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Kofi O. Boahene

Kofi O. Boahene, MD

4.8172 ratings, 58 reviews

Craniofacial Plastic SurgeryAesthetic Plastic SurgeryFacial Plastic SurgeryOtolaryngology

Accepting New Patients
Online Booking

Highlights

Age Groups Seen

  • Young Adult 18-25
  • Adult 26-64

Languages

  • German
  • Russian
  • Akan
  • English

In-Network Plans

View All Accepted Plans (12)

Gender

Male

Johns Hopkins Affiliations:

  • Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Faculty

About Kofi O. Boahene

Primary Academic Title

Professor of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery

Johns Hopkins Physician

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Background

Dr. Kofi Derek Owusu Boahene is a professor of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery and dermatology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.  He is the Director of the Division of Facial Plastics and Reconstructive Surgery and the director for the facial plastics fellowship training program. His practice encompasses the entire spectrum of facial plastic and reconstructive surgery including cosmetic and reconstructive aspects.

Dr. Boahene is a leading expert in facial paralysis surgery and facial nerve injuries and has pioneered innovative treatment protocols and surgical techniques in facial reanimation. He is the director of the Johns Hopkins Facial Nerve center dedicated to restoring facial balance, symmetry and animation to those who have suffered from facial paralysis and facial nerve disorders.

As an expert microsurgeon, Dr. Boahene routinely performs some of the most complex facial reconstruction procedures on the face including rebuilding of an entire nose, lip, jaw and facial defects resulting from cancer treatment, traumatic injuries or as a result of birth defects. He uses cutting edge 3-D technology, image-guided technology and tissue transplanted from other parts of the body to restore or replace missing tissues. He is a key member of the Johns Hopkins facial transplant program.

His cosmetic experience is broad and draws from patients across the globe. He routinely performs rhinoplasties, eyelid surgery, face lifts and other facial enhancing procedures.

As a skull base surgeon, Dr. Boahene has pioneered minimally invasive techniques for removal of skull base and brain tumors, repairing CSF leaks and has authored a major textbook on this subject.

Dr. Boahene received his undergraduate degree from the University of Central Arkansas. He graduated summa cum laude from Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee, completed a five-year surgical residency training program in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and received fellowship training in facial plastic and reconstructive surgery at the University of Minnesota. As the recipient of the prestigious Mayo Brothers Distinguished Fellowship Award, Dr. Boahene was awarded additional craniofacial surgery training in Adelaide, Australia. He also received the Jack R. Anderson Prize for Scholastic Excellence for attaining the highest score nationally on the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery certification exam.

Dr. Boahene serves as on the Board of Governors or the American Academy Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. He is a member of several professional organizations, including the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. In 1993, Dr. Kofi Boahene received the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honors Award. In 1998 and 1999, the American Academy of Cancer Researchers (AACR) selected him as an ethnic scholar in cancer research. At Mayo, he received a Best Teacher Recognition Award and the Distinguished Mayo Brothers Fellowship Award.

Dr. Boahene is passionate about global surgical care and leads the Foundation for Special Surgery, a non-profit organization, providing highly specialized surgical care in several under-resourced countries. His self-authored autobiography, However Far the Stream Flow: The Making of the Man Who Rebuilds Faces, was published in 2016.

Centers and Institutes

Videos

Recent News Articles and Media Coverage

Additional Academic Titles

Professor of Art as Applied to Medicine, Professor of Dermatology

Contact for Research Inquiries

Phone: (410) 502-2145

Research Interests

global surgical care and training., Outcomes in facial paralysis, facial nerve injury and facial reanimation, surgical innovation in facial reanimation, surgical innovation in minimally invasive skull base surgery

Research Summary

Dr. Boahene research areas include facial paralysis and minimally invasive skull base surgery. He studies the outcomes in ethnic facial cosmetic surgery, tissue engineering and wound healing, and outcomes in facial paralysis restoration.

The Multivector Gracilis Free Functional Muscle Flap for Facial Reanimation. Boahene KO, Owusu J, Ishii L, Ishii M, Desai S, Kim I, Kim L, Byrne P.JAMA Facial Plast Surg. 2018 Jul 1;20(4):300-306. doi: 10.1001/jamafacial.2018.0048.PMID: 29566121

Principles and biomechanics of muscle tendon unit transfer: application in temporalis muscle tendon transposition for smile improvement in facial paralysis. Boahene KD.Laryngoscope. 2013 Feb;123(2):350-5. doi: 10.1002/lary.23644. Epub 2012 Dec 3.PMID: 23208742 Review.

Early Nerve Grafting for Facial Paralysis After Cerebellopontine Angle Tumor Resection With Preserved Facial Nerve Continuity. Albathi M, Oyer S, Ishii LE, Byrne P, Ishii M, Boahene KO.JAMA Facial Plast Surg. 2016 Jan-Feb;18(1):54-60. doi: 10.1001/jamafacial.2015.1558

The transconjunctival transorbital approach: a keyhole approach to the midline anterior skull base. Raza SM, Quinones-Hinojosa A, Lim M, Boahene KD.World Neurosurg. 2013 Dec;80(6):864-71. doi: 10.1016/j.wneu.2012.06.027. Epub 2012 Jun 19.

Google Scholar - Publications

http://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&q=derek+kofi+boahene&btnG=&as_sdt=1%2C21&as_sdtp=

PubMed - Publications

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=kofi+boahene

Selected Publications

  • 1. Dey JK, Ishii LE, Byrne PJ, Boahene KD, Ishii M. “Seeing is Believing: Objectively Evaluating the Impact of Facial Reanimation Surgery on Social Perception.” Laryngoscope. 2014 Jun 26. doi: 10.1002/lary.24801

  • 2. Lee LN, Smith DF, Boahene KD, Byrne PJ. “Intraoperative Laser-assisted Indocyanine Green Imaging for Objective Measurement of the Vascular Delay Technique in Locoregional Head and Neck Flaps.” JAMA Facial Plast Surg. 2014 Sep 1;16(5):343-7. doi: 10.1001/jamafacial.2014.106.

  • 3. Gooi Z, Gourin CG, Boahene KD, Byrne PJ, Richmon JD. “Temporal Trends in Head and Neck Cancer Surgery Reconstruction.” Head Neck. 2014 May 31. doi: 10.1002/hed.23786.

  • 4. Dey JK, Ishii M, Boahene KD, Byrne PJ, Ishii LE. “Facial reanimation surgery restores affect display.” Otol Neurotol. 2014 Jan;35(1):182-7. doi: 10.1097/MAO.0b013e3182a1ea8a.

  • 5. Boahene K. “Reanimating the Paralyzed Face.” F1000Prime Rep. 2013 Nov 1;5:49. doi: 10.12703/P5-49. eCollection 2013. Review.

  • Anthony E Brissett, Lisa E Ishii, Kofi DO Boahene, Ethnically Sensitive Rhinoplasty, (April 2020)

Honors

  • Baltimore Magazine Top Doctor 2015 (Facial Plastic Surgery)
  • America's Best Plastic Surgeons 2021: Rhinoplasty, Facelift, Newsweek, 6/16/21
  • The George Nager Best Teacher Award, Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins, 1/1/13
  • The Distinguished Mayo Brother's Fellowship Award, 1/1/11
  • Jack R. Anderson Prize for Scholastic Excellence in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 1/1/05
  • Medical Honors Award, Alpha Omega Alpha, 1/1/02
  • Selected as an ethnic scholar in cancer research, American Academy of Cancer Researchers (AACR), 1/1/02

Lectures & Presentations

Memberships

  • Alpha Omega Alpha National Medical Honors Society
  • American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
  • American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
  • American College of Surgeons

Professional Activities

American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Board Examiner

Locations

  1. Levi Watkins, Jr., M.D., Outpatient Center
  2. Johns Hopkins Health Care & Surgery Center - Green Spring Station, Lutherville
    • 10803 Falls Road, Pavilion III STE 2500, Lutherville, MD 21093
    • Get Directions
  3. Johns Hopkins Health Care & Surgery Center — Bethesda

Expertise

Education

  • Fellowship: University of Minnesota Hospital & Clinics, Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 2005
  • Residency: Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Otorhinolaryngology, 2004
  • Medical Education: Meharry Medical College, MD, 1999

Board Certifications

  • Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery: American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 2007
  • Otolaryngology: American Board of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, 2005

Insurance

Please contact the location directly to confirm your health plan is accepted.
Search plans
  • Aetna
  • CareFirst
  • Cigna
  • First Health
  • Geisinger Health Plan
  • HealthSmart/Accel
  • Johns Hopkins Health Plans
  • MultiPlan
  • Pennsylvania's Preferred Health Networks (PPHN)
  • Point Comfort Underwriters
  • Private Healthcare Systems (PHCS)
  • Veteran Affairs Community Care Network (Optum-VACCN)

Ratings & Reviews

4.8 out of 5

172 ratings, 58 reviews

The Patient Rating score is an average of all responses to physician related questions on the national CG-CAHPS Medical Practice patient experience survey through Press Ganey. Responses are measured on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the best score. Comments are also gathered from our CG-CAHPS Medical Practice Survey through Press Ganey and displayed in their entirety. Patients are de-identified for confidentiality and patient privacy.

Overall Rating by Patient
Provider Listened Carefully
Provider Explained Things Clearly
Provider Knew Medical History
Provider Showed Respect
Provider Spent Enough Time
Search reviews
    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 3/23/2026

    Dr. Boahene is excellent.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 3/23/2026

    Great

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 3/19/2026

    Everything is good. I'm just hoping to schedule my next appointment.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 3/13/2026

    Good

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 3/11/2026

    Great Dr.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 3/6/2026

    The provider and I go way back. He has done several surgeries in the past. Very good doctor and would likely to send patients to him.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 3/4/2026

    Excellent provider

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 3/4/2026

    Dr. Kofi Boahene was outstanding during my visit. He took the time to listen carefully to my concerns and explained the condition and possible treatment options in a very clear and patient manner. I never felt rushed, and he made sure I understood each step of the discussion. His professionalism, knowledge, and calm approach made me feel confident and reassured about my care.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 2/26/2026

    Dr Boahene was honest and companionate. I trust him with my surgery.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 2/26/2026

    You know he is a genius and at the top of his field, so what else can be said?

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 2/17/2026

    Fantastic doctor. Wonderful demeanor.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 2/17/2026

    Dr. Boahene was very attentive to me and listened to me. I personally felt that he was taking the time to explain and also show me during the nasal scope, what my problems were. He is very personable, and I felt very comfortable with his expert advice. I am looking forward to continuing my care under his guidance.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 2/16/2026

    He such a wonderful individual who's so experienced and knows what he does.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 2/4/2026

    Very nice demeanor. Made me feel comfortable.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 1/28/2026

    Very professional, glad to have him treat me.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 1/28/2026

    Dr Boahene does excellent work, is a good listener, and easy to talk to. I also appreciate his office Manager, [staff], who was very helpful And personable.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 1/28/2026

    Very efficient office. Very kind and informative.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 1/15/2026

    Excellent

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 1/7/2026

    Dr. Boahene is excellent

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 12/17/2025

    He was very professional as always.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 12/10/2025

    Good manner and easy to talk with. Explain's what's going on and the path forward

    4 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 12/9/2025

    Does very good work

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 11/26/2025

    Excellent

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 11/26/2025

    Excellent ,professional and sensitive to my needs.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 11/20/2025

    Dr. Kofi Boahene is an exceptionally skilled, ethical, kind and caring surgeon. My upcoming surgery is the second time I will have entrusted my face to his skilled hands. More importantly, I entrusted my son's face to his expertise as well about 10 years ago.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 11/19/2025

    He took the time necessary too.Spend less me than I think caused other appointments to start a little late.I felt bad about that so I did not take the time to ask any more.Additional questions felt.I could do that prior to surgery. The surgeon definitely has compassion towards his patients makes things understandable makes you feel safe and comfortable

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 11/18/2025

    I was scheduled in between surgeries so I understood that I would have to wait to see this provider. I didn't mind as I knew he was doing his best for all of his patients. Once he arrived, he spent time talking to me and discussing what he needed to do to help me. He did everything to make sure I was comfortable for my procedure and explained everything clearly. Even though I had to wait, I felt like I was still an important patient and at the top of his list of priorities.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 11/5/2025

    They were so friendly and made fill so comfortable

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 10/29/2025

    He was very good to me

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 10/16/2025

    Explained situation and options thoroughly.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 9/24/2025

    He provides excellent care.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 9/24/2025

    Dr. Boahene is so very caring and an excellent surgeon. He is extremely responsive to any issues that may come up. I feel so fortunate to have the opportunity to have him as one of my surgeons.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 9/24/2025

    Always excellent

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 9/24/2025

    The best

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 9/24/2025

    I absolutely love Dr. Boahene. He is caring and I always enjoy seeing him.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 9/10/2025

    One of the best!

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 9/3/2025

    Excellent, overall.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 8/21/2025

    Provider was Excellent in all aspects. Look forward to working with him on my care.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 8/21/2025

    Very pleasant

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 8/20/2025

    Dr. Boahene is one of the most kind, patient, understanding and informative doctor that I have dealt with.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 8/13/2025

    Best provider in the world

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 8/13/2025

    Dr B is the best

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 7/23/2025

    Dr KOFI IS AN AMAZING DOCTOR!!!

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 7/23/2025

    Excellent

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 7/17/2025

    Very easy to communicate with and he understood my concerns and needs

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 7/17/2025

    Very knowledgeable and helpful in helping me

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 7/16/2025

    Dr Boahene is an exceptional surgeon and I am comfortable with him.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 6/26/2025

    My problem was examined the day of my first appointment and the procedure was performed immediately that day.The experience was perfectly executed and I left feeling very pleased.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 6/25/2025

    Dr Boahene is very attentive and experienced.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 5/22/2025

    Very knowledgeable and confident

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 5/21/2025

    I have complete confidence in Dr Boahene's skill and ability to help my complex facial paralysis from parotid surgery elsewhere. He is a very positive MD and explains procedures.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 5/14/2025

    Dr B is no. 1

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 5/14/2025

    A+ Excellent!

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 5/14/2025

    Smart and takes time to explain all next steps.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 5/8/2025

    Dr Boahene is great. I traveled a long way to see him and will be glad to make the trip again because of his expertise.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 4/30/2025

    Vert professional.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 4/23/2025

    Love Dr Boahene. He always listens ro me and is able to answer any questions I have. He explains things and shows me pictures if meed be for understanding.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 4/23/2025

    We were informed the Doctor was running 45 minutes behind. It ended up being less. We did appreciate being told of the delay.