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

 

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.