Dr. Monica Kieu, DO FACS — Facial Plastic Surgeon

Newport Beach & Beverly Hills, California

Growing up as the daughter of an anesthesiologist and a pediatrician, I was raised to understand that medicine is both a science and a relationship. The technical knowledge matters enormously — but so does the way you make a person feel when they're trusting you with something as personal as their face.

That belief has shaped everything about the practice I've built in Newport Beach and Beverly Hills. Every patient who comes through my door receives my full attention — in consultation, in the operating room, and through every stage of recovery. My goal is never just a surgical result. It's a patient who feels genuinely cared for, seen, and better than they did before.

Education and Training

I trained at institutions that pushed me — and I chose them deliberately. The foundation of good surgery is rigorous training, high volume, and the kind of mentorship that only comes from the best programs in the country.

Medical Degree: Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA — graduated with honors

Residency: Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery, Michigan State University / Detroit Medical Center — served as Chief Resident

Fellowship: Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, University of Toronto — one of the most competitive facial surgery fellowships in North America

Hair Restoration Fellowship-training in Hair Restoration Surgery

Board Certification & Credentials

Board certification in the right specialty matters more than most patients realize. I'm often asked why it's important to choose a surgeon who is specifically fellowship trained in facial plastic surgery rather than general plastic surgery. The answer is focus: every hour of my training, every case in residency and fellowship, every procedure I perform today is on the face and neck. That subspecialty depth translates directly into better outcomes for my patients.

Board Certification: American Osteopathic Board of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery

FACS: Fellow, American College of Surgeons (FACS)

DO: Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine — a designation reflecting training in whole-body, patient-centered medicine alongside conventional surgical expertise

Professional Memberships

• American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS)

• American College of Surgeons (ACS)

• American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS)

• American Osteopathic Colleges of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery

• American Rhinologic Society

Recognition & Awards

Being named one of Los Angeles Magazine's Top Docs is an honor I hold with genuine gratitude. It reflects not just surgical outcomes, but the full experience patients have in my care — and that's the standard I hold myself to every day.

LA Magazine Top Doc: Named one of Los Angeles Magazine's Top Doctors — reflecting peer and patient recognition across the greater Los Angeles area

RealSelf Fellowship Grant Recipient: Honored to have received a grant from RealSelf, which supported my participation in humanitarian surgical missions providing care to underserved communities.

Teaching & Academic Appointments

Teaching is something I take seriously, not as an obligation but as a genuine extension of my work. When I train residents and teach other physicians, I am contributing to better outcomes for patients I will never meet. That matters to me!

Michigan State University Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Surgical Services

Touro University, Nevada Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Surgical Services

Speaking Engagements

Regular lecturer and live surgical demonstrator for physician and healthcare provider audiences — including the American Academy of Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Annual Meeting and Empire Medical Training

Publications Author of numerous papers and presentations in peer-reviewed medical journals and conferences

Humanitarian Work

My commitment to facial plastic surgery extends far beyond my practices in Newport Beach and Beverly Hills. I regularly travel to Vietnam, Mexico, and Malawi to perform reconstructive facial surgeries — including cleft lip and palate corrections — for patients who would otherwise have no access to care.

For many of these patients, a single surgery changes the entire trajectory of their life: the ability to eat, speak, smile, and be seen differently by the world around them.

This work shapes how I approach every patient I see — with the understanding that surgery, at its best, is about restoring confidence and transforming lives.

Great surgery isn't just technical precision — it's understanding what it means to someone to feel whole.

Medical Missions: Cleft lip and palate reconstructive surgery — Vietnam, Mexico and Malawi

My Approach to Facial Plastic Surgery

I practice in two of the most competitive aesthetic markets in the country — Newport Beach and Beverly Hills. The patients I see are discerning, well-researched, and often have consulted multiple surgeons before they come to see me. What they consistently tell me they're looking for is something specific: a surgeon who listens, who tells the truth, and who delivers results that look like them — only better.

My surgical philosophy has three pillars:

Natural Results Above All

The single standard I hold every procedure to: would a person who didn't know you had surgery be able to tell? If the answer is yes, we haven't achieved the goal. I am technically capable of more dramatic change than I ever recommend — because restraint, proportion, and harmony produce results that last and that patients never regret.

Ethnic Identity Is Not an Obstacle

I perform a significant volume of rhinoplasty and facial surgery for patients of Asian, Middle Eastern, Hispanic, African American, and mixed ethnic backgrounds. My approach is always the same: I am refining and enhancing, never erasing. A patient's ethnic identity is an essential part of what a beautiful, natural result looks like for them.

The Relationship Is the Foundation

I keep my practice intentionally small. I see fewer patients than I could, because I want every patient to have my actual attention — not a version of me that's overextended. Consultations with me are unhurried. You will never feel like a number. And from your first appointment through your last follow-up, you will know exactly where you stand.

What Patients Say

“I am 83 years old and know many of the top doctors in Beverly Hills, and she is one of the best.”

— Patient of Dr. Kieu, Beverly Hills

“With the new grafts and my nose shape, the transformation has been life-changing. I can actually breathe way better than before — and it looks AMAZING. I can't thank her enough for the outstanding work.”

— Revision rhinoplasty patient

“Dr. Monica Kieu actually took the time to help me come up with a plan. Her patience, knowledge, and honesty were a much-needed breath of fresh air in this industry.”

— Cosmetic injectables patient