Photo Credit: Courtesy of Monali Mahedia
Dr. Nilay Shah is a highly regarded plastic surgeon and the founder of Shah Plastic Surgery, a premier practice based in New York City. With a passion for aesthetic surgery and a commitment to providing personalized care, Dr. Shah has earned a reputation as one of the leading plastic surgeons in the region. His impressive credentials and extensive training have equipped him with the knowledge and expertise needed to achieve natural-looking, beautiful results for his patients. Dr. Shah is dedicated to staying at the forefront of the field and continually expanding his skill set to offer the latest techniques and technologies in plastic surgery. His warm and compassionate approach, combined with his exceptional surgical skills, have earned him the trust and respect of his patients and colleagues alike. Here Haute Beauty had the opportunity to sit down with Haute Beauty expert Dr. Shah to ask him a range of questions regarding his practice, achievements, and the plastic surgery field.
What is your greatest achievement?
- I am among only 1% of International Medical Graduate who was able to secure highly coveted surgery residencies at the IV league University of Pennsylvania, the Ohio State University, and Mayo Clinic Arizona.
- I completed my plastic surgery training at UT Southwestern/Parkland Hospital, Dallas, TX, which ranked No. 1 for plastic surgery training for many years when I was in training.
- I completed plastic surgery training under some of the best plastic surgery mentors including Rod Rohrich, MD; Fritz Barton, MD; Jeffrey Kenkel, MD; and Donald Wood-Smith, MD.
- I am a celebrity plastic surgeon in New York City.
The future of Shah Plastic Surgery:
Plastic surgery is an amazing specialty that will continue to have a bright future. Plastic surgeons are a few of the best innovators in the field of medicine. The number of surgical and non-surgical aesthetic procedures is constantly rising every decade. Due to so much research in the field of plastic surgery, patients are able to be better informed and better able to make a decision about the procedure they can or cannot have. It is with confidence that I say patients need to be very cautious when finding their plastic surgeon. I advise you to go to a board-certified plastic surgeon for any treatment as there are many non-plastic surgeons who are trying to encroach on this field.
The biggest misconception about plastic surgery:
The biggest misconception about plastic surgery is that any type of plastic surgery will make you look fake or "plastic" looking. If plastic surgery is being done by well-trained board-certified plastic surgeons, patients can expect very natural-looking long-lasting results. Additionally, plastic surgery just doesn't mean aesthetic surgeries. Plastic surgery also involves many reconstruction aspects, including breast cancer surgery, trauma soft tissue defect surgery, craniofacial cleft lip and palate surgeries, and even hand surgery. What I want to remind patients is that you don't do plastic surgery for others, you do it for yourself and if something is bothering you, that is when you should only do it.
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My most requested procedures...
The most requested surgical procedures are breast augmentation, breast augmentation and breast lift, breast reductions, rhinoplasty, liposuction, fat transfer to buttocks, abdominoplasty, and facelift.
Most requested non-surgical procedures are neuromodulators like Botox, Dysport, Xeomin, Juveau; hyaluronic acid fillers for cheek, folds, and lips; collagen stimulators like Sculptra and Radiesse for your temple and cheeks.
Surgical advancements I'm excited for...
New varieties of breast implants, new techniques for breast reductions, use of mesh for breast augmentation and breast lift for poor quality skin patients, deep plane facelifts, and non-surgical & closed/scarless rhinoplasty.
What I am best known for:
In order of procedures: Breast augmentation and breast lift, Breast reductions, Rhinoplasty, Blepharoplasty, Deep plane facelift, Abdominoplasty and liposuction, and fat transfer to buttocks.
My most memorable patient reaction:
Instead of saying what my most memorable patient reaction is, here I am sharing my patient's updates on her procedure. Now, this is why I do what I do:
Update #1: I got a lift and augmentation with Dr. Shah. So far, I am a week post-op and I love my new breast. He understood what I wanted and he exceeded my expectations. I was going to go to my country Dominican Republic to do it but instead, I chose to do it here and I’m glad I did.
Update #2: I posted some before and after pictures. Now I am at 2 weeks and 2 days out. I will post when I take all the tape off. I went to my first-week appointment but I forget to ask the doctor how many cc’s he put on me. When I go for my first month I will ask him and I will post. I was told this journey would be easy but it is not. You will need more than a week off of work.
Update #3: I am now 8 months post-op my breast dropped and they feel very natural and soft. I still don't feel my right nipple but that doesn’t bother me. My scar is fine, but let's see what happens in a few more months. I still used scar gel every day. I am happy overall, but sometimes I want them more up or fake looking (lol). I now feel very sexy and happy when I am wearing a nice dress without a bra.
What sets Shah Plastic Surgery apart?
Honesty about the consultation. I always concentrate on what bothers the patient most. For that, I have to very clearly listen to patients. I can't just assume this is what the patient wants and go ahead and do that. Once I have done consultation and figured out the patient is doing plastic/aesthetic surgery only for her/him and not due to some external pressure, I give the patient an honest opinion about whether I can achieve the results they are expecting or not. If I can't provide that outcome, I will ask the patient to do another consultation with another plastic surgeon and I won't be able to help her. If there are patients who have unrealistic expectations, I turn them away giving my honest opinion.
What I love most about my profession:
Taking care of so many different patients and helping them achieve their confidence back. Also, the ability to do different types of plastic surgery procedures which are not static and constantly evolving for the benefit of the patient and help achieve natural-looking long-lasting results.
Career-defining procedure?
- Breast augmentation
- Breast lift
- Rhinoplasty
- Deep Plane face/Neck lift
New services I'm excited to offer?
Scarless breast augmentation from the axilla, fat transfer to breasts, breast lift, and breast reductions allow for more fullness on the top of the breasts, closed scarless rhinoplasty, and deep plane facelift/neck lift.
For more information, visit Dr. Nilay Shah's social media:
