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8 West Clinic · Vancouver
“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.”
Board Certifications & Fellowships
Dr. Thomas Buonassisi is a specialist in Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery (FRCSC) who is also board certified by the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (ABFPRS). He has over 25 years of surgical experience in facial surgery exclusively. He completed his Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery residency at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and his Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery fellowship at the Australian Academy of Facial Plastic Surgery.
Dr. Thomas Buonassisi, MD, FRCSC is a specialist in Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery with a practice limited to facial plastic surgeries. He founded 8 West Clinic in Vancouver over 20 years ago and has performed over 4,000 facial cosmetic surgeries across the full range of facial procedures — rhinoplasty, facelift, blepharoplasty, brow lift, chin augmentation, and facial rejuvenation. Rhinoplasty is the centrepiece of his surgical practice.
His entire surgical training has been concentrated on the face — and over 25 years, that depth of experience translates into a level of pattern recognition and anatomical precision that is difficult to replicate in a general surgical practice. Behind every consultation is a patient care team that has supported thousands of rhinoplasty patients through every stage of the process — from first assessment through to long-term follow-up. Dr. Buonassisi has also invested over a decade in patient education: 450+ videos on YouTube and a Rhinoplasty Knowledge Hub built around the questions patients actually ask. Patients who arrive well-informed find his consultations direct, specific, and clinically grounded.
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 — focused on a single discipline rather than a broad surgical scope. Dr. Buonassisi completed his fellowship at the Australian Academy of Facial Plastic Surgery, training exclusively on the face and neck.
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.
Dr. Buonassisi has chosen to focus his practice entirely on facial cosmetic and reconstructive procedures. This single-minded focus allows his team, his facility, and his clinical protocols to be optimized for the elective facial surgery patient, ensuring a highly specialized standard of care.
While a septoplasty addresses internal breathing function, a cosmetic rhinoplasty refines the external shape. Because form and function are inseparable, Dr. Buonassisi always evaluates and preserves internal nasal airway function in every cosmetic plan, ensuring that your nose not only looks balanced but functions beautifully.
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 1,900 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.
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 across Canada. 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.
Travel to Vancouver →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.
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, MD is a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada with board certification from the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.
An advanced technique and specialised tool used by rhinoplasty specialists — Dr. Buonassisi incorporates ultrasonic piezotome technology into his rhinoplasty practice for cases where this approach is appropriate.
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 →Dr. Thomas Buonassisi holds an MD from the University of British Columbia and completed a 5-year Royal College–accredited residency in Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, earning the FRCSC designation. He subsequently completed a fellowship in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the Australian Academy of Facial Plastic Surgery. He is board certified by the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (ABFPRS) and the American Board of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery (ABOHNS), and is a member of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS).
FRCSC stands for Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. It is awarded to surgeons who have completed an accredited residency program and passed the Royal College certification examination in their specialty. Dr. Buonassisi's FRCSC is in Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery — the surgical specialty whose anatomical foundation is the nose, sinuses, face, head, and neck.
An Otolaryngologist – Head and Neck Surgeon (ENT) specialises in the anatomy of the nose, sinuses, face, and neck from the outset of their surgical training. A plastic surgeon's training covers the full body. For rhinoplasty specifically, the anatomical depth of an ENT-trained facial plastic surgeon is directly relevant — the nose is the centre of their specialty, not one procedure among many. Dr. Buonassisi is both: an FRCSC-certified Otolaryngologist and a fellowship-trained, board-certified facial plastic surgeon.
Dr. Buonassisi is a specialist. His practice is 100% cosmetic and elective — he does not perform MSP-funded ENT work, general cosmetic surgery, or body procedures. Every case he operates on is a voluntary cosmetic or reconstructive procedure on the face. This matters because it means his clinical environment, his team, his facility, and his scheduling are all optimised for the elective cosmetic patient — not divided between public health obligations and private practice. The result is a level of focus, consistency, and patient experience that a mixed practice cannot replicate.
Dr. Buonassisi completed his medical degree at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and his Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery residency at UBC. He completed his Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery fellowship at the Australian Academy of Facial Plastic Surgery.
Dr. Buonassisi's approach is anatomy-first and conservative by design. 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. Every aesthetic decision is grounded in structural reality: a nose that looks refined immediately after surgery but loses support over time is a failure. His default is to make the minimum change that achieves the patient's goal, preserving options for the future.
Dr. Buonassisi performs open rhinoplasty, closed rhinoplasty, preservation rhinoplasty, ultrasound rhinoplasty (Piezotome®), ethnic rhinoplasty, revision rhinoplasty, and facial feminization rhinoplasty. The technique is selected based on the patient's anatomy and goals — not a preferred method or a default approach.
Preservation rhinoplasty is an advanced technique that maintains the native dorsal anatomy of the nose rather than removing and rebuilding it. It requires specialised training and is not yet widely practised in Canada. Dr. Buonassisi trained with world-leading preservation surgeons and was among the first surgeons in Canada to adopt this approach.
Yes. Dr. Buonassisi personally performs every rhinoplasty case. He does not delegate surgical procedures to residents, fellows, or other surgeons.
In cases where a structural nasal issue — such as a deviated septum — is contributing to breathing difficulty, this can be addressed at the same time as cosmetic changes. Dr. Buonassisi evaluates nasal airway function in every cosmetic surgical plan. Whether functional work is appropriate for your case is assessed at consultation.
Every consultation is conducted personally by Dr. Buonassisi — not a patient coordinator or nurse. He reviews your anatomy, discusses your goals, explains what is technically achievable, and walks you through the process before you make any decision. Computer imaging is available at consultation to help visualise potential outcomes. A written all-inclusive quote is provided at the end of your appointment if you are a candidate for surgery.
Yes. Dr. Buonassisi's consultations are known for their directness. He will tell patients what is realistic, what is not, and why — including cases where he believes rhinoplasty is not the right path. Not every patient who wants rhinoplasty is a good candidate, and not every goal is achievable for a given anatomy. This honesty is reflected consistently in patient reviews.
The first step is completing the online pre-assessment form on this website. Dr. Buonassisi's patient care team reviews every submission and responds within 1–2 business days. If rhinoplasty is the right path, a consultation is arranged from there. No referral is required.
Dr. Buonassisi has performed over 2,500 rhinoplasty procedures across every technique — open, closed, preservation, ultrasound, ethnic, revision, and facial feminization rhinoplasty. He has been in practice for over 25 years with a focus on facial surgery.
Dr. Buonassisi and 8 West Clinic have been reviewed over 1,900 times across Google, RealSelf, and RateMDs — with a 4.8 average. Patients consistently describe results that look natural and specific to their face, consultations that are thorough and honest, and a recovery process that is well-supported. Over 500 of those reviews specifically reference cosmetic rhinoplasty.
Surgery is performed at a private, purpose-built, accredited surgical facility at 8 West Clinic — not a public hospital or shared operating room. The facility is designed exclusively for cosmetic and facial plastic surgery, with a dedicated nursing team and hospital-grade equipment.
Yes. A significant number of Dr. Buonassisi's rhinoplasty patients travel from outside Vancouver — from other provinces and across Canada. Pre-assessment and pre-consultation review happen remotely before any travel is required. The process is designed to accommodate out-of-town patients, and the team has extensive experience supporting patients through every stage of the journey from a distance.
Complete our pre-assessment and Dr. Buonassisi’s team will review your submission personally — before you ever step into the clinic.