Travis T. Tollefson, M.D., M.P.H., F.A.C.S. for UC Davis Health

Travis T. Tollefson, M.D., M.P.H., F.A.C.S.

Director, Division of Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery

Director, AAFPRS UC Davis Fellowship

Co-Director, UC Davis Cleft & Craniofacial Program

Professor, Department of Otolaryngology

To see if Travis T. Tollefson is accepting new patients, or for assistance finding a UC Davis doctor, please call 800-2-UCDAVIS (800-282-3284).

Reviews

Specialties

Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

Cleft and Craniofacial Disorders

Department

Otolaryngology

Locations and Contact

Glassrock Building

Otolaryngology Plastics Clinic
2521 Stockton Blvd.
Sacramento, CA 95817

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Additional Numbers

Clinic Fax

916-734-7268

Physician Referrals

800-4-UCDAVIS (800-482-3284)

Philosophy of Care

I believe that a thorough understanding of my patients' goals and priorities allows me to provide the best possible care. Together, we can discuss options and decide upon the most appropriate choices. My team's goals are to achieve natural surgical results and to provide the best possible patient care experiences.

Clinical Interests

Dr. Tollefson is Professor and Director of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the UC Davis, where he specializes in cleft and pediatric craniofacial care, facial reconstruction and facial trauma care. His interest in the emerging field of Global Surgery and improving surgical access in low-resource countries led him to complete an MPH at the Harvard School of Public Health. His current research focuses on clinical outcomes of patients with cleft lip-palate, facial trauma education in Africa, patterns of mandible fracture care and patient reported outcomes in facial paralysis surgeries. 

Research/Academic Interests

Dr. Tollefson is the Editor - in Chief of the premiere medical journal, Facial Plastic Surgery & Aesthetic Medicine (formerly JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery). His current research focuses on improving surgical outcomes in children with cleft lip-palate through patient reported outcome measures and comparative effectiveness research. He also enjoys studying facial trauma education in Africa, patterns of mandible fracture care and patient reported outcomes in facial paralysis surgeries. He coedited, Complete Cleft Care, an evidence-based textbook on team management of cleft lip-palate, which summarizes the current support for different treatment protocols. 

Division

Head and Neck Surgery
Facial and Reconstructive Surgery

Center/Program Affiliation

UC Davis Children's Hospital

Undergraduate School

B.S., Biology, Baker University, Baldwin City KS 1993

Medical School

M.D., University of Kansas, Lawrence KS 1998

Other School

M.P.H., Clinical Effectiveness, Harvard University School of Public Health, Boston MA 2011

Internship

General Surgery, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City KS 1998-1999

Residency

Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Kansas, Lawrence KS 1999-2003

Fellowship

Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, UC Davis, Sacramento CA 2003-2004

Advanced Leadership Development Program, UC Davis, 2019

The Best Doctors in America, Peer Selected, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022

Otolaryngology Faculty Teaching Award, UC Davis, 2013

UC Davis Biomedical Engineering Senior Design Course - Best Senior Design Award "Orbital Prosthesis Blink Mechanism”, 2013

AAO-HNS Foundation Certificate of Honor Award, 2012

Tollefson TT. The Right Time for a Special Issue on Rhinoplasty. Facial Plast Surg Aesthet Med. 2022 May-Jun;24(3):141-142. doi:10.1089/fpsam.2022.0154. PMID:35724258.

Marcus B, Toriumi D, Ferreira MG, Pham T, Tollefson TT. Rhinoplasty Update: The Changing Landscape of Technique. Facial Plast Surg Aesthet Med. 2022 May-Jun;24(3):249-254. doi:10.1089/fpsam.2022.29025.rtd. Epub 2022 May 19. PMID:35588365.

Wickwire P, Kahlon S, Kazemi S, Tollefson T, Steele T, Chang J, Strong B. Improving Patient Education of Facial Fractures Using 3-Dimensional Computed Tomography. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2022 Apr;166(4):657-661. doi:10.1177/01945998211028523. Epub 2021 Jul 19. PMID:34280047. 

Morisada MV, Tollefson TT. Commentary on "Augmented Skin Grafting: A New Rung in the Reconstructive Ladder" by Landeen et al: Less Invasive Options for Patients with Significant Comorbidities. Facial Plast Surg Aesthet Med. 2022 Mar-Apr;24(2):130-131. doi:10.1089/fpsam.2021.0382. Epub 2022 Jan 21. PMID:35072535.

Hsieh TY, Funamura JL, Tollefson TT. Commentary on "The Impact of Treatment Delay on Malunion and Nonunion After Open Reduction of Mandible Fractures" by Lander et al: Sooner than Later. Facial Plast Surg Aesthet Med. 2021 Dec;23(6):467-468. doi:10.1089/fpsam.2021.0180. Epub 2021 Jul 26. PMID:34314634.

Morisada MV, Hoshal SG, Tollefson TT. Periorbital Reconstruction in Facial Paralysis. Operative Techniques in Otolaryngolog Head Neck Surg. 2021 Oct 26;32(4):213-218. doi:10.1016/j.otot.2021.10.012. 

Sclafani AP, D'Souza A, Tollefson TT. Collaboration in Facial Plastic Surgery. Facial Plast Surg. 2021 Oct;37(5):553-554. doi:10.1055/s-0041-1732479. Epub 2021 Sep 3. PMID:34479370.

Sclafani AP, D'Souza A, Tollefson TT. Collaboration in Facial Plastic Surgery: "Tis Not in Numbers but in Unity That Our Great Strength Lies," Thomas Paine, Common Sense (1776). Facial Plast Surg Aesthet Med. 2021 Sep;23(5):317-318. doi:10.1089/fpsam.2021.0185. PMID:34477451.

Pepper JP, Tollefson TT. Steps Forward: Contemporary Treatment of Facial Paralysis. Facial Plast Surg Clin North Am. 2021 Aug;29(3):xv-xvi. doi:10.1016/j.fsc.2021.04.001. PMID:34217452.

Chen A, Albertini JG, Bordeaux JS, Chen MW, Cook JL, Davidson C, Donnelly KC, Galaria II, Hannan CM, Kantor J, Kapp DL, Lawrence N, Lober CW, Loeding LD, Miller A, Ness DT, Neves RI, Revenaugh PC, Setabutr P, Tholpady SS, Tollefson TT, Van Beek MJ, Weiss PR, Alam M. Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guideline: Reconstruction after Skin Cancer Resection. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2021 May 1;147(5):812e-829e. doi:10.1097/PRS.0000000000007789. PMID:33890904.

Travis T. Tollefson, M.D., F.A.C.S.