Bio

Dr. Kenneth Kao is a board certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon. He uses a balanced approach toward body and facial cosmetic surgery, making sure to understand his patients’ goals, while adhering to high standards of safety. While training at UCLA, Dr. Kao learned how procedures such as breast reconstruction after mastectomy can help restore one’s identity.

One of Dr. Kao’s favorite sayings is “form follows function,” and he feels that plastic surgery exemplifies this by integrating reconstructive and aesthetic principles. His inspiration to specialize in plastic and reconstructive surgery came to him during his training as a general surgeon at the University of California, Los Angeles. He witnessed the impact that congenital defects, cancer or trauma could have on patients, and while working with breast cancer survivors, he learned that quality of life is just as important as longevity.

Education and Training

Dr. Kao received his bachelor’s degree in biology from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York; and his medical degree from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry in Rochester, New York. He completed residencies in general surgery as well as plastic and reconstructive surgery, both from UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles, California.

Background

Dr. Kao loves to travel and has been to more than 50 countries. He served as a Peace Corps volunteer in West Africa. Besides English, he is fluent in French and Spanish. He enjoys spending time with his wife, also a Kaiser Permanente physician, and their children. He also enjoys chess, photography, swimming, and ocean sports such as surfing and scuba diving.