Ben Maser, M.D., developed his passion for plastic surgery as a young child by watching his father, one of the first plastic surgeons at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation (PAMF). Richard Maser, M.D., came to the clinic in 1966. Dr. Ben Maser joined the clinic in 1999, and continues to work alongside his father in the Cosmetic Surgery Department.

“I remember watching and admiring my father as he went about his work,” Dr. Maser recalls. “I thought what he did was better than anything else in the world.”

Dr. Maser and his father frequently discuss the evolution of plastic surgery over the years, and the introduction of cosmetic surgery as a large part of this practice.

“When my father first started out, cosmetic surgery was not widely sought,” he says. “It only existed in an elite, undercover sort of way. People might have procedures done, but they wouldn’t talk about it. Now cosmetic surgery is widely accepted, publicized and available to the mainstream public.”

Dr. Maser performs the full spectrum of cosmetic surgery treatments and operations, with an emphasis on facial procedures and reversing the physical effects of childbirth. His formal training included a year of subspecialty work in hand and microvascular surgery, combining the technical demands of surgery of the upper extremity and the reconnection of small blood vessels and nerves using a special surgical microscope and microsurgical instrumentation.

In the same way that Dr. Maser is interested in the technical aspects of surgery, he enjoys the navigational and operational aspects of boating in his spare time. He and his wife, Caroline, are avid sailors.

The Masers and their children, Katie, 13; and Eric, 8, live in Palo Alto. They enjoy athletic pursuits as a family. Dr. Maser recently completed the Wildflower Half Ironman triathlon along with his daughter, Katie. He is a member of the Doctor Patrol Program at Alpine Meadows in Tahoe, helping people who become injured while skiing.

Dr. Maser received his undergraduate degree from the University of California, Berkeley. He earned his M.D. degree from Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, Penn., and then moved to Seattle, Wash. Dr. Maser pursued his training in general surgery at the University of Washington, followed by three years of residency in plastic surgery in the same institution. He then spent one year at the University of California, Los Angeles as a clinical instructor and fellow in plastic surgery. Dr. Maser is an active member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and the American College of Surgeons.