Dr. David C. Mabrie - Director, Surgeon

Dr. David C. Mabrie

Dr. David C. Mabrie is a board-certified head & neck surgeon specializing in plastic surgery of the nose, face, and neck. He is continuing a family tradition, following in the footsteps of his father, a well-respected head & neck surgeon practicing in Houston, Texas. Dr. Mabrie is a member of The American Board of Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery and The American Board of Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery.

After graduating from medical school at the University of California at San Francisco with honors, Dr. Mabrie completed a residency in head & neck surgery at the prestigious Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. At Johns Hopkins he worked with leaders in the field of facial plastic surgery and became intrigued with the art of rhinoplasty and other forms of facial sculpturing.

Returning to California to further his training, Dr. Mabrie completed a one year fellowship in facial plastic & reconstructive surgery at Stanford University, where he learned the state of the art techniques in facial plastic surgery.

Dr. Mabrie is now practicing facial plastic and reconstructive surgery in the San Francisco, Bay Area with an office in San Francisco and in the East Bay.

What Is a Facial Plastic Surgeon?

All practicing physicians have the same initial training:

• An undergraduate degree
• Four years of medical school
• At least one year of residency (called internship)

Two similar surgical specialties are facial plastic surgery and general plastic surgery. Both types of surgeons complete the same undergraduate and medical school degrees, followed by a general surgery internship. General surgery involves the most common of surgical procedures: hernia repairs, appendectomies, gallbladder removals, etc. The internship serves to acquaint the young physician with the basics of surgical technique.

After internship, the facial plastic surgeon begins to specialize in his/her training by limiting their experience to head and neck surgery, in preparation for a more focused range of nasal and facial procedures. The general plastic surgeon continues a broader training in general surgery, in preparation for a wider range of body procedures.

Facial Plastic Surgeon Training

• An undergraduate degree
• Four years of medical school
• 1 year of general surgery (internship)
• 4 years of head and neck surgery and facial plastic surgery (residency)
• 1 year of facial cosmetic surgery (fellowship)

General Plastic Surgeon Training/Education

• An undergraduate degree
• Four years of medical school
• 3-5 years general surgery (internship/first residency)
• 2 years of body and facial plastic surgery (second residency/fellowship)

During Dr. Mabrie's 4 year residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital and 1 year fellowship at Stanford University, his training focused exclusively on the anatomy, physiology, and pathology of the nose, face, head and neck structures. This in-depth concentration provided Dr. Mabrie with a strong foundation for reconstructive and cosmetic facial surgery.

By contrast, most general plastic surgeons complete three to five years of general surgery before pursuing two years of specialty training. The two-year plastic surgery residency covers a wide range of diverse areas all over the body. These surgeons perform the lion's share of cosmetic body liposuction, breast augmentation or reduction, and tummy tucks.

Why Choose a Facial Plastic Surgeon?

For cosmetic procedures involving the nose, eyes, face, and neck, choosing a facial specialist offers the advantage of a surgeon who solely focuses in these areas and performs these highly, intricate procedures regularly.

Your face is special. Trust your face to a specialist.