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I used this site a lot before and after my...
I used this site a lot before and after my procedure, so I figured I should write a review.
I had a severely deviated septum that impacted my breathing. Dr. Fechner warned to "not expect perfection". I would say that indeed my nose isn't "perfect" but overall I am very happy with my cosmetic result and I notice an improvement in my breathing. Dr. Fechner is certainly a very skilled surgeon.
Pros:
- Closed rhinoplasty
From what I can tell, closed vs open depends a lot on the surgeon’s preference and the severity of the problem. I think that the healing process is a bit faster with the closed procedure and there is no scar under the nose. I had a severely deviated septum and Dr. Fechner still performed the closed rhinoplasty. I am happy with the result and while the first few days to a week were uncomfortable, overall it was not too bad.
- I don't care too much about "customer service" as long as I get a good product, but I would say that the office staff and Dr. Fechner are very nice.
Cons / considerations:
- Price: I have friends that had rhinoplasty's performed by top surgeons in Boston for ~$5000. I paid $7,200 out of pocket, and that includes the septoplasty which was covered by insurance ($1000 billed to insurance). So Dr. Fechner is VERY expensive, especially for operating out of Worcester. Is it worth the price? Of course I cant make that determination because I chose Dr. Fechner, but my friends also had good results. I was in a bit of a time crunch, so couldn't shop around as much as I should have.
- The procedure is performed in Dr. Fechner's office. While it is an accredited ambulatory care facility, I still think it may be better to perform such a surgery in a hospital setting. The procedure is likely performed in office as a means to keep costs down because renting surgical suites in a hospital is expensive. However, many surgeons charge less than Dr. Fechner and perform the surgery in a hospital.
- Twilight anesthesia: Dr. Fechner performs the procedure under sedation or "twilight anesthesia". The advantages of this are a faster recovery time and less bleeding during the procedure. In my opinion, this is in some ways another cost cutting measure because it does not require an anesthesiologist. While I had no pain, other than getting the anesthetic injections which was very painful, I was awake for parts of the procedure. Being awake for the osteotomies is not fun. Also, I recall difficulty breathing at times from the blood entering my airway. I would say that sounds worse than it was, obviously I made it through ok, but I would recommend having this procedure done under general anesthesia. You won’t be awake, and they can keep the airway open with a breathing tube. The $7,200 should have included an anesthesiologist and general anesthesia, as is provided by most other surgeons.
Overall: I am happy with the result and think that Dr. Fechner does a great job. However, his practice is clearly geared toward maximizing profits. He is very expensive and saves on costs by performing surgeries in his own suite and not hiring an anesthesiologist. I don’t think this is necessarily a bad thing, it is a business and he does deliver. Based on my experience, I would recommend Dr. Fechner for a septo/rhinoplasty but would tell my friends to shop around as well.
I had a severely deviated septum that impacted my breathing. Dr. Fechner warned to "not expect perfection". I would say that indeed my nose isn't "perfect" but overall I am very happy with my cosmetic result and I notice an improvement in my breathing. Dr. Fechner is certainly a very skilled surgeon.
Pros:
- Closed rhinoplasty
From what I can tell, closed vs open depends a lot on the surgeon’s preference and the severity of the problem. I think that the healing process is a bit faster with the closed procedure and there is no scar under the nose. I had a severely deviated septum and Dr. Fechner still performed the closed rhinoplasty. I am happy with the result and while the first few days to a week were uncomfortable, overall it was not too bad.
- I don't care too much about "customer service" as long as I get a good product, but I would say that the office staff and Dr. Fechner are very nice.
Cons / considerations:
- Price: I have friends that had rhinoplasty's performed by top surgeons in Boston for ~$5000. I paid $7,200 out of pocket, and that includes the septoplasty which was covered by insurance ($1000 billed to insurance). So Dr. Fechner is VERY expensive, especially for operating out of Worcester. Is it worth the price? Of course I cant make that determination because I chose Dr. Fechner, but my friends also had good results. I was in a bit of a time crunch, so couldn't shop around as much as I should have.
- The procedure is performed in Dr. Fechner's office. While it is an accredited ambulatory care facility, I still think it may be better to perform such a surgery in a hospital setting. The procedure is likely performed in office as a means to keep costs down because renting surgical suites in a hospital is expensive. However, many surgeons charge less than Dr. Fechner and perform the surgery in a hospital.
- Twilight anesthesia: Dr. Fechner performs the procedure under sedation or "twilight anesthesia". The advantages of this are a faster recovery time and less bleeding during the procedure. In my opinion, this is in some ways another cost cutting measure because it does not require an anesthesiologist. While I had no pain, other than getting the anesthetic injections which was very painful, I was awake for parts of the procedure. Being awake for the osteotomies is not fun. Also, I recall difficulty breathing at times from the blood entering my airway. I would say that sounds worse than it was, obviously I made it through ok, but I would recommend having this procedure done under general anesthesia. You won’t be awake, and they can keep the airway open with a breathing tube. The $7,200 should have included an anesthesiologist and general anesthesia, as is provided by most other surgeons.
Overall: I am happy with the result and think that Dr. Fechner does a great job. However, his practice is clearly geared toward maximizing profits. He is very expensive and saves on costs by performing surgeries in his own suite and not hiring an anesthesiologist. I don’t think this is necessarily a bad thing, it is a business and he does deliver. Based on my experience, I would recommend Dr. Fechner for a septo/rhinoplasty but would tell my friends to shop around as well.
Provider Review
Board Certified Facial Plastic Surgeon
428 Shrewsbury St., Worcester, Massachusetts