About

Vishad Nabili, MD, is an Assistant Professor in Residence in the Department of Surgery, specializing in Head and Neck Surgery at UCLA. He is affiliated with the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center and UCLA Medical Center in Santa Monica. Dr. Nabili's clinical interests include microvascular surgery, oncology, parathyroid, parotid, reconstructive, and thyroid surgeries. His focus as a microvascular and reconstructive head and neck surgeon is on improving the functional quality of life for head and neck cancer patients through advanced free tissue transfer surgery. From a research perspective, Dr. Nabili has concentrated on a severe complication of radiation therapy for head and neck cancer called mandibular osteoradionecrosis (ORN). He has lab space in the Weintraub UCLA Center for Reconstructive Biotechnology, where he collaborates with Dr. Ichiro Nishimura. Their work includes creating an animal model of radiogenic bone damage to mimic clinical mandibular ORN, and they are working on a career development training grant at the VA and UCLA to study the cellular mechanisms of this disease.

Research topics

• Surgery
• Anesthesia
• Medicine

Selected publications

• Rhinoplasty Education During Residency: Discussion of Current Barriers, Challenges, and Opportunities for Improvement

  Aesthetic Plastic Surgery · 2026-02-02

  articleOpen access

  BACKGROUND: Rhinoplasty is a complex operation that warrants careful consideration of both functional and aesthetic principles. Despite its prevalence within plastic surgery and otolaryngology-head and neck surgery fields-its exposure and education are highly variable among training programs. The purpose of this study is to identify the various supplemental methods utilized outside of the operating room for educating residents on the technical and clinical aspects of rhinoplasty and evaluate the outcomes associated with various educational approaches. METHODS: A scoping review was conducted using the PubMed/MEDLINE database using a combination of the following key terms: "rhinoplasty," "rhinoplasty education," and "resident training." Articles were included that 1) discussed methods of educating residents on the technical and clinical aspects of rhinoplasty and 2) reported outcomes to objectively assess such methods. RESULTS: Thirteen studies were included in the analysis. The majority of the studies discussed three-dimensional printed models and surgical simulators, followed by cadaver laboratories, detailed rhinoplasty educational programming, and video-assisted learning tools. In terms of assessed outcomes, surveys were utilized to assess residents' confidence before and after intervention, test their knowledge on various clinical aspects, and their perceived effectiveness of these tools. CONCLUSION: This study highlights the various measures taken to provide education and instruction on rhinoplasty. Beyond intra-operating teaching and modeling, surgical simulators are highly effective and valuable for residents to practice technical maneuvers; however, future efforts leveraging artificial intelligence and software technologies can help further improve rhinoplasty education. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE IV: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Endoscopic Brow Lifting

  Facial Plastic Surgery Clinics of North America · 2025-10-15 · 1 citations

  reviewCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• MSOP07  Presentation Time: 5:30 PM

  Brachytherapy · 2025-07-01

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Impact of postoperative fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography on adjuvant head and neck cancer treatment

  JNCI Cancer Spectrum · 2025-07-01 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  BACKGROUND: Residual or recurrent cancer after surgery but prior to adjuvant therapy occurs in a proportion of patients with head and neck cancer and may warrant treatment changes. 18-Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT) may help to identify residual or recurrent disease but is not routinely obtained. We evaluated the relevance of postoperative FDG-PET/CT in this clinical context. METHODS: This single-institution, retrospective study identified patients with head and neck cancer who underwent definitive surgery between January 1, 2013, and April 1, 2023, and received a postoperative FDG-PET/CT prior to adjuvant treatment. We measured the rates of management changes resulting from postoperative FDG-PET/CT findings and the association between having a postoperative FDG-PET/CT which resulted in a management change and oncologic outcomes with selected multivariable competing-risks and proportional hazards regressions. RESULTS: Of 150 patients, 66 (44.0%) had a management change because of the postoperative FDG-PET/CT findings; 62 (93.8%) had radiotherapy plan changes, 20 (30.3%) underwent additional diagnostic testing, 11 (16.7%) had systemic therapy added or changed, 3 (4.6%) underwent reresection, and 15 (10.0%) switched to palliative-intent treatment. Having a postoperative FDG-PET/CT that resulted in a management change was not significantly associated with cancer recurrence or overall survival (both P > .05). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with resected head and neck cancer, postoperative, pre-adjuvant therapy FDG-PET/CT can alter clinical management and may enable additional personalization of treatment. When practical to obtain without delaying treatment, postoperative FDG-PET/CT may have clinical utility though requires careful interpretation due to the risks of false positives.

  PublisherDOI

• Sensory Nerve Block for Open Septorhinoplasty Surgery: A Retrospective Study

  Aesthetic Surgery Journal Open Forum · 2025-06-20

  articleOpen access

  Abstract Background One of the primary concerns for patients undergoing surgery is postoperative pain control. In this study, we compared the effect of sensory nasal nerve block in two groups of patients. Objectives We hypothesized that performing a series of focused sensory nasal nerve blocks would lower opioid requirements in the post anesthesia care unit (PACU), compared to the group who did not receive the nerve block. The secondary outcome was the average pain score in PACU. Methods In this retrospective single-center study patients underwent open septorhinoplasty surgery under general anesthesia. In one group, sensory nasal nerve blocks (NB) were administered and in the control (CN) group the nerve block was not applied. The NB group (n=64) were administered 0.25% plain bupivacaine in the infraorbital, infratrochlear, supratrochlear, supraorbital, nasal sidewall, and nasal sill areas. The CN group (n=115) did not receive the nerve blocks. Results On multivariable analysis PACU opioid morphine milligram equivalents (MME) were lower in patients that received the nerve block than the patients in the CN group; -0.10 opioid MME per kg (95% Cl -0.16, -0.03, p=0.003). Additionally, on multivariable analysis the patients in the NB group had lower average pain score in PACU compared to the CN group; -1.30 (95% Cl -2.09, -0.51, p=0.001). Conclusions In open septorhinoplasty procedures, performing bilateral nerve blocks under general anesthesia prior to emergence is associated with a significant reduction in postoperative opioid consumption and average pain scores in the PACU.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Ultrasonic Shears Decrease Postoperative Hematomas in Head and Neck Microvascular Reconstruction

  Otolaryngology · 2024-04-28

  articleOpen access

  OBJECTIVE: To evaluate postoperative hematoma and takeback rates in a large series of microvascular reconstructions. We sought to determine whether the use of ultrasonic shears reduced these rates. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Tertiary referral hospital. METHODS: A total of 2288 patients undergoing free flap reconstruction for head and neck defects between 1995 and 2022 were reviewed. Patients undergoing dissection with and without ultrasonic shears were compared to determine postoperative hematoma and takeback rates. RESULTS: The overall hematoma rate was 1.3% (29/2288) for the entire cohort. The postoperative hematoma rates with and without ultrasonic shears were 0.63% (9/1418) and 2.3% (20/870), relative risk = 0.28, P = .0015. Of 870 patients undergoing surgery without ultrasonic shears, 14 (1.61%) were taken back to the operating room for control of bleeding compared to 8 of 1418 (0.56%) in the ultrasonic shears cohort. CONCLUSION: Our large series of patients undergoing microvascular reconstruction shows a decrease in postoperative hematoma rate and takeback for bleeding with the adoption of ultrasonic shears. Ultrasonic shears are an effective tool that can help decrease perioperative morbidity secondary to hematoma after head and neck tumor resection and microvascular reconstruction.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• <i>Invited Commentary on:</i> “Feasibility of Internal Pudendal Labia Myocutaneous Free Flap: Cadaveric and Angiographic Study of a Novel Mucosal Free Tissue Transfer,” by Gray et al

  Facial Plastic Surgery & Aesthetic Medicine · 2024-09-04

  articleSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Supplementary Information 1 from Prevalidation of Salivary Biomarkers for Oral Cancer Detection

  2023-03-31 · 1 citations

  preprintOpen access

  &lt;p&gt;PDF file - 65K&lt;/p&gt;

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Data from Prevalidation of Salivary Biomarkers for Oral Cancer Detection

  2023-03-31

  preprintOpen access

  &lt;div&gt;Abstract&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Background:&lt;/b&gt; Oral cancer is the sixth most common cancer with a 5-year survival rate of approximately 60%. Presently, there are no scientifically credible early detection techniques beyond conventional clinical oral examination. The goal of this study is to validate whether the seven mRNAs and three proteins previously reported as biomarkers are capable of discriminating patients with oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC) from healthy subjects in independent cohorts and by a National Cancer Institute (NCI)-Early Detection Research Network (EDRN)-Biomarker Reference Laboratory (BRL).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Methods:&lt;/b&gt; Three hundred and ninety-five subjects from five independent cohorts based on case controlled design were investigated by two independent laboratories, University of California, Los Angeles (Los Angeles, CA) discovery laboratory and NCI-EDRN-BRL.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Results:&lt;/b&gt; Expression of all seven mRNA and three protein markers was increased in OSCC versus controls in all five cohorts. With respect to individual marker performance across the five cohorts, the increase in interleukin (IL)-8 and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) was statistically significant and they remained top performers across different cohorts in terms of sensitivity and specificity. A previously identified multiple marker model showed an area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for prediction of OSCC status ranging from 0.74 to 0.86 across the cohorts.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Conclusions:&lt;/b&gt; The validation of these biomarkers showed their feasibility in the discrimination of OSCCs from healthy controls. Established assay technologies are robust enough to perform independently. Individual cutoff values for each of these markers and for the combined predictive model need to be further defined in large clinical studies.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Impact:&lt;/b&gt; Salivary proteomic and transcriptomic biomarkers can discriminate oral cancer from control subjects. &lt;i&gt;Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 21(4); 664–72. ©2012 AACR&lt;/i&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;

  PublisherDOI

• Supplementary Information 1 from Prevalidation of Salivary Biomarkers for Oral Cancer Detection

  2023-03-31

  preprintOpen access

  &lt;p&gt;PDF file - 65K&lt;/p&gt;

  PublisherDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Elliot Abemayor

  80 shared

• Keith E. Blackwell

  University of California, Los Angeles

  38 shared

• David Elashoff

  University of California, Los Angeles

  30 shared

• Marilene Wang

  University of California, Los Angeles

  29 shared

• Martha Arellano

  29 shared

• Darly Morris

  29 shared

• Jean Reiss

  29 shared

• David Chia

  University of California, Los Angeles

  29 shared

Awards & honors

• Super doctors, Southern California, 2026
• Super Doctors® Southern California 2024 - 2026
• Top Doctor award and recognition by Castle Connolly Top Doct…
• Parker J. Palmer Courage to Teach Award, March 2018
• Superman, Most Valuable Faculty Member Award, Department of…