How can I find the best rhinoplasty surgeon?

Choosing the right surgeon is the most important decision you can make when considering rhinoplasty (nose job surgery).
Because rhinoplasty is generally considered the most difficult procedure in cosmetic surgery , finding the best rhinoplasty surgeon is essential for obtaining the best rhinoplasty results. Follow these key points to help you narrow your search for the right doctor for you:

Research Your Doctors Credentials: Your rhinoplasty surgeon should be Board Certified in either Plastic Surgery or Otolaryngology (Ear, Nose, & Throat Surgery). Not all "cosmetic surgeons" have completed the rigorous training that is required to become Board Certified in either one of these specialities. It is important to find a surgeon who understands both the aesthetic (cosmetic) aspects of nasal surgery as well as the functional aspects.


Choose a Surgeon Who Specializes in Nasal Surgery: It is important to realize that not all plastic surgeons, nor all ENT surgeons, routinely perform rhinoplasty in their practices. It is imperatice to find one that does. Rhinoplasty takes considerable experience and training to get predictable results. Inquire about what percentage of the doctor's practice is devoted to nasal surgery.


View the Surgeons Rhinoplasty Before & After Results: Most rhinoplasty surgeons maintain a portfolio of examples of their results that compare before and after photos, and many qualified rhinoplasty surgeons have a "Results Gallery" on their websites. You can tell alot about your potential results by looking to see their previous work.


Ask to See Simulated Results: Your rhinoplasty surgeon should analyze your pre-operative photographs with you and be able to show you graphically their intended results. Some physicians prefer to use tracing paper to overlay your photographs, while others may show your photos with computer morphing software.


Trust Your Instincts: Finding a rhinoplasty surgeon who understands your goals, expectations, and desires. Communication is paramount, and you should feel comfortable with your surgeon. Trust your gut.

Website, before-and-after photos and make sure this is a focus of the practice.  This is a turf-battle area between facial plastic surgeons and full-body plastic surgeons.  Historically, some of the giants in the field of rhinoplasty have come from both facial plastic and full-body plastic surgery fields.  The current trend is that the full-body plastic surgeons are getting less and less training in rhinoplasty and the facial plastic surgeons (usually trained in ENT and then do a fellowship in facial plastics) and becoming the leaders in the field.  There are certainly some full-body guys that are great with the nose and some facial guys that should be doing something else.  Rhinoplasty is very difficult to master.  Dr. Bite, a plastic surgeon at the Mayo Clinic once said, "instead of getting paid, you should pay the first 50 rhinoplasties you do."  Just as an example during my residency I did or assisted on >75 rhinoplasties, during fellowship, 74, and now after my first year of practiced I just did my 50th.  There are others who have done many more, but rhinoplasty must be a focus of the practice in order to achieve those numbers and experience.   

Rhinoplasty is acknowledged as the most technically challenging cosmetic procedure. The are many good surgeons who perform this procedure regularly and that is the key -  ensure that this procedure is performed regularly by your surgeon. Note that not all ‘cosmetic/plastic surgeons’ do this regularly and feel no shame in asking the question.
Ensure also that:
1. Your surgeon is board certified
2. Ask to see before/after pictures of his/her work
3. Ask about digital morphing 
4. Ask about his/her policy regarding revision surgery.

The most important thing to bear in mind is that you should feel comfortable with your surgeon and ensure he/she understands what you desire and is confident it can be achieved. The price to an extent is secondary as if you’re unhappy with the outcome and require a revision procedure, this will only add to the overall outlay. You best chance for success is your first chance.

The best rhinoplasty surgeon is the one who is the right fit for you. There are many factors that go into deciding who you should trust to do your rhinoplasty. Some important factors to consider include, but are not limited to the following:
1. Approach and results. Before and after photos can be helpful in determining if you and your surgeon have the same aesthetic goals. 
2. Training. I recommend seeing a surgeon who is board certified in plastic surgery or facial plastic surgery. Surgeons who are board certified in facial plastic surgeon often come from an otolaryngology-training background and have extensive knowledge about the anatomy of the face in particular.
3. Simulation. Your surgeon should be able to produce simulated images of what your final result would look like. This is imperative to make sure you and your surgeon are on the same page when it comes to the look you would like to achieve. 
4. Comfort. You should feel comfortable asking your surgeon as many questions as you need in order to get the answers you are looking for. You should walk out of the office feeling good and confident in your decision. 

Gary Linkov, MD
Rhinoplasty Specialist
Manhattan

My advice in how to find the best rhinoplasty surgeon is the same for any procedure: Credentials are critical: training at top institutions and Board certification in Plastic SurgeryExperience is everything: preferably a decade or more of high volume aesthetic surgeryCommunication: your surgeon should spend time with you to ensure you are well informed and expectations for the result, recovery and risks are aligned. Results: reviewing multiple before/after results gives you a sense of the surgeon's aesthetic artistry and an idea of what s/he can deliver for you.Recovery + Scars: these vary between open and closed rhinoplasty techniques. My approach is closed as it is scarless, minimally invasive, results are optimal in 3 weeks and recovery is less than a week.A picture is worth a thousand words: I use computer simulations to show patients how they can expect their results will look, as well as a tool for communication about s/he wants.Rapport: you should feel comfortable with your surgeon.Hope this helps!

Finding the right surgeon is the first and the most important step in planning your nose surgery, so it's imperative for you to be well prepared and you do your research right.

First thing’s first – you should make sure that you find a board-certified plastic surgeon, specialised in rhinoplasty, or an otolaryngologist, who can fully attend to both the aesthetical and the functional aspect of your nose.

You should definitely browse through a bunch of before and after photos to see results obtained in cases similar to yours and see what aesthetic approach most suits your wishes and expectations. It’s very important for you to like the prior work of the surgeon you choose!

Another thing that’s of great importance is that you can build a relationship of trust with the surgeon you choose; you should be able to establish a good rapport with your surgeon, so one of the biggest factors of your decision should definitely be the fact that you feel comfortable in communicating all of your wishes, expectations as well as doubts and fears with the chosen doctor. 

And last but not least – you should choose a surgeon that will be upfront, realistic and honest about the possibilities of your surgery, one that will approach you individually and will help you to form realistic goals and expectations.

Good luck with your surgery! 

Dear Realself user,It is first of all very important you have a ''click'' with your surgeon. Make sure you trust your surgeon.Second I would recoment you chose a surgeon that is highly skilled and is specialized in the surgery you wish for. I perform my surgeries with closed and atraumatic techniques due to minimize edema, maximize healing and prevent tissue damage.Best of luck.
TAS Aesthetic Surgery Clinic

Far more important than the technique is the skill and experience of your plastic surgeon. Choose your surgeon rather than the technique and let them explain why one technique may be better than another.  See the below link on some suggestions on finding the most qualified Plastic Surgeon for you.  Always insist on a board certified plastic surgeon.

In the field of cosmetic surgery, it is difficult and confusing to know which surgeon does what procedure. There are many specialists and non-specialists who practice cosmetic surgery. This can all be very confusing to the general public, who are really only interested in having their surgery done properly and successfully.
The credentials of your physician are important, but do not guarantee a successful result.  In choosing a surgeon it is wise to start by picking someone with the appropriate credentials for the procedure. This alone isn’t sufficient. A surgeon may be skilled at one operation but average or worse at another.
Therefore the surgeon should be experienced and frequently performing the surgery.
Most cosmetic Rhinoplasty surgeons will provide examples of their work.
Finally the best way to select your surgeon is to do your own research. Meet with one or two Rhinoplasty surgeons. Review examples of their work. Make sure you feel you have a good rapport with him. This includes feeling confident the surgeon has listened to you and heard your goals. This way you will have made an informed decision. Don’t just take someone else’s recommendation. Good Luck .

Up to this date, rhinoplasty is considered one of the most complex cosmetic surgeries , if not the most! Some surgeons compare performance of rhinoplasty for surgeons to playing golf, you can only get better at it as a surgeon but almost never perfect. This might sound somewhat pessimistic, but it underscores the complexity of a surgery, the results of which can be judged for the slightest of imperfections. Here are some of the key parameters that can help stratify the qualifications of a rhinoplasty surgeon:- Board certification as a plastic or facial plastic surgeon.- Performing rhinoplasty as the MAIN part of the practice. In general, you can get a vibe from the website or credentials as this is the surgeon's niche versus other plastic surgeries such as breast, body, even face or eyelids. Good use of technology, including image processing can be an indication of such focus. The world of surgery has become so sub-specialized.- Experience of routinely performing this surgery for a good number of years, and substantial experience with revision and functional cases.- Be cautious with the red flag of identifying themselves with non-scientific marketing tools in the world of rhinoplasty such as "scarless", "minimally invasive", "only closed" or" liquid" rhinoplasty which can imply hesitation or lack of experience with the more advanced and complex approach of "open rhinoplasty", the approach often demanded for more challenging/revision cases.  Best rhinoplasty surgeons are experienced and comfortable in performing both closed and open approaches. Of note, in contrast to many other surgical disciplines, the open approach in rhinoplasty is the historically more modern, and later introduced approach, a factoid which can be confusing to many patients.- A substantial photo gallery with all standard views included.- Ultimately, the most important factor will be the rapport with your doctor. There is generally no single surgeon considered the best in any particular case of surgery. There are usually multiple surgeons in any geographic area that meet the above criteria, but at the end of the day, it is the personal connection, sense of caring and humility, and the real connection that should resonate and making that particular surgeon the right one for you.

Finding the right Doctor is key with any surgical procedure.  With a Rhinoplasty, natural is imperative. One should choose a Doctor with many years experience and it is a necessity for your Doctor to perform many on a weekly basis. A wide variety of before and after photographs of the Doctors work can show different patients results. A Board Certified Cosmetic Plastic Surgeon should be chosen as well. Best of luck to you !