Best Doctors in America
Top 10 Plastic Surgeons - New York
Chief Post-Bariatric Surgery - Hackensack University Medical Center
Chief of Plastic Surgery - Pascack Valley Medical Center
Dr. Joseph F. Capella
Pioneer And World Leader In Plastic Surgery After Weight Loss
Dr. Joseph F. Capella is a board-certified plastic surgeon and the founder of Capella Plastic Surgery in Ramsey, New Jersey. For more than 25 years, he has devoted his practice to one patient: the person who has lost a significant amount of weight through bariatric surgery, lifestyle change, or GLP-1 medications such as Ozempic and Wegovy. He is the author of a patient book, 11 chapters in major plastic surgery textbooks and 19 peer-reviewed publications. He has taught his techniques to surgeons across North America, South America and Europe.
We Offer Financing for plastic surgery
Dedicated To Post-Weight-Loss Patients
Dr. Capella’s practice is built entirely around the post-weight-loss patient. His techniques were developed decades before GLP-1 medications existed, grounded in years of experience with bariatric and lap-band patients. He focuses on restoring proportion, comfort and confidence for people whose bodies have changed dramatically after major weight loss.
Dr. Capella At A Glance
- Specialty: Body contouring after massive weight loss, including GLP-1 weight loss
- Board certification: American Board of Plastic Surgery (2000; recertified 2010 and 2020); American Board of Surgery (1998)
- Practice: Founder and plastic surgeon, Capella Plastic Surgery, Ramsey, NJ (2000–present)
- Surgical facility: Medical Director of an AAAASF-accredited office-based surgical facility
- Training: Plastic surgery fellowship at Mayo Clinic; general surgery residency and chief residency at St. Luke's–Roosevelt Hospital Center, Columbia University
- Publications: 1 book, 11 textbook chapters, 19 peer-reviewed articles, 2 additional scholarly publications
- Teaching: 50 invited lectures and scientific presentations; 8 instructional courses for the American Society of Plastic Surgeons
- Media: ABC's 20/20, The View, ELLE, CNBC
Surgical Experience And Volume
Over his career, Dr. Capella has cared for one of the largest groups of post-weight-loss patients in the world.
25,000+
Patients cared for
15,000+
Surgical body contouring procedures after weight loss
3,000+
Upper & lower body lifts performed
3,000+
Tummy tucks personally performed
3,000+
Mommy makeovers personally performed
2,000+
Arm lifts personally performed
1,000+
Inner thigh lifts personally performed
100%
Practice devoted to one specialty
3 Hours
Body lift in 3 hours, not 6+ hours. Less time under anesthesia, and smoother recovery
1 Surgery
Combined upper & lower body lift in one 6-hour surgery, not two separate 6+ hour procedures
25+
Years in practice
5 Stars
From more than 99% of patients
#1
Largest experience & gallery, worldwide
#1
Largest published series by single surgeon: body lifts, arm lifts and inner thigh lifts
13 Books
Co-authored, including one of the first books written for body contouring after weight loss
Experience you can Trust: Dr. Capella’s body contouring experience
Our goal is to guide every patient
through a transformative experience
with confidence and care.
25,000+
Patients cared for
15,000+
Body contouring procedures after weight loss
3,000+
Body lifts personally performed
3,000+
Tummy Tucks personally performed
3,000+
Mommy makeovers personally performed
2,000+
Arm lifts personally performed
1,000+
Inner thigh lifts personally performed
100%
Practice devoted to one specialty
25+
Years in practice
Largest experience and photo gallery in body contouring after weight loss in the world
Largest published series by a single surgeon on body lifts, arm lifts and medial thigh lifts
5 Stars
From more than 99% of patients
13 co-authored books, including one of the first books written for body contouring after weight loss
Contributions To Body Contouring After Weight Loss
Dr. Capella was among the first surgeons to publish comprehensive techniques for body contouring after massive weight loss, and he has published one of the largest single-surgeon experiences in body lifts, arm lifts and medial thigh lifts. Here is where his work has shaped the field, and where you can read it:
The lower body and body lift
He published a 200-consecutive-case body lift series in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (2006), wrote the Clinics in Plastic Surgery review of the body lift (2008) and authored the lower-body chapter in Aesthetic Surgery in the Massive Weight Loss Patient (Elsevier, 2007). Body Lift on PubMed
The medial thigh
He developed and published the vertical medial thigh lift, with a technique chapter in Body Contouring and Liposuction (Elsevier, 2013), a Clinics in Plastic Surgery article (2014) and a Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery paper with Dr. Alan Matarasso (2016). 2014 article · 2016 paper on PubMed
The upper arm
He wrote the Brachioplasty chapter in The Art of Aesthetic Surgery (Quality Medical Publishing, 2010) and the Upper Limb Contouring chapter in three consecutive editions of Elsevier’s Plastic Surgery reference (2012, 2018, 2022), one of the most widely used textbooks in the specialty.
Staging, safety and reoperation
He wrote the chapters surgeons use to plan staged procedures and manage complex revisions, published by Quality Medical Publishing (2007, 2010) and Thieme (2018). Thieme chapter
GLP-1 And Modern Weight-Loss Anatomy
GLP-1 medications have created a new population of patients who lose weight quickly and are left with deflation and loose skin that medication can’t fix. Dr. Capella’s techniques, first developed for bariatric and lap-band patients, address exactly these changes. That makes them well suited to GLP-1 weight loss.
Areas Of Surgical Expertise
Dr. Capella's practice focuses exclusively on patients after weight loss, including:
Appointments,Certification and Training
Training And Surgical Foundations
- Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Fellowship, Mayo Clinic, Mayo Graduate School of Medicine, Rochester, MN (1997–1999)
- General Surgery Residency and Chief Residency, St. Luke’s–Roosevelt Hospital Center, University Hospital of Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY (1991–1997)
- Research Fellow in Vascular Biology, St. Luke’s–Roosevelt Hospital Center and Columbia University (1994–1995)
- MD, SUNY Health Science Center at Brooklyn (SUNY Downstate) (1991)
- Post-Baccalaureate Biology, Columbia University (1986)
- BA, Cornell University (1986)
- Phillips Academy Andover (1982
Dr. Capella has conducted clinical research in bariatric surgery since 1987 with Dr. Rafael F. Capella, a founding member of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, and assisted in more than 1,000 bariatric procedures. That foundation gave him a deep understanding of post-bariatric anatomy and the long-term needs of weight-loss patients.
Board Certification
- American Board of Plastic Surgery: certified 2000, recertified 2010 and 2020
- American Board of Surgery: certified 1998
Hospital Leadership And Academic Appointments
- Chief, Post-Bariatric Body Contouring, Division of Plastic Surgery, Hackensack University Medical Center
- Chief of Plastic Surgery, Pascack Valley Hospital Medical Center, Westwood, NJ
- Clinical Assistant Professor of Surgery, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (2002–2008)
- Hospital privileges in plastic surgery at Hackensack University Medical Center and Pascack Valley Hospital Medical Center
Professional Memberships And Service
- Fellow, American College of Surgeons (FACS)
- Member, American Society of Plastic Surgeons
- Post-Bariatric Task Force, American Society of Plastic Surgeons and Plastic Surgery Educational Foundation (2004–2009)
- Founding Member, Post-Bariatric Surgery National Registry, Plastic Surgery Educational Foundation
Teaching Surgeons Worldwide
Dr. Capella has given 50 invited lectures and scientific presentations and taught 8 instructional courses for the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Highlights include:
- American Society of Plastic Surgeons: annual meetings, the Massive Weight Loss Symposium, the Breast and Body Contouring Symposium and Aesthetica (2003–2015)
- The Aesthetic Society (ASAPS): annual meetings and The Cutting Edge Aesthetic Surgery Symposium (2005–2015)
- American Association of Plastic Surgeons: “Body Lift: An Account of 200 Consecutive Cases” (2004)
- Baker Gordon Symposium on Cosmetic Surgery, Miami (2005)
- International societies: Canadian Society of Plastic Surgeons (2005), Spanish Society of Surgeons in Madrid (2006), Mexican Society of Plastic Surgery in Cancun (2007), Brazilian Society of Plastic Surgery in Rio de Janeiro (2011), the International Course on Post-Bariatric Body Contouring in Botucatu, Brazil (2012) and the 24th International Congress on Post-Bariatric Body Contouring in Tijuana (2016)
- Grand rounds and symposia: UMDNJ Plastic Surgery Grand Rounds (2020, 2023) and the Saint Barnabas Medical Center Plastic Surgery Symposium (2021)
- Surgical teaching video: Lower Body Lift and Belt Lipectomy, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (2007)
Honors And Recognition
Best Paper of the Year,
Obesity Surgery (1993), for “Ethnicity, Type of Obesity Surgery, and Weight Loss” Read on PubMed
Best Doctors
in America®
(2007–2010, 2015–2016)
Top 10 Plastic
Surgeons in New jersey
(2017)
Top 10 Plastic
Surgeons in New York
Guide to America's Top Plastic Surgeons
Consumers’ Research Council of America
Media Features
Book
Body Contouring After Weight Loss. Capella JF, Rubin PJ, Sebastian J. New York: Addicus Books; 2006.
Textbook Chapters
- Upper Limb Contouring. Capella JF, Luthringer M, Shulzhenko N. In: Neligan PC, Rubin JP, eds. Plastic Surgery, 5th ed. Elsevier; 2022.
- Body and Extremity Contouring After Massive Weight Loss. Capella JF. In: Cohen M, Thaller S, eds. Unfavorable Results in Plastic Surgery: Avoidance and Treatment, 4th ed. Thieme; 2018. Thieme
- Upper Limb Contouring. Capella JF, Trovato M, Woehrle S. In: Neligan PC, Rubin JP, eds. Plastic Surgery, 4th ed. Elsevier; 2018.
- Vertical Medial Thigh Lift With Liposuction. Capella JF, Woehrle S. In: Rubin JP, Richter DF, Jewell ML, Uebel CO, eds. Body Contouring and Liposuction. Elsevier; 2013:353–365. DOI
- Role of Suction-Assisted Liposuction. Capella JF. In: Thaller S, Cohen M, eds. Cosmetic Surgery After Weight Loss. JP Medical Publishers; 2013.
- Upper Limb Contouring. Capella JF, Trovato M, Woehrle S. In: Warren R, ed. Plastic Surgery, 3rd ed. Elsevier; 2012.
- Brachioplasty. Capella JF, Trovato M, Woehrle S. In: Nahai F, ed. The Art of Aesthetic Surgery: Principles and Techniques, 2nd ed. Quality Medical Publishing; 2010.
- Screening and Safety Issues in the Massive-Weight-Loss Patient. Capella JF, Trovato M, Woehrle S. In: Nahai F, ed. The Art of Aesthetic Surgery, 2nd ed. Quality Medical Publishing; 2010.
- Special Problems in Re-operative Body Contouring. Capella JF. In: Nahai F, ed. The Art of Aesthetic Surgery, 2nd ed. Quality Medical Publishing; 2010.
- Staged Procedures and Reoperations Following Surgery for Massive Weight Loss. Aly AS, Capella JF. In: Grotting JC, ed. Reoperative Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery, 2nd ed. Quality Medical Publishing; 2007.
- An Approach to the Lower Body After Weight Loss. Capella JF. In: Matarasso A, Rubin P, eds. Aesthetic Surgery in the Massive Weight Loss Patient. Elsevier; 2007. ResearchGate
Peer-Reviewed Publications
- Management of the Postbariatric Medial Thigh Deformity. Capella JF, Matarasso A. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2016;137(5):1434–1446. PubMed
- The Vertical Medial Thigh Lift. Capella JF. Clin Plast Surg. 2014;41(4):727–743. DOI
- Body Lift. Capella JF. Clin Plast Surg. 2008;35(1):27–51. PubMed
- Reducing the Incidence of Incisional Hernias Following Open Gastric Bypass Surgery. Capella RF, Iannace VA, Capella JF. Obes Surg. 2007;17:438. PubMed
- Body Lift: An Account of 200 Consecutive Cases in the Massive Weight Loss Patient. Capella JF, Oliak DA, Nemerofsky RB. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2006;117:414. PubMed
- Body Contouring After Massive Weight Loss. Capella JF, Aly AS, Kenkel JM, et al. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2006;117(1 Suppl).
- Bowel Obstruction After Open and Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass Surgery for Morbid Obesity. Capella JF, Iannace V, Capella RF. J Am Coll Surg. 2006;203:328. PubMed
- Bariatric Surgery in Adolescence: Is This the Best Age to Operate? Capella JF, Capella RF. Obes Surg. 2003;13:826–832. PubMed
- An Assessment of Vertical Banded Gastroplasty–Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass for the Treatment of Morbid Obesity. Capella JF, Capella RF. Am J Surg. 2002;183:117–123. PubMed
- Gastro-Gastric Fistulas and Marginal Ulcers in Gastric Bypass Procedures for Weight Reduction. Capella JF, Capella RF. Obes Surg. 1999;9:22. PubMed
- Converting Vertical Banded Gastroplasty to a Lesser Curvature Gastric Bypass: Technical Considerations. Capella JF, Capella RF. Obes Surg. 1998;8:218. PubMed
- Reducing Early Technical Complications in Gastric Bypass Surgery. Capella JF, Capella RF. Obes Surg. 1997;7:149–157. PubMed
- Complement Activation and Subclassification of Tissue Immunoglobulin G in the Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm. Capella JF, Paik DC, Yin NX, Gervasoni JE, Tilson MD. J Surg Res. 1996;65:31–33. PubMed
- Is Routine Invasive Monitoring Indicated in Surgery for the Morbidly Obese? Capella JF, Capella RF. Obes Surg. 1996;6:50–53. PubMed
- Staple Disruption and Marginal Ulceration in Gastric Bypass Procedures for Weight Reduction. Capella JF, Capella RF. Obes Surg. 1996;6:44–49. PubMed
- Features of Autoimmunity in the Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm. Gregory A, Yin N, Capella JF, Tilson MD. Arch Surg. 1996;131:85–88. DOI
- The Weight Reduction Operation of Choice: Vertical Banded Gastroplasty or Gastric Bypass? Capella JF, Capella RF. Am J Surg. 1996;171:74–79. PubMed
- Ethnicity, Type of Obesity Surgery, and Weight Loss. Capella RF, Capella JF. Obes Surg. 1993;3:375–380. PubMed
- Vertical Banded Gastroplasty–Gastric Bypass: Preliminary Report. Capella RF, Capella JF, Mandac H, Nath P. Obes Surg. 1991;1:389–396. PubMed
Other Scholarly Publications
- Variables Affecting Outcomes in Post-Bariatric Body Contouring. Capella JF. In: Nahai F, Aly A, eds. Round Tables in Plastic Surgery: Body Contouring After Massive Weight Loss. Vol 2(1). Quality Medical Publishing; 2007.
- The Etiology and Pathophysiology of Aneurysmal Disease of the Abdominal Aorta. Paik DC, Capella JF, Tilson MD. In: Kerstein D, ed. Surgical Technology International III. 1994.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Dr. Joseph Capella?
Dr. Joseph F. Capella is a board-certified plastic surgeon in Ramsey, New Jersey, who focuses exclusively on patients after massive weight loss. He has more than 25 years of experience and has published extensively on body lifts, arm lifts and medial thigh lifts.
Is Dr. Capella board certified?
Yes. He is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (2000, recertified 2010 and 2020) and the American Board of Surgery (1998).
How many body lifts has Dr. Capella performed?
More than 3,000 upper and lower body lifts. In 2006 he published a 200-consecutive-case body lift series in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.
Does Dr. Capella treat patients who lost weight on Ozempic, Wegovy or other GLP-1 medications?
 Yes. His techniques were developed for bariatric patients and address the same skin laxity and deflation that follows rapid GLP-1 weight loss
Does Dr. Capella see out-of-town and international patients?
Yes. He welcomes patients from across the United States and around the world.
Out-Of-Town And International Patients
Dr. Capella welcomes patients from across the United States and around the world. He works with referring physicians on safe staging, surgical planning and postoperative care for complex post-weight-loss cases.