Rhinoplasty Q&A
80%
WORTH IT RATING
"Worth It Rating" shows the % of consumer reviewers that stated the procedure was "Worth It" or not. See more RealSelf Worth It Ratings or Add Your Review
1,005 Reviews
Rhinoplastybefore & after photos
View Before and Afters

Average Rhinoplasty Cost: $5,975

Learn about Rhinoplasty

5,061 people and 803 doctors are talking about Rhinoplasty

Get Free Email Updates

How Can I Trust Bad Reviews from Patients of a Top Certified Rhinoplasty Surgeon?

asked 6 months ago by tanyriv
Latest answer by William Portuese, MD
Question viewed 195 times
Tags: doctor referral

I been looking for a facial surgeon with an extensive experience on the field and good credentials to get a rhinoplasty. I finally found one and i thought he would be the one, but all the reviews from his actual patients say they are very unhappy with the results and regret having the surgery done by him and they even say he ruined their lives because he would not face his mistake! How can i really know this will not turn out to be a nightmare if i trust in him?

13 answers to How Can I Trust Bad Reviews from Patients of a Top Certified Rhinoplasty Surgeon?

+1

Rhinoplasty surgeon and online reviews

It is important to look for a qualified rhinoplasty surgeon who has performed thousands of successful rhinoplasty surgeries. Understandably, this is a difficult process. Look for someone who is board certified in otolaryngology and in facial plastic surgery. The on-line posted reviews of a surgeon are rather indicative of the success of his patients. Keep I mind that even the best surgeons in the world will always have 1 or 2 negative reviews in addition to the many... more
William Portuese, MD

Seattle Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.seattlefacial.com

+1

Speak with the physician yourself

As a plastic surgeon with 30 years experience, I would like to say that every patient had a good result and was happy, but unfortunately this is not always the case. I can say that 90% of my patients had good results and were happy, but the other 10% are the ones that we are most concerned about. Those are the ones that the surgeon has to look at closely to see if it's an error in technique, a bad experience in the office, or bad choice by the surgeon in operating on the patient. Every... more
Joseph M. Perlman, MD

Houston Plastic Surgeon
+1

Rhinoplasty surgeon

In plastic surgery there will always be dissatisfied patients and in reading a doctors reviews, a few unhappy patients out of many reviews is not unusual, even among the finest surgeons. When you find multiple bad reviews, however, this should raise a red flag and is worth paying attention to. You should note what their specific complaints are about and ultimately use your own best judgement in making your decision.
Ronald J. Edelson, MD

San Diego Plastic Surgeon
+1

Online reviews

I would not totally rely on online reviews. A lot of the surgeons that have bad reviews are actually excellent surgeons. Rhinoplasty surgeons are held to a high standard; they sometimes receive bad reviews because they may be seeing revision rhinoplasty patients that are not reasonable in their expectations and because they may have a problem that is not easily corrected due to scar tissue or other factors. The best way to evaluate your doctor is by looking at... more
Donald Nunn, MD, DDS

Atlanta Plastic Surgeon
+1

Can bad reviews be trusted?

Tough question. I would have to agree with my colleagues as to the fact that most unsatisfied patients usually have unrealistic expectations to start. What concerns me, however, is that you state "all his reviews" are negative. If this is true, then I can understand your reservations. I always advise my patients to 'do their homework' and research the best possible option for THEM. Go see him/her, look at his/her work and maybe ask to speak to some of his/her patients to... more
Gary M. Horndeski, MD

Houston Plastic Surgeon
+1

Online Reviews

There is virtually no oversight when it comes to online reviews. Competitors are free to write anomomous patient reviews. And generally, unhappy patients are more vocal than than satisfied ones. I recommend examining the surgeon's pre-op and post-op photos. I also recommend consulting with multiple plastic surgeons prior to deciding who best addresses your needs. Good luck
Richard Ellenbogen, MD

Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon
+1

Can You Trust a Surgeon with Bad Online Reviews

Online reviews are not considered credible as a tool to evaluate physicians and surgeons. Furthermore, rhinoplasty results are hard to rate since many patients seen for rhinoplasty have unrealistic expectations and a high percentage have signs of Body Dysmorphic Disorder (they are unlikley to be pleased). Also, expert rhinoplasty surgeons tend to get the more difficult and revision cases and therefor may end up with less satisfied patients. You may want to get a few opinions to feel more... more
Karol A. Gutowski, MD

Chicago Plastic Surgeon
+1

How to judge rhinoplasty surgeon

In complete agreement with other responders, while the veracity of online reviews cannot be assessed, before and after photos of actual rhinoplasty results the surgeon has achieved for others are indisputable truth (provided there is no Photoshop alteration). Judge from your own opinion of the surgeon's results, not anonymously posted online comments.
Steve Laverson, MD

San Diego Plastic Surgeon

feelbeautiful.com

+1

Trusting surgeon with bad reviews

Online reviews, especially negative ones, can be difficult to assess. Generally unhappy patients are more vocal than happy ones and are more likely to write a review online. Also, it can be hard to verify who actually wrote the review. If you haven't met with the surgeon yet you could get a better sense of him or her by setting up a consultation. You could ask about the reviews that you've read as well.
Thomas A Lamperti, MD

Seattle Facial Plastic Surgeon
+1

Rhinoplasty Surgeon

If you think the surgeon is right for you, make an appointment to meet with him/her to see if it feels right. You need to discuss the concerns for your nose with the surgeon in person for a full evaluation and consultation. While positive reviews may give you peace of mind, negative reviews may not necessarily be true.
Kimberly Lee, MD

Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon
+1

How Can I Trust Bad Reviews from Patients of a Top Certified Rhinoplasty Surgeon?

Excellent question. I think it is important to understand that reviews are subjective opinions, and that a bad review DOES NOT mean a poor surgical result. If you have a particular concern review with your surgeon. You may be by-passing an excellent surgeon for someone else's subjective and unfounded opinion.
Michel Siegel, MD

Houston Facial Plastic Surgeon

houstonfaces.com

+1

Patient reviews can not be verified

The reviews can be done by anybody with an email address and hard to verify. You should discuss these reviews with your surgeon. I do not think it is fair to judge your surgeon based on some comments without giving your him the opportunity to defend his reputation.
Kamran Khoobehi, MD

New Orleans Plastic Surgeon
+1

Doctor referal

In this day and age of communication one angry patient right or wrong can ruin a good doctor's reputation. There is little we can do to correct that. I believe you are in Houston. if so try Dr Russell Kridel. I have known him for 25 years ands seen his work.
David A. Bray, Sr., MD

Los Angeles Facial Plastic Surgeon

Ask a question