FRCSC · ABFPRS · Facial Plastic Surgeon
"The best rhinoplasty is the one that no one can tell you had. My goal is always a result that looks like you — refined, balanced, and natural."
Dr. Thomas Buonassisi is a dual board-certified facial plastic surgeon with over 25 years of experience in facial surgery exclusively. He completed his Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery residency at the University of British Columbia (UBC), his Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery fellowship at the Australian Academy of Facial Plastic Surgery (Sydney & Perth), and has pursued advanced international training in preservation rhinoplasty. He does not perform body procedures. Every patient, every consultation, and every operation is focused on the face.
He co-founded 8 West Clinic in Vancouver in 2006 with his wife Angie Buonassisi. Rhinoplasty is the centrepiece of his surgical practice — he has performed over 4,000 facial cosmetic surgeries across every technique — but his scope extends across the full range of facial plastic surgery: facelifts, blepharoplasty, brow lifts, chin augmentation, and facial rejuvenation.
He has invested over a decade in patient education — 450+ videos on YouTube, a dedicated knowledge hub, and a consultation process built around informed decision-making. Patients who arrive having done their research consistently report that his assessment is the most thorough and direct they have received.
The word "specialist" is used loosely in cosmetic surgery. These are the specific credentials and practice characteristics that define what it actually means in Dr. Buonassisi's case.
Before any fellowship or cosmetic training, Dr. Buonassisi completed a 4-year medical degree at UBC followed by a 5-year Royal College–accredited residency in Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery. This residency is entirely focused on surgery of the nose, sinuses, face, head, and neck — the anatomical territory where rhinoplasty lives. The FRCSC designation is awarded only after passing the Royal College certification examination; it is the foundational surgical credential for any Canadian specialist operating on the nose.
Fellowship training is a year of post-residency subspecialty training under a master surgeon — it is not a course or a certificate. Dr. Buonassisi completed his fellowship at the Australian Academy of Facial Plastic Surgery, training exclusively on the face. Most general plastic surgeons do not complete a facial plastic fellowship.
The ABFPRS is the gold standard certification body for facial plastic surgeons in North America. Certification requires completing an accredited residency, a facial plastic fellowship, and passing a rigorous written and oral examination. It is not automatic — it must be earned and maintained. Dr. Buonassisi also holds dual certification from the American Board of Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery.
Volume matters in rhinoplasty more than almost any other surgical specialty. The anatomy is complex, the margin for error is small, and the range of patient presentations is enormous. A surgeon who has performed thousands of rhinoplasties has encountered — and solved — problems that a lower-volume surgeon may never have seen.
Many ENT and head & neck surgeons split their time between publicly funded (MSP) functional procedures and private cosmetic work. Dr. Buonassisi's practice is entirely private and entirely cosmetic. That means his attention, his team, and his facility are built around the cosmetic patient experience — not divided between two very different patient populations.
Functional rhinoplasty (septoplasty, turbinate reduction) addresses breathing obstruction and is covered by MSP. Cosmetic rhinoplasty reshapes the external nose for aesthetic reasons and is not. They require different skills, different training, and a different surgical mindset. That said, form and function are inseparable — Dr. Buonassisi has performed thousands of septoplasties and septo-rhinoplasties, and structural breathing function is always considered in any cosmetic plan.
Rhinoplasty at 8 West is performed at a brand-new, accredited private surgical facility built specifically for cosmetic surgery — not a public hospital shared with emergency, trauma, and general surgical cases. The environment, the team, and the protocols are designed around the elective cosmetic patient. This matters for infection control, scheduling predictability, and the overall patient experience.
The surgeon is one part of the equation. The patient care managers, nursing staff, and recovery team at 8 West have supported hundreds of rhinoplasty patients through every stage of the process. They know what normal healing looks like, what questions patients ask at 2am during recovery, and how to prepare a patient so that the consultation with Dr. Buonassisi is as productive as possible.
About the consultation →Dr. Buonassisi and 8 West Clinic have been reviewed over 1,700 times across Google, RealSelf, and RateMD — with over 500 of those reviews specifically about cosmetic rhinoplasty. A 4.8 average at that volume is not a statistical anomaly. It reflects a consistent standard of care across thousands of patient interactions over more than two decades.
Read patient reviews →Preservation rhinoplasty — a technique that maintains the native dorsal anatomy rather than resecting it — requires advanced international training and is not yet widely practised in Canada. Dr. Buonassisi trained with world-leading preservation surgeons and was among the first in Canada to adopt piezo ultrasonic rhinoplasty (Piezotome®), which allows more precise bone work with less trauma and bruising.
Learn about our techniques →A significant number of Dr. Buonassisi's rhinoplasty patients travel from outside Vancouver — from other provinces and internationally. The 8 West team has built a process that accommodates this: pre-assessment and pre-consultation review happen remotely before any travel is required, surgical planning is thorough enough that a single trip to Vancouver covers the consultation and, when appropriate, surgery. Out-of-town patients are not an afterthought — the process is designed for them.
How the consultation works →The process begins with a short online pre-assessment — a few questions about your goals, anatomy, and health history, plus a few photos. Dr. Buonassisi's patient care team reviews every submission personally and responds within 1–2 business days with honest guidance on whether rhinoplasty is the right path and what to expect. By the time you arrive for your consultation, the groundwork has already been done — the appointment is focused, not exploratory.
Start your pre-assessment →
These are not marketing statements — they are the practical principles that determine how Dr. Buonassisi approaches every consultation and every surgical plan.
The goal of rhinoplasty is not to give a patient a different nose — it is to give them the best version of their own nose. Dr. Buonassisi's results are consistently described as natural-looking precisely because he works with each patient's existing anatomy rather than imposing a template.
Every aesthetic decision in rhinoplasty must be grounded in structural reality. A nose that looks beautiful immediately after surgery but collapses over time is a failure. Dr. Buonassisi's training in head and neck surgery gives him a deep understanding of nasal anatomy that informs every surgical decision.
In rhinoplasty, less is almost always more. Over-resection — removing too much cartilage or bone — is the leading cause of revision surgery. Dr. Buonassisi's default is to make the minimum change that achieves the patient's goal, preserving options for the future.
Dr. Buonassisi believes that an informed patient makes a better surgical candidate. He has invested over a decade in patient education through YouTube, social media, and the 8 West Knowledge Hub — so that patients arrive at their consultation with realistic expectations.
Not every patient who wants rhinoplasty is a good candidate, and not every goal is achievable. Dr. Buonassisi's consultations are known for their directness — he will tell patients what is realistic, what is not, and why.
A rhinoplasty that improves the nose in isolation but disrupts the balance of the face is not a success. Dr. Buonassisi evaluates every proposed change in the context of the full facial structure — the relationship between the nose, chin, forehead, and lips.
“Not everyone who comes to see me is a good candidate for rhinoplasty. I will tell you honestly if I do not think surgery will improve your quality of life — or if your expectations are beyond what is anatomically achievable. That conversation is the most important part of the consultation.”
Dr. Buonassisi holds dual board certification in facial plastic surgery — one of a small number of Canadian surgeons to do so.
Co-founded 8 West Clinic with wife Angie Buonassisi — exclusively focused on facial plastic surgery from day one
Completed fellowship training at the Australian Academy of Facial Plastic Surgery (Sydney & Perth); returned to Vancouver to build a high-volume rhinoplasty practice
Launched YouTube patient education channel @8westclinic — now 643+ videos and growing
Adopted preservation rhinoplasty as a primary technique following advanced international training with world-leading surgeons
Introduced piezo ultrasonic rhinoplasty using the Piezotome® device — one of the first surgeons in Canada to use this technique routinely
Surpassed 4,000 facial cosmetic surgeries; voted Best Cosmetic Surgeon in Vancouver by The Georgia Straight for 4+ consecutive years
Dr. Buonassisi and 8 West Clinic have been reviewed over 1,700 times on Google, RealSelf, and RateMD — with over 500 of these reviews specifically about cosmetic rhinoplasty.
"Dr. Buonassisi was the first surgeon who told me what he could not do, not just what he could. That honesty is what made me choose him. The result is exactly what he described — natural, balanced, mine."
"I had a revision after a procedure elsewhere. Dr. Buonassisi was direct about the complexity and realistic about the outcome. He delivered exactly what he promised. I wish I had come to him first."
New cases are added to the gallery regularly. Each result is Dr. Buonassisi's own work.
Surgeon-authored guides covering technique selection, recovery, candidacy, and what to expect — written for patients who want to make an informed decision.
Knowledge Hub →
Complete a free pre-assessment form. Dr. Buonassisi's Patient Care team will review your goals and anatomy, and respond within 1–2 business days with an honest assessment of your candidacy.