Dr. Karen Vaniver
Plastic Surgery
Seattle, WA
36 years experience female
Locations
Office
Seattle, WA
My office hours
Wednesday: 8:30am - 5:00am
Show morePhone
Insurances accepted
Aetna Choice POS II
Aetna
Premera Blue Cross
Regence
First Choice Health
Medicare
United HealthCare Insurance Company
About
Bio
I have practiced in the Seattle area since 2006. I was born and educated in Philadelphia, From 1994-2005, I maintained a private solo practice in Missouri, and served as Medical Director of the Heartland Regional Medical Center Wound Care Program, which received a commendation from the Joint Commission for its inception. My practice, Seattle Plastic Surgery, focuses on breast reconstruction and cosmetic surgery of the face and body. I also consult on the management of complex wounds upon physician request. This year (2012), I was delighted to develop my Karen B. Vaniver, MD, Breast and Body Recovery Serum. This all natural product was developed for my breast cancer reconstruction patients. It aids in reducing scarring and capsule formation after breast and body surgery.
I've served on numerous national committees, including the Speakers Bureau of the Susan G. Komen Foundation. I am a consultant, speaker and researcjer for Lifecell Corporation. I've has presented her work at national meetings, and is the author of several publications. I'm a graduate of the Pathways to Leadership program of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.
I am an exhibited photographer and painter. My essays on women in plastic surgery and the role of spiritual practice in plastic surgery have been published in the Journal of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. A dedicated traveler, I've worked internationally with Interplast, a not-for-profit organization, providing free reconstructive surgery for children. I facilitate a support group named "Girltalk", which uses breast cancer as a stimulus for positive life growth, and I write a blog, entitled "Cancer Made Me Nice", on Blogger.com. My new goal is to write a book about my experiences as a surgeon and a patient.
SpecialtiesDoctors may have more than one area of specialty interest. Board certification in a specialty area means the doctor has completed formal training and has practice experience in that specialty, and has passed the certification examination from the corresponding accredited medical specialty board.
Doctors may have more than one area of specialty interest. Board certification in a specialty area means the doctor has completed formal training and has practice experience in that specialty, and has passed the certification examination from the corresponding accredited medical specialty board.
Plastic Surgery
Doctor Q&A
90 Answers
35 Agrees
The number of answers this doctor has agreed with.
A 45-year-old member asked:

Dr. Karen Vaniveranswered
Plastic Surgery 36 years experience
Nipple tattooing: Nipple areola tattooing is done to colorize the reconstructed nipple areola, so that it matches the opposite breast. In bilateral reconstruction, the ... Read More
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A female asked:

Dr. Karen Vaniveranswered
Plastic Surgery 36 years experience
Chemical peel acne: Generally, chemical peels treat active acne or acne prone skin. Salicylic acid peels are very effective. While the peels may help pigmentation and red... Read More
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 51-year-old female asked:

Dr. Karen Vaniveranswered
Plastic Surgery 36 years experience
Cervicogenic headach: Since stress and muscle tension play a significant role, home treatments may include relaxation techiniques and meditation, use of a heated neck pillo... Read More
5.2k viewsReviewed Aug 19, 2020
A 33-year-old member asked:

Dr. Karen Vaniveranswered
Plastic Surgery 36 years experience
Wound Care: Assuming the cyst was removed and the skin was sutured closed, i would recommend twice daily cleansing, and application of a topical antibiotic ointme... Read More
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 19-year-old female asked:

Dr. Karen Vaniveranswered
Plastic Surgery 36 years experience
Heavy breasts: Symptoms related to heavy breasts include neck pain, back pain, breast pain, shoulder pain, and rashes. While weight loss, use of a supportive bra, an... Read More
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 42-year-old member asked:

Dr. Karen Vaniveranswered
Plastic Surgery 36 years experience
Breast infection: Signs and symptoms of breast infection include redness, tenderness, discharge, and swelling. Because these symptoms can also be seen in inflammatory b... Read More
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 51-year-old female asked:

Dr. Karen Vaniveranswered
Plastic Surgery 36 years experience
Abscess swelling: It will take more than one day for the drainage and swelling to so side. If the situation worsens, or if it doesn't improve after 3-5 days, let your p... Read More
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 19-year-old male asked:

Dr. Karen Vaniveranswered
Plastic Surgery 36 years experience
Going gray: Even though you are brothers, your genetics are not identical, and therefore, you will age differently.
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 26-year-old male asked:

Dr. Karen Vaniveranswered
Plastic Surgery 36 years experience
Black guy red lips: This represents increased blood flow to the lips, and is most likely due to irritation. If it persists, or turns purple or bruise like, and doesn't go... Read More
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 36-year-old male asked:

Dr. Karen Vaniveranswered
Plastic Surgery 36 years experience
To: To keep your joints well; condition frequently but; not too hard and fast.
5.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A member asked:

Dr. Karen Vaniveranswered
Plastic Surgery 36 years experience
You : You are certainly correct that body contouring results depend on how we interact with gravity in the standing position. Since we are human, however, i... Read More
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 27-year-old female asked:

Dr. Karen Vaniveranswered
Plastic Surgery 36 years experience
Trichotelomania: You're correct that the kinky regrowth is from damage to the follicle. Over time, this will right itself. It may take several months.
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 20-year-old female asked:

Dr. Karen Vaniveranswered
Plastic Surgery 36 years experience
Acne/dandruff shampo: Consider a shampoo with salicylic acid, coal tar, or tea tree oil. These are available over the counter.
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 39-year-old female asked:

Dr. Karen Vaniveranswered
Plastic Surgery 36 years experience
Skin bleeding: Assuming that these are not bug bites from fleas or no- see-um mosquitos, the most worrisome occurrence would be petechiae. This term refers to small ... Read More
5.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 38-year-old member asked:

Dr. Karen Vaniveranswered
Plastic Surgery 36 years experience
Pain gain: Rest and a warm bath with epsom salts can do wonders.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A female asked:

Dr. Karen Vaniveranswered
Plastic Surgery 36 years experience
Generally : Generally speaking, one surgeon will perfrom your mastectomy, and a secnd surgeon will perform your breast reconstruction. It is very helpful to speak... Read More
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 41-year-old member asked:

Dr. Karen Vaniveranswered
Plastic Surgery 36 years experience
Nipple reconstructio: Nipple areola reconstruction can be done by sharing 1/2 of a large nipple from the non-cancerous breast, grafting it to the reconstructed breast, and ... Read More
5.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 43-year-old member asked:

Dr. Karen Vaniveranswered
Plastic Surgery 36 years experience
Breast Reconstructio: Most individuals who have lost a breast or who never developed a breast are candidates for breast reconstruction. Those who are not candidates are pat... Read More
5.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 31-year-old member asked:

Dr. Karen Vaniveranswered
Plastic Surgery 36 years experience
Rosacea: I am not familiar with this treatment for rosacea. Topical Metronidazole remains the gold standard.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 48-year-old member asked:

Dr. Karen Vaniveranswered
Plastic Surgery 36 years experience
Cosmetic Surg wait: This depends. If you are having elective gallbladder surgery, and you are having facial plastic surgery, a 2 week wait is probably ok. If your gallbl... Read More
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 37-year-old member asked:

Dr. Karen Vaniveranswered
Plastic Surgery 36 years experience
Duration Reduction: Duration of a surgical result depends on disease, health of the patient, aging, and weight changes.
For example, a healthy woman with stable weight w... Read More
5.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 53-year-old male asked:

Dr. Karen Vaniveranswered
Plastic Surgery 36 years experience
Ingrown back hairs: The best treatment for ingrown hairs is probably laser hair removal. In destroying the hair follicles, hair growth is permanently disrupted.
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 17-year-old male asked:

Dr. Karen Vaniveranswered
Plastic Surgery 36 years experience
Nose lesion: This could a skin tag, pyogenic granuloma, or possibly a basal cell cancer in a fair skinned individual. It should be checked by a physician.
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A female asked:

Dr. Karen Vaniveranswered
Plastic Surgery 36 years experience
Botox migration: Botox can migrate to other areas. This is the cause of the eye droop seen occasionally after injection of the "parenthesis" area between the brows. It... Read More
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 18-year-old female asked:

Dr. Karen Vaniveranswered
Plastic Surgery 36 years experience
Under breast problem: This sounds like intertrigo, which is especially prevalent in women with large breasts. Avoiding irritation is helpful- keeping the area clean and dry... Read More
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years agoMerged
A 57-year-old female asked:

Dr. Karen Vaniveranswered
Plastic Surgery 36 years experience
Facelift sensations: It is quit common to have unusual sensations after facelift. Causes include anesthesia wearing off, fluid shifts, swelling and softening, and nerve he... Read More
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 48-year-old member asked:

Dr. Karen Vaniveranswered
Plastic Surgery 36 years experience
Breast scar reductio: To help minimize breast surgery scars, support the tissue by wearing a bra, avoid trauma, and avoid early aggressive sex and high impact exercise. Twi... Read More
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 41-year-old female asked:

Dr. Karen Vaniveranswered
Plastic Surgery 36 years experience
Breast sagging: Aging is the most common cause of breast sagging. Other causes include weight gain and loss, pregnancy, nursing, and genetics. Depending on your expec... Read More
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A female asked:

Dr. Karen Vaniveranswered
Plastic Surgery 36 years experience
While : While dissolvable sutures may be used to close the skin after a neck lift, it is important to remember that they are dissolved via the process of infl... Read More
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A male asked:

Dr. Karen Vaniveranswered
Plastic Surgery 36 years experience
Anesthesia for Lift: Cosmetic breast surgery can be performed under local anesthesia with sedation or general anesthesia. I prefer general anesthesia. It is very safe and ... Read More
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A female asked:

Dr. Karen Vaniveranswered
Plastic Surgery 36 years experience
A : A pedicled flap is a flap that has a blood supply connected to the flap from its original site. Examples include the pedicled tram flap, which takes t... Read More
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 28-year-old male asked:

Dr. Karen Vaniveranswered
Plastic Surgery 36 years experience
Fat graft for breast: The benefits of fat transfer is that it provides the body with its own cells, without requiring a discrete blood supply, unlike a flap. There is also ... Read More
5.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A member asked:

Dr. Karen Vaniveranswered
Plastic Surgery 36 years experience
Becasue : Becasue your nipples were grafted, there is no definite connection between your nipples and your milk ducts. What you are seeing probably represents a... Read More
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 23-year-old female asked:

Dr. Karen Vaniveranswered
Plastic Surgery 36 years experience
Clotted spider vein: There is most likely a clot in the superficial vein. If you are at risk for blood clotting (pregnant, on birth control pills, recent flight, cancer pa... Read More
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 29-year-old member asked:

Dr. Karen Vaniveranswered
Plastic Surgery 36 years experience
Implant life: Implants that were placed before the 1990's had an approximate 10 year lifespan. We now have 7 years of surveillance of cohesive gel implants that sh... Read More
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 33-year-old male asked:

Dr. Karen Vaniveranswered
Plastic Surgery 36 years experience
Eye bag lady: Some topical treatments can help to decrease swelling under eyes. Laser treatments or ipl may shrink under eye skin. The gold standard is lower lid bl... Read More
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 43-year-old male asked:

Dr. Karen Vaniveranswered
Plastic Surgery 36 years experience
Bad gallbladder: Symptoms include nausea, bloating, left shoulder pain, right upper abdominal pain, light colored stool, or yellow colored skin. In worse cases, fever,... Read More
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 24-year-old male asked:

Dr. Karen Vaniveranswered
Plastic Surgery 36 years experience
Appendix scar: If you appendix was ruptured, the skin was probably left open to heal on its own, leaving an unaesthetic scar. This can most likely be improved by sca... Read More
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 50-year-old female asked:

Dr. Karen Vaniveranswered
Plastic Surgery 36 years experience
Smallest implant: The smallest implant is approximately 150 cc.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 36-year-old male asked:

Dr. Karen Vaniveranswered
Plastic Surgery 36 years experience
Make: Make sure your diet will provide adequate levels of calories and protein and heathy glycemic index.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 19-year-old female asked:

Dr. Karen Vaniveranswered
Plastic Surgery 36 years experience
Shaving bumps: Laser hair removal will be helpful by destroying the hair follicles that cause the bumpsand reducing hair growth.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 23-year-old female asked:

Dr. Karen Vaniveranswered
Plastic Surgery 36 years experience
Stretch marks: Because stretch marks represent thin tears in the dermis, the broken area will recede, and the intact area will elevate, creating the wripplingvyou de... Read More
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 23-year-old female asked:

Dr. Karen Vaniveranswered
Plastic Surgery 36 years experience
Veggy hair loss: Iron can be found in molasses. If your menses are irregular, ovarian function should be checked.
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 36-year-old male asked:

Dr. Karen Vaniveranswered
Plastic Surgery 36 years experience
One: One of the substances used in common fillers is also found in rooster coombs.
5.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 34-year-old member asked:

Dr. Karen Vaniveranswered
Plastic Surgery 36 years experience
Lupoid Rosacea: Lupoid rosacea is a form a rosacea in which brown or beige granulomas form on the skin around the eyes and nose. Treatment is difficult and the granul... Read More
5.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 18-year-old male asked:

Dr. Karen Vaniveranswered
Plastic Surgery 36 years experience
Nose anesthesia: In experienced hands, septoplasty and rhinoplasty can be safely performed under local anesthesia. It is important to make sure that this is being perf... Read More
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 46-year-old member asked:

Dr. Karen Vaniveranswered
Plastic Surgery 36 years experience
The nose on Zoloft (sertraline): There is no evidence that zoloft (sertraline) causes an enlarged nose.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 38-year-old male asked:

Dr. Karen Vaniveranswered
Plastic Surgery 36 years experience
Best bandage: The sticky type bandage is nice for a small area, such as an area of sutures covered by antibiotic ointment that you want to keep sealed and dry. The ... Read More
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 49-year-old member asked:

Dr. Karen Vaniveranswered
Plastic Surgery 36 years experience
Weight/Breast Redux: Weight loss surgery alters the stomache to reduce the amount of food and calories that can get through. Since breasts are mostly fat, they will also l... Read More
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 33-year-old female asked:

Dr. Karen Vaniveranswered
Plastic Surgery 36 years experience
Sudden acne and hair: Your symptoms are very classic for ovarian dysfunction, although you are a bit old to see the first manifestation of poly cystic ovaries. The symptoms... Read More
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
90,000 U.S. doctors in 147 specialties are here to answer your questions, provide medical advice, write prescriptions, and more.
TestimonialsRecommendations and Thank you notes are endorsements given from patients or other doctors.
Recommendations and Thank you notes are endorsements given from patients or other doctors.
38
Recommendations
225
Thank you notes
Dr. Laurie Evans
Nov 27, 2012
I endorse this doctor.Dr Vaniver is compassionate, caring and competent. She does beautiful work, gets great results and considers the whole patient and pathology of the problem prior to recommending ...Read More
Dr. Justin Jin
Nov 27, 2012
Dr. Vaniver is a superb physician and really goes the extra mile to make sure her patient's get the best possible care.
Dr. Elizabeth Cotter
Nov 27, 2012
I endorse this doctor. She is compassionate and approachable. I hear only positive comments from her patients.
HealthTap member
Thank you, your answer or tip was very helpful! My doctor told me that I have a high level of the testosterone hormon I am do afraid of not having a baby.
HealthTap member
thank you. I took a HPT a week after my period (~4 days ago) because it was so light and weird it was negative though. now this weird stuff
HealthTap member
I appreciate your time. I AM symptomatic! I've had pelvic pain for months, a week of sharp lower left pelvic pain, and very frequent urinati
Education & Training
Medical/Graduate school
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, PA
Graduated 1986MD
Medical/Graduate school
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Graduated 1986MD
Residency
Brown University, Rhode Island Hospital
Awards
Top Doctor, Seattle Metropolitan Magazine
America's Top Surgeons, Consumers Research Council of America
America's Top Plastic Surgeons, Consumers Research Council of America
Affiliations
American College of Surgeons
American Society of Plastic Surgeons
Northwest Society of Plastic Surgeons
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