Neil A. Gordon, M.D.

ACADEMIC

Dr. Gordon’s credentials are superior. After graduating from Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York with the highest honors, including Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society and the Rudin Foundation Scholar Award, he then completed his Internship in General Surgery and Residency in Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, at Yale School of Medicine, where he received awards for his research and was honored for his clinical skills by the Yale Surgical Society. He then earned the prestigious Fellowship in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Tulane University School of Medicine under the instruction of world-renowned facial plastic surgeon, Calvin M. Johnson, M.D. Along with his academic honors and scholarships, Dr. Gordon is one of a select few surgeons to achieve double board certification by both the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and the American Board of Otolaryngology. 

A Yale clinical faculty member since 1996, Dr. Gordon’s expertise has been further recognized by his appointment to Director, Head and Neck Aesthetic Surgery, in the Section of Otolaryngology, in the Department of Surgery at the Yale School of Medicine. He adds this to his existing responsibilities at Yale of Coordinator, Residency Education in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, and Assistant Clinical Professor of Surgery. 

Honors

• Elected as “Best Doctor” by Castle Connolly for 20 consecutive years.
• The only facial plastic surgeon to be elected as “Best Doctor” by Castle Connolly, New York Magazine, US News and World Report, and Connecticut Magazine for multiple years.
• Officially invited to serve as a Site Director for Education in Facial Plastic Surgery in the section of Plastic Surgery, in addition to his role as Site Director in Facial Plastic Surgery in Otolaryngology, at Yale School of Medicine.
• Invited to testify as an expert in facial plastic surgery for policy advice by the Scientific Council of Israel.

AWARDS

Multi Board-Certified Doctor
Castle Connolly Top Doctor – 15 Years
Featured In Connecticut Magazine
Featured On New York Magazine

RECOGNITION

Acknowledged by both fellow physicians and the public, Dr. Gordon is honored as a “top physician” in many publications. In 2020 Dr. Gordon was the only facial plastic surgeon who organically (no marketing) was voted as “Best Doctor” in New York Magazine and whose practice is mainly in Connecticut. For years he has been named one of America’s Best Doctors by US News and World Report and, for the 15th straight year, one of the Top Doctors in the New York Metro Area by Castle Connelly Ltd. He’s been profiled multiple times in Westport, Greenwich, and New Canaan (Connecticut) Magazines’ “Top Doctor Issues” and “Top 101 Doctors.” Castle Connolly Medical Ltd. is recognized internationally for identifying the finest doctors for their specialized expertise. Dr. Gordon has also been recognized by Best Doctors, Inc, Best Doctors in America: The Guide to America’s Top Physicians: Consumer Research Council of America.  

In 2011, Sony Pictures Television defined Dr. Gordon as one of the most prominent “experts in revision facial plastic surgery,” and he was sought after to be featured for his extraordinary skill in their upcoming television series “The Revisionist.” Since Dr. Gordon avoids the media, he declined Sony Pictures Television’s offer, the show currently appears on TV as “Botched”. 

Despite his avoidance of all promotion and marketing, Dr. Gordon continues to be recognized internationally. He has been described by a leading surgeon as “the gold standard” in facial rejuvenation in the publication, Cosmetic Surgery Times. W Magazine named him “the revisionist” for “his ability to restore a natural look to an overstretched, overdone face.” Recently, a celebrity television plastic surgeon named Dr. Gordon “one of the top five facial plastic surgeons” in his publication. Plastic surgeons from Australia, Brazil, Germany, India, Colombia, Mexico, and Taiwan have publicly described him as a “master” and “expert” in facial rejuvenation. 

SPEAKING

For well over a decade, Dr. Gordon has been invited to present his specialized techniques, concepts, research, and outcomes at numerous national and international academic conferences including the annual conference of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Rejuvenation Of The Aging Face Conference, The Multispecialty Aesthetic Conference, The International Symposium of Facial Plastic Surgery, Societies, The Annual Conference of the Australian Academy of Facial Plastic Surgery, The European Academy of Facial Plastic Surgery, International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, Facialis Academy and many others. At these conferences, he has been honored to present the prestigious key-note address, as well as, the Master’s Seminar, on topics such as “Deep-Plane Rhytidectomy (facelifts) to the Vertical Platysma Advancement”, “Revision Rhytidectomy”, “The Forehead Lift, It’s Not About Lifting the Eyebrows”, and “Deep-Plane Rhytidectomy: Modifications, Nuances, and Observations- a 25-year experience.” 

International recognition for Dr. Gordon’s advancements in facelifting occurred after leading surgeons from Australia performed the first “Deep-Plane Rhytidectomy” in Sydney in 2011 after studying under him in the US. In honor and recognition of his teachings and mentorship, Dr. Gordon was invited to be the keynote speaker at the annual Symposium on Facial Rejuvenation and Facelifts by the Australian Academy of Facial Plastic Surgery in November 2016. During this prestigious conference, Dr. Gordon presented his most significant advancement in facial rejuvenation, the “Vertical Platysma Advancement” and “Vertical Galea Advancement” to an international audience of surgeons and media. 

Dr. Gordon finished 2019 and continued until the pandemic by being the key-note or main speaker in international conferences on 5 continents. In September he was the key-note speaker in the first multiple-society, (facial plastic and general plastic surgery) international facelift symposium in Australia. Then a few weeks later, he was a main speaker and panelist on rhytidectomy at the European Academy of Facial Plastic Surgery in Holland. In October he was the opening speaker at the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery’s Annual Conference in San Diego and then the main speaker giving four presentations on rhytidectomy and revision rhytidectomy at the Global Aesthetics Conference in Miami in November 2019. 

In February 2020, as further evidence of Dr. Gordon’s global recognition as the expert in facial rejuvenation, he was the key-note speaker, gave 6 other presentations, and, additionally, was the creator/moderator of the international panel “Controversies in Facelifting with the Experts” for the 9th World Congress of the International Federation of Facial Plastic Surgery Societies in Taiwan.  

At the end of February, before the international pandemic, Dr. Gordon was the invited expert to speak on his 24-year, deep-plane rhytidectomy experience in the initial international Miami Cosmetic Surgery conference.

Despite the pandemic, Dr. Gordon was busy speaking internationally as an international expert at multiple virtual conferences and webinars.

Beginning in May 2020, Dr. Gordon gave his presentation on “Advanced Deep-Plane Rhytidectomy” and “The Illusion of Volume Loss” to the Facialis Society of Bogota, Colombia. In recognition of his global achievements in advancing facial plastic surgery, he was subsequently invited to be an honorary member of the Facialis Society. Later in May he then gave these presentations as the only speaker in a virtual conference for the Brazilian Society of Facial Plastic Surgeons, the Canadian Society of Facial Plastic Surgeons, and the South African Society of Facial Plastic Surgeons. 

Continuing 2020 virtually, Dr. Gordon was the sole speaker for the Facial Reconstructive and Cosmetic Surgery Society of India and the International Federation of Facial Plastic Surgery Societies. The Face Value lecture series of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons, as well as the Annual AAFPRS conference where Dr. Gordon created and moderated the only live virtual event, the facelift panel.

Completing 2020 internationally, Dr. Gordon was a featured speaker for the Sao Paulo University virtual conference from Brazil and was the key-note speaker and facelift panel moderator for the International Course of Rhino facial Surgery 2020 hosted by Collegio Dei Otorhinolaryngol Y Cirujanos De Cabeza Y Cuello Del Estado De Jalisco, A.C., Mexico.  

See Events

For 2021, the pandemic will continue to affect in-person conferences. Currently, Dr. Gordon is scheduled to be the sole speaker and perform live surgery at an international conference on the deep-plane rhytidectomy in Sao Paulo, Brazil at Sao Paulo University. The “Harvard of Brazil” created this international symposium based on Dr. Gordon’s global clinical fame and research work on the advancement of the technique. 

Dr. Gordon is also invited to be the main speaker on facial rejuvenation at the prestigious 11 days of Facial Plastic Surgery for the Pan Asian Society of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons in Singapore. Additionally, conferences in Miami, Las Vegas, and Orlando are scheduled for 2021.  

WRITING

In recognition as a thought leader and for his clinical expertise, Dr. Gordon has been invited many times to contribute to the academic literature on current concepts in facial plastic surgery. Specifically, Dr. Gordon wrote the famed contrarian work, “The Illusion of Volume Loss” where he scientifically shows that proclaimed facial volume loss is merely an illusion. As the recognized expert, Dr. Gordon has written his advancements and experience with the deep-plane rhytidectomy technique in multiple academic textbooks and scientific journals in both the United States and internationally. 

In 2020, Dr. Gordon added to his publications with his advancement to the deep-plane rhytidectomy, “The Deep-Plane Rhytidectomy to the Vertical Platysma Advancement” in the book “Facial Plastic Surgery Clinics of North America”. Dr. Gordon was honored to write the chapter, “Deep Plane Rhytidectomy Approach to the Vertical Platysma Advancement: Technical Modifications and Nuances Over 25 years” in the book, “Controversies in Facelifting”, for the European Academy of Facial Plastic Surgery. His contribution on the deep-plane rhytidectomy for the upcoming book series, “Expert Techniques in Facial Plastic Surgery”, in the book “An Analytical Approach to Facelifts and Neck Lifts” will be published in 2021. 

Since the original impetus to the TV reality show, “Botched”, was based on Dr. Gordon’s work in revision facial plastic surgery, Dr. Gordon was invited to write the chapter on “Neck Complications” in the academic, book version of the TV show, Revision Facial Plastic Surgery: Correcting Bad Results, which was published in 2019. Dr. Gordon was also the main contributing author and editor to the consumer book, “Your Complete Guide To Facial Rejuvenation,” which is available nationally.  

RESEARCH

Being a clinical faculty member at Yale School of Medicine has allowed Dr. Gordon to pursue his various research interests. As a fellow in 1996, he was the principal investigator in defining the long-term outcomes of the new technique, the deep-plane rhytidectomy. Dr. Gordon was the first facial plastic surgeon to write his fellowship thesis on the technique; and his early contribution to the technique, its effectiveness, and safety has defined him as a pioneer in the procedure. 

Since then, Dr. Gordon has scientifically researched the causes of facial aging. He was the first to create a scientific model to use to define aspects and patterns of facial aging in the same person over time. Dr. Gordon first applied this model to define the patterns in facial skeletal aging and his findings were published in a ground-breaking paper in JAMA-Facial Plastic Surgery in 2017. Using this model, Dr. Gordon, and his research team at Yale, then studied and defined that fat is not lost in the midface with aging, contrary to common thought, but is gained. This was first published in the Aesthetic Surgery Journal in 2018 and again in an additional fat loss study in the Aesthetic Surgery Journal in 2020. This scientific evidence is consistent with Dr. Gordon’s theories on facial aging and supports the concept that facial fat is not lost in the face and aging creates an illusion of volume loss. This explains his approach to facial rejuvenation, that duplicating someone’s past anatomy through advanced soft tissue reduction surgery is the optimal and predictable way to restore their past appearance. 

Further studies of facial aging using this model have been published on the aging patterns of the submandibular salivary gland in the neck in Aesthetic Surgery Journal in 2020 and the parotid salivary gland will be published in 2021. Currently, Dr. Gordon is studying advanced neck aging changes of the digastric/submandibular triangle, which has never been defined in the medical literature. In addition, he has predicted that this model can be used in the future to test a potential new medicinal approach for the prevention of facial skeletal aging. 

In his other research area, patient safety, Dr. Gordon will be publishing his follow-up study, 15 years after his initial study, which scientifically defined the methods to perform safe facial plastic surgery. This is the largest prospective study conducted over 21 years on the topic, internationally. 

Because of the significance of his research on patient safety, in 2005 Dr. Gordon was asked to be the founding Chairman of the critically important Committee on Patient Safety, Quality Assurance, and Accreditation for The American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and remains Senior Advisor to the current Chairman. In 2012, Dr. Gordon was identified as a respected national leader in facial plastic surgery and was appointed as Co-Chair of the Leadership Committee and has helped spearhead the national campaign for the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Educational and Research Foundation: Many Faces of Generosity. Lastly, Dr. Gordon has participated in numerous “Plastic Surgery Think Tanks”, in both the private and corporate world, to discuss and exchange ideas regarding the future of the field with other recognized thought leaders. 

He also has served on the editorial board of Modern Aesthetics Magazine and is on the scientific advisory board for the Global Aesthetics Conference and Vegas Cosmetic Surgery, both international multi-disciplinary annual aesthetic conferences. 

Additionally, Dr. Gordon is a Fellow of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the American College of Surgeons, and The American Academy of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, as well as a member of The Yale Surgical Society, Connecticut State Medical Society, and the Fairfield County Medical Society.  

Dr. Gordon was also honored by City of Hope National Medical Center with The Spirit of Life Award for his philanthropic support of the organization. City of Hope is one of the world’s leading research and treatment centers for cancer, diabetes, and other life-threatening diseases. Dr. Gordon also has contributed his time to Soldiers for the Truth Foundation. This charity is dedicated to informing the public, Congress, and the media on issues related to the training, readiness, equipment, and leadership of the United States Armed Forces.  

VISIONARY

Ultimately, Dr. Gordon is recognized for his unique abilities to define the issues that motivate people from across the globe who seek him out for his consistent outcomes that match or exceed the expectations of his patients. In his own words, “where rhinoplasty is the art of altering a facial feature to bring out the beauty in a face that may be hidden, facial rejuvenation is the art of returning our look to exactly what it has been in the past.”  

‘Reverse my changes, don’t change me,” and “If it looks like I had it, I don’t want it,” are the common thoughts expressed by his patients. 

The art and science of facial rejuvenation have undergone an evolution. Patients seeking facial rejuvenation no longer need to sacrifice their identity or “look done” when reversing the signs of aging. Most important of these advances is the revolutionary facelift technique, the” Vertical Platysma Advancement. Dr. Gordon pioneered this technique, and his patients reap the benefits and the results of a consistently natural-looking, youthful appearance that is remarkably long-lasting.

In addition to his formal training and medical accolades, Dr. Gordon takes great pride and care in the human side of his practice. He invests an immense amount of time and energy to ensure that his patients approach facial plastic surgery with healthy attitudes and appropriate expectations. He strongly believes that a patient’s care begins with the educational process during the consultation and continues after a procedure, where his constant presence not only ensures proper healing but provides the emotional support and comfort necessary to minimize the recovery process. This allows Dr. Gordon’s patients to consistently achieve the very best results. 

His belief in the mind, body, and soul’s influence on healing led directly to Dr. Gordon’s creation of the most unique environment for the entire process of plastic surgery, The Retreat at Split Rock. At The Retreat at Split Rock, his commitment to an individual’s total well-being, outer beauty in harmony with inner peace, is fulfilled. 

Dr. Gordon consults with prospective patients in New York City at his Park Avenue office, as well as his offices in Greenwich and The Retreat at Split Rock in Wilton, Connecticut. The adjacency of Dr. Gordon’s offices to the New York Metro area provides easy access for his patients from all over the world. Virtual consults are available for all those interested. 

Created by Dr. Neil A. Gordon, and located in the hamlet of Wilton, Connecticut, The Retreat at Split Rock offers guests a unique environment and is home to Dr. Gordon’s state-licensed, state of the art, fully accredited surgical center, New England Surgical Center, where he serves as Medical Director. The adjoining Inn and Aesthetic Institute all were created to provide the ultimate in aesthetic rejuvenation, luxury, comfort, and privacy.