An Eye for Beauty and a Heart for Music
La Jolla Cosmetic welcomes Kiersten L. Riedler, M.D. Combining her background in science and the arts, she brings a passion for aesthetic surgery to her specialty area, plastic surgery of the face and nose. Dr. Riedler, known for her natural looking results and ability to connect with her patients, shares, “As an aging female myself, I also experience the changes my patients are reporting and understand their concerns.”
A native San Diegan, Dr. Riedler was born into a medical and musical family. Her father, Scott Riedler, MD, practiced neurology at Sharp Rees-Steely and her mother taught music. She was born at Scripps La Jolla and graduated from La Jolla Country Day School before heading to Harvard University.
Wanting to be a doctor from childhood, she has a collection of photos sharing her first birthday present, a Fisher-Price doctor bag. Another photo features her, as a toddler, using a toy Lego to “examine” her father’s ear. For a sixth-grade science project, her father volunteered as a study patient to test the effect of temperature on nerve conduction.
In high school she was active in academic and musical groups, winning awards in math, science and Spanish. She participated in the National Chemistry Olympiad and was invited to the National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine at UCLA. Fluent in Spanish, she spent the summer after her first year of medical school in Guatemala volunteering in healthcare settings while studying medical Spanish.
Dr. Riedler has a heart for music, starting violin lessons at eight years old and serving as first violinist in the San Diego Youth Symphony Orchestra. She performed with the LJCDS Madrigal Singers and took dance lessons for 13 years. While attending Harvard, she served as first violinist of The Harvard Pops Orchestra and as a member of the Harvard TAPS Dance Company.
After receiving her M.D. from the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Dr. Riedler completed an internship and residency in Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at LAC + USC Medical Center in Los Angeles. As a resident, she performed nearly 3,000 procedures, earned awards for research on head and neck cancer, cartilage grafting in rhinoplasty, and facial paralysis surgery, and was named Chief Resident in her final year.
Dr. Riedler completed a fellowship in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery under the direction of Dr. Jonathan Sykes, former president of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.
When not looking after patients, Dr. Riedler enjoys baking, cooking, cycling and surfing. She compares preparing to cook with preparing for surgery, pointing out the thoughtfulness and planning common to both in the cooking principle, Mise En Place, literally, putting everything in its place.
“The team of surgeons at La Jolla Cosmetic are honored to welcome Dr. Riedler to a practice that shares both vision and values,” Marie Olesen, President of La Jolla Cosmetic shared with GB Magazine. “She brings a unique perspective as a female facial plastic surgeon.”
A 20-time “Best of San Diego” award-winning cosmetic surgery practice and medical spa, La Jolla Cosmetic was founded in 1988 as one of the first plastic surgery centers in the world to focus solely on cosmetic surgery. In a beautiful fusion of art and technology, the practice’s 9,000 square foot Centre provides a peaceful ambiance and is conveniently located in La Jolla. LJC has a proud history of being philanthropically involved in the San Diego community. For more information, please visit: www.ljcsc.com.