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About Melissa Kanack, MD

Melissa D. Kanack, MD, is a board-certified plastic surgeon specializing in the treatment of craniofacial disorders in children and adults. She treat patients with congenital differences including cleft lip and palate, craniosynostosis and other complex craniofacial syndromes. She treats craniofacial trauma including fractures and complex facial soft tissue injury. Dr. Kanack also performs gender-affirming chest and facial surgeries as well as other breast surgeries such as breast reduction and treatment of breast asymmetry.

She especially enjoys the field of craniofacial surgery because procedures in this area make a true difference in the way patients are viewed and how they interact in the world. As a pediatric plastic surgeon, she feels it is a true privilege to care for children from infancy through adolescence and adulthood, and build relationships with patients and their families. Dr. Kanack approaches plastic surgery care as a partnership with her patients, and values education and collaborative decision-making to meet functional and aesthetic goals.

As an assistant professor of surgery at UC San Diego School of Medicine, she is involved in the training and education of medical students, residents and fellows in the Division of Plastic Surgery.

Dr. Kanack completed fellowship training in craniofacial and pediatric plastic surgery at Boston Children's Hospital. She completed her residency in integrated plastic surgery at UC Irvine School of Medicine and earned her medical degree from UC San Diego School of Medicine.

Dr. Kanack is a member of the American Cleft Palate Craniofacial Association and the American Society of Maxillofacial Surgeons.

UC San Diego Health Links

For more information, see Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

Medical DegreeUC San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, CAResidencyUC Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, CAFellowshipBoston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA
GenderFemale
Date Joined Staff2022-08-01
Board Certifications
American Board of Plastic Surgery
Conditions and Treatments
  • Neonatal Mandibular (Jaw) Distraction
  • Robin Sequence
  • Pediatric Plastic Surgery
  • Craniosynostosis
  • Jaw Surgery (Orthognathic Surgery)
  • Craniofacial Surgery
  • Craniofacial Syndromes
  • Cleft Lip and Palate
  • Gender-Affirming Care
  • Breast Surgery
  • Cosmetic Facial Surgery
  • Rhinoplasty
  • Botox

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Videos

Meet Melissa Kanack, MD, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon

Meet Melissa Kanack, MD, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon

Open Payments Program Notification

For informational purposes only, a link to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Open Payments web page is provided here. The federal Physician Payments Sunshine Act requires that detailed information about payment and other payments of value worth over ten dollars ($10) from manufacturers of drugs, medical devices, and biologics to physicians and teaching hospitals be made available to the public.

View Open Payments Data for Dr. Kanack