Profile of Melinda Costa, Dr

Dr Melinda Costa is a Diplomate of the American Board of Plastic Surgery and one of a handful of double-fellowship trained Craniofacial Plastic Surgeons in the United States.

Dr. Costa specializes in the most technically demanding facial surgical techniques. Dr. Costa is one of only a few Pediatric Plastic Surgeons in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Possessing years of elite surgical training experience and an artistic eye, Dr. Costa provides outcomes to correct, restore, and enhance the face and body.

Her Adult specialties include facial feminization, facelift, lip lift, blepharoplasty, rhinoplasty, and fat grafting. Her Pediatric specialties include cleft repair, neonatal ear molding, otoplasty, microtia (ear reconstruction), congenital nevi, dermoid cysts, juvenile breast deformities, gynecomastia, polydactyly, and ear remnants.

EXPERT TRAINING

Dr. Costa holds two degrees from the prestigious University of Pennsylvania: a BS in Biological Basis of Behavior with a Minor in Fine Arts as well as her Medical Degree, MD.

Dr. Costa is a Fellow of the reknowned American College of Surgeons (FACS).

Education & Training

Dr. Costa completed her residency in plastic surgery in 2012 at University of Southern California and held prestigious fellowships at USC/Shriners Hospital in Los Angeles (Global Health Pediatric Plastic Surgery) and Indiana University School of Medicine (Pediatric Plastic and Craniofacial Surgery).

Over the past 14 years, she has authored dozens of publications in the fields of wound healing, breast reconstruction, cleft repair, and fat grafting. Her passion for helping children has brought her across the world to places like Tanzania, where she’s worked as a volunteer surgeon with Operation Smile to deliver life-changing cleft procedures.

Procedures of Melinda Costa, Dr ⁽³⁹⁾

Procedure	Rank in San Jose	Rank in CA	Rank in US
Scars Treatment Scars treatment differs based on the particular scar’s size, texture, and location.	Ranked in San Jose:	Ranked in CA:	Ranked in US:
Rhinoplasty Commonly referred to as a “nose job” this surgical procedure can help correct undesirable ridges, size, shape, or other aspects of the nose. In some situations, this procedure can correct certain breathing problems.	Ranked in San Jose: 5	Ranked in CA: 205	Ranked in US: 1017
Craniofacial Surgery Craniofacial surgery is a surgical subspecialty that deals with congenital and acquired deformities of the head, skull, face, neck, jaws and associated structures.	Ranked in San Jose:	Ranked in CA:	Ranked in US:
Facial Feminization Facial feminization surgery refers to a group of procedures that can make a face look more feminine.	Ranked in San Jose: 1	Ranked in CA: 16	Ranked in US: 24
Cleft Lip and Palate Repair Cleft lip and palate repair - the opening in the lip can be a small notch or a complete slit that goes all the way to the base of the nose.	Ranked in San Jose: 1	Ranked in CA: 18	Ranked in US: 61
Prominent Ears Treatment Prominent ears are frequently treated by facial plastic surgeons.	Ranked in San Jose:	Ranked in CA:	Ranked in US:
Ear Pinning Cosmetic ear surgery is a type of plastic and reconstructive surgery that can improve the size, shape, or position of the outer ear by reshaping the cartilage.	Ranked in San Jose: 2	Ranked in CA: 126	Ranked in US: 533
Forehead Reduction Forehead reduction surgery shortens the distance between your hairline and eyebrows by moving the scalp forward and positioning your hairline lower on your forehead.	Ranked in San Jose: 3	Ranked in CA: 115	Ranked in US: 317
Liposuction A surgical procedure that removes stubborn fat deposits from the legs.	Ranked in San Jose: 4	Ranked in CA: 114	Ranked in US: 562
Fat Transfer A procedure that removes fat from one area of the body via liposuction and transfers it to another area.	Ranked in San Jose: 4	Ranked in CA: 158	Ranked in US: 651
Male Breast Reduction Gynecomastia surgery reduces breast size in men, flattening and enhancing the chest contours.	Ranked in San Jose: 1	Ranked in CA: 20	Ranked in US: 158
Facial Fat Transfer An injection procedure where fat is harvested from the abdomen using liposuction, purifying it, and then injecting it into the target areas of the face to create fullness and a younger appearance.	Ranked in San Jose: 3	Ranked in CA: 95	Ranked in US: 406
Breast Lift A procedure that lifts the breast tissue and repositions the nipples to remedy sagging breasts.	Ranked in San Jose: 4	Ranked in CA: 208	Ranked in US: 1103
Breast Augmentation Breast augmentation is a plastic surgery procedure that can enhance your breast size and shape.	Ranked in San Jose: 4	Ranked in CA: 232	Ranked in US: 1187
Neck Lift A procedure that improves the look of the neck by redraping sagging, wrinkled skin. In addition, it tightens the skin by removing excess skin.	Ranked in San Jose: 3	Ranked in CA: 184	Ranked in US: 925
Tummy Tuck Also known as an "abdominoplasty” this procedure reduces the size and shape of the abdomen by removing excess fat and skin.	Ranked in San Jose: 4	Ranked in CA: 152	Ranked in US: 567
Brow Lift A surgical procedure that removes wrinkled, drooping skin around and above the eyebrows. This lifts the eyebrows and restores them to their appropriate placement.	Ranked in San Jose: 3	Ranked in CA: 179	Ranked in US: 1053
Double Eyelid Surgery Double eyelid surgery is a procedure to create a crease in the upper eyelid of someone who doesn’t have one or has one that’s poorly defined.	Ranked in San Jose: 5	Ranked in CA: 130	Ranked in US: 210
Breast Revision Breast revision surgery makes to improve the appearance of breasts that have been previously operated on.	Ranked in San Jose: 4	Ranked in CA: 143	Ranked in US: 656
Lower Body Lift The lower body lift extends the tummy tuck incision completely around the lower torso, which allows surgeon to lift or resuspend the thighs and tighten the buttocks as well as to execute the traditional tummy tuck.	Ranked in San Jose: 4	Ranked in CA: 122	Ranked in US: 532
Arm Lift An upper arm lift is a cosmetic surgical procedure that removes excess fat and loose skin on your underarms, eliminating the appearance of “bat wings.”	Ranked in San Jose: 4	Ranked in CA: 165	Ranked in US: 848
Breast Fat Transfer A surgery where fat is removed from an area with fatty deposits via liposuction, purified, and then transferred via injection into the breasts to increase size and fullness.	Ranked in San Jose: 4	Ranked in CA: 77	Ranked in US: 267
Jaw Contouring Jaw contouring is a popular procedure for slimming the jawline and creating a more balanced facial profile.	Ranked in San Jose: 3	Ranked in CA: 84	Ranked in US: 77
Arm Liposuction A surgical procedure that removes stubborn fat deposits from the arms.	Ranked in San Jose: 4	Ranked in CA: 80	Ranked in US: 300
Breast Reconstruction Breast reconstruction surgery helps restore a more natural, symmetrical appearance of a breast that has been removed by a mastectomy or altered by a lumpectomy as part of breast cancer treatment.	Ranked in San Jose: 2	Ranked in CA: 137	Ranked in US: 769
Nipple Surgery Nipple reduction surgery involves decreasing the size of protruding or disproportionately large nipples and trimming excess tissue to create an aesthetically balanced breast.	Ranked in San Jose: 3	Ranked in CA: 77	Ranked in US: 209
MTF Body Contouring MTF body contouring gives transgender women a more traditionally feminine, hourglass shape.	Ranked in San Jose: 2	Ranked in CA: 26	Ranked in US: 45
Upper Blepharoplasty A surgical procedure that targets fatty deposits and saggy skin above the eye and on the upper eyelid. Contributes to a younger appearance and in some patients can improve their field of vision.	Ranked in San Jose: 2	Ranked in CA: 76	Ranked in US: 119
Ear Repair Ear repair surgery helps patients achieve better facial aesthetics and improves their confidence and self-esteem by repairing and reshaping the earlobes.	Ranked in San Jose: 3	Ranked in CA: 61	Ranked in US: 284
Eye Lift An eye lift is a surgical procedure that reduces bagginess from lower eyelids and removes excess skin from the upper eyelids.	Ranked in San Jose: 3	Ranked in CA: 113	Ranked in US: 408
Cyst Removal Cysts are saclike pockets of fluid or semisolid material, separated from nearby tissue by a distinct membrane.	Ranked in San Jose: 1	Ranked in CA: 14	Ranked in US: 31
Ptosis Surgery Ptosis surgery is an operation to tighten the muscle that lifts your upper eyelid.	Ranked in San Jose: 1	Ranked in CA: 23	Ranked in US: 32
Eyelid Surgery Eyelid surgery tightens and lifts sagging eyelid skin.	Ranked in San Jose: 5	Ranked in CA: 262	Ranked in US: 1292
Chin Augmentation A chin augmentation refers to refinement/improvement of the bone contour of the chin area.	Ranked in San Jose: 4	Ranked in CA: 147	Ranked in US: 625
Areola Reduction Areola repositioning involves both the areola and the nipple being lifted and established in a natural position.	Ranked in San Jose: 3	Ranked in CA: 94	Ranked in US: 316
Male Pectoral Implants Pectoral implants are body implants made of solid silicone.	Ranked in San Jose: 2	Ranked in CA: 70	Ranked in US: 180
Breast Reduction A procedure that removes excess skin and breast tissue that may cause saggy breasts or physical symptoms.	Ranked in San Jose: 3	Ranked in CA: 64	Ranked in US: 136
Male Chest Enhancement Male chest enhancement procedures are used to enhance the appearance of the pectoral muscles by adding volume or removing excess surrounding fat.	Ranked in San Jose: 2	Ranked in CA: 33	Ranked in US: 90
Facial Reconstruction Facial reconstruction surgery is performed to reshape structures in the head and neck — typically the nose, ears, chin, cheekbones and neckline.	Ranked in San Jose: 1	Ranked in CA: 64	Ranked in US: 239