How do I learn the state of my nose before surgery?

Hello, hope you are well. The short answer is that there is no way of knowing. There is no imaging technology (ultrasound, CT scan, MRI, etc), that can show the structure of the nose underneath the skin. Even with detailed operative notes or diagrams, the variability in nasal anatomy after primary rhinoplasty is virtually infinite. There will be natural structure (with modifications), scar tissue, and possibly cartilage grafts. There is no role for "opening me up just to inspect the nose"--that occurs at the beginning of every revision. This is precisely why revision rhinoplasty is challenging--the surgeon has to be comfortable with a certain amount of unknown, and confident enough in their experience to safely improve the nasal structure. Having said that, your surgeon should provide you with a very informed analysis of the potential risks of revision surgery, including whether it is safe to proceed at all.
Cheers,Dr. Tower