Biography
Dr. Esther Kim, a California native and alumna of UC Berkeley, where she majored in molecular cell biology, and UC Davis School of Medicine, stands as a distinguished member of our academic faculty. With an accomplished educational background, she completed her Plastic Surgery Residency at the prestigious Mayo Clinic and further honed her expertise through a Microsurgery fellowship at UCSF. Joining the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery in 2013, Dr. Kim has emerged as a vital asset to our program.
Specializing in microvascular complex reconstructive surgery, Dr. Esther Kim holds double board certification from the American Board of Surgery in general surgery and the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Her comprehensive scope of practice encompasses microvascular complex reconstruction, gender affirmation surgery, and cosmetic surgery. Dr. Kim's approach is rooted in achieving natural-looking cosmetic and reconstructive outcomes with meticulous attention to detail. Integrating technical excellence, an artistic eye, and compassionate care, she tailors her approach to each patient's unique needs and anatomical differences, striving for optimal outcomes.
As an academic plastic surgeon, Dr. Kim perceives her role as not only providing exceptional patient care but also as an educator, inspirer, and empowerer. She is deeply committed to shaping the future of plastic surgery by actively engaging in the education and training of the next generation of surgeons. Dr. Kim contributes significantly to curriculum development, ensuring that evolving surgical techniques, advancements in the field, and a patient-centered approach are seamlessly integrated into the educational framework. Her dedication extends beyond the operating room, leaving an indelible mark on the growth and excellence of future surgeons under her mentorship. Her commitment also extends to research and publication endeavors focused on addressing healthcare disparities and enhancing the quality of life and surgical outcomes for her patients. Dr. Kim strives to strike a balance between a thriving professional career, meaningful service to her community, and serving as a positive role model for her three daughters, embodying the principles of excellence, compassion, and continuous learning in both her personal and professional spheres.
In her leisure time, Dr. Kim finds joy in activities such as cooking, hiking, and traveling, adding a vibrant dimension to her multifaceted life beyond the operating room.
Awards & Honors
Award | Conferred By | Date |
---|---|---|
Inquiry Short-Term Mentor Award | UCSF | 2023/2024 |
Inquiry Long-Term Mentor of the Year Award | UCSF | 2023 |
Muriel Steel Society Influential Women in Surgery Honor Roll | UCSF | 2022 |
GME Excellence & Innovation Award | UCSF | 2021/2022 |
Muriel Steel Society Influential Women In Surgery Honor Roll | UCSF | 2021 |
Education
Institution | Degree | Dept or School | End Date |
---|---|---|---|
University of California | Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Champion Traning | 2022 | |
University of California, San Francisco | Microsurgery Fellowship | 2013 | |
Mayo Clinic | Plastic Surgery Residency | 2012 | |
University of California, Berkeley | BA | ||
University of California, Davis | MD |
Board Certifications
American Board of Surgery, General Surgery
American Board of Plastic Surgery
Clinical Expertise
General Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
Microvascular Breast Reconstruction
Reconstructive Microsurgery
Skin Cancer Reconstruction
Cosmetic Surgery
Eyelid Surgery
Oculoplastics
Asian Blepharoplasty
Botox and Fillers
Breast Augmentation
Facial Rejuvenation
Liposuction
Gluteal Augmentation
Post-Bariatric Body Contouring
Gender Affirmation Surgery
Non-surgical Cheek Lift
Clinical Trials
- Related Conditions: Postoperative Hematoma, Postoperative Seroma| Start Date: | End Date:
- Related Conditions: Gender Dysphoria, Opioid Use, Postoperative Pain| Start Date: | End Date:
Research Narrative
Dr. Kim's research focuses on understanding coagulopathy in patients undergoing microvascular surgery. Her research aims to improve overall surgical outcomes and decrease complications in microvascular surgery. Her other interests include health care disparities and improvement in quality of life in surgical patients.
Research Interests
Coagulopathy in microvascular surgery
Composite allograft tissue transfer
Health Care Disparities
Improvement in Quality of Life
Publications
- Evaluating Access and Outcomes in Gender-affirming Breast Augmentation: A Comparative Study of a County Hospital and an Academic Center.| | View in PubMed
- The complexity of online patient education materials for wound care strategies: A readability analysis.| | View in PubMed
- Gender Is a Spectrum: Evaluating Current and Novel Ways to Inquire About Gender Identity in the Health Care Setting.| | View in PubMed
- Paraspinous Muscle Flaps in Complex Pediatric Spine Surgeries: A 12-Year Single Institution Experience.| | View in PubMed
- Perceptions of a virtual education platform: how plastic surgery education has progressed during the COVID-19 pandemic at one academic institution.| | View in PubMed
- Double-incision mastectomy after reduction mammaplasty for persistent gender dysphoria: a case report.| | View in PubMed
- The Effect of Pectoral Nerve Blocks on Opioid Use and Postoperative Pain in Masculinizing Mastectomy: A Randomized Controlled Trial.| | View in PubMed
- Developing Gender-Affirming Surgery Curricula for Plastic Surgery Residency and Fellowship via Delphi Consensus.| | View in PubMed
- Microfluidics-free single-cell genomics with templated emulsification.| | View in PubMed
- Morphometric Analysis of Gender-affirming Breast Augmentation.| | View in PubMed
- Evaluating the Quality and Reliability of Gender-affirming Surgery Videos on YouTube and TikTok.| | View in PubMed
- A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Techniques for Management of Postoperative Lymphatic Leaks After Groin Surgery.| | View in PubMed
- The Incidence of Breast Cancer After Gender-Affirming Mastectomy in Transmen.| | View in PubMed
- Diagnosis and Treatment of Lymphatic Complications of the Groin Following Open Lower Extremity Revascularization with Plastic Surgery Closure.| | View in PubMed
- A Dual-Surgeon Approach to Breast Cancer Surgery in a Transmale.| | View in PubMed
- Reply: Regret after Gender-affirmation Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Prevalence.| | View in PubMed
- The Breast Response to Estrogenic Stimulation in Transwomen Classification: Evaluation of Breast Response to Estrogenic Stimulation in Transwomen.| | View in PubMed
- Prophylactic Muscle Flaps in Primary Vascular Procedures of the Groin.| | View in PubMed
- Evaluation of Dual-port versus Single-port Tissue Expanders in Postmastectomy Breast Reconstruction.| | View in PubMed
- A Technique for Optimizing Symmetry in Gender-affirming Mastectomy.| | View in PubMed
- Rotational Thromboelastometry Derivative Fibrinogen-Platelet Ratio Predicts Thrombosis in Microsurgery.| | View in PubMed
- A Systematic Review of the Utility of Indocyanine Angiography in Autologous Breast Reconstruction.| | View in PubMed
- Quantifying the Psychosocial Benefits of Masculinizing Mastectomy in Trans Male Patients with Patient-Reported Outcomes: The University of California, San Francisco, Gender Quality of Life Survey.| | View in PubMed
- Nipple-areola complex reconstruction in transgender patients undergoing mastectomy with free nipple grafts: a systematic review of techniques and outcomes.| | View in PubMed
- Preventing Recurrence in Clean and Contaminated Hernias Using Biologic Versus Synthetic Mesh in Ventral Hernia Repair: The PRICE Randomized Clinical Trial.| | View in PubMed
- Systematic review of fertility preservation options in transgender patients: a guide for plastic surgeons.| | View in PubMed
- Building a Multidisciplinary Academic Surgical Gender-affirmation Program: Lessons Learned.| | View in PubMed
- Regret after Gender-affirmation Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Prevalence.| | View in PubMed
- Transgender and Gender-nonbinary Patient Satisfaction after Transmasculine Chest Surgery.| | View in PubMed
- Regulatory T cells use arginase 2 to enhance their metabolic fitness in tissues.| | View in PubMed
- Trainee Exposure and Education for Minimally Invasive Gender-Affirming Procedures.| | View in PubMed
- A20 and ABIN1 Suppression of a Keratinocyte Inflammatory Program with a Shared Single-Cell Expression Signature in Diverse Human Rashes.| | View in PubMed
- Transcriptional Programming of Normal and Inflamed Human Epidermis at Single-Cell Resolution.| | View in PubMed
- High-Yield Purification, Preservation, and Serial Transplantation of Human Satellite Cells.| | View in PubMed
- Skin-infiltrating, interleukin-22-producing T cells differentiate pediatric psoriasis from adult psoriasis.| | View in PubMed
- Primary pleural epithelioid hemangioendothelioma.| | View in PubMed
- Identification of a novel aspartic-like protease differentially expressed in human breast cancer cell lines.| | View in PubMed
- Cloning and characterization of T-cell lymphoma invasion and metastasis 2 (TIAM2), a novel guanine nucleotide exchange factor related to TIAM1.| | View in PubMed
- The cloning and developmental expression of unconventional myosin IXA (MYO9A) a gene in the Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS4) region at chromosome 15q22-q23.| | View in PubMed