Few surgeons in LA have before & afters of Black American rhinoplasties. How do I decide which surgeon to consult with?

Question

I live in Los Angeles and very few LA doctors have Before/After pics and some that do, I'm not impressed with. There are surgeons m interested in consulting with that say they do ethnic rhinoplasty on their sites, but paying 250 per consultation for multiple surgeons who don't have Before/After's of noses similar to mine makes me very uneasy. How should i go about this?

Emmanuel Mallol Cotes, MD · Answer

Thank you very much for the questions.The harmony between facial parts makes us instinctively recognize the beauty... without knowing it, without defining it, just a perception that surprises and captivates us.

In this regard, After having analyzed all the info. and photos provided to us, i recommend you perform an Open Full Rhinoplasty, includding narrowing of the nasal base and nostrils, with nasal bones treatment (controled fracture) and alar + triangular nasal cartilages re-shaping.With this procedure you get a delicate nose, better harmonize with your other facial features.Kind regards

Thomas Romo, III, MD · Answer

To find the right rhinoplasty surgeon for you is not easy but you are doing your homework and that is the correct way to go. Friends and family are great referal sources. Also expand your location list.

Stephen Prendiville, MD · Answer

You are lucky from a location standpoint because of the number and quality of Rhinoplasty Surgeons in the LA area. In addition to Drs. Mayer and Fleming who have already commented, Drs. Nassif and Calvert carry international reputations for excellent work in Rhinoplasty. I recommend seeing at least one of these Surgeon's who can help steer you in the right direction. Good luck.

Manish H. Shah, MD, FACS · Answer

Hello cannonmalibu - Thanks for your question. 70% of my rhinoplasty practice is dedicated to ethnic rhinoplasty but African-American rhinoplasty is not as common as rhinoplasty on Hispanic, Asian, and Middle Eastern patients.  This explains why it is hard to find the photos that might resemble what you are looking to achieve.  I just performed a similar procedure on a man with a very large, wide nose that was beautifully improved by dorsal implant augmentation, tip reduction, and nostril narrowing.  His nose has a sharp looking bridge, a beautiful break to the tip, and significantly improved tip projection.  There are specialists in African-American rhinoplasty closer to you such as Jason Hamilton in LA and David Mabrie in San Francisco, that you may want to speak with who will have a large number of before and after photos that might interest you. As long as your surgeon has experience with ethnic noses, listens to your desires, and realistically counsels you on probable outcomes, there are many surgeons who will deliver what you want. If you'd like to speak more about this, I would love to talk to you via Skype.  Good luck, Dr. Shah

Toby Mayer, MD · Answer

i'm sure you realize that all black noses are not the same. The one you chose as an example has a very Caucasian nose. Having done the surgery for more than 35 years on many African-American males I find them very resistant to letting us use their photographs.  I don't know why this is but males in general are more reluctant than females. See an experienced rhinoplasty surgeon who's noses are natural whether they are Hispanic or black or Asian since they will share common denominators of wide nostrils thick skin and insufficient tip projection.

Few surgeons in LA have before & afters of Black American rhinoplasties. How do I decide which surgeon to consult with?

Answers (8)