Please Read This! Truly the Best Surgeon

Here is my 12 month post op review, from beginning to end I have had the most incredible experience. I broke my nose 4 times from the time I was 13, that led to a deviated septum, inability to breathe at all through my nose, and cosmetic abnormalities in my nose. I would’ve had to wait 3 to 5 years to get my deviated septum fixed through ohip, plus the wouldn’t be able to fix the cosmetic abnormalities caused by the breaks, and given that I had already been unable to breathe for 7 years at that point, I asked to be referred to a plastic surgeon. As soon as I heard the name of the surgeon my eyes lit up, this is because Dr Oakley Smith performed surgery on me at 6 years old, in his ENT days. Of course I went in to my consultation with a bias, my family and I already had all the trust in the world for this incredible surgeon. But being in the medical field and knowing a bit more than the average person because I work with doctors and healthcare professionals every day, I put that bias to the side and decided to make a decision based on the surgeon and the person he is today. Because I had an appointment with an ENT who would have been doing my surgery, I came in with an idea of what was wrong with my nose. I asked Dr Oakley if he wanted to put a stent in my nose because the other Dr did (a stent that was not yet approved in Canada fyi!!!!) and Dr Oakley almost seemed offended, he said the only reason the other Dr would want to put in a stent (in my specific case!!) is either he was not confident enough with his abilities to fix the valve collapse in the first place, or wanted to use my nose to experiment. That was the first green flag, that Dr Oakley knows exactly what he is doing. The second green flag during our consultation came to aesthetics, I wanted to come out of surgery with a smaller nose than he wanted to do, he was firm with me saying if I wanted a smaller nose, he can’t ensure I would be able to breathe and unless I was happy with the guaranteed size, he wouldn’t do it. I knew I trusted him right then and there. Of course, we all want a “smaller nose” and yes there are surgeons out there who will do that for you BUT they will be compromising your breathing and let me tell you from someone who went 7 years without any functionality of my nose, it will negatively impact parts of your life you couldn’t imagine, and the long term consequences of mouth breathing are not worth it by any standard. Dr Oakley will never compromise functionality for aesthetics, likely due to his career history and his respect for the human anatomy and how important a functional nose is. I of-course understand the risks of the surgery but having a surgeon I had so much trust and faith in put me at ease and in my opinion helped my healing process. After surgery I just want to point out that I did not bruise at all, yes I felt gross because of the anesthesia but I didn’t look like someone hit my face with a truck. I was prescribed some amazing pain meds to take after surgery, but all I needed were Tylenol 1’s for the discomfort. I ended up taking the full bottle of pain meds back to the pharmacy after I healed because I truly was not in pain after my surgery. I could breathe through my nose within a few days post op and yes I did cry because it felt so nice. I had an incredible experience from start to finish, the staff that work with Dr Oakley, are phenomenal to say the least. I fully feel that Dr Oakley is doing this job simply because he loves it, and not for any other reason. I would recommend my loved ones to him in a heartbeat. I am 12 months post op and in love with the profile of my nose, it was EXACTLY what I asked for, and beyond happy and grateful I can breathe again. If you are looking for a surgeon who will do exactly what you like for your nose, put functionality first, and truly loves what they do, you already have made it to his reviews so stop doubting him because of the 4 reviews from people who will never find perfection in themselves and go get it done with Dr Oakley Smith. A note to Dr Oakley: Thank you for helping me breathe a second time around and being one of the most professional and wonderful healthcare providers I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. You are an incredible person and an incredible surgeon. Truly thank you so much for being exactly who you are and for operating on me twice now, I feel honoured to have been one of your patients.