About Dr. Natalie Plana
Dr. Natalie Plana is an Ivy League–trained plastic surgeon with a focused expertise in surgery of the face. Her practice spans the full spectrum of facial aesthetic and reconstructive procedures, including orthognathic surgery, cleft and craniofacial reconstruction, rhinoplasty, and facial rejuvenation. She prioritizes delivery of elevated, polished results that remain natural and refined.
Dr. Plana received her medical degree from NYU School of Medicine—ranked among the top three medical schools in the country at the time of her graduation—where she was honored with special recognition for excellence in plastic surgery. She went on to complete her plastic surgery residency at the University of Pennsylvania and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, one of the most competitive and respected training programs in the nation. There, she became the first Hispanic woman to graduate from its integrated pathway and was awarded the Resident Teaching Award for her dedication to mentorship and surgical education.
She further refined her expertise through a dedicated craniofacial surgery fellowship at NYU Langone, gaining mastery in complex skeletal and soft tissue surgery of the face. During two years of focused research in facial transplantation at NYU, she contributed meaningfully to academic pursuits of two of the most extensive face transplants performed to date. Her training was shaped under the mentorship of some of the most prominent figures in the field, giving her a unique foundation in both technical excellence and artistic nuance.
Widely regarded as a rising leader in plastic surgery, Dr. Plana has authored over 50 peer-reviewed publications and is a prolific contributor of academic book chapters and podium presentations, on national and international stages. Her scholarly contributions and surgical work reflect a growing influence within the field.
Dr. Plana combines rigorous academic training with a discerning eye for balance and proportion. Moreover, her perspective as a female plastic surgeon informs a sophisticated understanding of the female aesthetic—an approach in pursuit of results that feel both elevated and innately authentic.
Notable Publications
- Bilateral Sagittal Split Osteotomy: Description of Surgical Technique to Complement the Procedural Cognition Simulation in the Craniofacial Interactive Virtual Assistant-Professional Edition
- Dental considerations and the role of prosthodontics and maxillofacial prosthetics in facial transplantation
- Discussion: Watershed Areas in Face Transplantation
- Discussion: First Lower Two-Thirds Osteomyocutaneous Facial Allograft Perfused by a Unilateral Facial Artery: Outcomes and Vascularization at 1 Year after Transplantation
- The Public Face of Transplantation: The Potential of Education to Expand the Face Donor Pool
- An Early Comparative Analysis of Presurgical Lip, Alveolus and Nose Approximation
- Cephalometric Predictors of Clinical Severity in Treacher Collins Syndrome
- A Prospective, Randomized, Blinded Trial Comparing Digital Simulation to Textbook for Cleft Surgery Education
- Outpatient versus Inpatient Primary Cleft Lip and Palate Surgery: Analysis of Early Complications
- Pediatric Dog Bite Injuries: A 5-Year Nationwide Study and Implications of the COVID-19 Pandemic
- The Evolving Presence of Women in Academic Plastic Surgery: A Study of the Past 40 Years
- Variations in Databases Used to Assess Academic Output and Citation Impact
