Dr. Narayanan M. Nair, MD, FACS, FAAP, is not your typical plastic surgeon. With a distinguished educational background from Penn State and the Cleveland Clinic, and a thriving practice in Florida, Dr. Nair has carved a unique niche by tackling complex cases that many others shy away from. His unwavering dedication to patient education, ethical practice, and pioneering work in illicit silicone removal is what sets him apart in the ever-evolving field of aesthetic and reconstructive surgery.
A Journey Forged in Education and Personal Challenge
Raised in Buffalo, New York, Dr. Nair’s path to medicine was clear from a young age.
“I never wanted to do anything else,” he said. As a kid, he was captivated by pediatric surgery after watching PBS’s NOVA specials. “I remember watching those specials and thinking, That’s definitely what I want to do,” he recalled.
His academic journey began at Penn State, where he enrolled in a rigorous six-year medical program.
“I did two years of undergrad and four years of med school, that’s why I chose Penn State. It ended up being a great experience. I loved it then, and I still do,” he shared.
He then honed his skills at the prestigious Cleveland Clinic, known for its exceptional reputation, strong research focus, and excellent foundation in medical practice.
A family emergency changed the course of Dr. Nair’s life, prompting his move to Florida. After building a successful private practice in Beverly Hills, he decided to temporarily close it when his father suffered a major heart attack and needed open-heart surgery.
“I basically shut down my practice,” he recalled. “I started cold calling clinics in Florida, just trying to find any work to cover the bills.”
That chapter of upheaval ultimately brought him back to Miami, a city that had always felt like a second home during college and residency visits with his parents. Thankfully, his father, now 82, recovered well, despite a surgery filled with what Dr. Nair described as “every complication under the sun.”
From Pediatric Aspirations to Complex Reconstructive Care
Dr. Nair was initially drawn to plastic surgery because of its broad scope. He liked that it allowed him to operate from head to toe, on nearly any part of the body. However, his true passion lay in pediatric plastic surgery, particularly in correcting congenital conditions like cleft palates and craniofacial anomalies.
“I initially wanted to work with kids. That was kind of my passion,” he affirmed.
However, the reality of the highly competitive field and limited opportunities led him to pivot.
“It’s a really packed field,” he explained. “There could be fifty surgeons competing for ten jobs. It just makes it really hard to find work, or even make a living.”
This shift ultimately guided him to his current specialization, where he excels in complex reconstructive cases, often repairing the damage caused by underqualified providers. It’s a niche he’s made his own.
He has recently published his technique on advanced buttock reconstruction, detailing his utilization of tissue from the buttocks and legs.
A New Practice and a Commitment to Patient Control
After spending three years with another group in Florida, Dr. Nair recently took a leap he’d long envisioned: opening his own clinic.
“It came from a need to really be in control over patient care and outcomes,” he explained. “I wanted to make sure everything was done exactly right, from surgery to recovery.”
Having his own practice allows him to meticulously manage every aspect of the patient experience for optimal results, especially the crucial postoperative care. Just a year in, his state-of-the-art clinic is already earning an impressive reputation, thanks to both its advanced equipment and his hands-on approach.
The Art of Complex Cases: Illicit Silicone Removal
When asked about his preferred procedures, Dr. Nair’s answer was clear: “I like complicated cases, the ones other surgeons have turned down,” he said. “I don’t have a favorite or a least favorite. I just like the hard ones. Maybe it’s because they push me to flex my surgical muscle.”
One area where his expertise stands out is illicit silicone removal, a highly specialized and often risky procedure that now makes up 40–50% of his practice. He performs these surgeries, treating complications from unregulated injections, in areas ranging from the buttocks and vaginal region to the eyes, cheeks, and forehead.
According to Dr. Nair, the only truly effective way to remove silicone is through surgical excision, despite what many non-surgical treatments falsely promise.
“Unfortunately, the best way is to open the skin and take it out,” he explained. “There’s no shortcut. Lasers and other non-surgical solutions often lead to worse complications.”
Many of his patients come to him after years of being dismissed, told nothing could be done, or denied insurance coverage.
“A lot of them feel completely helpless,” he said. “And then they find me, and I am able to finally give them some hope and fix something they thought was unfixable. That’s what makes this work so rewarding.”
Beyond Silicone: Facial Rejuvenation and Ethical Practice
Beyond silicone removal, Dr. Nair performs a wide range of facial aesthetic procedures, including facelifts, rhinoplasties, and injectables like Botox. Rhinoplasty, he shared, is his favorite aesthetic procedure, outside of facelifts, due to its intricate nature.
Facelift surgery, Dr. Nair explained, requires precision and experience. “It’s a very unforgiving surgery. You really have to know what you’re doing and do it well.”
He also observed a growing trend of patients getting facelifts at younger ages. “They want to spend their fifties and sixties looking forty or fifty,” he noted.
Regardless of age, he emphasized that good skincare is essential. It’s the foundation, he said, “like the foundation of a house,” for any aesthetic work to be successful.
Dr. Nair’s approach to his patients is built on transparency and integrity. He is a strong advocate for patient education, both on social media and in person, thoroughly discussing risks and complications.
He is unapologetically direct with his patients, especially when it comes to discussing risks. “I’m very upfront. I’ll walk you through every possible risk and complication,” he emphasized. “The last thing I want is for a patient to come back after surgery and say, ‘Dr. Nair, you never really discussed this with me.’”
Dr. Nair takes pride in approaching each case with the same care he’d give his own loved ones. “I’m not going to do anything I wouldn’t do for my own family,” he said.
That same mindset drives his commitment to correcting other surgeons’ complications; a responsibility he sees as part of a professional code among board-certified plastic surgeons.
The Evolving Landscape of Medicine and Technology
Dr. Nair acknowledged the profound shifts in the medical landscape.
“Medicine is a very different space than it was twenty years ago,” he observed.
He points to the rise of “patient-driven medicine,” which, while having positive aspects, also presents challenges. Patients often arrive with superficial understandings of their conditions or desired aesthetic outcomes, influenced by technology and readily available, yet sometimes misleading, information.
Dr. Nair often sees patients come in with only a surface-level understanding of their concerns.
“They’ll have an idea of what they think the problem is and what they want the outcome to be,” he explained, “but they don’t always grasp what it actually takes, clinically and surgically, to get there.”
He specifically addressed the growing use of AI in plastic surgery. In one recent case, AI was used to map a patient’s breasts and predict their future desired size post-surgery. While the technology can offer a more precise visualization, it can also lead to unrealistic expectations.
“It puts this image in the patient’s head of, ‘That’s exactly what I’m going to look like,’” he said. “But it’s not possible to predict that that will be the specific outcome.”
He warns against a false sense of understanding that technology can create, emphasizing that genuine expertise requires time, dedication, schooling, and testing.
Personal Life, Mentorship, and Future Horizons
At 40, Dr. Nair balances his demanding career with his family life, especially his wife, Tiffany, and their young twin daughters.
“I love hanging out with my kids, and I’ve been trying to do a little more to take time off,” he shared.
A dedicated Buffalo Bills fan, he also enjoys sports, relaxing at home, and being on the ocean fishing with his wife. Travel is another passion; he recently visited Paris and Jamaica, embracing the importance of self-care in a high-pressure profession.
Looking ahead, Dr. Nair envisions a more academic and influential path for his practice, driven by a desire to share his vast knowledge and unique expertise.
“I’d like to eventually go down more of an academic route,” he stated, outlining plans to mentor younger surgeons, delve deeper into publishing and research, and significantly expand his travel and speaking engagements.
His own extensive post-residency training, including plastic surgery fellowships in Tennessee, aesthetics in Laguna, and reconstructive surgery in Milwaukee, positions him as an ideal mentor, uniquely equipped to guide the next generation. Yet, with characteristic candor, he openly advised aspiring doctors against such a prolonged training path, stating, “I want to encourage young doctors to just get out and go into practice.”
He recalled the immense personal sacrifice during his early years, often working like a “dog” and missing out on precious time with his newborn children. This was a testament to his dedication, but also a valuable lesson he hopes to impart on others.
Conclusion
Dr. Nair’s unwavering dedication to his craft, his patients, and the advancement of his field positions him not just as a skilled surgeon, but as a compassionate and impactful leader in the plastic surgery field. With a solid team supporting him, he continues to push the boundaries of what’s possible, providing hope and transformation to those in need.
From correcting the challenging effects of illicit procedures to meticulously crafting aesthetic enhancements, his practice is a beacon of ethical care and surgical excellence. Dr. Narayanan M. Nair stands as a testament to the power of expertise, empathy, and an unyielding commitment to putting patient well-being at the forefront, shaping a healthier, more confident future, one intricate procedure at a time.
Take the first step toward confident, expert care. Learn more about Dr. Nair’s practice at https://www.nairplasticsurgery.com/.
