Holocaust Survivor, Air Force Veteran and Facial Plastic Surgery Pioneer Dr. Harry Mittelman Retires After 52 Years
Dr. Harry Mittelman, Mittelman Plastic Surgery
Mittleman Plastic Surgery
Born while his parents fled Nazi persecution, the longtime Los Altos surgeon built a remarkable life of service, medical innovation and patient care.
LOS ALTOS, CA, UNITED STATES, July 21, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Dr. Harry Mittelman, a Holocaust survivor, United States Air Force veteran, medical innovator and longtime Bay Area facial plastic surgeon, has announced his retirement after 52 years of caring for patients and advancing the field of facial plastic and reconstructive surgery.
Dr. Mittelman’s journey began under extraordinary circumstances. He was born in 1941 after his Jewish parents fled their home near Warsaw, Poland, during the Holocaust. They left behind their families and everything familiar in an effort to escape Nazi persecution.
His parents were later arrested and imprisoned by Soviet authorities and forced to work in a steel plant. As an infant, Dr. Mittelman was placed in a state-operated nursery while they were detained. After the war, his mother fought to regain custody of him.
The family eventually made its way to the United States after learning that Dr. Mittelman’s uncle had survived multiple concentration camps and immigrated to Kansas City, Missouri. Dr. Mittelman arrived in America by way of Venezuela when he was nine years old.
He entered the second grade approximately two years behind other children his age. Despite knowing little English and having experienced years of displacement, he skipped grades, caught up academically and earned several university scholarships. He chose Washington University in St. Louis over Yale University and later attended medical school at the University of Kansas.
After completing his residency in facial plastic and reconstructive surgery, Dr. Mittelman joined the United States Air Force and served as a major at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Following his military service, he returned to the Bay Area and established his private practice in 1974. He also joined the clinical faculty at Stanford University, combining patient care with teaching, research and academic presentations.
“Having been born during the Holocaust, at a time when very few Jewish families were able to safely bring children into the world, I have often reflected that I may be among the youngest living Holocaust survivors,” Dr. Mittelman said. “My life and career have given me opportunities my parents could never have imagined while they were fighting for our survival.”
During a career spanning more than five decades, Dr. Mittelman helped shape modern facial plastic surgery through innovations in laser technology, patented facial implants, national teaching and the mentorship of the next generation of facial plastic surgeons.
He helped bring laser technology into office-based medicine and facial cosmetic surgery, and helped establish one of the first office-based medical laser companies. The company attracted the interest of Johnson & Johnson and was acquired in the early 1980s.
Dr. Mittelman also designed and patented the Mittelman Extended Chin Implant and the Mittelman Pre-Jowl Implant, which became widely used by facial plastic surgeons throughout the United States and internationally.
His implant designs helped surgeons create more natural facial proportions and improve the balance between the chin, jawline and surrounding facial features. His work in laser surgery, facial implants and surgical techniques was presented at national medical meetings and helped influence the evolution of modern facial cosmetic surgery.
The American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery recognized Dr. Mittelman’s contributions with two distinguished honors: the F. Mark Rafaty Memorial Award and the William K. Wright Award. He was also formally recognized for his leadership as Chair of the Academy’s Emerging Issues and Ethics Committee.
Dr. Mittelman served for approximately 20 years as a fellowship director for the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, providing advanced training to physicians who wanted to focus exclusively on facial plastic and reconstructive surgery.
“Teaching the next generation of facial plastic surgeons has been one of the greatest honors of my career,” Dr. Mittelman said. “Knowing that the lessons and techniques I shared will continue to help patients long after my retirement is deeply meaningful to me.”
Although Dr. Mittelman’s career included inventions, research, teaching and national recognition, he considers the relationships he formed with his patients to be among his most meaningful accomplishments.
For more than five decades, patients throughout Los Altos, Palo Alto, Silicon Valley and the greater Bay Area trusted him with facial cosmetic surgery, reconstructive procedures and nonsurgical aesthetic care. Many patients remained with his practice for decades and referred multiple generations of their families.
“My patients placed their confidence in my judgment, my hands and my approach to care,” Dr. Mittelman said. “I have never taken that trust lightly. Caring for them has been one of the greatest privileges of my life.”
Dr. Mittelman said he has always believed that the best facial plastic surgery results should be natural, thoughtful and individualized. That philosophy remained central to his practice throughout his 52-year career.
His retirement closes a remarkable professional chapter that began with survival as an infant during the Holocaust and continued through immigration, education, military service, medical innovation and more than half a century of patient care.
His family now includes his wife, four children and 10 grandchildren. In retirement, he plans to spend more time with them, travel and continue enjoying golf.
“I feel tremendous gratitude when I look back at my life,” Dr. Mittelman said. “My parents risked everything to keep me alive. This country gave me the opportunity to receive an education, serve in the Air Force, practice medicine, create new technologies and care for patients for more than 52 years.”
“I am grateful to my family, my staff, my colleagues and especially my patients. They made this career possible, and I will always treasure the relationships we built.”
About Dr. Harry Mittelman
Dr. Harry Mittelman is a facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon, medical innovator, educator, United States Air Force veteran, and Holocaust survivor. He founded his Bay Area practice in 1974 and served patients for 52 years.
For more information, visit www.mittelmanplasticsurgery.com
Shirley Cress Dudley
SCD Consulting Services
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