Plastic surgery sits in a category apart from non-surgical med-spa work. Breast augmentation, breast reduction, abdominoplasty, rhinoplasty, facelift, and body-contouring procedures all carry the risks of an anesthesia event and a surgical operating field, which is why the clinician’s training pathway and the operating facility itself both matter. The credential to look for is Diplomate status with the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS), which follows six or more years of accredited residency training and recertification on a ten-year cycle. Membership in the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) restricts itself to ABPS-certified surgeons, and active membership in the Aesthetic Society (formerly ASAPS) is peer-elected and aesthetic-focused. Nashville patients comparing breast, body, or facial surgery should start with surgeons who hold those credentials and who operate in accredited facilities. The three Nashville practices below meet that bar.
Quick Comparison #
| Firm | Credentials | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Plastic Surgery Center of Nashville | Founded 1995, Drs. Mary K. Gingrass and Melinda H. Haws, both ABPS Diplomates and ASPS members, Aesthetic Society member with AAPS induction for Dr. Gingrass. | Breast augmentation, lift, reduction, implant exchange, abdominoplasty, liposuction, body contouring, blepharoplasty, non-surgical program. |
| Nashville Plastic Surgery Institute | Dr. Jacob G. Unger, ABPS-certified, ASPS and Aesthetic Society member with Vanderbilt voluntary appointment and PRS Global Open editorial role. | Primary and revision breast surgery, abdominoplasty, liposuction, mommy makeover, rhinoplasty, facelift, injectable and skincare program. |
| Dan Hatef MD Plastic Surgery | Dr. Daniel A. Hatef, ABPS Diplomate with double-fellowship training at Baylor and UT Southwestern, TriStar Centennial Medical Center affiliation. | Aesthetic, revision, ethnic, functional, post-traumatic rhinoplasty, facelift, browlift, breast augmentation, lift, reduction, liposuction. |
1. Plastic Surgery Center of Nashville #
Founded in 1995, the Plastic Surgery Center of Nashville is the practice partnership of Dr. Mary K. Gingrass and Dr. Melinda H. Haws, two Diplomates of the American Board of Plastic Surgery who together have built one of the longest-running female-led plastic surgery practices in Middle Tennessee. The office on State Street covers the full elective surgical scope: breast augmentation, breast lift, breast reduction, breast implant exchange and removal, abdominoplasty, liposuction, body contouring after major weight loss, blepharoplasty, and a parallel non-surgical program covering injectables, CoolSculpting, chemical peels, and microneedling.
Three-decade Nashville continuity #
Dr. Mary Gingrass has practiced plastic surgery in Nashville since 1995, which gives her more than thirty years in a single market. She is a Diplomate of the American Board of Plastic Surgery, a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, an active member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, a member of the Aesthetic Society, and was inducted into the American Association of Plastic Surgeons in 2007. She held a Clinical Assistant Professor appointment in plastic surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center for more than twenty years and previously served as chief of the Department of Plastic Surgery at Saint Thomas Midtown Hospital. Her partner Dr. Melinda Haws is also a Diplomate of the American Board of Plastic Surgery, and both surgeons hold RealSelf 500 recognition.
Female-led breast and body focus #
The practice has built a national reputation in breast and body-contouring surgery, with Dr. Gingrass recognized as an early adopter of ultrasound-assisted liposuction technology and a national speaker on breast surgery and body contouring. The clinic walks every breast augmentation candidate through implant choice (saline versus silicone gel, smooth versus textured surface) against the backdrop of the FDA 2019 safety communication on textured implants and BIA-ALCL, and walks every implant-exchange candidate through Mentor and Allergan warranty terms before scheduling surgery.
Phone: (615) 467-6777
Address: 1915 State Street, Nashville, TN 37203
2. Nashville Plastic Surgery Institute #
The Nashville Plastic Surgery Institute operates from 2020 21st Avenue South in the West End medical corridor under the leadership of Dr. Jacob G. Unger, who serves as president and owner of the practice. The institute was previously the surgical home of Dr. G. Patrick Maxwell, an internationally recognized figure in aesthetic breast surgery who is now retired from active operating but whose contributions to the Natrelle implant collection and the founding of the Allergan Academy remain part of the institute’s clinical lineage. Today the practice handles primary and revision breast surgery, abdominoplasty, liposuction, mommy makeover, rhinoplasty, facelift, and a full injectable and skin-care program.
Rhinoplasty and breast revision focus #
Dr. Jacob Unger is a board-certified plastic surgeon, an active member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, and a member of the Aesthetic Society. He completed his undergraduate degree summa cum laude at Tulane University as a Phi Beta Kappa inductee, earned his medical degree at New York University School of Medicine on academic scholarship, and finished his integrated plastic surgery residency at the University of Texas Southwestern program, where he served as chief resident. Post-residency fellowship work took him to Paris, Turkey, and Belgium. He holds a voluntary Assistant Professor of Clinical Plastic Surgery appointment at Vanderbilt University and serves as Associate Editor of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Global Open and Section Editor for Breast Surgery at Aesthetic Surgery Journal Open Forum. He is the inventor of the U.S.-patented Natrelle Fourté expander fill system.
Academic depth and journal editorial work #
The journal-editor role and the patent record matter because they place the operating surgeon inside the peer-review conversation that shapes breast and rhinoplasty technique nationally, rather than only consuming it. Dr. Unger won the National Plastic Surgery Quizbowl in 2012 and 2013, took the Excellence in Research award at UT Southwestern, and earned the 2019 PRS Best Video Award. For Nashville patients weighing primary or revision breast surgery, the editorial role gives a useful read on the current literature standard.
Phone: (615) 236-6686
Address: 2020 21st Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37212
3. Dan Hatef MD Plastic Surgery #
Dan Hatef MD Plastic Surgery operates from a single West Nashville office on Highway 100 under Dr. Daniel A. Hatef, a board-certified plastic surgeon with double-fellowship training in aesthetic, craniofacial, and reconstructive plastic surgery. The office handles a wide elective scope: aesthetic, revision, ethnic, functional, and post-traumatic rhinoplasty, facelift, browlift, blepharoplasty, chin and facial implant placement, breast augmentation, breast lift, breast reduction, liposuction, abdominoplasty, and a parallel injectable, laser, and microneedling program.
Double fellowship in rhinoplasty centers #
Dr. Hatef holds Diplomate status with the American Board of Plastic Surgery. He earned his medical degree at the University of Maryland, completed his plastic surgery residency at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, and then trained on through double fellowships at Baylor and at the University of Texas Southwestern in Dallas, two programs widely cited as the leading rhinoplasty training centers in the country. He has accumulated more than eleven years of advanced training and more than one hundred peer-reviewed publications, and is affiliated with TriStar Centennial Medical Center for hospital-based work.
Rhinoplasty-led aesthetic scope #
The office puts particular weight on rhinoplasty subspecialty work, which is reflected in the number of distinct rhinoplasty categories listed on the practice’s procedure menu (primary, revision, ethnic, functional, and post-traumatic). Patients pursuing functional or revision nasal surgery typically benefit from a surgeon whose fellowship training covered both the aesthetic dorsum and the airway, which is a smaller national pool than the broader plastic surgery roster. The office also handles standard breast and body procedures alongside the facial subspecialty work.
Phone: (615) 678-6273
Address: 6200 Highway 100, Suite 101, Nashville, TN 37205
How to choose a plastic surgeon in Nashville #
Four signals separate a credentialed plastic surgeon from an aesthetic practitioner without the surgical training pathway. First, Diplomate status with the American Board of Plastic Surgery, which follows a six-or-more-year accredited residency and is renewed on a ten-year recertification cycle. Second, active membership in the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, which is restricted to ABPS-certified surgeons and is the standard membership signal. Third, the operating facility itself: accreditation through AAAASF, AAAHC, or state Medicare certification, with the corresponding ASA physical-status risk assessment performed before surgery. Fourth, hospital privileges at a Nashville-area hospital (Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Ascension Saint Thomas, TriStar Centennial), which means a hospital quality committee has reviewed the surgeon’s credentials and outcomes. For breast augmentation specifically, the FDA 2019 safety communication on textured implants and BIA-ALCL is a useful reference, and patients should ask about Mentor and Allergan implant warranty coverage and the surgeon’s surveillance protocol for the years after surgery. The three Nashville practices above each clear those bars and have been operating in Middle Tennessee long enough to be assessed on track record.
Selection Methodology #
Plastic surgery in Tennessee runs through American Board of Plastic Surgery Diplomate certification (the only ABMS-recognized plastic surgery board) and hospital admitting privileges at a Davidson or Williamson County facility. The filter for the three practices above started at the ABPS Diplomate register, then worked through ASPS American Society of Plastic Surgeons membership, ASAPS Aesthetic Society membership where claimed, AAAASF or AAAHC accreditation of the in-office surgical suite, hospital privileges visible (Vanderbilt, Saint Thomas, TriStar Centennial), scope detail across aesthetic and reconstructive procedures (breast augmentation, mastopexy, abdominoplasty, rhinoplasty, post-mastectomy reconstruction), and Davidson or Williamson County office tenure. Mid-level injector-only practices marketing as plastic surgery and unaccredited operating rooms were excluded.
Frequently Asked Questions #
Q: How do I verify a Nashville plastic surgery practitioner holds the right credentials?
A: Use the American Board of Medical Specialties Certification Matters lookup at certificationmatters.org, the Tennessee Department of Health practitioner profile at health.tn.gov, and the practice’s own credentialing page.
Q: What sets these three apart from the broader Nashville plastic surgery field?
A: American Board of Plastic Surgery certification (the only ABMS specialty that actually says “plastic surgery” rather than “cosmetic surgery” or “facial cosmetic surgery”) is the credential that signals six-year integrated or three-plus-three independent residency, and each surgeon above holds it. The next-tier separators are hospital privileges (which Tennessee allows as an external check on training), AAAASF or Quad-A accreditation on the in-office surgical suite, and case-mix proof through before-and-after galleries with real patient consent rather than stock photography.
Q: Are any of the three practices paid placements?
A: No. The three profiles above are editorial selections drawn from publicly verifiable sources. No practice sponsored placement.
Q: How should I prepare for a first appointment?
A: Confirm in-network status with your insurer where applicable, bring photo ID and a list of current medications, and request the practice’s published new-patient intake and surgical consent forms in advance to streamline the first visit.
Editorial Note #
This guide was published on 2026-05-11 and reflects research current as of that date. Verify licenses, phone numbers, and current business status before engaging any firm.