Dr. Gregory Dibelius: Super Specialized Rhinoplasty Surgeon Practicing Patient Care His Own Way at His Upper East Side Practice
Carving out his reputation as an expert and super specialist in the field of rhinoplasty for how he expertly crafts perfectly chiseled or reconstructed noses, Dr. Gregory Dibelius is dedicated to maintaining a practice that remains ultra-specialized and provides personalized care. After having worked in a successful rhinoplasty center in Boca Raton, Florida, this Amherst graduate now treats patients looking to get that social media feature they covet, as well as those who require his expertise after a botched surgery or two.
A self-described hyper-perfectionist, Dr. Dibelius is able to use this trait to his advantage in his ultra-specialized practice, which focuses narrowly on one aspect of surgery at his Madison Avenue practice. Since deciding to open his own practice, this super down-to-earth and personable, family-oriented surgeon has indeed focused on patient care and complex procedures his own way. Speaking with the good doctor over lunch, I found that he is someone who is both laid back and also sharp on his feet. More than anything, he enjoys talking about his family and his real passion for helping others using his specialized techniques.
Born in Korea and adopted at just a few months old, along with his fraternal twin brother who is now a nurse, Dr. Dibelius has called the state of New York home for as long as he can remember. After his parents wound up having their own set of twins just 22 months later, the family became somewhat of a famous sensation in the Upstate New York neighborhood where he grew up.
“There was a lot of adoption going on at the time in Korea in the ’80s,” says Dr. Dibelius. “With so many kids so young and close in age at the same time, we were definitely an anomaly around
town. I still have to explain to people who meet me where my last name comes from because it’s neither common nor Korean. I used to joke that it was the fifth most common last name in Korea. It is quite a cool and unique story, and I’m just happy for it to be my story.”
While his parents and siblings still reside Upstate in the Lake George area, the family remains close and visit each other often, especially now that there is a new Dibelius around, baby Max, whom Dr. Dibelius and his wife, Audrey, a hospitalist pediatrician, welcomed just a few months ago. The two doctors have promised not to put pressure on baby Max to pursue medicine.
Before deciding to become a surgeon, Dr. Dibelius’s first interest was art based, a talent for which both he and his brother were recognized at an early age. “My brother and I were these little Korean twins who, even in kindergarten, found ourselves inclined to and interested in cartooning and drawing. We would often be asked do draw things, and it became such a fun and important part of who we were. I eventually got more into biology and the sciences, which probably had something to do with looking toward the future. Being an artist as a career these days seemed uncertain, so I thought that maybe science would offer a chance for a more stable path, and it wasn’t something I was uninterested in either.”
With this realization, the future Dr. Dibelius wound up attending Amherst College in Massachusetts and contemplated becoming a scientific researcher. After working at a lab in MIT, however, he recognized that he wanted to do something that included a bit more action and excitement. This epiphany led to a career in medicine, specifically surgery. “I wanted to do something that had direct contact with people, and more so in a helping capacity, which I thought was really cool. I then entertained the idea of being a surgeon, as that is something unique that most people can’t do, and again, it’s about making an impact in people’s lives.”
This newfound passion for making a difference led him to pursue medical school, where he both enjoyed studying and also realized he indeed had the skills it took to become a surgeon. Furthermore, he realized that he could incorporate his love of art that had remained from his childhood days if he chose to embark on a path to plastic surgery.
“I saw that if I took ownership over this route I was going to go, that I could really be who I wanted to be. This was an awesome way to tie all this stuff that I was interested in together.”
With an interest in all things artistic, including interiors—though his wife sometimes puts a stop to some of his home décor ideas—Dr. Dibelius has his own aesthetic lens through which he views the world. This dedicated doctor has truly incorporated this worldview into his everyday life, and it is now paramount in his job. Being able to combine his own aesthetic with doing what he enjoys most, helping others, it is clear that Dr. Dibelius has officially landed his dream career, much to the pleasure of both himself and his patients.
“Sharing your aesthetic with somebody else is the most incredible feeling. It’s always some combination of fascinating and rewarding and challenging, just like a lot of medicine is. Plus, there still remains this aspect of helping others, and in my world, that also includes helping people gain confidence, as well as breathe better, get higher nasal function, and overall improve their quality of life. All this stuff is very meaningful to my role in this field of medicine, so it’s just a really unique thing to be able to do on a daily basis.”
It is, in fact, being able to translate this aesthetic ideal, which he believes allows patients to ultimately realize their rhinoplasty goals. “It’s a canvas, a way to express your artistic ability, but you
always have to remember that it’s a patient with their own goals and hopes for their outcome, and they might not have the same aesthetic as you. I have a certain idea of what looks good to me, and I will never stray far away from that because I will always use my aesthetic sensibilities. If we don’t share the same aesthetic view, I’m probably not the right guy for you. My favorite thing is when someone says ‘I love your aesthetic on your website,’ which usually means that they want to look different but still natural and not have a million questions from their family members about what they had done. Those are the cases I think are most suited to my practice.”
Intended to ensure his patients come away learning something valuable that they wouldn’t just be able to get from the internet, Dr. Dibelius’s emphasis on service is one of the main things he set out to do when opening his practice. “The whole purpose of my practice is that I’m sick of the five-minute doctor visit. I’ve seen it in so many different arenas that I wanted to do things my own way, and that means spending time with each patient. That’s why I book 60-minute consultations, whether or not someone takes up the entire time. Even if I see someone who doesn’t turn out to be an eventual patient, that’s not as important to me as providing a great service or experience.”
In addition to giving self-esteem and healthy breathing back to patients by correcting botched services, he also works on complex cases, including those that are the result of trauma or congenitally difficult diseases, both of which require advanced techniques that he studied in anticipation of such surgeries. “I focus on these types of things because the hardest cases need the most specialized surgeon, and it’s really what I have dedicated my career to doing.”
Some of his surgeries might even sound like sci-fi, but Dr. Dibelius considers it part of why he wanted to be a super-specialized surgeon in the first place. “We frequently reconstruct noses using rib cartilage. It’s a small incision made on the chest, and we are able to take a block of cartilage and create a new nose from scratch. I find this to be one of the most incredible and artistic things you can do as a surgeon. It’s a complicated set of techniques that most surgeons won’t undertake. My goal is to be the practice that comes front of mind for those cases that require and deserve the most expertise and dedication and specialization.”
Doing things his own way means that Dr. Dibelius has a different vision from most other doctors and the aesthetic industry as a whole in general. “My practice doesn’t have to be a big machine or factory. I want one thing being done well and to offer a high-quality boutique experience, where every patient is treated like a VIP. I can see it being a bigger version of itself one day, but it will still maintain this personalized feel to it. A lot of our practice is word of mouth, and there is no better referral than one that comes from a trusted colleague or friend. I appreciate that people still trust their doctors and a word of confidence from them is still very valuable.”
Finding his comfort zone for both his home life and work life on the Upper East Side, Dr. Dibelius and his family live just a few blocks from Central Park. He shares his life and love of medicine with wife, Audrey. As a hospitalist pediatrician, she also admits patients to the hospital. Part of a newer field, Dr. Dibelius calls it “a good development in medicine.” While they didn’t meet during their college days at Amherst, where they overlapped by a year, they did come across each other many years later while he was doing residency rotations and her medical school was doing rotations through the clinic. It then took another two years for them to connect through mutual friends. This medical-loving match who initially bonded over their backgrounds and same small college experience, also shared their story in their New York Times wedding announcement. “We can go to the same college reunion and it’s meaningful for both of us, and our circle of friends involves people from this same, unique place.”
When he’s not practicing medicine, he’s playing music. That’s right, Dr. Dibelius, who studied guitar in high school and college, has been getting his groove back, especially with old jazz standards. He has also collected quite a few high-end bicycles and remains an avid runner who has competed in many marathons. According to Dr. Dibelius, being passionate about fitness and health is important for his well-being. “I try to have a fulfilling life outside of just work, and that has to do with balance and family. It does miracles for your health and gives you that calm you need to have in the surgical field, which can be quite stressful. I especially credit my family with this, and it all gives me the confidence to make it on my own. We also love New York, which is why I came back from Florida. We enjoy Broadway shows and just saw something great at Hudson Yards with Ralph Fiennes. We have three local European-inspired restaurants in our neighborhood that are the best anywhere, including the food we’ve had in those countries. My wife’s Chinese parents live in Flushing, Queens, where you can get really authentic Asian food. New York is not always an easy place to be, especially with the costs of living, but it’s all worth it if you think of the taxes as the price of admission to everything it has to offer.”
When it comes to finding the right guy for your rhinoplasty, this trustworthy and dedicated doctor provides both expert care and compassion.
