Rhinoplasty--Seems Like a Lot of People Regret Having This Procedure

Rhinoplasty surgery leaves little room for irregularities since your result will be the centerpiece of your face. Nearly all of our patients have been happy after rhinoplasty surgery, but not everyone. The 10% of dissatisfied RealSelf patients may feel an obligation to pay it forward, and share their experiences. In fact, an unhappy patient is 10 times more likely to compose a review than a satisfied patient.If you're considering rhinoplasty surgery, consider using a specialist who performs rhinoplasty regularly and passionately with many favorable photos and reviews. Thank you.Dr Joseph

Rhinoplasty is a very rewarding procedure that can completely change one's personal confidence level and overall satisfaction with his or her appearance.  A patient that may be considering a rhinoplasty  probably has been thinking and researching for a while.  Most patients have wonderful results but there is a small percentage of patients that have extremely high and unrealistic expectations, which is the primary reason for dissatisfaction.  Many patients that are unhappy will be more aggressive in voicing their displeasure, thus the large number of negative comments on the posting boards.  A good, experienced board certified plastic surgeon will explain the procedure, but be able to look at your nose and give you an honest evaluation and a realistic approach to your surgery.  A reputable plastic surgeon can give you patient referrals that allows you to be able to talk to other patients within the practice that have undergone the procedure.  Computer imaging is another option to get a better perspective on how your new nose can look.  There is always the possibility for a revision, after the nose is healed, but usually the percentage rate is low with a good surgeon (less than 10%).

Generally, the patients who consult surgeons about
having a nose job have thought about the life-altering procedure for months or
even years. It is true that a rhinoplasty has the ability to change the
appearance of your entire face, and is thus not a small procedure. Before
deciding to commit to surgery, you should be 100% certain that a rhinoplasty is
what you want. If you are still unsure, you can try using injectable fillers to
alter the look of your nose. This is a temporary solution that can give you a
more general idea of how changes to your nose will possibly appear. Though it
cannot completely simulate a rhinoplasty, such as making the nose smaller, it
can be used to camouflage a bump or make the nose more proportionate. 

Rhinoplasty can be one of the most gratifying plastic surgical procedures, but it is also the most risky from the standpoint of getting a good result. Many plastic surgeons are not sufficiently comfortable, trained, or experienced with rhinoplasty. That's why you really need to do your homework ahead of time. Research your surgeon thoroughly. Do not choose a surgeon based on a fancy web site or computer imaging. Find out what kind of reputation the surgeon has in your community. Ask a nurse or others doctors. Check out Yelp. It's not that hard to find out if your surgeon is well regarded in your community, specifically for rhinoplasty work.

 

You raise an excellent issue. Unhappy patients after rhinoplasty. Reading all of the horror stories about Rhinoplasties that turned out badly would make one think that it is a bad procedure. That is understandable as people are more vocal about bad experiences than good ones. I think it is very possible to have a great experience with a rhinoplasty surgery. To get that good experience you will need to do your research. Find a good doctor (or really several doctors). Look up what other patients have said about them (realize that some doctors use services to write good reviews about them so you have to carefully read between the lines). Don't be fooled by a fancy website-anyone can spend money to build a great website, I think the best rhinoplasty surgeons are too busy to spend much time creating a beautiful website. Ask people that work with your doctor in the operating room, (nurses and anesthesiologists) they will know what kind of surgeon your doctor is. During your consultation make sure you are being heard and understood. Look at before and after photos of other patients. You will ultimately have to go with your gut and decide based on all the information and feedback who you want to perform your surgery.

The formula we use is:

a. Listen to the patient.

b. Do a careful exam and show the patient on the computer what we can offer them.

c. If we both agree on the plan we do the surgery.

d. Do the surgery that was planned with great care and focus.

This usually results in a good outcome and a happy patient.

Good luck and I hope you find your doctor.

 

Rhinoplasty in the hands of an experienced surgeon is a highly rewarding and successful procedure for patients and doctors alike. Although admittedly a challenging operation, satisfaction rates in a specialist's practice are 90 % or higher. I also believe that dissatisfied patients are much more likely to post complaints, blog, and perseverate in chat rooms spreading fear. Studies show that only 1 in 20 happy patients will post an on-line review, whereas ~60% of dissatisfied patients will post a negative review. So there will be a perceived "don't do it' factor lurking about on different sites. My point is- do your research, interview the doctors, ask questions about revision rates and make a decision based on good information. I find Rhinoplasty to be a very rewarding procedure in my daily practice.

Rhinoplasty is often considered the most difficult procedure in cosmetic surgery. The nose has many interacting parts and each time one is modified it can affect a number of surrounding structures. The revision rate is quoted from 5% to 15% in the medical literature. However, the people publishing these articles are the ones doing the most rhinoplasties. So the real incidence is likely a little higher for all surgeons. Due to this complexity, I believe that rhinoplasty specialists alter and evolve their techniques more often than any other cosmetic procedure. Then again this number is for all revisions, of which many patients are happy but just need a little tweak. 

Additionally, unhappy patients tend to spend more time researching, blogging and posting than happy patients. So, for a rhinoplasty, seek out a specialist who performs this as a majority of their practice. 

Rhinoplasty is a very challenging procedure, because it requires a keen aesthetic sense, disciplined preoperative diagnosis and planning, and detailed knowledge of the anatomy and function of the nose.  In addition, a Rhinoplasty result is somewhat dynamic, changing as the patient ages.  The occasional Rhinoplasty Surgeon is likely to employ one of 3 or 4 maneuvers to every patient he/she operates on, occasionally yielding satisfactory results, often missing the mark.  Rhinoplasty results are, more than any other procedure, Surgeon dependent. Because the nose is such a prominent aesthetic feature on the face and is so important functionally, unhappy Rhinoplasty patients tend to be really unhappy. 

Rhinoplasty (nose job or nasal surgery) is quite a common procedure performed in the United States.  In the proper hands, rhinoplasty should have an appealing, natural, unoperated outcome while respecting or improving the nasal airway.  Expectations of patients must be managed depending on each patient's anatomy, desires, and feasibility for outcome.  

I hear you. I can seem like there are a a lot of regrets with rhinoplasty surgery. Fortunately, this has not been my experience with rhinoplasty.

At it's best, rhinoplasty is a most challenging and rewarding procedure. At it's worst, rhinoplasty is an ill-conceived operation that is unlikely to help a patient reach their goals. The question is, how do you best find a surgeon that is most-likely to give you the results you are seeking?

Please see my RealSelf answer "How to Choose a Good Rhinoplasty Surgeon?" where I list the Top 10 Qualities a Rhinoplasty Surgeon should have [PLEASE INSERT LINK TO THIS POST]

Please take a look.

Hope this helps,

Nick Slenkovich, MD FACS