Kare Plastic Surgery & Skin Health Center · Santa Monica, Los Angeles
Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian
MD, FACS · Double Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon · UCLA-educated
A nationally recognized leader in plastic surgery, reconstructive microsurgery, and advanced skin health, bringing academic-caliber surgical training and two decades of excellence in plastic surgery.
Call (310) 998-5533 Request a Consultation
UCLAMedical Training
ABPSBoard-Certified Plastic Surgeon
AVLMBoard-Certified vein surgeon
FACSFellow, American College of Surgeons
RealSelf 100Top Surgeon Designation
About the Surgeon
Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon & Nationally Recognized Expert in Los Angeles
Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian, MD, FACS is a UCLA-educated, double board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon practicing at Kare Plastic Surgery & Skin Health Center in Santa Monica. His dual board certification — by both the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) and the American Board of Venous and Lymphatic Medicine (AVLM) — and his designation as a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS) represent the highest trifecta of surgical credentials available to a practicing plastic surgeon in the United States. These certifications are evidence of rigorous ongoing examination, peer evaluation, and adherence to the most exacting standards of surgical education and patient safety in the profession.
Educated at the University of California, Los Angeles, one of the foremost academic medical centers in the world, Dr. Karamanoukian completed a comprehensive training program that encompassed cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery, microsurgery, burn surgery, hand surgery, craniofacial surgery, and wound healing science. This breadth of surgical training is what distinguishes an academically-trained plastic surgeon from providers with narrower educational backgrounds, and it directly informs the depth of clinical judgment he brings to every patient consultation at Kare.
Over more than two decades of practice in Los Angeles, Dr. Karamanoukian has developed surgical subspecialty expertise across three distinct domains: cosmetic plastic surgery of the face and body, reconstructive and revision surgery including complex scar management and silicone removal, and advanced skin health including laser medicine, vein surgery, and cosmetic dermatology. This triad of capabilities — housed within a single, physician-led practice — is what makes Kare Plastic Surgery unique in the Santa Monica and Beverly Hills aesthetic market.
Board Certifications & Professional Memberships
- American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) — Board Certified
- American Board of Venous Lymphatic Medicine (ABS) — Board Certified
- Fellow of the American College of Surgeons FACS
- American Society of Plastic Surgeons ASPS
- RealSelf 100 Top Surgeon — Designated
- CNN, AP, KTLA, Al Jazeera — Featured Medical Expert
- National Keloid & Scar Authority — Recognized Expert
- Silicone Biopolymer Removal — National Expert
- En Bloc Capsulectomy — Specialist
“It is an honor and a pleasure to welcome you to my plastic surgery practice in Los Angeles."
— Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian, MD, FACS — Kare Plastic Surgery, Santa Monica
Education & Training
Academic Excellence & Surgical Training at UCLA
Dr. Karamanoukian’s surgical education reflects the rigor of world-class academic medicine. His medical education at UCLA — encompassing undergraduate education and medical school at one of the most clinically intensive and academically distinguished programs in the United States, formed the foundation upon which his entire surgical practice has been built.
Education & Residency
Undergraduate
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)Bachelor of Science — Pre-Medical Sciences
Medical School
UCLA School of Medicine 1994-1998Doctor of Medicine (MD) — University of California, Los Angeles
General Surgery
General Surgery Residency — UCSD Medical Center 1998-2002Comprehensive surgical training including trauma, vascular, and oncologic surgery
Plastic Surgery
Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Residency — UC Irvine 2002-2005Full-spectrum training in cosmetic surgery, reconstructive surgery, microsurgery, hand surgery, craniofacial surgery, and burn reconstruction
Board Certifications & Licensure
ABPS
American Board of Plastic SurgeryBoard Certification in Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery — the gold standard credential in the specialty
AVLM
American Board of Venous and Lymphatic MedicineBoard Certification in Venous Surgery — dual certification reflecting the breadth of his operative training
FACS
Fellow, American College of SurgeonsFellowship awarded by peer election based on demonstrated surgical excellence, ethical practice, and commitment to patient care
California
California Medical Board — Licensed Physician & SurgeonActive license in the State of California
Media Recognition & National Expertise
TheDoctorsTV
TheDoctors TV Featured Medical ExpertNational television coverage of surgical expertise and patient outcomes
AP
Associated Press — Medical Expert CommentarySurgical expertise cited in national news reporting
KTLA
KTLA 5 Los Angeles — Expert CommentatorLos Angeles television appearances on cosmetic surgery and skin health topics
Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera America — Featured ExpertInternational media recognition of surgical expertise
Paramount
The Doctors TV — Medical ConsultantFeatured plastic surgery expert for national entertainment media
RealSelf
RealSelf 100 Top Surgeon DesignationAwarded to the top 0.4% of RealSelf-listed surgeons based on patient reviews, educational contributions, and surgical expertise
Surgical Expertise
Areas of Subspecialty Expertise
Dr. Karamanoukian’s two decades of practice have produced recognized subspecialty expertise across a wide spectrum of cosmetic and reconstructive surgical disciplines.
Facelift & Deep Plane Facelift
Neck Lift & Platysmal Plication
Breast Augmentation & Lift
En Bloc Capsulectomy & Explant
Body Contouring & Liposuction
Abdominoplasty (Tummy Tuck)
Silicone Biopolymer Removal
Minimal Scar Lipoma Removal
20+Years of Surgical Excellence in Los Angeles
UCLAWorld-Class Academic Medical education
30+Laser & Energy Devices On-Site at Kare
5,000Sq Ft Luxury Surgical & Skin Health Center
Surgical Philosophy
Exceptional Results in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
Dr. Karamanoukian’s approach to plastic surgery is shaped by a philosophy that has remained constant across two decades of practice: that genuine surgical excellence requires not only technical mastery, but intellectual honesty, anatomical precision, and a long-term commitment to each patient’s wellbeing that extends well beyond the operating room.
01
Anatomical Precision
Every procedure Dr. Karamanoukian performs is planned with the same three-dimensional anatomical rigor he developed during his UCLA surgical training. Whether he is planning a deep plane facelift, an en bloc capsulectomy, or a rhinoplasty, the operative plan is built on a precise understanding of tissue planes, vascular anatomy, and the mechanical forces that determine long-term outcomes — not aesthetic trend or protocol.
02
Surgical Honesty
Dr. Karamanoukian has built a national reputation for telling patients what their anatomy actually needs — not what generates revenue and not what the patient has already decided they want. His consultations are frank and complete. When a non-surgical treatment will produce the desired result, he recommends it. When surgery is the right answer, he says so plainly and delivers it with precision.
03
Long-Term Partnership
Aesthetic medicine is a lifelong discipline, not a transaction. Dr. Karamanoukian designs longitudinal care plans for his patients — anticipating how their face and body will continue to evolve, sequencing non-surgical and surgical interventions to complement each other over time, and maintaining a clinical relationship that spans decades rather than a single procedure.
The Kare Difference: Dr. Karamanoukian is one of the only plastic surgeons in the Los Angeles area who practices alongside a board-certified dermatologist in a fully integrated facility — creating a genuinely multidisciplinary skin health center where surgical expertise and dermatologic depth coexist under a single roof. This integration allows Kare to manage conditions that span both specialties with a continuity of care that separate specialist visits cannot replicate.
National Recognition
A Nationally Recognized Voice in Plastic Surgery & Skin Health
Beyond his clinical practice, Dr. Karamanoukian has established himself as a nationally recognized authority in several areas of plastic surgery and aesthetic medicine — contributing expert commentary to major media organizations, publishing on topics including scar science and silicone-related pathology, and serving as a destination surgeon for patients from throughout the United States and internationally who travel to Santa Monica specifically for his expertise.
Media & Expert Recognition
Dr. Karamanoukian has been featured as a medical expert by CNN, the Associated Press, KTLA Los Angeles, Al Jazeera America, and Paramount Network — appearing in coverage of plastic surgery, cosmetic dermatology, and emerging aesthetic technologies. His RealSelf 100 designation — awarded to fewer than 0.4% of RealSelf-listed surgeons — reflects not only his surgical outcomes but his commitment to patient education through detailed, transparent responses to patient questions on one of the largest medical consumer platforms in the world.
Specialized National Expertise
Dr. Karamanoukian is recognized as a national expert in several specific clinical areas that attract patients from beyond the greater Los Angeles area. His expertise in keloid and hypertrophic scar management — including multimodal treatment protocols combining TAC + 5-FU, Vbeam laser, cryotherapy, and radiation — has made Kare Plastic Surgery a destination for patients who have exhausted treatment options at other centers. His work in silicone biopolymer removal — one of the most technically demanding procedures in reconstructive plastic surgery — draws referrals from throughout Southern California and beyond. His en bloc capsulectomy practice for patients with breast implant illness, ruptured silicone implants, and BIA-ALCL concern is recognized as among the most thorough and diagnostically complete in the Los Angeles area.
CNN Associated Press KTLA 5 Los Angeles Al Jazeera America Paramount Network RealSelf 100
Kare Plastic Surgery & Skin Health Center
A Practice Built for the Patient Who Will Not Compromise
Kare Plastic Surgery & Skin Health Center is located at 804 7th Street in Santa Monica — a 5,000 square-foot luxury surgical and skin health facility that Dr. Karamanoukian designed and built to deliver the complete spectrum of aesthetic medicine under a single physician-led roof. The facility includes a fully accredited in-office surgical suite, a comprehensive laser and energy device suite with over 30 platforms, a clinical dermatology center, a vein treatment center with ultrasound vascular mapping, and private consultation suites designed to provide every patient with the privacy and focused attention their care deserves.
The practice serves patients from throughout Los Angeles — Beverly Hills, Brentwood, Malibu, West Hollywood, Culver City, Pasadena, the San Fernando Valley, and Santa Monica — as well as patients who travel from other states and internationally. The depth of Dr. Karamanoukian’s expertise in complex revision surgery, silicone removal, and en bloc capsulectomy makes Kare a tertiary referral destination for patients whose conditions have not been adequately managed at other Los Angeles practices.
Insurance is accepted for many medically indicated procedures through PPO plans. Transparent self-pay pricing is provided for cosmetic procedures at consultation. Financing options are available for qualified patients. The practice accepts patients of all backgrounds, ages, and aesthetic goals — from teenagers managing keloid scars to post-bariatric patients seeking comprehensive body reconstruction to executives seeking the most natural-looking facial rejuvenation available in Los Angeles.
Schedule a Consultation with Dr. Karamanoukian
Experience the difference of a consultation with a UCLA-trained, double board-certified plastic surgeon who has made honesty, surgical precision, and long-term patient partnership the foundation of his practice. Contact Kare Plastic Surgery in Santa Monica today.
(310) 998-5533 Request a Consultation