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Should I Be Concerned That Dr Didn't Look Up or Touch my Nose During Rhinoplasty Consult?

Had consult with facial surgeon #2 who does 4 rhinos a month but he only sat behind a desk and did some morphing. He only has 3 photos in his book and a couple online. Huh?? Thinking about going back to facial dr #1 in spite of the "I'm on tv a lot" ego as I know he does good work. Any advise on dr #2?

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choosing a surgeon consultation

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20 Doctor Answers | Asked by Ottobot

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Your rhinoplasty consultation should contain a physical examination of your nose.

It is common practice for your surgeon to examine your nose before considering performing Rhinoplasty Surgery. We check the thickness and elasticity of your skin, the amount of bone and cartilage in your nose, along with an internal nasal examination to visualize your airway. Hope this is helpful. Dr. Joseph see video

Eric M. Joseph, MD

199 reviews

West Orange Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.ericmjoseph.com

Choosing a nose surgeon

This is simple......Choose a surgeon who has lots and lots of photos of surgery "HE" has done and whose results you like. A good rhinoplasty surgeon does 1-2 or more rhinoplasties every week. Nothing beats experience and reliable results. Just find someone of this standard and forget all the other nonsense. Also any good surgeon would look in the nose to make sure all was OK and certainly feeling the nose lets you know alot about the cartilages and the tone of the skin. Would a good... more

Nasal examination before rhinoplasty

You haven't bonded yet with your prospective surgeon. It would be unusual to design a nasal surgery without looking into the nose to see the status of the septum, the airway, and the internal anatomy. You may want to seek a few more consultations with reputable board certified plastic surgeons (preferably ASAPS members) who can evaluate your nose and come up with a reasonable plan that makes sense. Most experienced surgeons have many before-after photographs to show their work... more

Doctor Did Not Touch Nose During Rhinoplasty Consult

Methods of examination differ based upon concerns that a patient wants addressed. I think that the best thing you can do is see lots of before and after photos. However, I must admit that a surgeon not examining your nose at all is not the usual practice. Kenneth Hughes, MD Los Angeles, CA

Nasal evaluation during rhinoplasty consultation

It is a red flag that your rhinoplasty surgeon did not look up your nose or touch your nose during the consultation. Four rhinoplasties a month is a small rhinoplasty practice and you should look for someone who is doing 4 to 6 a week, especially if you have a difficult or complex rhinoplasty.

Concerned I may have had an inadequate consultation

Rhinoplasty is a very complex procedure that balances aesthetics with function. This requires a detailed physical examination in which both the external and internal anatomy of the nose is thoroughly evaluated. I would also look at before and after pictures to get a better idea of what to expect. If you are dissatisfied with both surgeons I would keep doing consultations until you find a surgeon who you are satisfied with.

Todd C. Miller, MD

10 reviews

Orange County Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.toddmillermd.com

Nasal Exam Essential During Rhinoplasty Consultation

Consultations vary greatly from practice to practice and as a patient, it can be hard to know what to look for. Your challenge is to evaluate your consultation, try to sift through the marketing (many surgeons will list rhinoplasty as a procedure on their website even if they don't specialize in it) and carefully select the best surgeon for the job. A visual nasal examination is critical for evaluating the relevant anatomy and discovering potential breathing problems. Evaluation of the... more

Thomas Buonassisi, MD

28 reviews

Vancouver Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.8west.ca

How to choose a good rhinoplasty surgeon

A seasoned and experienced rhinoplasty surgeon will examine the internal and external nasal anatomy to assess for proper surgical technique that would help patients. It is crucial to improve the function and aesthetic at the same time. An expert rhinoplasty surgeon makes most of the planning for a nasal surgery during the initial examination. Having a good rhinoplasty requires a nose specialist and a skilled surgeon. You also want to take into account whether you feel comfortable with the... more

Rhinoplasty Consult

I would look for Dr #3, or #4 until you feel fully satisfied. Why settle??? If you live in an area that does not have enough choices, I would travel.

Michel Siegel, MD

37 reviews

Houston Facial Plastic Surgeon

houstonfaces.com

Examining the Nose during Rhinoplasty consultation

Yes, as other plastic surgeons have already stated, it's important to fully examine the nose during the rhinoplasty consultation. Every surgeon's rhinoplasty consultation will be a bit different. Some surgeons may even obtain further testing such as CT scan. However, most rhinoplasty surgeons will touch the nose and look on the inside. While most perform computer simulation or morphing, this portion of the consultation maybe more variable. Ultimately, you are developing a professional... more

Rhinoplasty Consultation

I typically tell patients in the consultation that you have to be comfortable with both me and my office staff because we will have a relationship for some time to come including throughout your recovery. With that in mind, it is typically the doctor's job during the consultation to fully inform the patient about the procedure at hand (including but not limited to all reconstruction work that will be done and any grafting harvest locations). During a rhinoplasty consultation I do typically... more

Complete Rhinoplasty Consultation

Thanks for your question. Regarding the before-and-after photos generally you do want to see a lot of evidence of someone's work although it can be difficult for surgeon to provide you with lots of before-and-after's as many patients are very private about the surgery they have done. Regarding the examination, any rhinoplasty consultation should include a thorough history and physical including medications that you take and a detailed internal and external evaluation of... more

Chase Lay, MD

18 reviews

Bay Area Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.chaselaymd.com

What to look for in your rhinoplasty consultation

That is a bit suspicious to have the doctor no examine inside your nose during your consultation. A lot can be gleaned via seeing the outside of your nose during an initial assessment (done online with someone from out of state or another country for example), but it is important to have a thorough nasal exam before making a final rhinoplasty surgical plan. Check out my web reference link below to read more about the rhinoplasty consultation process.

Rhinoplasty Consultation

Hello, Is it possible to create a plan for rhinoplasty without touching and examining inside the nose? Absolutely. Many of us have consultations with prospective patients all over the word and come up with a plan prior to having that person assume the cost of travel arrangements. That being said, proper examination must be completed during a history and physical or at some point before proceeding to surgery. Septal perforations or sinonasal pathology... more

Does the surgeon need to touch and look up the nose before surgery?

Yes, absolutely. It is necessary to palpate (touch) the nose before surgery to assess the strength of the cartilage support so that a good plan can be made. It is also necessary to look inside the nose to see if any issues need to be addressed there. I would bet that this surgeon did not do too many rhinoplasties in his training and that this is not one of his specialties. I would look for a surgeon that specializes in rhinoplasty as it is a complicated... more

Which surgeon to choose

It is really important for you to be comfortable with your surgeon and trust they do good work. I would certainly have wanted to see more than 3 cases a doctor did, but you have to do what you think is best. Doesn't sound like you are crazy about either one.

Rhinoplasty

You have to decide who your trust and who does good work. Sometimes patients do not like photos posted on line and so that can be difficult, but certainly more photos should be available to view in the office.

Steven Wallach, MD

12 reviews

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Surgeon should look inside the nose during consultation

I believe that a surgeon that is going to operate the nose should examine it o the best of his ability. This means looking inside the nose to examine the septum, turbinates, and the nasal valve. It, goes with out saying that he should also ask you certain questions during the consultation to see if you have any issues with breathing or allergic conditions. The examination should also focus on the external nose. The nose should be felt for bumps, humps, curvatures, and strength of the... more

A Complete Rhinoplasty Consultation

Thanks for the question. In my practice, a comprehensive rhinoplasty consultation includes a thorough history (difficulty breathing, medical problems, prior surgeries, medications - both Rx and OTC, allergies, family history, social history etc.) as well as a detailed examination of the inside and outside of the nose. It's critical for the surgeon to touch the nose to determine the strength and shape of the underlying cartilages. By looking inside the nose, it can also be determined if you... more

Rhinoplasty consultation

The results you see in before and after pix, thoroughness of surgeon during consultation, your intuition, comfort, and confidence level, and certification by the American Board of Plastic Surgery are, in my opinion, all important criteria for surgeon selection. Consider seeing both surgeon #3 and surgeon #4.