Doctor and staff are amazing every visit. I would not recommend going anywhere else. I have been to several places. I feel most welcome here. They work with me on all my needs. Very professional and understanding.
I got a septoplasty/rhinoplasty! I had a deviated septum and also wanted to get rid of a bump I had on the bridge of my nose. The experience with Dr. Sand couldn't have been better, he was very thorough and answered every question I had. Anytime I've called they have been happy and willing to help me. Everyone in the office is so kind and welcoming! I was very nervous about the surgery and recovery but It honestly couldn't have gone smoother. I now can breath so much better and although a rhinoplasty takes some time to heal I can already see a huge difference and am loving my results already. I am so happy with my experience with Dr. Sand and would highly recommend him to everyone!
I would absolutely recommend Dr. Sand. He is kind, professional, and an extremely skilled surgeon. I had a septorhinoplasty with cartilage graft and I couldn't be happier with the results. His staff is stellar as well. As an RN, it is always nerve wracking to go "under the knife," knowing the risks, but Dr. Sand made me feel completely at ease.
I shared the following feedback with Dr. Sand and would also like to share it here. Realself is a resource I used periodically for several years leading up to my decision to undergo a cosmetic rhinoplasty. I considered surgeons all over the United States. I hope that sharing my experience might be helpful to others: I feel so very grateful for the positive experiences I have had with Dr. Sand and his office. Rhinoplasty is something I have considered doing for many years. Now that it is done and I am reflecting on the entire process; I really could not be more pleased. From my initial consultation, to the scheduling of my surgery, the actual procedure, and now follow-up appointments; I can without hesitation recommend this team. Dr. Sand is one of the most balanced health care professionals I have ever worked with. He is approachable, capable, measured, and an excellent communicator. He took the time to hear and answer my questions. I felt well-informed and at peace in choosing Dr. Sand to perform my rhinoplasty. Although I am early in the healing process (11 weeks) I am very happy with my results at this stage. It is important to mention that Dr. Sand's approach extends beyond his own bedside manner. The staff he surrounds himself with is exceptional. Kelli is kind, patient, and so helpful in answering/fielding questions, as well as working with my schedule in a positive can-do way. Kathleen is always upbeat, welcoming, and efficient. The surgical team downstairs was fantastic as well. When a person moves forward with a decision like this the expectations are very high and go beyond the surgery results...without fully realizing it, prior to, and following the actual procedure, an individual finds great comfort each step of the way if they feel "taken care of" and guided through the process before, during, and AFTER. This is absolutely how I felt and I did not know how important this aspect would be until I experienced it for myself.
Dr. Sand was amazing! Super nice and very professional. I love the work he did on my nose, I am beyond happy with the results. Not to mention the staff at the office are very accommodating and caring. I would highly recommend to anyone looking for a plastic surgeon.
Dr. Sand is very professional in all the interactions I have had with him and his work speaks for itself. I was nervous about the procedure but he reassured me and made me feel comfortable and the results are amazing! I would recommend Dr. Sand to anyone.
My experience has been great! Dr. Sand and his staff members have helped me become confident with my new nose. They are all very welcoming and are helpful throughout the process. I would recommend him to any one who is looking for someone who truly does put his time and effort into creating the perfect look. He goes over everything with you before and is open to questions you may have. They are truly the greatest team that I have seen around the area.
Everyone in the office and surgical center were so helpful, friendly and made my experience a breeze. If you are in need of a rhinoplasty like I was, go see Dr Sand! I found him through my hair stylist so I decided to check him out because she loved her results. It was worth it!
Dr Sand is thorough, patient, careful and detailed. I am so thankful to have a Doctor I can trust. He takes his time walking through the various options and I am always happy with the results. Go see Dr Sand. You won't regret it!
I want to make sure that I am clear on two things: 1) He was a kind and attentive physician during my initial encounter, surgery, and follow up visit. 2) I have PTSD and because this wasn't aesthetic, my government insurance covered my procedure cost. *I have posted a number of photos in the question section* I went in liking my nose other than that I couldn't breathe. An ENT in the same building had attempted to resolve the issue with a closed outpatient procedure. It didn't help my breathing at all and the difficulty seemed to switch nostrils, oddly enough. I waited over two years and spoke with my primary provider and he thought it merited pursuing and referred me to the center. I was so floored when I discovered I was going to be having a facial plastics specialist that was not just an ENT working on me. I felt confident and informed going in and very blessed. I had a realistic expectation that my nose would be slightly more wide at a certain spot and felt that was worth being able to breathe. The Dr. told me in the room before my surgery that he may have to take some of my rib if he needed cartilage. I understood that and if you need it, you need it. Cartilage was taken and all of this sounded reasonable. After my surgery my breathing was like a wind tunnel. It was so lovely to feel that - it had been so long! I had minimal bruising, no casts or plasters, and my gel stints were removed a little less than a week later. My breathing was still good. My nose was pretty big and the shape change was drastic, but I knew it would go down eventually and I'd be almost back to normal. I had one follow up visit shortly after my stints were removed and that was all I was told I needed. That was mid October 2018. It's now nearing the beginning of August 2019 and my nose has continued to change in shape, but not so much in size. (The swelling has gone down of course.) My nose has developed a flat ridge in one area and a point in another. I have a piece of cartilage that sticks out inside of my right nostril and in general the tip of my nose, and my nose itself are large, feel heavy, and look droopy. The breathing isn't as good as it was and the interior walls feel as if they get stuck to one another and I will have to wiggle, sometimes holding it in place with my finger, in order to sort of "pop" them back open. I'm not sure how to explain it other than that, it sort of reminds me of the chiropractor or knuckles. I have also experienced times where I sneeze or some other movement happens and the center of the tip will jump to the other side of center. I wiggle it back and it goes to it's place. The scar under my breast where the rib was grafted isn't a light one and my rib is still tender if I am stretched out certain ways. I had been waiting because I was told I didn't need another follow up unless something was way off, the swelling would go down, and it would take a year. I feel silly now. I posted here to see if other physicians at least externally saw what I did...and they do. They obviously can't feel how I do when it gets "stuck" or it shifts, but I know that at the very least I can confirm the visual portion looks odd and needs revision. I scheduled an appointment with my original surgeon and will be seen in August. I am beyond fearful that because I am disabled, my insurance will not cover an additional surgery/revision to address all of my concerns and I am facing the fact that in order to fix this, I might wipe out any and all of my savings. I can't live with the way it feels, and the visual of it obviously will knock your confidence down pretty low. If I had a choice between clear breathing and having never touched my nose, I would choose the latter. This is uncomfortable, odd feeling, and my nose looks like someone drew two different profiles and then set them on my face. I guess I would not recommend this surgery and I can't say if it was just me or if my type of insurance was a factor. I'll post a follow up with where this journey ends up taking me. I'm just so bummed. Updated on 19 Aug 2019: Dr. Sand understood my concerns and addressed them right away. He didn't just ask about the medical portion of things, he sat down and really wanted to know my feelings overall as a patient and what could have been done better or differently. He listened to what I had to say and made some notes. The sincerity of his concern for my discomfort of approaching the clinic wasn't something you get anywhere on a regular basis. I think as consumers we get used to living in a culture where we sometimes gag ourselves so as not to have to face the typical responses given or people that we perceive certain ways. I will own that played a part in my not going back and directly facing this head-on. I want to make it absolutely clear that he is a wonderful and kind person that is very talented and cares a great deal (even more than I knew) about what he does. He takes great pride in his craft which automatically means it's personal. He himself never made me feel uncomfortable or a burden at any point in this journey. I wouldn't have trusted him to work on me if we hadn't had the dialogue we did during visit one, or if his history didn't speak for itself. Take a moment and look him up, you'll be surprised. The gal at the front desk is absolutely one of the sweetest and most gentle, yet professional people that could greet you. She knows what she's doing in the system and is just so nice. So - at this time, he and I are starting with some steroid injections to softly assist the healing process and if this approach doesn't do the trick, we will revisit the options. I think that the least invasive approach is always great. I feel relieved to know that the main structural concerns I had weren't from anything I had done nor were they some one-off oddity, just the feeling of such different cartilage tripping up my senses. He isn't sure why the rib is still tender but I can say that because we all heal and move in our own ways, I probably am just taking a bit longer than some others. I am happy that I had time with him today and am looking forward. Updated on 6 Nov 2019: I had such wonderful follow ups and communication with the team after being able to use this platform to express the things I'd been hesitant to. My revision is rapidly approaching and I genuinely am so looking forward to it! I feel like we have a thorough understanding of what we both see and want to see. Soooo excited! I feel like VIP. Not many places are able to go through so many high level changes and keep the patient experience streamlets. Did I mention how excited I am? :-D
Hi there, thank you for your question. When it comes to rhinoplasty, the age of the surgeon does not matter as much as their experience with this procedure. Pertinent questions would be - ‘how many times do you do this procedure every year’, ‘can you perform image simulations of the expected result’, ‘do you have multiple examples of your recent work’. I think years experience is less important than how many times they have done this procedure. A surgeon could have 15 years experience but only does 5 per year. I would not say that qualifies them as an expert. Techniques vary, and there is a lot of hype around them. However, if the results are good, the technique matters less. I don’t think there is an ideal age range, as physical and cognitive skill don’t change very much along someone’s career. Research exists to try to quantify when surgeons should retire, but that field is in its nascent stages. More importantly, I think, would be finding an expert in rhinoplasty who would able to easily provide great answers to the above 3 questions and inspires confidence during your consult. Good luck with your search!
Hi SamiiF and thank you for your question. After rhinoplasty the nose undergoes a number of changes as edema exits the tissues. Swelling can push the tip up and so it will likely rotate downward as the tissues heal. I typically see my rhinoplasty patients very frequently in the first few weeks to help guide them through the early healing process, and sometimes recommend massage, injections or other interventions to help proactively guide healing. There is usually a lot of change during those first weeks to months, so the nose you see today will definitely change. I’d recommend discussing your concerns with the office where your surgery was performed to see if they have any additional specific advice. Good luck!
Hi maiziegirl and thank you for your question. Chronological age shouldn’t prevent someone from undergoing a procedure for something they would like corrected if their general health is good. Additionally, there are a variety options for improving neck contour, many of which do not require anesthesia (the largest source of risk). I would recommend consultation with a surgeon who focus on facial rejuvenation to go over your goals, the available options and the anticipated results. Good luck!
Hi User1996 and thank you for your question. After rhinoplasty, our office typically recommends use of nasal saline spray to help with nasal dryness. Also, we recommend dilute hydrogen peroxide on q-tips to help clean off nasal scabs. However, every surgeon has a different post-operative care regimen and I would recommend contacting your surgeon's office to help you answer your questions. Good luck!
Hi cynsu and thank you for your question. Generally for cosmetic surgery, most surgeons will try to reduce the risk of complications by having a patient stop their anticoagulation in collaboration with the provider who is prescribing those medications. This would obviously be contingent on whether the patient could come off of the medication or not. Surgery on the eyelids can result in a number of complications and bleeding is a very significant one. I would recommend consultation with a surgeon who specializes in facial rejuvenation and can discuss with you your health history, your interests, and what options you have for treatment. Sometimes, minimally or non-invasive procedures may be options but this would depend on your goals. Good luck!
