Featured Articles
NEWSWEEK MAGAZINE, ‘MEET AMERICA’S BEST PLASTIC SURGEONS FOR BREAST AUGMENTATIONS', August 2023
"I'm thrilled to be included [in the ranking], because it is a peer-reviewed system," Dr. David Hidalgo told Newsweek. "I'm aware of the others on the list colleagues, many of whom I know....I'm delighted."
"I've been doing it for a long time—more than most," he said, when asked for his thoughts on why he placed high in the ranking. "I'm very meticulous, I have an artistic bend—I was actually going to be an artist at one point....So my approach to work is that I can visually see a little bit better than some of my colleagues because of my art training.
"And then my principles are, I don't leave the operating room until things are perfect. I don't care how long it takes. I don't care if people are waiting for me in the waiting room. I have very, very high standards in terms of the quality of the work that I turn out. I think word gets around after a while and the work speaks for itself."
The Wall Street Journal, 'The Man of a Thousand Face-Lifts'
When he's not wielding a scalpel to mold skin, tissue and fat, plastic surgeon David Hidalgo expresses his creative instincts with another set of tools: graphite pencil and paperboard.
Working from old and new photographs, Dr. Hidalgo makes meticulous drawings of the alterations that time makes on a face—his subjects have included his parents, his wife, himself, even his dog. Many of them hang, along with colorful still-life oil paintings he did before deciding it wasn't the best medium for him, in the Park Avenue office where he performs a steady stream of face lifts, breast augmentations and reductions, and other procedures.
O Magazine, 'The Plastic Surgeon's Wife'
"I was delighted with the outcome. I see a photo of myself pre-facelift and I think, Boy, I looked tired or old that day. But the most interesting thing was that in a matter of weeks I had completely integrated the experience so that I just thought, This is the way I look. Sometimes now I have to remember I had it done; I have no visible scars, and I feel pretty certain you wouldn't know I had a facelift. I don't feel as if I look my age. Part of that is genetics, and part of it is that I got a free pass."
"I understand now that because David is a plastic surgeon, I had assigning him the responsibility of monitoring the way I was aging. At the sink the Saturday afternoon, I realized from that moment forward it was going to be up to me how much I wanted to fight the aging process."
The Wall Street Journal, 'Gym, Check. Diet, Check. Face, Lift'
Younger Men Seek Cosmetic Surgery as Stigma Fades, Recovery Gets Easier; Goodbye, 'Turkey Neck'
For David Culpepper, the deciding factor was his fiancée, playfully telling the 59-year-old executive she didn't want wedding pictures "with that big old saggy chin." On Dec. 31, the Virginia businessman got rid of it, undergoing a face-lift and chin implant in the office of New York plastic surgeon David Hidalgo.
Women account for the majority of cosmetic procedures, but more men are opting for plastic surgery and other enhancements to lift droopy necks, excise excess body fat, and pin back protruding ears.
Newsweek America’s Best Plastic Surgeons 2020-2023
E-Articles
The Goop Guide to Cosmetic Surgeons / 2022
"In order to keep breast augmentations looking natural, size limits are guided by individual anatomy, says David Hidalgo, MD, a board-certified plastic surgeon. By performing one of his specialties—a “scarless” breast augmentation on suitable candidates—he hides a small scar in the armpit, away from the breast. Hidalgo, a trained and practicing artist (his medium is large-scale charcoal drawings), is also well-known for his blepharoplasty. He’s a longtime advocate of fat preservation in eyelid surgery, which he says maintains a youthful fullness while eliminating bags and circles. Instead of brow lifts, he focuses on maximizing upper eyelid rejuvenation to provide a clean, rested look."
The Evolution of Body Contouring / May 2015
"It’s hard to imagine the practice of plastic surgery today without Illouz’s contribution. What began as a crude and limited means of body contouring 35 years ago, has become a refined method with ubiquitous applications in both aesthetic and reconstructive surgery."
Is This The Next Big Thing in Boob Jobs? / September 2015
“The new Ideal Implant is a complex design, which for the first time includes moving parts and two fill ports. Whether or not this design is both durable and a superior aesthetic alternative remains to be proven.”
What You Need to Know About "Nonsurgical" Boob Jobs / December 2015
"When a patient gets implants, those implants will eventually wear out and need to be replaced. So you do this fat-transfer procedure once, it's your own tissue, and you don’t have to change implants."
Why I Had A Lower Blepharoplasty / August 2015
"It’s one thing to talk about a general trend of patients coming out of the plastic surgery closet and quite another to give a first hand account of a personal experience, so I thought I’d share my brush with plastic surgery."
New York Magazine, Best Doctors, 1996-2023
Dr. Hidalgo was cited in each issue under the Plastic Surgery section together with a limited number of his colleagues.
Dr. Hidalgo Featured on ABC News
In this video our patient describes his personal experience turning back the clock, with comments added by Dr. Hidalgo on facelift surgery in men.
Highlights
Elle Magazine, 'The Producer,' May 2004
"Art and science intersect at plastic surgeon David Hidalgo's office on Manhattan's Park Avenue. Eva Chen gets his prescription for eternal youth."
"The latest designer handbag may be recognizable from 50 yards, but according to plastic surgeon David Hidalgo, MD, the results of "designer" plastic surgery should be almost invisible. "Skillful surgery doesn't stand out," he says. "It blends in."
Allure, February 2000
"If, however, Kate wanted a reduction of no more than one cup size, she could have a newer procedure called the Lejour technique. This method, Hidalgo told her, best removes a limited amount of breast tissue and leaves no horizontal scar under the breast, just a lollipop-shaped incision around the nipple and straight down to the breast crease."
Mentions
Bazaar, The Best Beauty Surgeons, April 2014
Hidalgo is sought after for undetectable face-lifts, eye lifts, and breast work; his patients rave about his ability to restore "freshness".
Elle, The Big Bust, November 2010
“Going up one size, to a B, won’t make much of a difference. In my experience, women more often than not wish they’d gone bigger after they’ve had the surgery.”
“This is not an exact science. A lot has to do with judgment. During surgery, I ultimately determine implant size based on your build and breast anatomy.”
The Wall Street Journal, 'Seeking a Safer Surgery' July 2009
David Hidalgo, a plastic surgeon in New York City who has had his office voluntarily accredited for more than a decade, urges patients to take a tour of the surgical facility at which they are considering undergoing treatment. "if it looks like a converted exam room without much equipment and dim light, that's a place to run away from," he says.
Elle Magazine, 'Beauty, Body, Health,' April 2007
It practically takes a medical degree to choose between mini-lifts, S-lifts, and the L.I.F.T. (limited incision face-lift technique). "These are nebulous terms that don't tell you a lot," says Park Avenue plastic surgeon David Hidalgo, MD, a renowned plastic surgeon "naturalist" who was once chief of plastic surgery at New York City's Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Hidalgo simplifies things considerably, explaining that all face-lifts can be classified two ways: by length of incision and by how they manipulate the tissues underneath the skin. "Traditional face-lifts have a full pattern scar that goes in front of the ear and into the hairline," he says. The procedures mentioned above, on the other hand, are variations on the short-scar technique, in which the incision stops before going into the hairline; it's popularity grew in the 1990's, after minimizing downtime became a priority and surgeons began to realize they were over operating, removing too much valuable facial fat and pulling too tight. Hidalgo says a short-scar procedure may sound less invasive, but it can be 90 percent as major as the traditional method.
Avenue, "Nip 'n Tuck New York Style", February 2006
On facelifts: "Face-lift incisions usually look more inconspicuous when placed partially inside the ear rather than in the front, where they are more visible. It takes more time and expertise to do this, but it is well worth the effort."
On breast augmentation: "Silicone implants are safe as long as they are changed every 10 years or so. I have even seen more damage from excessive breastfeeding than silicone implants that have been properly maintained." "Any incision can be used for those with good breast shape to begin with. Challenging cases should be done through an incision around the areola because it provides the best control for shaping the implant pocket."
On liposuction: "The biggest safety issue associated with liposuction is taking out too much fat at one time or combining a large-volume liposuction procedure with another major procedure, such as an abdominoplasty or breast reduction. Life threatening problems can result. Weight gain after liposuction does tend to add fat to areas not treated – commonly the arms and breasts. It is important not to use liposuction as an excuse to relax dietary discipline or exercise habits."
Elle Magazine, 'Beauty, Body, Health,' November 2006
"In the '70s and '80s, surgery was all about removing cartilage." Says David Hidalgo, MD, a NYC plastic surgeon who says that revisions make up one third of his rhinoplasty cases. "Now we try to preserve cartilage by bending and stitching it into a new position or doing cartilage grafts to supplement areas that are deficient. This keeps the nose from ending up overly small and contributes to a more natural, unoperated look. The incision heals beautifully, and I've never seen a bad scar result."
New York Times Magazine, 'The List', Fall 2005
Plastic Surgery - Age-appropriate Face-Lifts
Dr. David Hidalgo,
"655 Park Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10021; (212) 517-9777; www.drdavidhidalgo.com; surgical fees start at $10,000. Hidalgo brings the same artistry to his surgeries as to his drawings (several hang in his office). He prefers the SMAS face-lift, where the connective tissue under the skin is tightened (instead of just the surface). The former chief of plastic and reconstructive surgery at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Hidalgo is also known for his elegant breast work."
Marie Claire, July 2001
"Instead, I decided on Dr. David Hidalgo, the former chief of plastic surgery at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Hospital in Manhattan. 'He is known as the Michelangelo of his field,' wrote a friend who had been to him for breast reconstruction after cancer, 'a wild perfectionist, which is what you want in a plastic surgeon.'"
More, '75 Top Nip-Tuck Doctors from East Coast to West Coast,' April 2001
"David Hidalgo: For augmentations, he does an underarm incision (to hide scars) and places saline implants under chest muscle (for a natural look). For reductions, he does the Lejour, or lollipop-shaped, incision around the nipple, leaving less scarring than the traditional anchor incision. Also considered excellent for face-lifts."
Vogue, July 2000
"Two years ago, at 36, I decided to beat the clock and ask David Hidalgo, M.D., my plastic surgeon, to perform an eyelift before the rest of my face fell prey to the forces of gravity. Several months ago, after a lifetime of looking like a lollipop (all head, with a stick-figure body), I gave Hidalgo the green light for a breast augmentation; he added subtle but sexy B-cups to my once-boyish frame."
Mirabella, March 2000
"Skeptical about the use of electricity to reverse aging, I call Manhattan plastic surgeon David Hidalgo, MD. 'It will not have any effect at all in terms of rejuvenation,' he says adamantly. 'Most people who need a face-lift have loose tissue, and this sort of treatment will not address that.'"
W, October 1999
"'Hidalgo gives great mini-lifts. Natural and beautiful.'" "'Hidalgo performs unbelievable neck and facelifts. I can't even tell sometimes when a woman's had work done … it's so natural.'"
Vogue, August 1999
"With more cosmetic surgeons per square foot than hot dog vendors, Manhattan attracts the world's pickiest patients. Here are some of the city's best facelifters: David Hidalgo, M.D."
Mirabella, August 1999
"'Fat loss has a widespread effect on the face's shape,' says David Hidalgo, M.D., a New York plastic surgeon. By people's mid-forties, collagen isn't enough. Fat injections can re-create a rounded face, but Hidalgo says the technique isn't perfect - yet: 'Within five years, we should have consistent results.'"
Town & Country, 'Top Cosmetic Surgeons in the U.S.,' March 1999
"David A. Hidalgo, M.D.: Board certified in plastic surgery. Special focus on face and breast."
Vogue, December 1998
"Once I met him, I knew right away that Hidalgo was my man. Board certified, he is the chief of plastic surgery at New York's Memorial Sloan-Kettering and an attending surgeon at Manhattan Eye, Ear & Throat Hospital. More important, as a soft-spoken maverick not burdened by an overbearing ego, he knows how to handle an anxious, demanding patient."
Additional Mentions
Cosmetic Surgery Times, October 2003
"It's not just that the scar burden is less with the vertical method of breast reduction - it's that the breast shape is so much better than what we can achieve with the inverted-T method."
New York Times Magazine, 'Fashions of the Times,' Spring 2003
Plastic Surgeons
Then: Dr. Thomas Rees (face lifts, silicone), Dr. Ivo Pitanguy
Now: Dr. David Hidalgo (noses)
Cosmetic Surgery Times, August 2002
"Considering each patient's facial anatomy - rather than taking a "cookie cutter" approach - is the key to achieving the best aesthetic results after rhytidectomy."
America's Top Doctors, A Castle Connolly Guide, 2001
Dr. David Hidalgo featured in America's Top Doctors, A Castle Connolly Guide for 2001
W, December 2001
"Although newer breast-augmentation procedures involve hiding scars by making incisions in the navel area, some physicians pooh-pooh the techniques. Not only does such an operation make correct placement of the implants trickier, but the scars, according to Manhattan plastic surgeon David Hidalgo, aren't always that much less visible. 'In fact, the scars around the navel can sometimes be larger than hidden ones elsewhere, like under the arms,' he says. 'In this case, newer is not better.'"
W, 'Surgery Superstars,' November 2000
"An artist by nature and in practice, Hidalgo has a gentle manner that immediately puts patients at ease. He places 95 percent of implants under the muscle, which, he says, 'doesn't disturb breast tissue.' Hidalgo is not for starlets looking to 'pump up the volume,' but is more suited to ladies who want a discreet lift or just to fill in the spaces."
"'One of the potential pitfalls is that both friends may need the same correction, but one situation may be more challenging,' says New York-based cosmetic surgeon David Hidalgo (when asked about friends pursuing cosmetic treatment together)."
Tattler, May 2000
"New York surgeon David Hidalgo describes the difference between the Brazilian and US body aesthetic another way: 'I think the fundamental difference is that US women want an hourglass figure, and women in the southern hemisphere prefer an elegant pear shape.'"
Hamptons Country, July 1999
"'For lines between the brows, the quick fix is Botox. The results can last anywhere between three to six months. For a more permanent solution, try surgery that temporarily paralyzes the corrugator muscles between the brows or permanently removes the muscle. The effects usually last three months and sometimes for as long as six,' says Dr. David Hidalgo, Manhattan plastic surgeon.
"'If you want a balanced rejuvenation, an even look to the eyelid area, surgery alone won't turn back the clock, because there are years of sun damage that make the skin look old,' claimed Dr. Hidalgo. 'Laser resurfacing is the other half of the equation. It brings out a fresher, more youthful skin to go with the contours that have been achieved surgically.'"
W, 1998
"After much consideration, I decided to go with Dr. Hidalgo (for my liposuction). Although I felt I could have put myself confidently in the hands of any one of the physicians I'd met, I preferred the idea of a surgeon, and also that of a private clinic rather than a hospital. Beyond that, Hidalgo put me at ease, which I appreciated as much as anything."
