POSTED UNDER Revision Rhinoplasty Reviews
Revision African American rhinoplasty - my search for a doctor
UPDATED FROM Dante3519
Dr. Öreroglu, Istanbul, Turkey - $8500 for revision
I reached out to Dr. Öreroglu in Instanbul after seeing a video he posted on YouTube of a black woman he had performed a Rhinoplasty on. Her results looked well done, but maybe a bit too Europen for my liking, but she was pretty much only a few days out of surgery (It was cast removal day). I spoke with his nurse via WhatsApp and sent my images and other information they requested. The nurse got back to me a few days later with notes from the doctor and links to his work. They quoted me $8500.00 for a revision in Istanbul, not including hotel, just one night in the hospital. He also told me that I should wait until January to ensure the majority of the swelling has gone down. I had planned on having surgery in September, but I don't mind waiting if that's what is recommended. He is the first doctor to recommend this, however.
Price is not the determining factor for me, BUT this is almost double the price I have been quoted from 3 other Turkish doctors. I never told his nurse that I was American, but it seems like the prices are significantly increased if they believe you are American. I can't see any justification for these prices, but maybe I'm wrong here. If anyone has any information on this doctor please connect with me.
Price is not the determining factor for me, BUT this is almost double the price I have been quoted from 3 other Turkish doctors. I never told his nurse that I was American, but it seems like the prices are significantly increased if they believe you are American. I can't see any justification for these prices, but maybe I'm wrong here. If anyone has any information on this doctor please connect with me.
Replies (4)
Also, have you considered Dr. Alpaslan Yildirim in Istanbul? I am AA and considering him for my revision. I am also considering Dr. Umit Taskin as he has amazing IG pictures of ethnic noses but he has some mixed reviews on this board.
Be careful about the images on IG. They can be very misleading. Also remember that what a nose looks like immediately after surgery can drastically change after it has had some time to heal. Most of the images you will see are right before and immediately after surgery. Unfortunately you won't see a lot of black people with after photos many months down the line. Many people do not agree to share.
You are correct and good luck in your search. I think that I am going to spend the extra money and have the surgery done stateside. Having done this before it gives me comfort to know that i can easily go to my doctor for a follow-up or if any complications arise. p.s. you may want to listen to Dr. Öreroglu and wait at least until January so that all or most of the swelling will subside. This could help you get better results.
Yes, I am absolutely waiting until next year to do anything else. My nose is still quite swollen, as I had another face to face consultation and the surgeon told me it still has a lot of healing to do. To be on the safe side I am going to wait until at least 1.5 years to do anything. I want to increase my chances of it going well this 2nd time around.
Following! I remember reading your older post...Best wishes as you seek a revision!!!
Thank you!
Don't bargain shop for your face. I did in 2017 in Austin Texas for $6900. Now I'm having hell trying to find someone to fix it
I'm not bargain shopping. In the US I wouldn't even blink at that price. However he is significantly more expensive than ANY doctor I have consulted with in Turkey, and IMO his results do not justify the price. If I felt that his results were spectacular I would not care, but he only seems to be taking advantage of the influx of people coming to Turkey for rhinoplasty surgery.
I also wish you the best in finding a good surgeon for your revision surgery.
If you're going to Turkey go to D Suleyman Tas. I think he's the best. He's better than anyone in the US. He denied me however because he didn't think I needed it. Unlucky for me.
Thanks for the recommendation. If I can ask, why are you seeking a revision?
Why would she go to Dr Suleyman Tas? He seems to do well with Middle Eastern and European noses but he has zero pictures of black rhinoplasty patients on either his IG or website. To an AA this is a not a good sign. You want someone with experience in dealing with people of sub-Saharan African descent. That was the mistake that I made with my primary rhinoplasty, going with a doctor that had excellent results for European patients but limited experience with ethnic noses.
I'm seeking revision because the initial surgeon derotated my nose thus making it droopy and long. I have nostril scarring and a retracted nostril on one side. All he had to do is bring in the nostrils and make the tip smaller but he derotated it and created 3 other problems I didn't have. My suggestion is be Frank of what you want and if they won't do what you're hoping for find someone else. I'll have to pay between $16-20k for a revision. I have the money now but it took me 10 months to save.
Thanks for that reply. Yes, I had similar things done to my nose....alarplasty and tip refinement. I also have bad scars on my alar now and the tip has dropped and does not stay projected at all when I smile. I also have some other internal issues that I did not have before as well. Good luck with your revision, I wish you the best.
Thank you. Have you looked up subcision for scarring? There's a video on YouTube by Joe Niamtu
I have, but I will have to have my alar cut again as it was not done properly the first time, so I may not need it once it heals again. Hopefully not....fingers crossed.
Yeah hopefully they royally screwed mine up but better to have more tissue left than not so thank God they didn't take too much the first time. Best of luck on your journey.
Thank you! You as well.
UPDATED FROM Dante3519
Things I've Learned
I have learned a lot during this journey so far and would like to share some of those things for those considering elective surgery.
- Don't trust every single review you see.....yes even the "good" ones or even other people you speak with. As odd as it may seem, people won't always be honest with you about their results and their true feelings about their surgery, so take what others look like and say with a grain of salt. The exception to this is if someone is willing to send you videos or video chat, meet in person with you and show their results from every angle......you can pretty much trust that.
- Just because a doctor looks good on paper and has all of the right credentials does not mean they know what they are doing. Credentials are great, but just because a doctor is an ENT with privileges at multiple hospitals doesn't mean he or she is a good rhinoplasty surgeon. Multiple hospital privileges though are usually not given lightly.
- When things do go wrong you need to remain calm.....freaking out is not going to change anything and it'll only make you feel worse. Though it may feel like the world is falling apart....it isn't and you will be fine, as impossible at it may seem in that moment.
- Doing thorough research is not always a fail-safe way to guarantee good results. There are no guarantees in this surgery game. There are so many factors that go into it, and while good skills, experience, and technique are key.....things can still go wrong and you should be prepared for that possibility.
- Don't compare someone elses results with your own. Everyone is different and will heal differently. Just because someone healed poorly or extremely well, does not mean that you will have the same experience.
- I cannot stress this one enough. Beware of shiny, pretty, picture perfect IG profiles....and social media in general. While this is nice and entertaining, remember that just like us, doctors will broadcast their best there. You won't see unhappy patients or botched patients there...dig deeper. A good place to start is in the comments under the photos in IG. Read the comments and many times you can find other patients that way.
- Beware of angles. This also ties into social media. When you look at images make sure the doctor is showing the nose from ALL angles...top, bottom, left, right etc. If you notice a pattern or certain angles missing, there is usually a reason why.
- Beware of lighting and photo editing. We can all tell when an image has been edited or has a filter. If you see nothing but filtered and edited images be very cautious.
- Just because a doctor is a "specialist" doesn't mean they are any good.
- You can have a bad reaction to sutures (dissolvable and otherwise), hydrogen peroxide, ointments etc. Be sure to ask your doctor about all of these things as they can cause huge delays in healing. Also, hydrogen peroxide has been proven to prematurely break down dissolvable sutures.....keep this in mind during your consultations when asking questions. Talk to your doctor about the use of hydrogen peroxide at all, and if he/she insists you use it, ask about diluting it with water or sterile saline solution, as it is my personal belief (after much research) that it is no bueno. I personally will never use it again.
- And most importantly always always always go with your gut instincts. If something feels wrong or "off" during the consultation, afterward during healing or at any other time don't ignore that feeling.
I hope this can help others out there in some way.
- Don't trust every single review you see.....yes even the "good" ones or even other people you speak with. As odd as it may seem, people won't always be honest with you about their results and their true feelings about their surgery, so take what others look like and say with a grain of salt. The exception to this is if someone is willing to send you videos or video chat, meet in person with you and show their results from every angle......you can pretty much trust that.
- Just because a doctor looks good on paper and has all of the right credentials does not mean they know what they are doing. Credentials are great, but just because a doctor is an ENT with privileges at multiple hospitals doesn't mean he or she is a good rhinoplasty surgeon. Multiple hospital privileges though are usually not given lightly.
- When things do go wrong you need to remain calm.....freaking out is not going to change anything and it'll only make you feel worse. Though it may feel like the world is falling apart....it isn't and you will be fine, as impossible at it may seem in that moment.
- Doing thorough research is not always a fail-safe way to guarantee good results. There are no guarantees in this surgery game. There are so many factors that go into it, and while good skills, experience, and technique are key.....things can still go wrong and you should be prepared for that possibility.
- Don't compare someone elses results with your own. Everyone is different and will heal differently. Just because someone healed poorly or extremely well, does not mean that you will have the same experience.
- I cannot stress this one enough. Beware of shiny, pretty, picture perfect IG profiles....and social media in general. While this is nice and entertaining, remember that just like us, doctors will broadcast their best there. You won't see unhappy patients or botched patients there...dig deeper. A good place to start is in the comments under the photos in IG. Read the comments and many times you can find other patients that way.
- Beware of angles. This also ties into social media. When you look at images make sure the doctor is showing the nose from ALL angles...top, bottom, left, right etc. If you notice a pattern or certain angles missing, there is usually a reason why.
- Beware of lighting and photo editing. We can all tell when an image has been edited or has a filter. If you see nothing but filtered and edited images be very cautious.
- Just because a doctor is a "specialist" doesn't mean they are any good.
- You can have a bad reaction to sutures (dissolvable and otherwise), hydrogen peroxide, ointments etc. Be sure to ask your doctor about all of these things as they can cause huge delays in healing. Also, hydrogen peroxide has been proven to prematurely break down dissolvable sutures.....keep this in mind during your consultations when asking questions. Talk to your doctor about the use of hydrogen peroxide at all, and if he/she insists you use it, ask about diluting it with water or sterile saline solution, as it is my personal belief (after much research) that it is no bueno. I personally will never use it again.
- And most importantly always always always go with your gut instincts. If something feels wrong or "off" during the consultation, afterward during healing or at any other time don't ignore that feeling.
I hope this can help others out there in some way.
Replies (3)
Very helpful advice...Thanks for posting this.
This was very helpful! Thanks for sharing.
thank you for posting this
UPDATED FROM Dante3519
Just Over 9 months Post
I am just over 9 months post op now and have been on the hunt for a new doctor. I have considered Dr. Umit Taskin, Dr. Alpaslan , Dr. Shervin Naderi, Dr. Ghavami, Dr. Sam Rizk and Dr. DeJoseph. I am absolutely terrified of having a revision after how badly the first surgery went. But I am really hoping for the best this time around.
p.s. I think that you are correct about them charging Americans more. I never let them know that I'm American when asking for quotes and you may want to pepper your initial communications with them with bad english and syntax so that they will not think that you are from the US. After you get a price, then let them know that you are American.