Walter D. Dishell

Walter Dishell is an plastic surgeon, and also an Otolaryngologist - Head and Neck Surgeon (or ENT - ear, nose, and throat specialist) who served as a medical consultant on several popular TV series, most notably, four highly successful, long-running CBS-TV shows: M*A*S*H, Medical Center, Trapper John, M.D., and Knots Landing. Dishell, who is subspecialized in facial cosmetic surgery, first began using his medical background in entertainment when, soon after he completed his residency in plastic surgery at UCLA, CBS asked him to be a medical adviser for the show Medical Center in the late 1960s. Like many other similar shows, Medical Center focused on physician-patient relationships instead of the actual medicine itself. One challenge that he faced as a medical consultant for M*A*S*H was always making sure that the medicine Alan Alda and his fellow actors and actresses practiced was not too advanced. Dishell consulted medical textbooks from the 1950s and professional publications like the Journal of War Surgery to ensure the show's historical accuracy. Walter also worked as the medical reporter for NBC News from 1983-1985, and frequently appeared on ABC's A.M. Los Angeles as a medical consultant. In 1986, he established the Aesthetic Surgery Associates of Encino, California.