or oral surgery program at the time, and both often overlap with ENT.
So my residency was far more varied than most. I saw trauma, head and neck cancer, and facial reconstruction, one emergency after another. When I applied for fellowship, the surgeons interviewing me kept saying they didn’t know how I had so many cases in my logs.
A Busy Fellowship
I did my facial plastic surgery fellowship with Dr. Jeffrey Spiegel at Boston University Medical Center. He was booked out for months. Again, the volume was high, and Dr. Spiegel reported I logged more surgeries than any other fellow in the country that year.
By the end of training, I could go almost anywhere I wanted. I chose academic medicine first and spent a couple of years at UT Southwestern. Those programs knew what I could do because of the range and number of cases I’d done.
It Wasn’t Easy
I don’t want to make it sound glamorous. There were a lot of sleepless nights and far more call than most residents take. As a chief resident, I often took call like an intern or second-year would, while also backing up the junior residents and several PAs.
That was hard. It also means there’s very little I could see in the operating room now that would surprise me. I feel like I’m at my peak right now. I’m always learning and fine-tuning the details of what I do, but the foundation is solid.
Why This Matters for You
In surgery, confidence comes from repetition, from having seen complications and handled them, and from knowing what to do when something doesn’t go to plan.
Serious emergencies in facial plastic surgery are rare. They include airway problems, infections, and situations that need reconstruction. Rare doesn’t mean never. You want a surgeon who would stay calm and capable no matter what comes up.
What to Ask Your Surgeon
Here are the questions I’d ask in any consultation:
- What is your training background? Ask where they did residency and fellowship, and what kind of cases they did there.
- Are you board certified, and by which boards? For facial plastic surgery, look for the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Many facial plastic surgeons are also certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.
- How many of this specific procedure do you do? General experience matters, and so does experience with the exact operation you want.
- Can I see before and after photos? Look for patients with features like yours, and ask for longer-term follow-up photos when they exist.
- What happens if there’s a complication? Listen for a clear, specific plan.
Pay attention to how the surgeon carries themselves too. Calm, clear answers are a good sign.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does double board certified mean for a facial plastic surgeon?
It usually means certification in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery and in facial plastic and reconstructive surgery. Each board has its own training and exam requirements.
Does a surgeon’s case volume matter?
In my experience, yes. Repetition builds judgment, and judgment is what helps when a case doesn’t go exactly as planned.
Is it rude to ask a surgeon about complications?
Not at all. A good surgeon should welcome the question and give you a straight answer.
I don’t take surgery lightly, and I hope you won’t either. Your safety comes first in everything we do, and knowing your surgeon’s background is part of that. If you’d like to meet me and ask your own questions, you can schedule a consultation here, in person at my southwest Austin office or virtually.
You May Also Like:
- About Dr. Sarah Saxon
- Traveling for a Deep Plane Facelift in Austin
- General Anesthesia vs Sedation
- Potential Facelift Complications
