Primary Rhinoplasty with Dr. in Beverly Hills - Beverly Hills, CA

I had a primary septo/rhinoplasty with Dr. Ghavami and he RUINED my nose. I am so disgusted that I picked him to do my surgery. First, his bedside manner left much to be desired. He was rude and I felt rushed through my consultations. I know I should have followed my gut and taken that as a red flag, but I didn't and I'm paying for it. He was very overaggressive with my rhinoplasty and now I have alar retraction, notched nostrils, over rotated tip, asymmetries in my tip, my profile looks horrid, and I can't freaking breathe. I was a very attractive woman prior to my surgery and just wanted a little refinement in my tip and bridge, but he just totally ignored my wishes and did his own thing. I look like a totally different person and have been very depressed since my surgery which was three months ago. Also, the wait times are often more than an hour and the follow up is next to none. He told me to come back in six months after my one week follow up... SIX MONTHS?? Really??? He also insulted my ethnicity by telling me that I'm "lucky" that I have some Caucasian in me. Just a horrible experience all around. Ladies, please choose your surgeon wisely!!

Update:

I didn’t realize that I have two Realself accounts. I provided an updated on 1/6/2014 under my second account by mistake, which I have reposted here: Sorry for any confusion!!

1/6/2014 Update: My aesthetic concerns remain the same- uneven nostrils, apparent alar retraction, noticeable scars where he took my nostrils in, also now I have a hump on the bridge of my nose that has developed, and the tip of my nose is turned slightly to the left. Also, I cannot breathe properly due to nasal valve collapse. I went to see Dr. Ghavami in mid December to get a copy of my operative report and mentioned to him that I sought a second opinion regarding my concerns with my breathing and the aesthetics of my nose. I told him that I was informed that I now have nasal valve collapse. He chastised me for seeking another opinion and then asked me if I had this problem prior to my surgery. I told him that I DID NOT have this problem before. After I left the treatment room I waited in the waiting room for his nurse to give me a copy of my operative report. It wasn't until after I got home that I looked at my report and noticed that he listed "nasal valve collapse" as my "pre-operative diagnosis"!!! and for my post-operative diagnosis he listed "same". I have to constantly wear a nasal expander in my nose or breathe out of my mouth due to this. I have consulted with revision surgeons and have been told that this can be fixed, but that it will require grafts and is a complicated revision procedure. I am so incredibly disgusted with the results of my nose and at the fact that he added insult to injury and lied on my pre-operative report!!! Who does that?? The last five months have been a nightmare and I am just praying that I can find the RIGHT doctor to fix this so I can get my life back. Lastly, one of the revision surgeons I consulted with told me that the hump on the bridge of my nose will probably start to look worse as the swelling around it continues to subside. She suggested that I may want to use filler (juvederm) to fill it in so that I can get through the next few months until I'm healed enough to get a revision.

2/18/2014 Third Update:

Since my 1/6/2014 post above, I have consulted with about 5 revision surgeons (facial plastic surgeons/ENTs), as I am currently a little over six months out since my surgery in August 2013. This whole process has been extremely difficult for me both mentally and physically. Due to the fact that I now have nasal valve collapse I have to wear an expander in my nose (that I bought from CVS) throughout the day and when I sleep. I have tried nasal sprays such as nasonex, but it actually made my breathing worse, so I stopped taking it. Also, it is difficult for me to workout because my breathing is so poor and I am not naturally a mouth breather. I should note that I did not have significant breathing challenges prior to this surgery. At least three of the revision surgeons that I visited have pointed out that my bridge was narrowed too much and too much cartilage was apparently removed from my nose (based on my operative report and subsequent complications- i.e. valve collapse). I am looking to get a revision around June/July of this year, as I will be 10-12 months out by then. I am trying to move on emotionally from this nightmare and so it is hard for me to relive it by writing about it, but I do want to share what I have learned and what I wish I knew prior to having this surgery:

1.There is a HUGE difference between a general plastic surgeon and a facial plastic surgeon/ENT- “Doctor” Ghavami (Ghavami) is a general plastic surgeon, not a facial plastic surgeon/ENT. He did not respect the integrity, structure, and function of my nose. That is not to say that every facial plastic surgeon/ENT does “good work”, but in my case the difference mattered because I cannot breathe without the use of an assistive device. You want someone who will respect the function of your nose in addition to giving you the aesthetic look you desire!

2.Choose a surgeon who listens to you and doesn’t have a God complex- From day one, Ghavami didn’t listen to me. In fact, during my first consultation he said that he could sketch what my nose would look like, but that he didn’t have time. During my follow up consults after my surgery, I felt rushed and he was flat out rude. He made inappropriate comments about me looking up information on the internet (told me that it wasn’t “helpful”) and just didn’t listen to what I wanted and what my concerns were. Also, he had an excuse for everything. When I told him that my breathing was poor he shrugged it off as swelling (six months later, I still cannot breathe and the revision surgeons have confirmed that I have valve (internal and external) collapse). He made the comment that my nose was “wide and flat” (which it most certainly was not) on the day of my surgery, subsequently he was over aggressive and tried to morph my nose into something that it wasn’t created to be… now, I’m left picking up the pieces and trying to get my life back. I actually blame myself for not walking out of the door after my first consult with him.

3.Choose a surgeon who will give you a solid idea of what your nose will look like and what they are going to do- Again, he didn’t sketch what my nose will look like and his office doesn’t do any digital imaging. I know not all doctors use digital imaging, but going forward, I’m not letting anyone touch my nose unless they can give me a solid idea of what it will look like. You want to be on the same page as your doctor pre-op.

4.A doctor may create a problem that is too complicated for him/her to fix- In my case Ghavami said that he would revise my nose, but even if I wanted him to fix it, which I don’t, I am not confident that he has the skills to do so… isn’t he the reason why I need a revision and can’t breathe in the first place??

5.If you don’t do your research you may end up paying more in the long run- So 14k later I am definitely going to have to have a revision, which is going to be another 14k+… I know that there can be complications and risks to every surgery, but if you do your homework upfront and take all these things into consideration, you may maximize the possibility of a favorable outcome.

This is just my experience and unfortunately it has been a bad one. I’m sure there are some people who have had good experiences with him… unfortunately, I wasn’t one of them.

I recently went to see Dr. Ghavami to further discuss my concerns with him regarding the aesthetics and function of my nose. During my appointment he met with me for ample time and gave me his opinion on what my options are going forward. He reassured me that both the cosmetic and functional aspects of my nose could be fixed. We also cleared up any miscommunications that occurred in my previous visits with him. He stressed that he specializes in ethnic rhinoplasty and did not have any ill intent when speaking to me about my ethnicity. He also stressed that he treats people of all ethnic backgrounds. He was more than willing to fix my nose and work with me toward an effective solution for my specific situation. I greatly appreciated his professionalism and willingness to help me.