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The Stella Center

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The Stella Center

The Stella Center (www.doctorstella.com) is Seattle’s premier destination for individuals seeking facial plastic surgery and nonsurgical rejuvenation.

The Stella Center for Facial Plastic Surgery is a modern aesthetic medical practice providing state-of-the-art surgical and non-surgical services to enhance your natural beauty. Our mission is to improve the appearance, confidence and self-esteem of our patients. Founder Dr. Stella Desyatnikova is a facial plastic surgeon who is recognized for her impeccable skill and the personalized attention she gives each client. She is especially known for her talent in performing eyelid surgery, rhinoplasty facelift, and injectable fillers in Seattle. She and her staff are committed to ensuring that you receive only the best care.

03/08/2026

This is what healed scars from a facelift are supposed to look like. I take my time so it could look like this.

01/15/2026

IMCAS 2026 in Paris is coming!
I’m excited to see my friends and colleagues, learn and teach.
I’ll be presenting several topics at the Thinkin pre-meeting, then Ultrasonography summit, and then the main meeting. Join me to explore the future of aesthetic medicine and aesthetic ultrasound!

01/02/2026

Do you know what the patient’s anatomy looks like under the skin?
Do you want to actually see and understand what you’re injecting?
And do you know what to do when complications happen?

Ultrasound is the most valuable tool in my practice, and I cannot imagine practicing in 2026 without real-time anatomical assessment.

My courses are intentionally very small, usually 4 - 6 participants. Most of my training is private.
You cannot learn ultrasound in a meaningful way in a large group.

I strive to make sure you actually learn and go back to your practice and start using ultrasound.

Our participants get extensive hands-on scanning, guided anatomy on real faces, and plenty of time to ask questions and troubleshoot.

You will scan. A lot.
You will be tired by the end of the day.
And you will leave inspired, and seeing anatomy and your own techniques very differently.

If you’ve been waiting for the right time, 2026 dates are now open!

To sign up, go to Link in bio, or comment Course

12/30/2025

Since we’re talking about Botox not working…
IsBotox resistance real and what can we do about it?

We’ve been getting a lot of requests for Myobloc, perhaps Reddit and ChatGPT picked it up somehow.

I’m always very careful with these patients. Before recommending Myobloc, I want to make sure it’s the right next step. So if we don’t schedule you right away, please don’t be mad at me, or especially at my staff. They’re just doing what I’ve asked them to do. The goal is to save you time, money, and unnecessary treatment.

A detailed review of prior treatments helps. What looks like resistance can be related to dosing or injection technique.

That said, true neuromodulator resistance does exist.
In selected cases, botulinum toxin type B (Myobloc) can be a useful option, but it’s not a miracle fix. Knowing the details of anatomy and toxin behavior really matters.

We spend a lot of time educating our patients.
It’s also something I teach in my ultrasound courses, including ultrasound-guided techniques when appropriate.

Do you have questions about Botox resistance or Myobloc?

12/28/2025

Is this toxin resistance?

Same masseter muscle.
Different tissue.

Long-term (Bo)tox can change muscle architecture, replacing contractile fibers with denser, fibrotic tissue.
If the tissue is different, should it really be treated the same way?

Let me know what you think.

12/21/2025

If you start your Botox today, what will you look like in 5 years?

This patient does not just avoid aging. She looks more balanced and refined, not frozen or overtreated.

Botox is not one size fits all, and it is not about doing more. It is about doing the right amount consistently with intention.

Facial muscles behave differently over time. Sometimes we need to use ultrasound to guide injections and improve our results.

Your face is unique. Your treatment should be too.

12/01/2025

So… is filler good or bad?

The answer isn’t as simple as it’s often made out to be.

As many of you know, I run an ultrasound-based complications clinic and regularly see the full spectrum of aesthetic outcomes. I also see the issues with fillers. In most cases, the true problem isn’t the filler itself, but the placement or amount.

Occasionally, changes in structure over time can create issues as well. And every once in a while an inflammatory response or infection is to blame.

Here’s an example where we removed AND added filler for optimal outcome.

This patient came in with persistent under-eye puffiness from filler placed elsewhere. Using ultrasound, we identified the issue and were able to treat it in a single session. One session isn’t always enough, but in this case, it was.

Once the tissue settled, the puffiness resolved, and she didn’t need any refill in that area. Subtle, restrained treatment of the chin and lips improved her overall facial balance.

Before anyone puts words in my mouth:

I stand by my belief that filler is not the villain.
Overfilling and poor technique are.
And with the right approach, most of these issues can be fixed.

Questions about your own filler or swelling?
Let me know or book a consultation.

11/29/2025

It’s 2025. The time has come to ask:
Is filler really the problem?

It’s become very popular lately to bash filler and blame it for almost everything. Some surgeons have jumped onto the “filler is the devil” bandwagon. It’s an easy way to get instant recognition: strong opinions, lots of likes, and a stream of patients you can sell on much more expensive procedures.

Dear plastic surgeons, you need to chill.

There are not many 30-year-olds who need a facelift. Not many 40-year-olds either.

It’s true: overfilling is bad. Very bad. And I probably see more filler problems than most, because I run a complications clinic.

But in the interest of balance, it’s worth noting how many beautiful, well-lasting filler results I’ve also seen over the past 20 years. As a facial plastic surgeon, I’ve personally performed thousands of filler injections and facial surgeries. Many of my patients have had both.

Used thoughtfully, filler can be a beautiful tool for maintenance and subtle rejuvenation. Used poorly, it’s a problem. But it is still less of a problem than poorly performed or unnecessary surgery.

Maybe instead of telling everyone “never have filler,” we could stop overdramatizing and learn more about indications, technique, and complications.
Let’s remember why we went into medicine in the first place, to help patients, not to self-aggrandize.

I would love to hear your stories and opinions on this. What do you think?

I’ll also be sharing more examples soon, regular filler and complications treatment.

11/11/2025

Is this malar edema?

Malar and infraorbital (under-eye) edema is one of the most common and most misunderstood complications in aesthetics. This is partially malar , and partially tear through edema (swelling).

I see this kind of patients every week. Most of them are self-referred because they know something is wrong, but their injectors are not willing or not able to take care of them.

Ultrasound is instrumental as part of the assessment and treating these patients. It helps to distinguish filler lumps from edema, from inflammatory nodules, and from abscesses.

The dissolving videos are from several different patients. The treatment can be complicated, but despite what you may hear, we can indeed dissolve the filler and treat other complications.

What questions do you have about under eye swelling?

10/31/2025

Facial lump - what would you do?

This patient was referred for a biopsy of the cheek mass.
She had no pain and no history of fillers.

What do you think it is?

Swipe ➡️➡️➡️ for clues!

We didn’t really need an ultrasound for this case, but it did make for an impressive video, and was a good way to reassure the patient and the referring physician.

This was the facial artery.
A small spot of calcification has possibly made the artery more stiff and noticeable.

This was a great example of speeding 10 seconds on ultrasound to avoid unnecessary and potentially hazardous procedure!

10/27/2025

CMAC is truly one of a kind. I always learn so much at this meeting.
Here, in no particular order, are just a few of the brilliant minds pushing our field forward, my amazing colleagues and friends, dedicated to doing what’s right for patients and to sharing knowledge without ego.
If you are in aesthetics, there is no better place to learn about safety for your patients.

09/26/2025

Celebrating learning, international collaboration, and facial ultrasound!

This past week I had the pleasure of hosting Dr. Sheena Kapoor, , a dermatologist from India, for an intensive facial ultrasound fellowship here at The Stella Center.

Together we explored facial ultrasound scanning techniques, detailed facial anatomy, and use of ultrasound for real clinical cases, from safe filler placement to challenging complications
It’s inspiring to see physicians from around the world embrace ultrasound as a tool for safer, more precise aesthetic medicine. Dr. Kapoor’s curiosity and dedication made this week a joy to teach.
Wishing her continued success as she brings this knowledge back to her practice and patients!

Address

509 Olive Way Suite 1430
Seattle, WA
98101

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm

Website

http://www.doctorstella.com/

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