Dr. Tarola has made it the mission at Tarola Plastic Surgery to promote excellence in cosmetic and reconstructive surgical services by providing each patient with the highest quality and state-of-the-art cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery; caring for all patients with respect, dignity, and sensitivity; seeing each patient in a timely manner, recognizing that our patients’ time is valuable; staying abreast of the most advanced techniques and cost-effective innovations in plastic surgery for the benefit of our patients; spending the time necessary with each patient to truly understand his or her concerns and goals; and making every effort to ensure that the plastic surgery experience is a pleasant and seamless one.
Dr. Tarola strives to provide his patients with excellent surgical results and exceptional care by surrounding himself with a compassionate, talented team. He has chosen to focus his practice on cosmetic surgery of the breasts and body with a special emphasis on advanced procedures of the breasts, including breast implant removal and breast reconstruction.
Built by Hand
Long before he ever held a scalpel, Nicholas Tarola was learning to work with his hands.
As a boy growing up in Pennsylvania, he spent hours alongside his grandfather doing carpentry and with his grandmother knitting. He drew constantly, describing himself as a “novice artist” whose sketchbooks were never far from reach. These early pursuits trained the dexterity and artistic sensibility that would later be essential for his career.
“I always loved working with my hands, even as a kid,” Dr. Tarola says. “So surgery was an easy choice.”
His father, a chiropractor who worked closely with medical doctors, was his first link to healthcare. Young Nick found himself fascinated by what the body is capable of and the satisfaction that comes from helping others feel better. By the time he reached high school, he knew he wanted to be a surgeon. The only question was what kind.
In medical school, he shadowed surgeons in a variety of specialties, ruling out options as he went. Plastic surgery was his final rotation. A reconstructive procedure convinced him he’d found his calling.
The Baseball Bat
The patient was a man who’d been hit in the face with a baseball bat. Multiple bones were shattered. Dr. Tarola watched, enthralled, as the surgical team reconstructed the man’s face.
“I thought it was the coolest thing I’d seen,” he says. “An amazing and impactful thing to witness.”
For a young man who was already drawn to working with his hands, already artistically inclined and a natural problem-solver, the procedure was a revelation. Here was a specialty that combined artistry with anatomy, creativity with craftsmanship, technical skill with tangible human impact.
Plastic surgery was the only path that made sense.
“Dr. Tarola is unbelievably talented. His technique and attention to detail are truly on another level. You can tell he really cares about his patients and takes so much pride in his work. If you’re looking for the best surgeon, the best staff, and the best overall experience, Tarola Plastic Surgery is the place to go. I’m beyond happy with my results and so grateful I found them!” — Merilee R.
Building From the Ground Up
After completing his general surgery residency at Thomas Jefferson University, Dr. Tarola moved his family to Nashville for plastic surgery training at Vanderbilt. The original plan was to return to Philadelphia afterward, to practice alongside the mentors who had shaped him.
Life had other ideas.
Tennessee reminded him and his wife of Pennsylvania — the rolling landscape, the feel of the communities, the kindness of the people. When he finished at Vanderbilt in 2011, they decided to stay, and Dr. Tarola decided to open his own practice.
“It was tough at first,” he says. “Starting from nothing in an area that we’re not from. Knowing no one. Having to branch out into not just our own community, but the surrounding communities, to find enough patients to feed a family.” With three children at the time, soon to be four, the stakes were high.
After a few years of steady work and word-of-mouth growth, the practice began to take off. Today, Tarola Plastic Surgery operates out of a facility Dr. Tarola had designed and built to his specifications, complete with a private, on-site operating room.
“All the patient’s care is right here, which most of them appreciate,” he says. “It’s private. You don’t have to interact with countless people at a surgery center or hospital, worrying about who might be walking by, if you prefer to be discreet. You can pull up to our parking lot, come in, be treated, and leave.”
The on-site OR also gives him full control over who is with patients during their most vulnerable moments. “I can surround myself with everybody from anesthesia staff to recovery staff that I know is going to give patients the best possible care.”
“I could not have asked for a better experience!!! My surgery results are PERFECTION. Dr. Tarola is extremely detail oriented and explains everything very well. I had many questions and all were answered with patience, understanding, and kindness. I will ALWAYS recommend Dr. Tarola to my family and friends and I will be a lifetime client.” — Kayla W.
Listening First, Integrity Always
Come to Tarola Plastic Surgery for a consultation, and you’ll notice something different. Dr. Tarola doesn’t lead with suggestions. He doesn’t scan your body and rattle off a list of procedures you might consider. Instead, he listens.
“My patients lead the conversation,” he explains. “You have to tell me what bothers you. If you don’t say anything, I’m not going to offer an opinion.”
Dr. Tarola is direct by nature, and he doesn’t believe in telling people what they want to hear just to get them into the operating room. If someone isn’t a good candidate for a procedure, he’ll say so. If there’s a way to become a candidate, he’ll explain how. If surgery simply isn’t the right answer, he won’t pretend otherwise.
When prospective patients arrive after consulting with other surgeons, many acknowledge that the experience at Tarola Plastic Surgery is different.
“They often tell me I’ve been the most thorough with them,” Dr. Tarola says. “I give them all the information I can, and do it in a polite, respectful, educational way so it’s clear I’m saying it because it’s in their best interest.”
This unhurried, patient-led approach has been honed through experience.
“In medical school, they teach you how to do surgery,” Dr. Tarola says. “But they don’t teach you how to interact with patients. They don’t teach you how to get into a patient’s head and understand what their situation is, why they may be feeling a certain way, and trying to treat them like you would your own mother, father, brother, sister.”
“Dr. Tarola really takes his time, listening to my concerns, answering all my questions, and making sure I was comfortable. I never felt rushed with him, and that’s not something I can say about a lot of physicians. I also appreciated that he was honest about expected results, and didn’t simply say what he thought I wanted to hear.” — Marcia T.
Against the Grain
In the late 2010s, a few patients began coming to Dr. Tarola with an unusual request. They wanted their breast implants removed — not for cosmetic reasons, but because they believed the implants were making them sick.
The condition they described is known as breast implant illness. At the time, it was not widely recognized in the plastic surgery community. Most surgeons dismissed it outright.
“Just like every other surgeon, I didn’t necessarily believe them,” Dr. Tarola admits. “But I was willing to listen to them and do that procedure. Most surgeons wouldn’t listen and definitely wouldn’t do the procedure.”
He performed the explant surgeries, and the patients got better. There was no denying the positive changes that came from removing their breast implants.
As word spread, more patients sought him out. A few cases became a few dozen. Dr. Tarola began researching the condition and refining his techniques and recovery protocols. Breast implant removal, and the complex reconstruction that may follow, became his specialty.
“It’s challenging. Implants can do a lot of damage, and it’s a procedure that a lot of surgeons refuse to do,” he explains. “And then there’s the challenge of making that breast look good again, which is easier said than done. Those are the things that drive me to continue doing this work.”
His willingness to listen to women coming to him with concerns about their implants made him an outlier. It also made him a target.
“For the first three or four years when I was doing implant removal surgeries, I had peers and mentors calling me and harassing me about it,” he recalls. “Some never talked to me again.”
Today, the tide has turned. Breast implant illness is gaining recognition within the plastic surgery community, and more research is being done into the condition.
“There were rough times when I first started performing explants,” he says. “But now all the same people who were coming down on me are doing the procedure.”
“Thank You for Giving Me My Wife Back”
Ask Dr. Tarola what he loves about his work, and he may tell you the story of one of his explant patients.
She came to him suffering from symptoms she attributed to her breast implants. He removed them, and her recovery was remarkable. But she didn’t stop there. She became an advocate, founding the local Facebook support group for women experiencing breast implant illness. That group has since grown to thousands of members.
Some time after her surgery, her husband returned to the office.
“He said, ‘Thank you for giving me my wife back,’” Dr. Tarola recalls. “That was memorable.”
The story encapsulates what draws him to this work. Not just the technical challenge of reconstruction, but the human transformation that follows.
“It’s rewarding watching these patients improve from whatever was ailing them. We often don’t see that, especially in cosmetic surgery,” he says. “We improve the way patients feel about themselves, but we don’t often improve how they physically feel. It’s uniquely gratifying to be able to do that.”
“I had a patient advocate who specializes in BII recommend using Dr. Tarola for my total capsulectomy and I’m so glad she did! My experience was amazing from start to finish. I live out of state and his office made it very easy for me to get everything I needed lined up for my surgery. I also really appreciated that the surgery took place in his office operating room. I didn’t need to stress about going to a large hospital to have my procedure. My experience was so good that I do plan on having Dr. Tarola do a lift and fat transfer in the near future.” — Sarah L.
Community, Family and a Few Power Tools
Dr. Tarola’s commitment to his community extends well beyond the walls of his practice. About a decade ago, he and his wife founded a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. They hosted a series of annual “Dancing with the Stars” style fundraisers that brought the community together with local celebrities and professional dancers. The events raised over $150,000.
Though the annual event has since wrapped, the nonprofit remains active. Most of the funds go toward Power of Pink, a hospital-connected program that provides mammograms to women who otherwise couldn’t afford them. Dr. Tarola also sits on the board of a local foundation.
When he’s not in the office or giving back to the community, life revolves around family. Dr. Tarola and his wife have four children, who keep them plenty busy. In recent years, the family has spent much of their free time outdoors, enjoying weekends together at their favorite lake.
Every now and then, the boy who once did carpentry with his grandfather still picks up his woodworking tools. These days, it’s mostly for practical projects around the house.
“Dr. Tarola and his entire office is above and beyond excellent. To say that I’m happy with my results would be a complete understatement. Dr. Tarola listened to my wants and needs and provided incredible service and attention to detail. His staff is friendly and welcoming. His building and surgery center is clean and state of the art. I felt safe and comfortable from consultation to day of surgery to now (4 weeks post op) and most importantly, I feel beautiful and look incredible! Thank you Dr. Tarola!!” — Jennifer K.
Visit Dr. Tarola at Tarola Plastic Surgery
If you would like to schedule a consultation with a leading Tennessee cosmetic surgeon, contact Dr. Tarola today. Call 615-713-1695 or visit the contact page to get started.
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