Dr. Issa Eshima, MD

A Serious Concern About Dr. Issa Ethima’s Ethics and Accountability While I cannot speak to Dr. Issa Ethima’s skills as a plastic surgeon, my recent experience with him raises significant concerns about his integrity and accountability—qualities that are absolutely critical in a physician, especially one entrusted with performing facial surgeries. Earlier this month, I was involved in a minor collision with Dr. Ethima in the Whole Foods parking lot in San Francisco. He struck my parked car with his black Land Rover while I was stepping out of my vehicle. What followed was deeply unsettling. Rather than taking responsibility and exchanging insurance information as required, Dr. Ethima denied the accident entirely—even though visible evidence of black paint transfer from his car was present on mine. When I attempted to document the scene, Dr. Ethima drove his vehicle toward me, coming dangerously close to threaten me. It was only after a security guard confirmed the presence of… parking lot surveillance cameras that Dr. Ethima begrudgingly provided his insurance information. However, he later denied the accident to his insurance company, leaving me to pursue security footage with law enforcement to substantiate my claim. As someone from a family of doctors, I have always held the profession to a high ethical standard. This incident has left me questioning whether Dr. Ethima’s behavior reflects the values necessary for a medical professional, particularly one whose work involves such personal and irreversible outcomes as facial surgery. If he is unwilling to take responsibility for a minor parking lot accident, what confidence can patients have that he will act ethically and accountably if complications arise in his practice? This account is shared truthfully under my real name to ensure others are fully informed. Ethics and professionalism are inseparable from medical practice, and any lapse in these qualities is cause for concern. I urge prospective patients to carefully consider whether they are comfortable placing their trust in a surgeon whose actions outside the operating room have raised serious doubts about his character.

Understanding that facial cosmetic surgery is akin to sculpture (invoking complex three dimensionality) I began my search for a cosmetic surgeon who had the artistic, engineering, and tactile skills with which to return the youthful proportions of my face. Upon finding Dr. Eshima, everyone else I'd consulted was out-of-the running. Dr. Eshima's unerring gift for "seeing" what you were as a younger person (now disguised by an aging face) is a gift, a talent, upon which his surgeries are built. Masterful understanding of underlying musculature, and the skill to redress changes that aging brings have resulted in the proportions that I had as a young woman, a wonderful reiteration of who I am and how I looked. Further research made me aware of the complexity of accomplishing numerous facial surgical procedures . Symbiotic relationships of skin, muscle and bone must be manipulated with tremendous skill and touch in order to have the outcome desired. Dr. Eshima has the insight, informed… vision ( he can look at you and see "beyond" to the proportions that once defined your face in youth) and the surgical skill to retrieve those proportions.That these talents reside in one man is unique. Without them my rejuvenated, reproportioned, "restored" face would not be. Dr. Eshima did a multivector deep plane facelift, endoscopic brow lift, left eye ptosis repair, blepharoplasty, and lip shortening. Each surgical procedure requires a highly skilled and experienced cosmetic surgeon in order to gain excellent results. The magical confluence of profound artistry, engineering excellence, hands that can do the most delicate and demanding tasks, and vision that sees into the past as well as the future is singular-embodied by only one man - Dr.Issa Eshima. Thanks to Dr. Eshima's transcendent skills I've had spectacular results

I was a little irritated that I had to wait a while for an appointment. I was also a little frustrated that he had such a small digital footprint compared to other surgeons I considered. My concerns were put to rest as soon as I met Dr. Eshima. While clearly very up-to-date as far as his surgical procedures he was also slightly old-fashioned where it mattered: he listened to me, studied my face, answered my questions without rushing, and came up with a plan without “selling” or pushing anything. My face turned out great and looks completely natural. Thank You Dr. Eshima!

What makes for a fantastic customer experience? Happiness with the work done, return on investment and integrity. In term of happiness – where to begin? To say that Dr. Eshima’s work was anything short of a rebirth, for me, is an understatement. I felt no pain during or after the procedure. I felt like my new nose (just three months later) was meant to be this way forever – it’s elegant yet entirely recognizable, even more and more so every day. I feel so much more sophisticated, at ease, uninhibited and refined from all angles now. Moreover, I can see my eyes and face the way that I have never seen. That’s to say that my features are more proportional and elevated now. In terms of a return on investment, if you account for the speed of recovery (thanks to Dr. Eshima’s miraculous hands), and the number of times a day that I love myself in mirrors and in pictures now, if you paid a penny every time, it would quickly be the best gift you can gift yourself. In terms of integrity, the… entire experience went exactly as Dr. Eshima and his remarkable staff promised. The integrity of their word and actions made me feel like I could trust them with my future, my time and my face! I would argue that trust and integrity are the backbone of the whole experience and that I hope that everyone that makes such an important decision has the privilege of being taken care of by such a Doctor and such a team. I hope to never have to work with anyone else and can’t endorse Dr. Eshima and his team highly enough. Book your appointment and see for yourself! You will thank me later.

Dear Dr. Eshima, I want to thank you for what you have given me. It’s important to me that you know how deeply you have affected my life. Thank you for being the surgeon and artist that you are. I can’t begin to imagine the time and dedication that it takes for someone to perfect their craft to the degree that you have. It is obvious that you are passionate about what you do. You leave no stone unturned in your efforts to achieve the absolute best outcome for your patients. Your attention to detail, from the first consultation through the surgery and the aftercare, is beyond impressive. I wish every physician had your standard of excellence. If that were the case I would never have an issue with going to a doctor. Just as you predicted, I am beyond thrilled with my results. But you have given me so much more than “a beautiful face.” You opened a door for me that has allowed me to change my world. I have always had insecurities that I struggled to overcome. It was rare… for me to feel that I measured up to whatever it was that I saw in others. I was very critical of myself and worked continuously to improve myself, including physically, emotionally and spiritually. I know that I made tremendous strides in my emotional growth and spiritual understanding; however, the way that I saw myself physically aging undermined my ability to enjoy life with abandon. So, as I got older, instead of feeling free to be who I have come to be, I became more self-conscious and more intimidated, which had a huge impact on how I saw and experienced my world. I can’t thank you enough for what you have given me. What you did for me gave me the opportunity to remove a huge emotional barrier that had held me back from experiencing my best life. I am still emerging from this physical and emotional transformation and I feel wonderful! I love the way I look and feel. I no longer feel self-conscious or intimidated. I appreciate myself, where I have been, and how far I have come. I have a renewed sense of my own self-worth and I want, more than ever, to take good care of myself and enjoy as many years on this earth as I possibly can. I now look forward to going out and being around people, and I have become a little more outgoing! I’m not sure my words can actually relay to you my deep appreciation for your extremely important part in my transformation. So, again, thank you Dr. Eshima. Thank you for what you do and for what you give. Thank you for what you did for me and for giving me the opportunity to appreciate my whole self. You just can’t imagine what a difference your gifts have made in my life. P.S. Thank you so much for spending so much time with my daughter. We both appreciate your honesty and your concern for what is best for her at this time. I have no doubt that you will be seeing her in the future!

This was my best birthday present ever! About ten months prior to my 60th birthday I travelled half around the world to meet Dr. Eshima in San Francisco. I was considering to have my first plastic surgery ever and he was highly recommended by a very good friend of mine. I had visited a couple of plastic surgeons in Zurich, Switzerland, where I live, but I did not feel 100% confident with either of them. The fact that Dr. Eshima works only on faces gave me a great deal of confidence. Many doctors do liposuctions, belly tucks, breast implants and.... faces, among other surgeries; this is not the case with Dr. Eshima. During my conversation with Dr. Eshima I felt at ease and very self-assured. I appreciated his approach and demeanor. While we were talking he looked at my face with the discretion and respect typical of a Japanese person (which he is) but with the experienced eye of the superb surgeon he certainly is. I never felt scrutinized nor dissected. Nonetheless, at the end… of the conversation he knew exactly the weak points on my face. He recommended a face lift to correct my double chin and sagging cheeks, eye lids surgery to fix my "sad" look and an upper lip shortening to recover my youthful mouth. Dr. Eshima explained the procedure in a clear and precise manner. Back home I spoke with my husband about the surgery and my impression about Dr. Eshima. While in Zurich I had a couple of skype phone calls with Dr. Eshima and at one point in time my husband, who was very concerned about the prospect of the surgery, spoke with Dr. Eshima who explained to my husband the whole procedure citing the risks and expected results. I scheduled the date for the intervention and I flew back to San Francisco, arriving one week prior to the surgery and I stayed an additional two and a half weeks for post operatory check-ups and recovery. I had my procedure done just two months before my 60th birthday and, as I said, it was my best birthday present ever! I feel now like a 45-year old! I feel refreshed and very confident. I'm noticed again and that's great, especially at 60! I'm fortunate enough to have a loving husband who has always been very sweet and gallant but now he praises my looks even more often. He recently told me that he feels the pressure now that I look so much younger! I will not minimize the fact that the recovery process was much tougher than expected but it was worth it. Dr. Eshima brought my eyes back to their original size and shape, I love my clear jaw line and my mouth looks fresher and fuller although no fillers were used. The look is absolutely natural. One of the best compliments I have received came from my dermatologist who had always told me that she would never let anyone touch her face but, after she saw the result of my intervention, she asked me for Dr. Eshima's phone number and even told me that she felt like calling him to let him know what a good job he had done. This report will not be complete without mentioning Dr. Eshima's outstanding staff: Magaly, with a doctorate as a nurse herself, was amazing; she called me every single day and even came to see me on a Sunday. Cathy was also very professional, nice and attentive. My nurse Mary Kay was superb. If you are planning to use the service of Dr. Eshima make sure that you book Mary Kay ahead of time. After my return to Zurich I continued skyping with Dr. Eshima. I really appreciated this option as I was so far away and unable to see him and ask questions that I might have concerning the recovery process. Now I find myself doing some selfies and sharing my pictures with friends and family members, something that I had not done for many, many years. Thank you Dr. Eshima!

Dr Eshima is an amazing doctor. I had a eye job done by him a few years back and then went to him later for a mid face lift. It is now 5 months after my mid face lift and I look at least 10 years younger and am so happy I did it. He is worth every penny. This is your face and he only works on faces. He is not your typical do everything surgeon. I recently went to a wedding and everyone thought I looked great, no one had any idea that i had any work done. I went back to work two weeks after surgery, if I could have taken a month of I would have. Mary Kay was a private nurse that stayed with me the night in the hospital, she was very nice and all the office staff is wonderful as well. I would never consider going to anyone, but Dr. Eshima. Go to the best of the best.

I have been a nurse for over 25 years and during that time, I picked up a second job, while working in the ICU at CPMC, in the recovery room at Mount Zion. It was at that time, almost 20 years ago, that I learned of Dr Eshima. He had a steady stream of "socialites" coming through and I knew he had to be someone special. I was in my early 30s at the time and not in need of cosmetic surgery, but his name was firmly planted in my mind as the one to go to. Fast forward two kids and almost two decades later, having now changed fields entirely and practicing medical aesthetics for almost 10 years, it was time! I developed a keen eye for the study of the aging face during my medical aesthetics training and at some point realized the fillers, Botox and lasers were just not enough. Gravity had taken ahold of my face and neck, coupled with a loss of elasticity and in order to keep an aesthetically natural appearance, surgery was in order. I called Dr Eshima. During the consultation, Dr… Eshima evaluated my face, stated I was a bit early, but that I had a good eye when I pointed out the things that bothered me. He also pointed out that I would benefit from a lip shortening procedure and I knew instantly, that he was right. Because of my background in aesthetics, I know that being "long in the lip" is a very aging characteristic and that our eye does not always know specifically why someone looks old, but that this is one of those major indicators. If at rest, we part our lips slightly and cannot see the bottom tips of our top teeth, we are considered "long in the lip". In spite of Dr Eshima telling me to get at least 5 other consultations, I knew there was no other. Dr Eshima is world renown for his lip shortening procedure because of his meticulousness and art of suturing. It is three layers of intricate specialized knots, where he takes the time to make sure the looped knots are under the suture line, so there is absolutely no tension on the incision, ensuring minimal scaring. He also has a skillful ability to tuck and hide the scars, so they are virtually undetectable, creating a very natural, but refreshed look. Dr Eshima has treated wealthy people from all corners of the world, including Paris, Geneva, Dubai, Australia and the list goes on... He has worked on academy award winning actors/actresses, famous models and even royalty. We never discussed names, but because I know what to look for, I can guess with some certainty who these celebrities are. With over 27 years of experience and over 14,000 procedures, I was in a perpetual state of excitement that he was going to be my surgeon. I had my surgery in Feb, 2016 and my life has been renewed! He took years off my face and I tell everyone it has been the best antidepressant I've ever had. Now when I look in the mirror, I more closely match how I feel and I am no longer brought down by my saggy wrinkly skin. I know if I only had the lower face and neck lift, without addressing the lip shortening issue, my surgery would not have been as successful. It is amazing the difference that small, but very key feature makes in making me look younger. Absolutely no sign of a scar, as it is tucked very carefully in the natural fold at the base of the nose. I literally was able to go to lunch with my husband, on day six, when my drains were pulled, without anyone noticing the sutures under my nose! I cannot say enough about Dr Eshima and his entire staff. His practice is like a finely tuned machine and it runs like clockwork. He may be more expensive than most plastic surgeons in the area, but you get what you pay for and it isn't something I would want to chance with a bargain basement deal! Thank you, Dr Eshima, you are a master of your craft!!!

Dr Eshima and his team (Cathy & Magali) are as good as it gets. They are all caring and professional. They make sure that you understand everything pre and post-op. They call you every day (several times post-op) to make sure that you are progressing as you should be and make sure to answer any questions you might have. I am now 6 months post surgery and no one knows what I had done, but everyone compliments me on looking so well and refreshed. The ones who know all agree that I look 10 years younger...That was my goal. To have subtle changes, not drastic ones. I couldn't be more pleased with the results of my surgery and highly recommend Dr. Eshima and his skilled hands.

This is a long overdue review due to my procrastination. In 1997 I had a face/neck lift, endoscopic brow lift. Since then I've seen Dr Eshima twice over the years for consultation on whether he thought any more work should be done. His verdict, None. I look great! Hardly any different from years ago. Dr Eshima is an outstanding artist-surgeon. If you want a natural beautiful flawless result that will take and keep years off your face, this is the surgeon who will do that. He is the best of the best and a gift to his patients because of his fine unmatchable skills. He is non-intimidating, warm, easy to converse with and gives you thorough answers to any of your questions. The care you receive is impeccable. If you can give yourself this gift, do it. He is one of the greats.