Initial Rhino--not So Good :( - Denver, CO

It’s been a little over three years since my surgery with Dr. Raval. I picked him because, based on the reviews I read and his reputation as being “the nose guy”, it seemed like a reasonable choice. While I did a lot of online research regarding the actual procedure, I didn’t really look at other PS’s. Like a lot of people on RS, I wanted a hump removed and a more feminine, aesthetically pleasing nose. Dr. Raval assured me, even on the day of surgery, that my nose would not drastically change frontal view.

What I ended up with was a longer, wider looking nose with flared nostrils; completely changed from the original. There was a lot of tip work done. Perhaps in his mind, he felt the liberties he took would make for a better nose but I ended up feeling like an experiment. One of the most disheartening changes with the procedure was the loss of teeth when I smile and the change in my upper lip. For those few of you out there who have had this happen to you, you know it’s a huge loss because, while you can get a revision to fix a bad rhino, you can never get your old smile and movement back.

I understand that everyone has a bad day, including (unfortunately) PS’s but after expressing my concerns for a year that my nose didn’t fit my face and it was aesthetically off, I was forced to find another surgeon (this time with much more diligence). During my last appointment at the office the patient care coordinator made comments that were a clear indication they would not be working with me. A few days later she called to assure me that the doctor had looked over the photos and would not be doing any type of revision. I think in their minds it was a text book nose; it wasn’t crooked, there was no bumps or deformities; but at the end of the day it was an ugly nose on my face.

When something like this happens, and you willingly make the choice to go through with it, there is a lot of self-blame. I know I should have never done the rhinoplasty in the first place but PS’s should be accountable to listen and work with their clients. A years’ worth of steroid shots isn’t the easy-fix.

There isn’t a lot of a recourse when you are basically told you are SOL after a bad rhino experience; those PS’s continue on without thinking twice about their unsatisfied clients. I can appreciate there are happy Raval customers out there who write thumbs-up reviews and they will (thankfully) never know what it’s like to have an experience like mine. But for those of you starting this journey and thinking about this doctor, just know we all didn’t have a happy ending.