Rhinoplasty: What to Look for in a Doctor?

Rhinoplasty, otherwise known as a nose job, is plastic surgery performed on the nose to make the size and shape of the nose more in proportion with other aspects of the face. It can also help correct breathing difficulties and structural defects of the nose.

Qualities to Look For In Your Doctor

When researching rhinoplasty surgeons, it is important to keep these items in mind:

• Results – Ask to see before and after rhinoplasty photos of previous surgeries the doctor has performed on other patients. Ask to see patient photos similar to your own medical needs.
• Experience – Make sure your surgeon has experience performing rhinoplasty. Find a surgeon who is trained and familiar with both open and closed rhinoplasty as well as revision procedures.
• Personal attention – Some doctors have so many patients they tend to overlook the individual needs of patients. Find a doctor that will take your surgery personally and discuss realistic expectations about the final results.
• Board-certified – Board-certification means the doctor has been trained in the highest standards of research, ethics and physician practices. Is your doctor certified by a board such as the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS)?
• Patient reviews – Websites such as Yelp allow you to read reviews from actual patients. Look for specific issues or complaints mentioned by more than one patient. Actual patient reviews give you an idea of how the doctor treats the majority of his patients.
• Specialist – Finding a doctor who only focuses on rhinoplasty might make you feel more comfortable about having the surgery. Depending on the change you wish to see with your nose, a surgeon who specializes in rhinoplasty likely has specific training to help you achieve your desired results.

Want to know more about what qualities to look for in a cosmetic surgeon? This checklist gives you 5 items you should always search for in a cosmetic surgeon.

How Is Rhinoplasty Performed?

Now that you know what to look for in your rhinoplasty doctor, you should also know how rhinoplasty is performed so you can ask relevant questions during your consultation appointment.  There are a number of rhinoplasty options and they include:

• Post-Traumatic Rhinoplasty – Benefits the appearance and functionality of patient noses that have suffered nose injuries. Examples include fixing the nasal septum or straightening the nose. The amount of trauma to the nose determines how quickly you can undergo surgery.
• Augmentation Rhinoplasty – The surgeon performs bone grafting or tissue grafting in order to augment the nasal tip and/or bridge. This can be accomplished by using cartilage from other parts of the nose such as the nasal septum or rib bone and cartilage from other areas.
• Reduction Rhinoplasty - Gives a patient a nose that is more proportionate to the rest of the facial features by addressing bumps on the bridge of the nose, flared nostrils or an elongated nasal tip. The reduction is accomplished by removing bone and/or cartilage to achieve the desired results.
• Reconstructive Rhinoplasty – Performed if the patient has lost some, or all, of their nose due to a variety of factors such as cancer, illness or an accident. The surgeon will use skin grafts or a flap technique to rebuild the nose. Depending on how severe the loss of the nose is, the reconstruction may require several surgeries.
• Ethnic Rhinoplasty – Performed on patients of Middle Eastern, African American, Asian or Hispanic descent. These patients normally have nasal contours that are softer so the surgeon needs to take care to preserve the unique features of these patients.
• Adolescent Rhinoplasty – Performed when younger patients have breathing difficulties or have suffered trauma. Most doctors advise teenage patients to wait until their nose stops growing before they have rhinoplasty.

Rhinoplasty Techniques

Another rhinoplasty option you should discuss with your doctor is whether open or closed rhinoplasty best addresses your desired results. The two main rhinoplasty techniques include:

• Closed Rhinoplasty – A popular choice because all of the incisions are made inside of the nose which results in no external scarring. However, this technique does limit the ability of the surgeon to clearly view the anatomy while operating since the work is performed inside the nose. This technique is very effective when the surgeon is addressing issues with the bridge of the nose. 
• Open Rhinoplasty – This technique is performed by creating an incision across the cartilage area between the nostrils. The doctor lifts the skin off of the nose tip and shapes the cartilage as desired. The incision does leave a small scar that is visible on the underside of the nose. This technique is often the best choice for patients who desire a dramatic change since it gives the surgeon greater access to areas of the nose.

Questions To Ask Your Doctor

Armed with knowledge about the procedure, and what qualities to look for in a doctor, there are a number of questions you should ask your doctor. These questions will give you a better idea of how experienced your doctor is with the surgery. These questions include:

• Do you perform rhinoplasty on a regular basis?
• How many years have you been performing rhinoplasty?
• Do you have a board-certification and, if so, which board?
• Can I view any recent before and after photos of previous patients that are similar to my case?
• Do you often need to perform revision surgery? If so, do you charge for it?
• Is there a chance that some or all of my surgery will be covered by insurance?

Doing proper research, as well as asking pertinent questions, saves you time and money in the long run. Choosing a surgeon with the skills and experience to give you the results you desire can decrease your chance of undergoing revision surgery in the future.

- MA