Can you judge a result by a picture taken on the operating table/immediately after surgery? (Photos)

On table results should never be misconstrued with actual results, something that can't be seen for many months later. Swelling from the procedure has already set in at the end when photos are taken, giving the tip more projection and rotation than will actually be appreciated. Further, other areas like the 'supratip' tend to actually lose definition with healing. So, surgeons should also present post surgical results if they are also posting on table results.

That’s a personal preference thing as far as I can tell. It’s not a bad idea to be able to show the patient what things looked like at the end of surgery, especially since the nose will be covered with a sling fir the next week.

Photos of the nose taken on the table immediately after rhinoplasty after useful for the surgeon to track results during the healing process. Other than that, they are not a good representation of the nose after healing, ie 6-12 months. Remember also that photos taken on the table do not show the effects of gravity since the photos are taken with the patient lying flat on the table. You should definitely look for long term photos when evaluating a surgeon's results. By the way, i sure hope that patient with the scooped bridge and upturned tip on the table doesn't look like that when the nose is healed...

Great question. If the immediate, on-the-table result looks bad, the long term result will be bad. If the immediate, on-the-table result looks good, that is reassuring but doesn't indicate that the long term result will be the same or ideal. Certainly more accurate to post images that represent one or more years post op.

Taking photos at the conclusion of the surgery is helpful for the patient and surgeon. There can be changes in the tip in the long-term. It comes down to technique and experience of the surgeon along with some uncontrollable factors rated to the healing process. The photos you posted are at the conclusion of a preservation rhinoplasty. This technique involves very limited dissection and no excision or destruction of the support structures of the nose. This leads to less swelling, less scarring, a faster recovery and more predictable results. This patient’s beautiful profile and tip should hold up over the long-term.

Thank you for the question and changes to the nose can occur after surgery and that is why it is a good idea to look at pre and long term post op photos of patients not just intraop when judging a surgeon’s results

Dr Corbin