Deborah Watson MD

Dr. Deborah Watson is a Facial Plastic Surgeon who is double Board-certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery and the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. She has surgical expertise in a wide variety of nasal surgeries, including septoplasty, rhinoplasty (revision and primary), and complex nasal reconstruction, and also specializes in cosmetic facial plastic surgery.

Watson received her medical degree from the University of Southern California School of Medicine in 1992. She did her General Surgery and Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery residencies at the UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, California. Following the completion of her residency training, Dr. Watson did a Fellowship in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the University of Illinois at Chicago and had the privilege of training with internationally-renowned facial plastic surgeons M. Eugene Tardy, MD, and Dean Toriumi, MD, as well as nasal reconstructive plastic surgeon Gary Burget, MD.

Dr. Watson joined the faculty at the University of California, San Diego Department of Surgery in 1999, and is now an Associate Professor, the Director of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the UC San Diego Medical Center, and the Residency Director for the Division of Head and Neck Surgical Training Program. As the Residency Director for the surgical residents in the Division of Head and Neck Surgery, Dr. Watson supervises and participates in their 6-7 years of surgical training. In addition to her regular teaching responsibilities with the UC San Diego surgical residents and medical students, Dr. Watson has an extensive research background and is currently pursuing research in autologous tissue-engineered cartilage for its use in craniofacial reconstruction. The future application of this tissue technology will benefit individuals who have birth defects involving the cartilage framework of their nose or ears or have acquired deformities of these facial areas from trauma, cancer resection, or aggressive alterations from previous surgery. Dr. Watson is also a recognized artist, having had her work displayed at art exhibitions and published in journals and magazines. Her artistic skills include drawing, painting, sculpting, and calligraphy, and these artistic talents enhance her surgical and reconstructive expertise.