POSTED UNDER Revision Rhinoplasty Reviews
Septoplasty / Rhinoplasty in Less Than a Week! - San Diego, CA
UPDATED FROM PointLomaDave
4 years post
Wow, it has been a while!
$2,300
Sheesh, so I just posted another review cause I couldn't find this update page. When that review goes live, I'll copy and paste it here.
Basically, in the end it was worth it, but the lead up to everything, and during the process was sometimes full of anxiety. There were good and bad days, and days like I felt I went thru a lot of sh** just for a different imperfection than what I originally had.
My breathing issues are still there. I may have had a deviated septum, but I believe allergies are the real culprit. Anyway, Thx so much for sharing in my journey and if you have any questions, feel free to PM me. I'm happy to help guide others along the same path, or talk you in or out of a procedure. You are your own worst critic, and I guarantee the way you look bothers you more than anyone else around you! =)
Dave
Basically, in the end it was worth it, but the lead up to everything, and during the process was sometimes full of anxiety. There were good and bad days, and days like I felt I went thru a lot of sh** just for a different imperfection than what I originally had.
My breathing issues are still there. I may have had a deviated septum, but I believe allergies are the real culprit. Anyway, Thx so much for sharing in my journey and if you have any questions, feel free to PM me. I'm happy to help guide others along the same path, or talk you in or out of a procedure. You are your own worst critic, and I guarantee the way you look bothers you more than anyone else around you! =)
Dave
PointLomaDave's provider
Replies (2)
S
May 30, 2016
I am sorry about my question. When it comes to a rhynoplasty revision should we trust the same surgeon (the one he has done it first) or better to refer to a different one with more experience like Ent
DC
May 30, 2016
Plastic surgery definitely a specialty, especially the nose. If u think your surgeon is a hack, then definitely go to someone else. I didn't get that feeling, but later on, I did to some degree, but by that time, I was already pretty well invested in him. And the fact that he did the revision no charge makes it hard to go somewhere else.
Had I known what I know now, I would have done more research. Prob on here. Prob would have PM'd people who had their nose done by him and gotten more specific info.
Had I known what I know now, I would have done more research. Prob on here. Prob would have PM'd people who had their nose done by him and gotten more specific info.
S
UPDATED FROM PointLomaDave
2 years post
More Pix 2.75 years post op (After all, it's all about the results!)
Just adding a few more pix. Easy to type, a bit more of a pain to take pix from my phone, email to myself, download, then upload, etc. You can see what I'm taling about with the arch of my one nosrtil not rounding it's way back down toward the tip. But in reality, fook it! Lol. It's good enough, an improvement from the beginning, and for what I paid ($2,300 after all office visits & covered mostly by insurance) it's good enough for me to not mess with anymore. Doc had been hinting at a 2nd revision a year ago and frankly, I wasn't having any of that! He got two chances to get it right. You that old saying? Fool me once, etc!
Anyway, I'm happy, and now just turning 40, hoping to age as gracefully and slowly as possible. Maybe if I was 20 I'd keep at my nose and demand perfection. But with aging, gray hair, etc, and shot at "perfection" is long gone anyway. =P
Anyway, I'm happy, and now just turning 40, hoping to age as gracefully and slowly as possible. Maybe if I was 20 I'd keep at my nose and demand perfection. But with aging, gray hair, etc, and shot at "perfection" is long gone anyway. =P
Replies (3)
K
October 15, 2014
You look fine before. Sorry to hear that it a long recovery for you but as long as you are cool now :-)
C
October 26, 2014
You look amazing! I know it's been a long, tough journey, but if it is any consolation (I know it likely isn't, but here goes) your nose "flaws" are not noticeable to others, and could even be deemed attractive. I am not saying you should be happy because others find your nose to look acceptable- I know what it means and feels like to have an unacceptable result, and I know you did this for yourself. But I know part of my problem with acceptance was worrying about others' perceptions of my own perceived flaws, so I am just adding my two cents. For two nose jobs that did not turn out to your satisfaction, your overall look is what people take in and it still suits your face well. I think chasing perfection is a slippery slope, so good on ya for embracing your nose. Side-note- I long for the day for my bf to have more gray hair, haha.
I
UPDATED FROM PointLomaDave
2 years post
Nearly 3 years post op!
Well, it's been a long journey. It has been a year since I last saw the doc. Copying and pasting my Doctor Review here since I just typed that all out:
I wanted to wait before posting the doctor's name until the insurance was all settled and the doctor had done his final billing just in case there were any insurance companies trolling this forum. Anyway, great Doc, friendly, Harvard educated which initially gave me a lot of confidence going in and put me at ease. However, after he did my surgery, a year or so later, it was clear there was some definite unevenness or asymmetry of the flares of my nostrils that wasn't going to correct itself. From one side or another I looked fine, but straight on, there was a problem. It was quite obvious, and made me nearly as self conscious of my nose as before surgery even, and had me wishing at times that I' just left it alone! After hinting about a possible necessary revision in the 6-9 month post-op time frame, I had the revision done about 13 months post op, this time under local, not general anesthetic...traumatic in itself to have someone cutting on your nose and ear while you're awake..and the shots in the nose and ear were quite painful. Another cartilage graft from the ear, very little with regards to trauma and recovery compared to the original surgery. However, after the revision, it was looking as if now I had the opposite problem as the arch of the one nostril that had been way higher was now lower than the other, and flat (no arch). Fast Fwd 6-9 months and I'd had a series of 3-4 (very uncomfortable..lol) silicone injections in an attempt to correct the shape of the arch, along with me using a q-tip 10 times a day (for 5-10 mins) at home for 3 weeks to try and stretch the corner of the nostril at the doctor's instruction. That all made some progress and it was starting to look "good enough" for me. About that time, he started hinting at a 2nd revision. I was quite disappointed, and now feeling a lack of confidence since the initial surgery had somewhat failed, and then the revision, and was now lacking in confidence that a 2nd revision (3rd procedure) would even correct it. And since a 2nd revision would mean more "going under the knife," I had to ask myself how much the imperfection really bothered me. At this point, I stopped scheduling my "follow-ups" and just decided to live with "good enough." Today, 34 months post op, I'm happy with what I have and how it turned out. I wish my nose had been pinched just slightly more, that the arches were even, and that I could breathe! (the main reason I went in, which I know believe was not really a "deviated septum" but an allergy that I have yet to identify). But yeah, basically, it's good enough, and I'm generally happy with the way I look. I'm now 40 years old. If I was 20, maybe I'd bother. But faced with wrinkles, losing hair, gray hair etc now and in the future...no need to try and make things perfect. If it was bad enough, I would have a 2nd revision, but it's acceptable to me, and still looks a whole lot better than before the initial surgery. So, in that sense I'm pleased. I understand my initial surgery was quite complicated as a lot of things were done. And, from what I understand, septoplasty/rhinoplasty is a difficult to master procedure. Wish I could give the doc a 3.5 star, but rating only allows 3 or 4. I'm sure others have come out just fine with a single surgery, but since mine was less successful, I have to give an accurate rating for MY experience.
I wanted to wait before posting the doctor's name until the insurance was all settled and the doctor had done his final billing just in case there were any insurance companies trolling this forum. Anyway, great Doc, friendly, Harvard educated which initially gave me a lot of confidence going in and put me at ease. However, after he did my surgery, a year or so later, it was clear there was some definite unevenness or asymmetry of the flares of my nostrils that wasn't going to correct itself. From one side or another I looked fine, but straight on, there was a problem. It was quite obvious, and made me nearly as self conscious of my nose as before surgery even, and had me wishing at times that I' just left it alone! After hinting about a possible necessary revision in the 6-9 month post-op time frame, I had the revision done about 13 months post op, this time under local, not general anesthetic...traumatic in itself to have someone cutting on your nose and ear while you're awake..and the shots in the nose and ear were quite painful. Another cartilage graft from the ear, very little with regards to trauma and recovery compared to the original surgery. However, after the revision, it was looking as if now I had the opposite problem as the arch of the one nostril that had been way higher was now lower than the other, and flat (no arch). Fast Fwd 6-9 months and I'd had a series of 3-4 (very uncomfortable..lol) silicone injections in an attempt to correct the shape of the arch, along with me using a q-tip 10 times a day (for 5-10 mins) at home for 3 weeks to try and stretch the corner of the nostril at the doctor's instruction. That all made some progress and it was starting to look "good enough" for me. About that time, he started hinting at a 2nd revision. I was quite disappointed, and now feeling a lack of confidence since the initial surgery had somewhat failed, and then the revision, and was now lacking in confidence that a 2nd revision (3rd procedure) would even correct it. And since a 2nd revision would mean more "going under the knife," I had to ask myself how much the imperfection really bothered me. At this point, I stopped scheduling my "follow-ups" and just decided to live with "good enough." Today, 34 months post op, I'm happy with what I have and how it turned out. I wish my nose had been pinched just slightly more, that the arches were even, and that I could breathe! (the main reason I went in, which I know believe was not really a "deviated septum" but an allergy that I have yet to identify). But yeah, basically, it's good enough, and I'm generally happy with the way I look. I'm now 40 years old. If I was 20, maybe I'd bother. But faced with wrinkles, losing hair, gray hair etc now and in the future...no need to try and make things perfect. If it was bad enough, I would have a 2nd revision, but it's acceptable to me, and still looks a whole lot better than before the initial surgery. So, in that sense I'm pleased. I understand my initial surgery was quite complicated as a lot of things were done. And, from what I understand, septoplasty/rhinoplasty is a difficult to master procedure. Wish I could give the doc a 3.5 star, but rating only allows 3 or 4. I'm sure others have come out just fine with a single surgery, but since mine was less successful, I have to give an accurate rating for MY experience.
Replies (3)
T
M
G
December 11, 2020
The results are great but......... silicone?!?!?!? Isn’t it illegal??
P
December 11, 2020
Sheesh, has it been that long?? 9 years, wow. Well, no probs so far with the silicone injection that was used to "fine tune" the end result.
I would prob look around at other docs but feel free to consult with him if you'd like. Don't let the Harvard education fool you tho. Being book-smart or going to a prestigious school may not be an indicator of quality work. It is an art, and a very difficult one to perfect as I understand it. I think something like 15% of all rhino's warrant a revision. Not sure what percent of those revised need a 2nd revision! I lost confidence in his ability to treat me or improve my look and decided to leave well enough alone.
Feel free to PM me and I can try to send some more pics or take some. My nostrils were even before the surgery. Everything was symmetrical, but just larger than I liked. But again, I went in to have some breathing problems sorted out as the primary goal, but was willing to make some improvements while I was undergoing the surgery.