James Nachbar, M.D., F.A.C.S

Meet Dr. Nachbar

Dr. Nachbar is an experienced double-board-certified plastic surgeon, certified by both the American Board of Plastic Surgery and the American Board of Surgery. While many plastic surgeons claim on their websites to be “world-renowned,” you need to look at facts, not wild claims. And you have to be careful: there are doctors who list a specific medical school on the bottom of every page of their website, but looking at the facts you can see that they did not actually graduate from that medical school! There is a lot of information on this page, but decisions about “Your Money Or Your Life” (and picking a plastic surgeon is both!) require extra care, so Dr. Nachbar has listed the facts you should know about him to help you decide. “I’m not bragging, I’m applying for a job.”  In addition to this page, Dr. Nachbar’s full Curriculum Vitae, summarizing his professional experience and accomplishments, is available by clicking the button below.

Curriculum Vitae

636

Total Reviews

4.9

Average Rating

Why Choose Dr. Nachbar?

The most important question you have is "Why should you choose Dr. Nachbar as your plastic surgeon?" When a patient called his office and asked that question, Dr. Nachbar wrote the "Why Dr. Nachbar" page to answer it. Read the whole "Why Dr. Nachbar" page for a special treat!

COMPASSION AND PRECISION

Dr. Nachbar is most proud of his ability to apply compassion and understanding to the scientific rigor of plastic surgery.  He is personally involved in every facet of your care.  He will personally conduct your consultation, and not delegate that important first visit to a staff member.  He will personally see you at each and every visit, and he will personally take your all-important before-and-after photographs.  Dr. Nachbar personally designed a rock-solid communications system to ensure that you can always reach him 24/7 with any questions or concerns after surgery.  Unfortunately, cell phones are not always reliable, so just providing a cell phone number is not adequate.

Dr. Nachbar is very grateful to the hundreds of patients who have taken the time to review him online, and he encourages you to look at his reviews.

RECOGNIZED EXPERTISE

Dr. Nachbar is recognized as an expert in Plastic Surgery, especially Plastic Surgery Education, having been appointed as a faculty member at the University of New Mexico Medical School, responsible for teaching both medical students and plastic surgery residents. Within three years of joining the University of New Mexico, he was appointed Chief of Plastic Surgery and Program Director of the Accredited Plastic Surgery Residency at the University of New Mexico, becoming one of the youngest plastic surgeons ever to be given full responsibility for a University Plastic Surgery Residency. Dr. Nachbar believes he is the only practicing plastic surgeon in Arizona who has served as the Program Director of an Accredited Plastic Surgery Residency at a University.

As an expert in plastic surgery education, Dr. Nachbar was selected by the Residency Review Committee of the ACGME (which accredits training programs in Plastic Surgery) to visit and review another University Plastic Surgery Residency program for accreditation.

Dr. Nachbar has been recognized as a "Top Doc" by Phoenix Magazine.

Dr. Nachbar helped pioneer computerized education in plastic surgery as an author of two of the first interactive training programs in plastic surgery. As a pioneer in plastic surgery education, he was awarded the coveted Distinguished Service Award by the Plastic Surgery Foundation. The PSF is the largest educational foundation in Plastic Surgery in the United States, and the Distinguished Service Award is the “Highest Honor” of the PSF. The award and its recipients are at https://www.plasticsurgery.org/for-medical-professionals/surgeon-community/award-recipients?sub=PSF+Distinguished+Service+Award.

Even as a medical student, Dr. Nachbar’s educational expertise and knowledge was acknowledged by his appointment as a Laboratory Instructor in both Anatomy and Neuroanatomy, responsible for teaching anatomy to first-year medical students. Even in college, he was appointed as a computer lab instructor.

Dr. Nachbar is a leader in medicine and surgery in Arizona. As a leader at the local level, he was elected by his peers as Vice-Chair of the Surgery Committee at HonorHealth Osborn, and he served in that position for six years from 2010-2016. He is the only plastic surgeon ever to be elected to the leadership of that hospital-wide committee.

As a leader in medicine at the state level, Dr. Nachbar was elected to the Board of Directors of the Arizona Medical Association (ArMA), and in 2019 he was elected to the Executive Committee of ArMA. Dr. Nachbar is the only plastic surgeon serving on the ArMA Executive Committee. (https://www.azmed.org/page/exec and https://perma.cc/7JZD-6WB2). Dr. Nachbar has testified on medical issues at the Arizona State Legislature and has represented the American Society of Plastic Surgeons at the Capitol in Washington, DC.

As a leader in plastic surgery at the national level, he has served on and led committees of both the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, the two largest and most-prestigious organizations of plastic surgeons in America. The national plastic surgery society committees he has been appointed to and served on include Educational Technology, Device and Technique Assessment, Dermato-Plastic Surgery Task Force, Videotape Committee, Instructional Course, Teleplast, Online Communications, Emerging Trends. He was appointed as Chair to lead the Computerized Exam Committee, where he directed publication of the Computerized In-Service Exam in Plastic Surgery for four years.

Since 2017, Dr. Nachbar has been named as Chair of the Emerging Trends Committee of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the largest society of Plastic Surgeons in America. In that role, he has been responsible for organizing and presiding over the annual Hot Topics session at Plastic Surgery The Meeting.

Dr. Nachbar on Plastic Surgery

Dr. Nachbar on Plastic Surgery

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

After Medical School, Dr. Nachbar started his Surgery training as one of twelve interns at the University of Arizona in Tucson, and he was one of only four of those twelve interns to eventually rise to be Chief Resident in Surgery at U of A.  He then went on to the University of Virginia for fellowships in microsurgery, hand surgery, and burns, and then a residency in Plastic Surgery, where he rose to be Chief Resident in Plastic Surgery as well.  After his training, he joined the faculty in Plastic Surgery at the University of New Mexico, where he rose to be Chief of Plastic Surgery and Program Director of the Plastic Surgery residency, and subsequently he was awarded tenure by the University of New Mexico Medical School.

Dr. Nachbar then returned to Arizona, where he has a private practice in Plastic Surgery limited to Cosmetic Plastic Surgery.

Always interested in learning about complex systems, Dr. Nachbar became aware that he could attend law school in Phoenix without having to stop practicing plastic surgery while he was in school.  This required in-person attendance in class, because online law schools are not recognized in Arizona, but he enrolled in evening classes, and within three years had graduated from law school second in his class, in December 2017.  He took the Arizona Bar Exam in February 2018 and passed with a score of 335 out of 400.  By comparison, only 43% of the 383 law school graduates who took that exam achieved the passing score of 273, and Dr. Nachbar’s score was within two points of the highest score of any Arizona Law School graduate on that exam.  

Dr. Nachbar loves his day job as a plastic surgeon and does not see changing that anytime soon, but this additional expertise allows him to contribute at the complex interface of medicine and law.  And you want a plastic surgeon with the proven ability to master complex systems.  Besides, where else can the Bride-To-Be get her breast implants and her Pre-Nup under the same roof?

McCormick Ranch Surgicenter

HonorHealth Scottsdale

Ready To Get Started?

Let's Connect

8896 East Becker Lane Suite 102

Scottsdale, Arizona 85260

Call: 480-289-5300

James Nachbar, MD, FACS Videos

Trusted, Proven

Breast Lift / Mastopexy, Breast Implant Revision / Exchange, Lip Enhancement - Dr Nachbar is extremely detail oriented and thorough. His surgeon skills are unrivaled. I’ve had 3 extremely successful surgeries with tremendous results.

Anonymous RealPatientRatings

Breast Augmentation, Breast Lift / Mastopexy, Fat Grafting / Transfer - They take their time explaining and answering all our questions. They never make you feel rushed. They care about you as a person.

Anonymous RealPatientRatings

Dr. Nachbar's skill is incredible, precise, PERFECT. NATURAL. This is the place to trust with your body. My results FAR EXCEED my expectations and they look better and better daily. The staff is so friendly and fun, they display such a youthful and confident, willingness to help kinda vibe - I appreciated all their lovely support. I was treated like a VIP from the very first inquiry phone call to this present day. I love this place! Dr. Nachbar is HIGHLY-SKILLED, a PERFECTIONIST. Exactly what I was looking for. All the best to you and your new body, I hope you love it as much as I love mine! ❤️

D. Google

I came to Dr. Nachbar for a scar revision for my tummy tuck. I had been turned down previously by two different doctors who dismissed my concerns by either stating what I wanted was not necessary or could not be done. Then I discovered Dr. Nachbar! Not only did he listen and validate my concerns but he also wholeheartedly agreed that what I was asking for was in fact reasonable and that it could be revised. He did an amazing job correcting my previous surgeon’s work by taking out my c-section scar and revising my tummy tuck scar so that I feel so much more confident than my previous surgery had left me. I honestly wish I had found him and chosen him for my initial surgery! If you are looking for a surgeon, you will be in amazing hands with him. His follow up with me since my revision has been wonderful. He continues to check my progress and if I should ever need anything in future I know who to come to! Thank you Dr. Nachbar! You are the best!!!

S.W. Google

Amazing doctor - I feel so much more confident - I came to Dr. Nachbar for a scar revision for my tummy tuck. I had been turned down previously by two different doctors who dismissed my concerns by either stating what I wanted was not necessary or could not be done. Then I discovered Dr. Nachbar! Not only did he listen and validate my concerns but he also wholeheartedly agreed that what I was asking for was in fact reasonable and that it could be revised. He did an amazing job correcting my previous surgeon’s work by taking out my c-section scar and revising my tummy tuck scar so that I feel so much more confident than my previous surgery had left me. I honestly wish I had found him and chosen him for my initial surgery! If you are looking for a surgeon, you will be in amazing hands with him. His follow up with me since my revision has been wonderful. He continues to check my progress and if I should ever need anything in future I know who to come to! Thank you Dr. Nachbar! You are the best!!!

S. RealSelf

636

Total Reviews

4.9

Average Rating

*Individual results are not guaranteed and may vary from person to person. Images may contain models.