Ara A. Salibian, M.D.
Director, Breast Microsurgery
Director, Center for Lymphatic Disease
Assistant Professor, Department of Surgery
To see if Ara A. Salibian is accepting new patients, or for assistance finding a UC Davis doctor, please call 800-2-UCDAVIS (800-282-3284).
Specialties
Reconstructive Surgery
Microsurgery
Lymphedema
Surgery - Plastic Surgery
Surgery - Plastic & Reconstructive
Breast
Department
Locations and Contact
Phone: 916-734-7844
Additional Numbers
Clinic Phone
Clinic Fax
Physician Referrals
Philosophy of Care
The goal of reconstructive surgery is to make someone feel whole again and to restore their quality of life. My goal as a reconstructive surgeon is to provide the highest quality of compassionate, safe, and cutting-edge surgical care. In the operating room, I use the latest microsurgical and non-microsurgical techniques to achieve the best results possible. However, reconstructive surgery extends far beyond what is accomplished in the operating room. My care philosophy centers on guiding and working with patients through their entire reconstructive journey, before and long after their surgery.
Each patient and each journey is unique, and therefore I take as much time as needed to make sure every treatment is personalized and tailored specifically to the individual. I wholeheartedly believe that this is best achieved through a process of shared decision-making between the patient and the provider. All options and questions are discussed openly to identify the best treatment plan based on individual desires and goals, as well as the best treatments we have to offer through a multi-disciplinary, team-based approach.
Clinical Interests
Dr. Salibian is a board-certified plastic surgeon and fellowship-trained microsurgeon specializing in general reconstructive surgery and reconstructive microsurgery. His clinical interests include the entire spectrum of breast reconstruction such as implant-based procedures, as well as a particular focus on microsurgical autologous breast reconstruction (such as the DIEP flap) which uses your own tissue to reconstruct the breast. Dr. Salibian also has a specific interest in extremity reconstruction and surgical treatments for lymphedema, including microsurgical approaches such as lymphovenous bypass (LVB) and vascularized lymph node transplants (VLNT).
Research/Academic Interests
Dr. Salibian's research focuses on improving outcomes in breast reconstruction with both implant-based and autologous (microsurgical free tissue transfer) techniques. He has published and presented extensively in the areas of nipple-sparing mastectomy, prepectoral breast reconstruction, single-stage and tissue-expander based breast reconstruction and microvascular breast reconstruction. Dr. Salibian also has an interest in using advanced imaging technologies, such as ultra-high frequency ultrasound, to improve outcomes in reconstructive microsurgery and supermicrosurgery for lymphedema.
Division
Plastic Surgery
Center/Program Affiliation
UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center
Center for Lymphatic Disease
Undergraduate School
B.S., UCLA, Los Angeles CA 2010
Medical School
M.D., UC Irvine, Irvine CA 2015
Internship
Plastic Surgery, New York University, New York NY 2015-2016
Residency
Plastic Surgery, New York University, New York NY 2015-2021
Fellowship
Microsurgery, University of Southern California, Los Angeles CA 2021-2022
Awards for Publishing Excellence (APEX), Award of Excellence, Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Journal Club, 2022
Best Resident Clinical Presentation, Northeastern Society of Plastic Surgeons, 2019
John Bostwick Paper Award Winner, Atlanta Breast Symposium, 2019
Best Resident Clinical Presentation - Northeastern Society of Plastic Surgeons Annual Meeting, 2018
Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society, 2013
To see a full list of peer-reviewed publications for Dr. Salibian, please click here.
Salibian AA, Olson B, Shauly O, Patel KM. Oncoplastic breast reconstruction: Principles, current techniques, and future directions. J Surg Oncol. 2022 Sep;126(3):450-459. doi:10.1002/jso.26897. Epub 2022 Apr 22. PMID:35452129.
Salibian AA, Bekisz JM, Frey JD, Thanik VD, Levine JP, Karp NS, Choi M. Comparing Incision Choices in Immediate Microvascular Breast Reconstruction after Nipple-Sparing Mastectomy: Unique Considerations to Optimize Outcomes. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2021 Dec 1;148(6):1173-1185. doi:10.1097/PRS.0000000000008282. PMID:34644280.
Salibian AA, Bekisz JM, Kussie HC, Thanik VD, Levine JP, Choi M, Karp NS. Do We Need Support in Prepectoral Breast Reconstruction? Comparing Outcomes with and without ADM. Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open. 2021 Aug 10;9(8):e3745. doi:10.1097/GOX.0000000000003745. PMID:34386310.
Karp NS, Salibian AA. Splitting the Difference: Using Synthetic and Biologic Mesh to Decrease Cost in Prepectoral Immediate Implant Breast Reconstruction. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2021 Mar 1;147(3):580-584. doi:10.1097/PRS.0000000000007638. PMID:33620924.
Salibian AA, Nolan IT, Bekisz JM, Frey JD, Karp NS, Choi M, Levine JP, Thanik VD. A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Microvascular Stacked and Conjoined-Flap Breast Reconstruction. J Reconstr Microsurg. 2021 Oct;37(8):631-642. doi:10.1055/s-0041-1723820. Epub 2021 Feb 16. PMID:33592635.
Salibian AA, Bekisz JM, Frey JD, Nolan IT, Kaoutzanis C, Yu JW, Levine JP, Karp NS, Choi M, Thanik VD. Comparing outcomes between stacked/conjoined and non-stacked/conjoined abdominal microvascular unilateral breast reconstruction. Microsurgery. 2021 Mar;41(3):240-249. doi:10.1002/micr.30659. Epub 2020 Sep 30. PMID:32997369.
Frey JD, Salibian AA, Choi M, Karp NS. Putting Together the Pieces: Development and Validation of a Risk-Assessment Model for Nipple-Sparing Mastectomy. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2020 Feb;145(2):273e-283e. doi:10.1097/PRS.0000000000006443. PMID:31985614.
Salibian AA, Bekisz JM, Frey JD, Miller B, Choi M, Karp NS. Prophylactic nipple-sparing mastectomy in young previvors: Examining decision-making, reconstructive outcomes, and patient satisfaction in BRCA+ patients under 30. Breast J. 2020 May;26(5):971-975. doi:10.1111/tbj.13692. Epub 2019 Nov 17. PMID:31736224.
Salibian AA, Frey JD, Karp NS, Choi M. Does Staged Breast Reduction before Nipple-Sparing Mastectomy Decrease Complications? A Matched Cohort Study between Staged and Nonstaged Techniques. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2019 Nov;144(5):1023-1032. doi:10.1097/PRS.0000000000006121. PMID:31373992.